How to Lead a Service Project

Hello, service leaders! This document serves as a step-by-step instructional guide on how to lead a service project in your home club. The best thing about being in charge of events is that whether you are a general, board, new, or returning member, everyone is eligible to lead! It is a great way to take initiative and get involved with leadership in the club.

Every club does it differently and leading a project in a club can be more formal than others. For clubs with a set chairing system to lead a project, here are the steps for signing up:

Steps to Chair:

If you have a club website:

Go to the website and log in.
Go to the event calendar.
Find the particular event you want to chair.
If there is no chair, sign up to be the chair.

If you do not have a club website:

Then:

After you are the chair, you will have a list of all the people who are attending, as well as who is driving.
Contact drivers and everyone attending the event a couple days beforehand to make sure that they are still able to go.
Keep a record of everyone who attended the event, such as creating a sign-in sheet.
1. Another good way to keep track of who attended what event (especially if it’s a large event) to take a big group picture!
Make sure the event runs smoothly and that the members are constantly aware of what is going on.

After event:

CERF the event! A CERF is a Club Event Report Form that records everyone’s hours for the district. Use the sign-up sheet that you created for the event and log in everyone’s service hours. If you do not know what this is then contact the club secretary and they can help you out.

Steps to Lead Without Formal Chairing System:

For clubs without a formal chairing system, leading a project is still much the same! Contact the person who planned the project to find out information from the coordinator such as where to meet, any parking restrictions or information, or if there is any specific outfit restrictions for that particular event.

Take the list of those who signed up for the project and contact them to remind them of the upcoming event
Find the appropriate amount of drivers for the number of people going and notify them to see if they are willing to drive (look below for tips on finding drivers)
Find the proper address to send to drivers
Ensure everyone makes it to the event and knows what to do/is having a good time
Lead icebreakers before the event to get to know each other if there is downtime before tasks are assigned
Keep track of who could and could not make the event for CERFing purposes afterward
CERF the event! A CERF is a Club Event Report Form that records everyone’s hours for the district. Use the sign-up sheet that you created for the event and log in everyone’s service hours. If you do not know what this is then contact the club secretary and they can help you out.

Tips for Finding Drivers

Use incentives for drivers. Doesn’t to be every time but set up either a reimbursement system, make a dinner for the drivers, or some other way to show appreciation for their willingness to drive
Utilize public transportation if you have it
Ask if drivers are willing to make more than one trip to pick up all members
Ask your sponsoring kiwanis if they are willing to help drive
See if your school offers any volunteer shuttle service, (etc.) for projects

Safety Tips to Be Addressed for Any Project

If you are planning on working with other schools outside your home club you must fill out an Event Request Form or ERF to ensure the proper permission is granted and correct number of chaperones/advisors are available for the event. ERF’s take some time to fill out so please allow AT LEAST one month before the event to fill out all the required sections. ERF’s can be found on the CNH website in the Resource Database tab or at the link below http://resources.cnhcirclek.org/category/2-policies_forms_and_manuals/
For any event with Circle K members that involves labor, all members MUST bring a signed waiver and medical form to the event in order to participate. These forms can be found on the CNH Circle K website in the Resource Database tab or down below at http://resources.cnhcirclek.org/category/2-policies_forms_and_manuals/

Conclusion:

Chairing events is a good way to get involved with leadership in your home club. Whether you are chairing because there is no chair, or because you want to do more than just simply attend service events, chairing events will allow you to see that there is a lot more planning that goes into every service event apart from simply attending and doing meaningful service.