Circle K International Convention

Shortly after the end of Circle K's Large Scale Service Project, we quickly transitioned into the more formal part of the week, the International Convention. Just like the Large Scale Service Project, I did not know what to expect. I just took everything one day at a time. Even though this was the more formal part of the week, there was no part of it that was unbelievably stressful to me. This time around, I was able to just stay in the Sheraton and sit in chairs during meetings and sessions instead of enduring the humidity of the South. I liked the transition.

There are a lot of pictures that seem to reflect only the fun and relaxed side of things. I preferred not to take pictures of majority of the ceremonies and meetings. Rather, I wanted to draw a visual picture of the happenings of the International Convention. The four day conference was intense and to the point.

On Wednesday, there was a short introduction with the Opening Session. Many of the attendees for International Convention flew or drove in during the Scavenger Hunt around Downtown Birmingham so they were well rested. The other attendees like myself were still recuperating from sunburn and ant bites, not to mention exhaustion from working in the humidity for three days so we had to transition our minds quickly. Nevertheless, the International Convention kicked off smoothly. I was reunited with my Ohio District and we had to come up with a cheer for the evening. The Opening Session was lighthearted with all of the districts introduced by their governors. Some districts had goofy outfits on while others had crazy cheers. This was a good way to kick things off.

Thursday- workshops were in store and the shop was up and running. Most of Thursday's events were business casual so I did not have to wear a suit and a tie. I was still running about attending all of the workshops and meetings I could to gain more knowledge about different aspects of Circle K on the club, district, and international levels. There was more time for my district to fellowship especially after a full day of meetings. I think Thursday was the day that we went into the Five Points neighborhood to have dinner. That was an experience in itself because I got to meet the Kansas district while eating up lots of chips and salsa. The restaurant was called Fuego Cantina, a Mexican restaurant that was surprisingly cheap (yes, almost as cheap as Chipotle, believe it or not). We took the DART (a bus transit) from the Sheraton to get there. The area has a lot of diverse restaurant so if I am in Birmingham again, I will definitely hit them all up.

Friday- It is caucusing and House of Delegates time. I did House of Delegates at DCON but there is nothing like a ICON House of Delegates. The bottled up excitement was there and I did not know what to expect. There were some amendments we had to go through and nominations for the International President office was shown. In the caucusing sessions, I got an opportunity to ask questions directly to the candidates. I was so happy that I was able to be a direct participant. Afterwards in the evening after our Tailgate dance, my district met to discuss the day's events and what could happen on Saturday.

Saturday- The tension was in the air when the House of Delegates recommenced. A new International President was announced and I am happy to say that he is from our mighty Ohio district. His name is Jason Stewart. The place erupted and I was and still am so proud and happy for Jason. He definitely deserves it and I am sure that he will lead Circle K International to new heights!! Most of the amendments were decided upon on Friday but the delegates opened the floor for decision for the remaining amendments. The Ohio District had an amendment on the floor and it was passed without question. We had a break for several hours and started back with the Closing Ceremony. This ceremony was filled with awards, laughter, tears, and memories from the amazing time we had at International Convention. There were some surprises and we got to see the retirement of the 2008-2009 International Board and the installment of the 2009-2010 International Board.

Well, this ended the amazing weekend. Even though I have left some things out due to me hurrying a bit because I have to pack for school tomorrow (I go back on the 20th of August and I am reposting updated info even though I started this post on the 13th, BTW), this is basically my weekend in the Magic City, Birmingham, AL. Circle K IS simply the best, especially when it comes down to its tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship. If you want to challenge me about Circle K's awesomeness, simply join the club especially when there is a district event and find out for yourself. I have pictures below; check them out.






























Continuing to be amazed by Circle K International,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10