What is CKI?

Circle K International is a collegiate service organization with over 11,000 members worldwide. CKI, just like Key Club, is a project of Kiwanis International that promotes service in youth.  The service performed varies from club to club, but through district and international unity, we help complete large scale service initiatives that change the world around us.  Although we are a service organization, we sincerely believe that we provide a social network to our members that makes CKI quintessential to every UMD student’s college experience.  After all, with over 30,000 students at our school, you will find and make your life-long friends in dedicated, like-minded groups like CKI.

In addition to this service and fellowship, CKI aims to build leaders for the future. We realize that leaders need to be deeply involved in and aware of the world around them through service and fellowship, but we also recognize the importance for leadership opportunity and training.  Various trainings occur through club seminars as well as district events, and real-world experience opportunities are rich at every level of the organization.

Each CKI club has both a club adviser at the school as well as a Kiwanis adviser. The CKI club is the unit of CKI where service is performed, and the club’s committees are the workhorses of the organization.  However, a CKI club alone is not what makes CKI such a special organization. It is our sub-regions, divisions, and districts that give us access to other college students with our interests, and it is through Kiwanis International we work with volunteers everywhere to change the world.

For more background information and context, you can head over to the Capital District Website or the Circle K International Website.We also are sponsored by the Prince George's County Kiwanis.

Is there any history to CKI?

Yes, CKI originally began as fraternity called Circle K House in 1936, and it was not unitl during WWII in 1947 that the first CKI club opened at Carthage College in Illonois. In a matter of six years, Circle K formed an international board. During this time, Circle K remained a male-only club and only opened to women in 1971.

The first truly international component of CKI arose in 1970, when a CKI club in Switzerland was established. Today, we continue a rich tradition of international service with hundreds of clubs in the US, and many other clubs in Canada, Europe, and Asia.

So… where is UMD CKI in all this?

Once you join UMD CKI, you will become one of many proud Capital CRABS (Circle Kers Responding to and Bettering Society) in the Battlefield Division.  The Prince Georges County Kiwanis Club sponsors us, and we currently have two members serving at the district level: one is Laws, Regulations and Awards Committee Chair and the other is Battlefield Lieutenant Governor.  For more District and divisional information, head on over to the district info section of the website.

Typical events for us include helping construct playgrounds, helping Habitat for Humanity, cleaning up the Anacostia, making lunches for the Homeless, helping at community events, and more. This year, our District's theme is the magic of service, and the district project is performing our district service initiatives, which include working with Better World Books and March for the Dimes.

What does it mean to be a member?

In order to be a member of CKI, a member must attend meetings and service events.  Then they can choose to pay dues, which are subsidized by the club. Normally 32 dollars, early bird members only have to pay between 5 to 10 dollars to become a member and receive the following benefits:

• Insurance on Service Projects: You will be insured through Kiwanis, so that if you are injured on a service project with the club, you will be able to get reimbursed to a certain amount.

• Scholarships: Each year, there are a variety of scholarship competitions open only to CKI members. The Kiwanis International Foundation

• District Convention: Every member of the Capital District of CKI is able to attend DCON, which is held every February.  Moreover, UMD CKI covers most costs through fundraising and SGA funds.  So by simply being a member, you can travel to Alexandria this year to see Service Through the Decades, meet other members of the district, participate in the District Service Fair, and much more!

• International Convention: ICON is your opportunity to connect with involved individuals across the world. Part of what makes CKI so special is our large number of members. Take advantage of your membership and travel to a new city to share in a unforgettable life experience. And you can even become part of the Large Scale Service Project in the days before ICON.

• Networking: Simply by being sponsored by Kiwanis, CKI provides a great networking opportunity. By working closely with your Kiwanians, you will be able to tap into their knowledge and contacts, possibly forging a connection that can get you an internship.

• Membership Perks: Once you pay your dues, you will receive a membership card in an induction ceremony. The card will provide you with benefits, and you will also receive a membership pin with the Circle K International logo.

• Individual Recognition: CKI rewards its members who take their time to make a difference, whether it be through club, district, or international awards. Be sure to inquire with your club president about possible awards you may be qualified to receive!

• Leadership: Through club involvement, you can gain resume building experience leading your peers, and you can even pursue this at the District or International level, if you so choose.  There are even programs both in our club, District, and International level aimed at training leaders. Programs such as SOTC, GATC, and Leadershape help CKI train the leaders of tomorrow.

• Friendship: Not only by attending club meetings, but also service events, district events, and international events, you can meet and forge life-long friendships.

• Happiness: After an informal longitudinal case study, we have found that CKI members are happy (or at least appear to be). Although this isn’t really backed by extensive reseach, it doesn’t take long to see how happy everyone in CKI is. Whether it is because of their friends are there at the club with them or the work they do changing the world around them, it is clear that CKI will put a smile on your face at the end of the day.

• And plenty more benefits!

Our Pledge

(For those of you who don't like the chalk board, we have had a stenographer specially transcribe the message)

I pledge to uphold the objects of Circle K International, to foster compassion and goodwill toward others through service and leadership, to develop my abilities and the abilities of all people, and to dedicate myself to the realization of mankind's potential.

Acronyms and Terms Cheat Sheet (For when you have no idea what we're talking about)

• CKI - Circle K International CRABS - Circle K’ers Responding to and Bettering Society
• Con-Con - Conferences and Conventions Committee
  
• DCON - District Convention
• District - The unit of CKI below a Sub-region but above a divison; each District has an executive board governed by a Governor.
• Division - The unit of CKI below a District, but above a Club; each Division has an LTG
• DOTC - District Officer Training Conference
• FTR - Fall Training Rally
• GATC - Governor and Administrator Training Conference
• Interclubbing - Depending on the size of a club, when three members of one club attend another club's event.
• ICON - International Convention
• International Representative (I-Rep) - Subregion representative (a subregion is the level above the district in CKI but below international)
• IP- International President
• KCI - Key Club International
• K-family - Kiwanis International, CKI, KCI, Builder’s Club,   K-Kids, and Aktion Club
• K-family and Sister District Relations - District Committee Chair promoting unity amonst CKI clubs and K-family members
• LRA - Laws, Regulations and Awards Committee
• LSSP - Large Scale Service Project
• LTG - Lieutenant Governor
• MD&E - Membership Development & Education
• MRF - Monthly Report Form
• OTIC - On To International Convention
• Service Hour - Time spent planning, attending, and volunteering at a service event
• SOTC - Spring Officer Training Conference
• Sub-region - The unit of CKI between a District and International; every sub-region has a I-rep
• Total K-day - Annual event where many levels of the K-family get together in a social service event