Hey NECK, I hope everyone is having a wonderful semester and getting excited for District Convention.  It’s hard to believe Convention is only a couple months away. I’m looking forward to coming to Boston to celebrate your accomplishments over the past year, as well as setting a foundation for the next.

     With convention coming up, I urge you to look to the future of our organization.  Club and District officers are going to need excited members to take our organization into the next year.  If you’ve been thinking about running, talk to your current board, they can help you solidify your decision.

     During the week of January 16-20, your International Board met in frigid Indianapolis, Indiana for our Kiwanis-family Board meetings.  In between braving the cold and sometimes snowy weather, and hyper-excited Key Clubbers your I-Board sat down and conducted business for you, the membership.

     One of the directives the board was charged with that weekend was to select the site of the 2005 and 2006 International Conventions.  Well after debating all the locations submitted, the board selected these sites.  The 2005 Convention will be in Greensboro, N.C. at the Sheraton Four Seasons from August 13-17.  Then the year after that, the 2006 Convention will be coming to you.  That’s right, from August 12-16, Circle K members will be coming to Boston, Mass to enjoy the hospitality of the NECK district.  The Boston Park Plaza Hotel was chosen as the convention site, so stop by the area and check it out.  And remember it’s never too early to start hyping 2006.

     Focusing back on 2002, with the success of the Large-Scale Service Project last year in New York, plans are now in progress for this year’s LSSP.  So mark your calendar for August 5-10 for the LSSP, to take place in sunny Orlando, FL.  This year’s project will be a basketball camp for disabled and inner-city children of the Orlando area.  The camp will also contain workshops for the children, focusing around reinforcing education and community help.  The cost of the weekend will be $90 and include 4 nights lodging and meals. For more information of the LSSP contact Michael Leger, LSSP Chair.

     Immediately after the LSSP, stick around for the 47th annual Circle K International Convention.  From August 10-14, over a thousand Circle K members from all over the world will come to celebrate the accomplishments of all Circle K members for the past year.  Some of the highlights at convention will include the second annual Service Fair, election of the 2002-2003 board of officers and more fun than you can shake a stick at.

For those of you that don’t know, November was Kiwanis-family month.  In an effort to facilitate more interaction within the Kiwanis-family, Circle K has created a recognition program for clubs.  Any Circle K club that participates in a project or social that involves two other branches of the Kiwanis-family will receive not only valuable connections but also recognition. 
This April during the Governor Administrator Training Conference the I-Board called for International Council meeting.  During this meeting the 2002-2003 class of Governors and I-Board will come together and lay a foundation for the future of Circle K.

     Well as always, if you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask.  I look forward to meeting many of you at District Convention; I know it going to be party to remember.  Vegas, Baby! Vegas!

Tim Hossain, Trustee
[email protected]