Circle K International (CKI) is an international collegiate service organization that is a service leadership program of Kiwanis International. It promotes service, leadership, and fellowship. It has over 5,000 members.
Organization Circle K International is a service organization formed to help the community through various service projects. It is part of an umbrella of organizations led by Kiwanis International. Circle K International also aims to build fellowship and create leaders within the membership.
The organization raises funds for various causes. The major initiative is: “Focusing on the Future: Children” which aims to help children of ages six to thirteen. In 2007, Circle K partnered with the U.S. Fund to help raise $500,000 for UNICEF in efforts to help children around the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. This is called "Saving Lives – The Six Cents Initiative." It got its name from the cost in U.S. funds, to purchase one pack of rehydration salts to purify a day's worth of drinking water. Their service partners include UNICEF, Students Team Up to Fight Hunger (STUFH), March of Dimes, Better World Books, Junior Chamber International, and the St. Baldrick's Foundation.
In 2017, Circle K International partnered with UNICEF to adopt the five-year signature project WASH. Circle K International aims to provide education, awareness, and funding to supply clean drinking water and sanitation education to schools and children in Haiti to target Haiti's emergency needs to reach 200,000 people in cholera-affected areas with a complete WASH response package.
History In 1936, the "Circle K House" at Washington State College was established by the Kiwanis Club of Pullman, Washington. Organized as a fraternity, Kappa Iota Phi served men who needed financial aid to attend college. Kiwanians also wanted to provide collegiate students leadership opportunities for their future careers and work service projects to better their communities while having a sense of fellowship. In 1947, Circle K changed from a fraternity to a service organization. That year, the first Circle K club was chartered at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois. In 1949, two more clubs were added, and by 1955 there were 147 clubs, at which point Circle K received official endorsement from Kiwanis International. Circle K International adopted the Kiwanians beliefs by establishing the three tenets of Service, Leadership, and Fellowship to bring a sense of purpose to the organization.
The Kiwanis International Board of Trustees accepted a proposal to allow the establishment of Circle K Districts on February 22, 1957. The very first Circle K District to be officially recognized was the Texas-Oklahoma District. The second Circle K District was Kentucky-Tennessee which was closely followed by Michigan. Four more Districts were added in the 1957–58 administrative year: Missouri-Arkansas, California-Nevada-Hawaii, Ohio, and Alabama.
In 1971, delegates at the International Convention voted to allow women into the organization. The move was initially met with resistance by Kiwanis, which must approve all changes to the Circle K governing documents. After nearly two years of debate, the Kiwanis International Board of Trustees approved the change on February 6, 1973, and Circle K became the first co-ed organization in the Kiwanis Family. In 1984, Susan E. McClernon was elected the first female International President of Circle K International.
In 1975, Gregory Faulkner from the New York District was elected to the position of International President. Faulkner was the first African-American International President. Faulkner's election and the admission of female members was symbolic of the new level of maturity and responsibility Circle K International had assumed over 20 years of service, growth and development.
At the International Convention in 1987, the delegates approved the use of the initials CKI as an official name of the organization. That same year, Kiwanis International voted to allow women into Kiwanis clubs. Key Club had gone co-ed in 1977.
As of the end of 2005, membership consisted of over 13,250 college students in 17 nations around the world. Most of the Circle K membership currently resides in North America, in 30 Districts recognized by Kiwanis International. Twenty-seven districts are entirely within the United States, while three districts are international representing Canada and the Caribbean. These three Districts are the Pacific Northwest (made up of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and the Canadian province of British Columbia and Yukon Territory), Western Canada (Alberta and Manitoba), and Eastern Canada and the Caribbean. Districts-in-Formation exist in Eastern Canada, Central and South America, Australia, and the Pacific Rim.
Circle K International celebrated its 50th anniversary at the 2005 International Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina. The International Convention's theme was, "CKI's 50th Anniversary: 50 Never Looked So Good".
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the 2019-2020 International Board announced on April 22, 2020, that the upcoming convention in Las Vegas was canceled. The event was rescheduled for July 18, 2020 - July 19, 2020 as the organization's first free virtual conference and had over 955 registered attendees. The International Council convened for a virtual meeting on July 21, 2020, to elect officers for the International Board and to consider amendments to the policy code. In June 2021, due to the continued threat of the pandemic, CKI members were invited to the Kiwanis Education & Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah instead of holding their own International Convention. Once again, the International Council convened for a meeting to elect officers for the International Board and to consider amendments to the policy code instead of holding the traditional full House of Delegates.
International Conventions (CKIx)
Year Number Location Theme Dates Attendees RefsMadison Square Garden, New York City (with Kiwanis) – Carthage College, Carthage, Illinois – Des Moines, Iowa – stTemple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – ndDenver, Colorado – rdHuntsville, TexasSee You at Sam Houston State Teacher's Cow-llege – thDelaware, Ohio – thToronto, Ontario – thSt. Petersburg, FloridaFun in the Sun in '61 – thSan Diego, CaliforniaSi! Senor—San Diego – Chicago Tribune February 4, 1962 thNorfolk, VirginiaY'all Come – Los Angeles Times July 11, 1963thChicago, IllinoisBy the Lake Shore in '64 – Chicago Tribune August 31, 1964thMiami Beach, FloridaLet's Meet in Miami Beach – Hartford Courant September 6, 1965thDallas, Texas See You in Big D – thOttawa, OntarioCircle K in Canada – thPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania – thPortland, OregonNorthwest in '69 – thNew Orleans, Louisiana – thChicago, Illinois – thDenver, Colorado – thMiami, FloridaBy the Sea in '73...1,000 to Miami Beach – thLos Angeles, CaliforniaBy the Shore in '74 – thToronto, OntarioClimax in Canada – stWashington, D.C.Come to the Capital Convention – ndMuehlebach Hotel, Kansas City, MissouriGet Your Muehle Bach to Kansas City. It's No Bum Steer – rdOrlando, FloridaCircle K's Magical Meeting – thMarriott Hotel, Chicago, IllinoisHave a Great Chicago – thPhoenix, ArizonaCelebrate the Silver – thPhiladelphia Marriott Hotel, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Philly Feeling – thFort Worth, Texas Lone Star and You! Fort Worth '82 – thAtlanta Marriott (now the Atlanta Sheraton), Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta's the Place to be in '83 – thMilwaukee, WisconsinCatch the Spirit – Milwaukee '84 – thSeattle, WashingtonCelebrate Service – 30 Years of Caring – Seattle, WA '85 – stBoston, MassachusettsA Declaration of Commitment – ndSt. Louis, MissouriGateway To New Horizons – rdOrlando, FloridaCelebrate a New Beginning – thCincinnati, OhioWCKI in Cincinnati: Rockin' to the 90's – thAnaheim, California35 Years...and the magic continues! – thBaltimore, MarylandAnchors Aweigh for Circle K – thSan Antonio, TexasSharing One Vision – thNashville, TennesseeA Celebration of Service – thSt. Louis, MissouriEnvision Excellence – thPhoenix, ArizonaExpanding Horizons, 40 Years of Service – stPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaService: Foundation For Our Future – 966ndChicago, IllinoisMoving on the Winds Of Change – 998rdOcho Rios, JamaicaOceans of Opportunity...CKI in Reggae Land – 922thHouston, Texas Saddle Up for Service – 972thSan Diego, CaliforniaCatch the Wave of Service – 1076thBuffalo, New YorkLighting the Way to the Future: Service on the Edge – 944thCarib Royale, Orlando, FloridaService in the Sun – 1039International Convention Rundown thOmni Severin Hotel, Indianapolis, IndianaThe Kiwanis-Family United in Service – 701thUnion Station Hyatt Regency, St. Louis, MissouriA Family United in Service – 589thSheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons Greensboro, North Carolina50 Never Looked So Good – 636stBoston Park Plaza, Boston, MassachusettsNavigating the Seas of Service – 555ndRed Lion Hotel on the River, Portland, OregonPlanting Seeds of Service – 525rdAdam's Mark Hotel, Denver, ColoradoReaching New Heights – ICON 2008 News from the HousethSheraton Birmingham, Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham. Be there! – 2009 CKI Convention thWashington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MissouriMeet us in St. Louis – 2010 CKI Convention thVirginia Beach Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, VirginiaCome for the fun, stay in the sun – 2011 CKI Convention thWestin New Orleans Canal Place, New Orleans, LouisianaBig Service in the Big Easy – thWestin Bayshore and Vancouver Convention Center, Vancouver, British Columbia – thLoews Vanderbilt Hotel, Nashville, TennesseeMotto: The Sounds of ServicethJW Marriott and Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IndianaKiwanis Centennial / Kiwanis 100 – stSheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto, CanadaMotto: Following the PATH to ServiceJune 22, 2016 – June 26, 2016ndGrand Hyatt San Antonio, San Antonio, TexasMotto: The Sun Never Set on ServiceJuly 5, 2017 – July 8, 20172018rdMarriott Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IllinoisMotto: The Best it's Ever Bean; co-hosted with Key Club InternationalJuly 4, 2018 – July 8, 2018201964thDisney's Contemporary Resort, Orlando, FloridaJune 26, 2019 – June 29, 2019202065thVirtual Conference (originally Flamingo Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada)CKI NEXTJuly 18, 2020 - July 19, 2020 (originally July 19, 2020 - July 22, 2020)202166thSalt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UtahKiwanis Education & Leadership ConferenceJuly 24, 2021 - July 26, 2021202267thSheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol, Austin, TexasJuly 24, 2022 - July 27, 2022202368thDoubleTree Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Downtown, Minneapolis, MinnesotaJune 21, 2023 - June 24, 2023
Governance CKI operates on a three-tiered system similar to Kiwanis International and Key Club International. The International Board oversees organizational policy, growth and international expansion. The International Board is elected at the International Convention held in a different city each summer. The CKI Board is composed of an International President, Vice-President, and five trustees who represent assigned districts. The International Board meets in-person in July of each service year upon being elected for the annual CKI International Board Trainer.
District and Club Boards