Volume 50 ǁ Issue 5 ǁ January 2015

Cirkling: Special Edition

DCON, also known as District Convention, is a weekend long event in which the

New Jersey District of Circle K International assembles. Here, immediate past officers ad-

dress their district, and the future New Jersey District Board is voted upon by members

such as yourself! These candidates participate in several rounds of caucusing before the

New Jersey District comes to a vote. While it is certainly a very exciting aspect of DCON,

District Board elections are not the only facet of our convention! DCON is also a time in

which awards are presented to outstanding officers, clubs, and general members, and at-

tendees can attend several leadership building workshops. It is the event in which recipi-

ents of various scholarships are announced, and a place where members can dress to im-

press at the annual dance. Most importantly, it is a time for New Jersey Circle K members

to network with one another and grow as leaders and individuals!

What is DCON?

How is the weekend set up? District Convention or as we lovingly call it, DCON, is held at the end of every service year as a way to bring the entire New

Jersey District together to celebrate the past year of fellowship, leadership, and of course, service! We spend Friday to Sun-

day celebrating our accomplishments and meeting the future leaders of our district. This year at DCON we will be travelling

around the world throughout the weekend celebrating the cities of the world!

The journey begins Friday night with our opening session and the first round of divisional caucusing. Each candidate will

speak in front of the district and express why they believe they should be elected to serve the district. This is your first chance

to get to know the candidates so come curious and ask questions! In your registration packet, you will receive a list of suggest-

ed caucusing questions. That does not mean you cannot ask your own though! Be creative and be probing, but make sure

your questions are appropriate because if not the moderators will rule out your question.

Saturday morning, we will have breakfast, which is on your own in the hotel’s restaurant. Make sure to keep your meal tickets

otherwise you have to pay for your own breakfast! The day really gets going with the Meet the Candidates session. This is

where the entire district meets the candidates all at once. The candidates will caucus address the district and then draw fish-

bowl questions that have been created by our Elections and Credentials Chair Molly Olcese.

Next we move into some fun and educational workshops! There are three rounds of workshops, all before lunch. The first

round is position focused. Your newly elected club executive boards will be able to get some more specific information and

guidance about how best to fulfill their position duties. This is also where club committee chairs and general members can

learn about how to become more involved in their home clubs and the district. The second round of workshops will be

about some of our preferred charities and service partners. The final round of workshops will all be based around FUN! In

the past we have had juggling, Jeopardy, CKI then and now, and many more. Come travel with us in March to find out what

this year will bring!

After the last workshop, we will continue our journey around the world to the President’s Luncheon. Here is our chance to

honor those that lead each home club to greater heights with passion and dedication. We also will be handing out some of

the cool awards you can apply for! Make sure you have those filled out and handed in on time in order to be considered.

Next up is the last round of caucusing before we hold elections. So any last minute questions should be asked here. Do not

be afraid to ask a question! It’s just like class where other people in the room probably have similar questions. Important

things to consider when thinking of questions would be things like the time commitment of the positions, the class and work

schedule of the candidates, their respective platforms, and their past leadership experience.

This is followed by our service project and some free time before the big event: House of Delegates. The center of the

weekend revolves around this session. What is House of Delegates you ask? Well, that is where representatives from each

club come to elect the District Board for the upcoming service year. It’s kind of like Circle K’s version of the Electoral

College. The representatives are there to speak on behalf of their home clubs and vote with respect to their club’s wishes.

Anyone is allowed to sit in on House of Delegates but only voting delegates are permitted to speak.

Once the House of Delegates is closed, we can turn up the FUN factor by lot! The Governor’s Banquet is our formal din-

ner where we hand out the last of the awards and scholarships. This year we will be presenting the Donald Cox Circle of

Service Award to Dean Konner in honor of his dedication and commitment to the New Jersey District of Circle K. But

the FUN kicks it into overdrive after the banquet is over at the Governor’s Ball where we will dance the night away and

have a true celebration of service, leadership, and fellowship. Just remember to brush up on your “Paradise by the Dash-

board Lights” lyrics beforehand!!

The weekend concludes on Sunday morning at the Farewell Brunch where we will have the official retirement of the 2014

-2015 New Jersey District Board and the installation of the 2015-2016 New Jersey District Executive Board. We say our

fond farewells to the last service year and begin anew, striving for bigger and better in the future!

DCON is a wonderful experience for any member of Circle K. I attended my first DCON as a newly elected club editor.

I spent the weekend learning and realizing just how big Circle K is in New Jersey and around the world. It was eye-

opening to interact with members from other clubs and see how differently we all approach fulfilling the three tenets of

Circle K. Since then, I have seen new members come into our K-Family and be changed by their own experience at

DCON. So come out to the Hotel Somerset-Bridgewater from March 20th-22nd and see for yourself.

Hope to see you there!

Melinda Graff

Get ready to shine around the world at this year’s District Convention! This is an exciting weekend where you and your club

have the opportunity to showcase your achievements from the 2014-2015 service year. There are numerous awards and con-

tests available to apply! I highly encourage all members to take look through the awards packet and to give the application a

shot! Most awards are given through an application process, however some are given through nominations. Awards are avail-

able to new members, general members, committee chairs, and club officers, so there is something for everyone. I also high-

ly recommend clubs to submit an application for awards at the club level. District Convention is the perfect opportunity to

have your club recognized for all of the wonderful achievements accomplished throughout the

year.

Here is brief breakdown of the awards packet: Club Awards -William Patterson Outstanding Club Achieve-

ment

-Morris Silver Distinguished Single Service Pro-

ject

-Interclub

-Club Scrapbook

-Club Newsletter

-Club Website

-Club T-Shirt

-DCON Member Mile

-Outstanding Kiwanis Family Relations

-Outstanding Kiwanis Sponsorship

Individual Awards -Club President

-Club Vice President

-Club Secretary

-Club Treasurer

-Club Editor

-Club Committee Chairperson

-Most Service Hours by a Single

Member

Nominated Awards -Outstanding Kiwanis Advisor

-Outstanding Faculty Advisor

-Distinguished New Circle K Member

-Distinguished Circle K Member

What are the awards?

International Level Awards -Carthage Pullman Society Induction Opportunity

-Society of Distinguished Collegians

-Outstanding CKI Alumni

-Humanitarian

-Circle of Service

Contests -Oratorical

-Talent

Please take a look at the guidelines in the Awards Packet Information document as well as the guidelines contained within

each award. All details you need to know can be found in the awards packet! Please note that all pre-judged awards must

be hand delivered or postmarked by February 15th, 2015. International Awards will be due March 1st, 2015. Awards being

judged during DCON, will be due at the registration table prior to the Opening Session on March 20th, 2015. Once again,

I encourage you and your club to apply for the awards and contests and to take advantage of the opportunity to build club

spirit! If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at lokk1@tcnj.edu or Governor Dawn

at kreder.cki@gmail.com. I look forward to receiving all applications!

Yours in caring and service,

Kathleen Lok

DCON Awards and Contests Chairperson

FAQ

How long is District Convention?

DCON will take place from March 20-22, 2015.

Where will DCON take place?

DCON will be held at the Hotel Somerset-

Bridgewater

How much will District Convention cost?

DCON will cost approximately $180 per person. This includes your quad room for the week-

end, Saturday’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Sunday’s brunch. Included in your package

is the opportunity to hear from motivational speakers, attend leadership building workshops,

network with fellow peers, and receive individual, club, or officer awards! Act fast, as this

price will increase after February 15th! *Please note: Friday’s dinner IS NOT included in this

package and is an out-of-pocket expense, so please plan accordingly!*

Is there a way that I can receive help funding this?

There are several ways to help save for this convention! Begin by speaking with your home

club and discussing if any funds will be dispersed to attending members to lessen the total

price. You can also seek funding from family, friends, or companies. This is a leadership-

based convention for the world’s largest collegiate community service organization...talk it up!

*Side note: District Editor Rachael was able to receive funding for a week-long leadership

conference in Washington, D.C. from a health care organization C.E.O. Things like this real-

ly do happen, so don’t be afraid to network and put yourself out there!*

Celebrating the old, preparing for the new.

Those are the two main reasons that we hold our New Jersey District Convention (DCON) every year, as a

way to recognize our past accomplishments as a district and to set the stage for our future leaders. In my

time in the K-Family, I was lucky enough to attend every NJ Key Club DCON in high school, and this

March will mark my fourth NJ Circle K DCON. It is without a doubt my favorite event of the service year,

and that being said, I would like to invite each and every one of you to join me! The district board has

been preparing you all for a weekend of global proportions, as we celebrate NJ Circle K in all of the major

"Cities of the World."

If you have never been to DCON before, you may be asking yourself, "So what do we actually DO at dis-

trict convention?" Each day of the convention is a little bit different, with Friday, March 20th being the in-

troduction. We acquaint all of the NJ Circle K clubs in attendance with one another, battle for the posses-

sion of our cute spirit tomato, Freshie, and get a chance to hear from the 2015-2016 candidates for the dis-

trict board of officers. Saturday will begin with informative and fun workshops, have a luncheon celebrating

the achievements of the club presidents which then leads into some in-house service projects. Then, we

have our House of Delegates where we vote for the new district board officers, hold the Governor's Ban-

quet where more speakers and awards will be presented, and then we end the night with a dance. The last

day of the convention is our Farewell Brunch, where the 2014-2015 board of officers will be officially re-

tired and the new ones will be installed.

This jam-packed weekend is one that has the possibility to change your perspective on CKI forever if you

are a newer member, or it will remind you of why you joined this wonderful organization if you are a re-

turning one. I highly encourage each club to have at least three attendees so that your club has a voice a the

House of Delegates, and so that you can learn as much as possible at the sessions and workshops. If you

have any questions, please ask myself or our Convention and Conferences Chair, Melinda. We can't wait

to see you all there at our 51st Annual New Jersey District Convention!

Yours in caring and service,

Governor Dawn

A Message from Governor Dawn