Six Cents Initiative - Whose Hair will be Dyed Blue at New York Speaking 2009?

Greetings NYCKI!

Help support the Six Cents Initiative by donating to either "Team Kristen" or "Team Imran" in the NYCKI Six Cents Initiative challenge. Check out my blog post from April here for more details about this challenge. If you'd like to see LTG Imran Yassin's hair dyed blue, donate to "Team Kristen". If you'd like to see International Representative Kristen Reed's hair dyed blue, donate to "Team Imran".

Kristen has created a promotional flyer for the event, so check it out here!

-Governor Michael

STUFH Guide

Hey NYCKI!

As International Service Ambassador to STUFH, Students Team Up to Fight Hunger, I created a service guide advertising the Service Partner. I've uploaded the guide here. I hope it comes in handy when planning service projects for the Governor's Project, "Neighborhood Nourishment: Feeding Our Friends and Families". Again, if you have any questions about how to get involved, contact Governor's Project Program Development Chair Alex Geroux at alexgerouxcki@gmail.com.

Thanks!

-Governor Michael

Mary Murphy from Better World Books

Hi Everyone,

I thought I'd share this video with you, as it relates to our District Project, "Focusing on Childhood Literacy: Uncovering a World of Untraveled Adventures". Better World Books, as I'm sure many of you know, is one of Circle K International's four Service Partners. In this video, Mary Murphy of Better World Books discusses how your club can get involved with Better World Books on your campus:

Apply to Join the Governor's Project Committee!

Hey Everyone!

Governor's Project Chair Alex Geroux has put out an application for those who would like to serve on her committee. This year's Governor's Project is "Neighborhood Nourishment: Feeding Our Friends and Families", so we're focusing on volunteering at food pantries, holding food drives through STUFH (Students Team Up to Fight Hunger), etc. If you're interested in applying, you can download the application here. The deadline for application submission is Saturday, June 20th!

Please contact Alex at alexgerouxcki@gmail.com with any questions.

Thanks!

-Governor Michael

Tip Me: How to run a Better World Books book drive

A new "Tip Me" has been released on the Circle K International website. Released on April 22nd, the newest "Tip Me" is a list of instructions for holding a book drive through Better World Books, one of Circle K International's four Service Partners:

1. Check out the Better World Books website.
2. Research the literacy partners.
3. Contact your school and/or local college bookstores to set up your book drive drop off stations.
4. Sign up to start receiving all book drive materials.
5. Advertise your book drive. Use fliers, sidewalk chalk, classroom chalkboards and place ads in your school newspaper and table tents in common areas.
6. Visit the bins and collect books once a day. If you leave bins outside, place a trash bag at the bottom of the box so that books will not get wet. Weigh down the box to keep it from blowing away.
7. Store books in a storage unit or your apartment for security.
8. Make sorting boxes fun by hosting a packing party complete with some kind of entertainment.
9. Separate books that are eligible to earn $1.25 each or just pack all books together for $.50 each.
10. Schedule a pickup.
11. Celebrate! You will receive your check in the mail within two months.

Source: The CKI Service Committee

DOTC

This weekend, we held DOTC at NYU. DOTC, the District Officer Training Conference, is the first official meeting of each year's District Board. DOTC allows for the District Board to receive special training and discuss both goals and project ideas for the year. In our seven hour meeting in NYU's Kimmel Center, we accomplished a lot and made several very important decisions.

First, I am happy to announce that Kari Martin of SUNY Potsdam was officially voted in as Lieutenant Governor for the Northern Division. Congratulations, Kari!

We still have a vacancy in the position of Western Division Lieutenant Governor. If you know anyone at either Canisius College or the University at Buffalo who might be interested, please let them know about this opportunity to get involved on the district level!

We also decided on our District Project, which will focus on literacy, so we'll be working with Better World Books, helping out with children's reading programs at libraries, etc. We'll be sending out more information in the weeks to come as it becomes available.

We also discussed the Governor's Project and the status on committee chair applications. More information will be sent out on these two topics in the next few days.

One of the other matters discussed is the divisional breakdown in the district. The Board voted to incorporate the Circle K clubs lying the the Bronx Westchester South Kiwanis Division into the Empire Division and to change the name of the Bronx-Hudson Division to the "Hudson Division".
Overall, the board meeting we held at DOTC was very productive, and we managed to bond as a board through long subway rides and even longer games of Monopoly!

-Governor Michael

Tip Me: 5 ways to support March of Dimes

Every few weeks, a new "Tip Me" is released on the Circle K International website. The most recent "Tip Me", released on April 8th, is a list of five ways that you can support March of Dimes, one of Circle K International's four Service Partners:

1. Visit your local neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and bring flowers to the nurses to recognize the work they do.
2. Contact your senators and stress the importance of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). Check out the advocacy section on the March of Dimes website for more initiatives and information.
3. Form a March for Babies team with your CKI club and recruit volunteers.
4. Sell bean bags for babies. The profits from Calplush and Plushland, specially-made college-themed or holiday-themed bean bag bears, are used to fund the research and mission of the March of Dimes.
5. Challenge your CKI club to raise enough money to equal the number of members who were born prematurely or who have birth defects. For example: four members born premature=US$400.

Source: CKI Service Committee

Kristen vs. Imran: Whose Hair will be Dyed Blue at NY Speaking 2009?

At the 2009 NYCKI District Convention, IP District Project Chair Imran Yassin, IP LTG Matt Carney, and IP District Treasurer Gabby Martineau led a workshop on fundraising. After a discussion on "Locks of Love", International President Kristen Reed asked Chair Imran how much money would need to be raised for him to cut his hair. Because Imran refuses to cut his hair, we have launched a competition of between "TEAM IMRAN" AND "TEAM KRISTEN" to see which of the two competitors can raise the most money for the Six Cents Initiative by NY Speaking 2009! Whoever collects the most money will get to sit back and watch as LTG Josephine Lukito dyes the hair of the other blue. Why blue? WATER, of course!

Not familiar with the UNICEF Six Cents Initiative? Just six cents can save a child from severe dehydration. The more you raise, the more you save. To learn more, visit http://www.circlek.org/sixcents.

Your contributions to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is a registered 501(c)3 organization.

To donate, visit http://www.unicefusa.org/sixcentsonline, and click on "Sponsor Participant". Search either "IMRAN YASSIN" or "KRISTEN REED" under the NYCKI Blue Challenge Team.

Whose hair do you want to see blue? Is there really any question?