Hey LMT,

Welcome back from I-con, if you attended. LaMissTenn had 36 people in attendance, which I've just recently discovered was less than only Cal-Nev-Ha, EC&C, and Capital. So, we did pretty well, and got a lot more people there than anyone expected! Most of the other districts had between 2-10 people attend, and the other Governors were shocked (and still are) when I tell them how many people we had. So... not the 69 people we had in Orlando, but still an awesome delegation (especially considering the location)!

Indianapolis, like I've said before in my GATC blog entries-- is NOT a bad city. It's actually a very nice city. We didn't have as much free time to see it as we did in Orlando/Buffalo, but we made do with what we had! The convention definitely had a different feel to it, with the Key Clubbers there, and the way the sessions were scheduled, but all in all-- we had a great time together as a District. The suite was decorated in our "The Sky's the Limit!" theme-- and we wore our shirts/pins proudly, and had our usual LaMissTenn charm.

We also had several award winners that Alison detailed below... congratulations to them! I must admit that I'm slightly disappointed that we didn't have more clubs/people submit entries-- but, we'll learn for next year. The Summer is a great time for club boards to check out the CKI Website for those International awards packets-- so that you'll know what IS required, and what your clubs standards should be to be "award winning" -- so that if you want to apply for next year, you'll have nothing standing in your way. District officers & committee chairs should look at their awards binders too-- as they are much easier to compile as you go through the year, and not all at once at the end.. but we'll talk about that some more at Tioga too.

I have a "Lost and Found" - that I've set up.. it's an entire BOX of stuff that was found in the District Suite. I have a pink ball (Tasha's?), a hairbrush with a pink ribbon on it (Bich/Tasha?), some lavendar body spray, an XL goody packet t-shirt, and a few other random items. If you've lost anything-- let me know, and I'll be sure to get it to you somehow!

At our board meeting, we announced our two cabinet chairs-- Lauren Call from UNO for Service Initiative, and Ralph Johnson from LSU for Tomorrow Fund. Congratulations, Ralph/Lauren (ooh.. Ralph Lauren.. get it?) and these chair positions will go into high gear into this Summer. Keep in mind that our Service Initiative, "seasons of service" - focuses on the Elderly in Summer, Kids in Fall, Families during the Holidays, and Teens in Spring. As Summer is coming to a close soon-- we need to all work on our Elderly projects, and begin to prepare for a change in gear to Kids.

As for the dues increase, I will be talking the board/Alison about it-- and we will make sure to contact all the club Presidents, to explain the change-- how it will affect your invidual club's $amount, etc.

I guess that about wraps up I-con.. if anyone has any pictures they'd like to share, please get them to Michael so he can get them on the new district website...

Now we start moving high gear into Summer Rally... this again, is a Casino/Los Vegas themed event, and will be in the beautiful/lovely Starkville, MS (I've been there before, too.. it's loads of fun, with a great bowling alley and awesome cheese... to understand that, you have to see for yourself!). Becki Simonis and her crew at Mississippi State have been working really hard to make this event a GREAT one. We're trying something new by having Summer Rally a little later-- and this will be just the added extra motivation that people need before we start the school year. If there is a new member in your club that needs to experience the benefits and fellowship of Circle K-- or an old member who may seem to be losing their energy and becoming burnt out, or a member that was not able to attend I-con-- you NEED to bring them to Summer Rally! Again, Registration is due on the 15th of July, and is $40.. There are a LOT of events we have during the year, and the ones that are low cost like this-- you should take advantage of. $40 is NOT bad, when it covers your entertainment, lodging, and most of your food. I'll hop off of my soapbox for now, but just keep in mind that you WILL be disappointed if you don't attend Summer Rally. That is all. :)

International Corner - Be sure to check out the new Circle K International website.. at http://www.circlek.org. It's still a work in progress, but it looks much different then the old one-- so familiarize yourself with it, and check out what it has to offer. All of the award winners, new I-board, and amendments are listed in the convention updates-- so you may want to check that out as well.

Governor's Shoutout - This one goes to Tommy Stephenson, I know how much work he did (I witnessed most first-hand), in preparation for International Convention-- especially spending 4 hours in the Convention Center to fix the registration/hotel screw up by the Meeting Connection. Also.. a shoutout to Brandy Bowen for the awesome Key Club/Circle K ice cream social.. and a shoutout to UNO, LSU, Katie Mulreed, Laurie Brown, & Lauren Call for awards won.

That's it for now... I'm now preparing for Kiwanis District Convention, July 31st and August 1st & 2nd, in Memphis, TN-- and hope to represent you in the best way possible. I'll keep you updated on that, as well as other things that are going on in the District!