Build futures, inspire hope

A Kiwanis-family publication
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Build futures,
inspire hope
Key Club and UNICEF
join forces to help
youth in Uruguay
ICON photo gallery
Facebook tips for your club
for starters
Who are we?
2009-10 Key Club International Board
President
Abigail McKamey,
Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
Vice President
Adam Joslyn,
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Trustees
Jared Doles, Roswell, New Mexico
Shelby Goodfriend,
Port Charlotte, Florida
amberly peterson
Susan Kim, Kent, Washington
Eileen Lee, Succasunna, New Jersey
Larmon Luo, Elk Grove, California
Anna Nguyen,
New Orleans, Louisiana
Will Robertson, Charlotte,
North Carolina
Key Club’s got spirit
XinLei “Tony” Wang,
Burlington, Wisconsin
Imagine the surprise of this first-time convention attendee as I walked into Opening
Session of the 66th Annual Key Club International Convention and saw (and heard!)
Key Club pride­—real, live and full speed ahead.
Inside the convention hall, there were people cheering, whistles blowing, flags waving, noisemakers banging and balloons floating high in the air. Each district seemed
to have its own mascot, uniform or theme to distinguish itself. There were bees from
California-Nevada-Hawaii, chili peppers from the Southwest and pirates from IllinoisEastern Iowa. Talk about sensory overload!
It’s my hope that this issue—filled with convention photos, meaningful service project examples and Key Clubbers’ journal entries from Uruguay—can reflect the energy
and passion that Key Club members display all year long, especially at ICON. Keep up
the great work, and I hope to see you all at next year’s Key Club International convention in Memphis, Tennessee! —Amberly Peterson
Jenelle Yee, Sparks, Nevada
Lance Wilson, Osceola, Arkansas
Nancy Zhang, New York City,
New York
Magazine staff
Editor Michael Downs
Chief Marketing Officer
Carolyn Mosby-Williams
Content Manager Alyssa Chase
Managing Editor Jack Brockley
Executive Editor Amberly Peterson
Art Director Maria Malandrakis
Advertising Director Kim Stephenson
Contributing Editors Eileen Dennie,
Dick Isenhour, Kasey Jackson,
Shanna Mooney
Contents
03 News
21 Service simplified
06 Key Trends
23 Hot and happenin’
28 Meet the district
governors
09 On the Web
26 Meet your Key Club
International board
33 Center Stage
10 Mission for kids
30 Friend finder
38 Your Space
16 Social revolution
Key Club is published at 3636 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268, to promote the Objectives of Key Club International, a high school organization incorporated not for profit
under the laws of the State of Illinois and representing Key Clubs worldwide. Key Club is published twice each year—September and April. Standard postage (CPC Publication Agreement
#40030711) rate paid at Indianapolis, Indiana, and at additional mailing offices. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Kiwanis—2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, Ontario N8T3B7 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Key Club, 3636 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268. A single subscription to Key Club is provided to all members of Key Club International.
Additional member subscriptions are available for $4 a year. Subscriptions for nonmembers are available for $8 a year. PRINTED IN U.S.A. COPYRIGHT 2009 by Key Club International.
02|
Key Club
magazine
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
[ the news you can use today and tomorrow ]
NeWs
URUGUAY
UP CLOSE
3.46 million people live there.
40 percent of adolescents live
in poverty.
79.8 percent of adults have inflicted some kind of violence
on a child or adolescent.
Only 38 percent of students
complete the 12 years
of mandatory schooling.
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
PACIFIC
OCEAN
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Help UNICEF in Uruguay this Halloween
Raise money for Operation Uruguay: Protecting the Rights of Children
Since 1994, Key Club has been Trickor-Treating for UNICEF and has raised
nearly $5 million for iodine deficiency
programs worldwide and HIV and AIDS
programs in Kenya and Swaziland. This
year’s Trick-or-Treat donations will benefit Operation Uruguay: Protecting the
Rights of Children, and the goal is
to raise $1.5 million.
Even though the population of Uruguay is small compared to other countries
in the region, nearly half a million of the
country’s children and adolescents live in
poverty. The situation is especially serious
in the case of adolescents living outside
the capital, Montevideo, where the lack
of opportunity and space for participation, learning and recreation contribute
September 2009
to poverty, social exclusion, high rates
of school dropout and failure and
teen pregnancy.
Through the creation and management of social, educational and cultural
centers, like the Mandalavos Center
that Key Club ambassadors to UNICEF
visited in June, UNICEF will help at-risk
www.keyclub.org
adolescents by providing education,
family counseling, job skills, recreation
and social services. Funds raised through
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF will support
programs like these.
All United States-based Key Clubs
will receive a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
fundraising kit in mid-September. The
kit includes a poster, stickers, a DVD and
the famous orange collection boxes—everything you need to conduct a successful
contribution-collecting campaign. You
can order additional kits and collection
boxes—including human-sized costume
boxes—through the Kiwanis Member
Services department at 800-KIWANIS,
ext. 411.
Key Club
magazine
|03
News
[ the news you can use today and tomorrow ]
Give it up!
Let’s hear it for 2008–09 award winners
Congratulations to the 2008–09 Key Club Award winners!
The decisions weren’t easy. The judges had so many great service
projects, posters, videos and scrapbooks to choose from. Visit
www.keyclub.org/magazine to see the complete list of winners.
Video Contest
First Place—Club Video Award
Eisenhower High School
Poster Contest
First Place—Club Poster Award
Summit High School
Trophies await their winners at the Key Club International Convention in
Dallas, Texas.
Oratorical Contest
First Place—Oratorical Award
Robert Peck
Riverton High School, Rocky Mountain District
Five days a week
Do your part to make sure Key Club Week—November
2–6—starts Kiwanis Family Month with a bang.
Join other Key Clubs from around the world by following
these suggestions:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Show your K in every
way. Spread the word
about Key Club by
wearing Key Club
gear and publicizing
Key Club Week in local stores, your school
Web site, community newspapers—even
on the radio.
Refer to the
Key Club
public relations manual at
www.keyclub.
org for examples.
Connect the Ks. Key
Club is the largest
high school service
organization in the
world and
is a member of the
Kiwanis
family.
Celebrate
the entire
family of Kiwanis by
getting the whole
gang involved.
Connect with local
Kiwanis, CKI, Builders, Kiwanis Kids or
Aktion clubs and team
up for a joint service
project.
04|
Key Club
magazine
photo by tammi powlen beck
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Kudos to the Key players.
Personally thank all
the Key Club supporters you know—teachers, advisors and other Key players. Write
thank-you notes, host
an appreciation dinner or do something
uniquely your own
style to recognize the
contributions of these
special people.
Capitalize on Kiwanis Family Month by chatting up Key Club
www.keyclub.org
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Bring a friend to Key
Club. More members
= more service.
Increasing the amount
of service Key Club
performs increases the
impact Key Club has
on the world. Bring a
friend to your next Key
Club meeting. Find
recruitment resources
at www.keyclub.org/
keyclubweek.
Your way. This is your
club’s chance to do its
own thing and make
its mark. Pick a project, plan a recruitment
party or combine
activities from the
other Key Club Week
days. Whatever idea
you choose, take it
and run with it.
September 2009
[ the news you can use today and tomorrow ]
News
It’s time for dimes!
Did you know one mile of dimes
placed side by side will total more
than $9,000?
Looking for a cool new way to help out the March of Dimes
during Prematurity Awareness Month in November? Consider
hosting a Mile of Dimes event.
You and your Key Club can help
the March of Dimes accomplish its
mission—to improve the health of babies by preventing premature birth,
birth defects and infant mortality.
Here’s how.
• Select a popular spot to hold the event, such as a park, school
track or parking lot.
• Ask family members, employees, friends and members of the
community to donate dollars and dimes to the Mile of Dimes.
• Contact your local newspaper and other media in your area to
help promote your idea. Visit www.marchofdimes.com/youth
for materials, posters, art and more.
• Don’t forget to send in pictures for publicity in your PTA
newsletter and school newspaper or Web site.
To set up your Mile of Dimes, measure out 5,280 feet of ribbon or tape (which equals one mile). Be creative with your ribbon and place it in a unique shape, such as the March of Dimes
logo or spiral shape, or simply place the ribbon in a straight line.
Then, place the cash and dimes you have collected ahead of time
and have donors stop by to place
their dimes side by side on the surface of the ribbon. After the ribbon
is filled up, give yourself a BIG pat
on the back because you’ve raised
more than $9,000 toward lifesaving
research for babies!
Finally, take the cash and dimes to your bank, have it
counted and turn it into a cashier’s check made payable to the
March of Dimes.
If you need any assistance, contact the March of Dimes office
nearest to you by calling 800-BIG-WALK.
News in Brief
Opportunity knocks. Does your
club have the vision but lack the cash
flow? The Kiwanis International Foundation’s Youth Opportunities Fund
(YOF) could
be your new
BFF when
it comes
to implementing that sweet service
project. Fill out the form and submit
your great idea at www.keyclub.org
before the deadline hits October 15.
September 2009
PROJE
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Key trends
[ trends, notes and random thoughts ]
by the
numbers
1925
The year the first Key Club met in Sacramento, California.
courtesy memphis convention & visitors bureau
28
The number of countries
that now have Key Clubs.
5,000
Approximate number of Key Clubs around the world.
$1.5
million
The fundraising goal Key Club
has set to help youth in Uruguay.
317-875-8755
The number you can call to speak to Key Club Member Services about any of your Key Club questions or needs.
4
The number of Key
Club Core Values,
which are: leadership,
character building, caring and inclusiveness.
06|
Key Club
magazine
At the Memphis Rock
‘n’ Soul Museum you
can feel the beat and
discover the story of
Memphis music and
its impact on worldwide culture, as told
by the Smithsonian.
Receive a personal
CD audio guide with
every admission to
the museum.
Mosey down to Memphis
The 67th Annual Key Club International Convention is scheduled for July 7–11, 2010, in
Memphis, Tennessee.
Learn all about this star-studded
city, y’all:
• Legendary singer the Rev. Al Green
makes his home in Memphis and
preaches each week he’s in town
at the Pentecostal Baptist church
he started in 1979, the Full Gospel
Tabernacle. The public is welcome.
• “Memphis” is also the name of an
ancient Egyptian capital.
• Johnny Cash, Elvis and B.B. King,
known as the “Kings” of country,
rock ‘n’ roll and blues, respectively,
all got their start in Memphis in the 1950s.
• It is the largest city in Tennessee,
with about 670,000 residents,
known as “Memphians.”
• Former Key Club member and
music icon Elvis Presley’s former
home, Graceland, is here. It is the second-most visited house in
the United States (the first is the
White House).
• Civil rights leader Martin Luther
King Jr. was assassinated in 1968
at the Lorraine Motel. It’s now
the site of the (US) National Civil
Rights Museum.
www.keyclub.org
• Barbecue and the blues both are
huge here, and both are available
in abundance on Beale Street.
• Sun Studio, the famous downtown
Memphis recording studio where
Elvis—and many other musicians—
got their start is still a functioning
studio and a museum.
Visit www.keyclub.org/convention for
the latest convention updates.
September 2009
[ trends, notes and random thoughts ]
Turn it down
Ethan ailing
Blaring your MP3 player at full blast
can do damage in as little as seven minutes, Rosenfeld says. But you likely won’t
realize the effects for years.
To minimize problems, use larger
headphones, listen for short amounts
of time and, most importantly, turn
it down.
“If you keep the MP3 setting at 60
percent of the maximum volume, you
can listen safely for about an hour or so,”
Rosenfeld says. “Once you hit 70 percent,
you run risk of hearing loss for any
extended period of time.”
Another reason to turn it down:
Personal safety. At a high volume
level, you might not be able to hear
potential dangers around you—sirens,
horns or traffic.
Your grandmother: “Looks like rain.”
You: “Where’s a train?!”
Doctors are seeing an alarming trend
when it comes to teens and hearing, and
the culprit, they say, is earbuds.
According to Dr. Richard Rosenfeld,
Long Island
College Hospital,
anything over
85 decibels can
cause damage to
your ears. And
with earbuds
concentrating
the sound directly into your ears, the sound produced
by a typical earbud can range from 90
decibels (an alarm clock) to 120 decibels
(standing next to an ambulance with the
siren blaring).
How loud is too loud?
Decibel levels of common sounds
Decibels 0
sound
Near silence; threshold of hearing
10
Leaves rustling
20
Whisper
30
Quiet home
40
Quiet conversation
50–60 Normal conversation
70
Hair dryer; vacuum cleaner
80
City traffic
90
Thunder; lawn mower
100
Chain saw; large orchestra
110
Car horn
120
Rock concert
130
Threshold of pain
140
September 2009
Key trends
Jet taking off
Source: www.educationoasis.com
www.keyclub.org
Ethan Zohn, Survivor: Africa
winner, Grassroot Soccer cofounder
and frequent Key Club convention
guest, announced he has a rare form
of Hodgkin’s
Lymphoma.
Zohn, 35,
was diagnosed with
the disease
following
his 550-mile
Grassroot Soccer dribble, which was
the Key Club Week service project
in 2008.
Prepared to battle the cancer with
three months of chemotherapy and
radiation treatments, he shaved off
his trademark curly, black hair—
before it started falling out.
Always an activist, Zohn is now
a dream team ambassador for Stand
Up to Cancer.
“You always figure, ‘Why me?’
but cancer doesn’t choose,” Zohn
said on CBS’ Early Show. “No matter how much money or something
I won on Survivor, cancer doesn’t
care. It can get to you, but that’s
why I’m here. I want to let everyone
know that it’s OK. You can fight
it—you can get through it.
“I’m ready to battle this and
crush it out of my system. And hopefully educate and inspire others who
are facing the same problems right
now.”
Stand Up to Cancer
fact: During the September 5,
2008, telecast Stand Up to Cancer raised more than $100 million
for translational cancer research.
Key Club
magazine
|07
Key trends
[ trends, notes and random thoughts ]
6 ways to raise funds
Clever kudos
1. Recycle old cell phones.
2. Host a hairy leg contest for your
favorite charity.
3. Save or shave. Get a willing adult
to agree to shave his beard if
donations reach a certain goal.
4. Sell holiday flowers, cookies and
goodie bags.
5. Create birthday kits. Sell and
deliver cakes, cookies, balloons
or something similar to students
celebrating birthdays.
6. Apply for a service grant. The
Youth Opportunities Fund will
grant from US$200 to US$2,000
to fund clubs’ service projects. Fifty
cents from each Key Club member’s international dues goes to
this fund, which in turn helps fund
service projects. The deadline is
October 15. Download applications at www.keyclub.org.
Here are some witty ways to show
your appreciation.
Hats off: Cut top hats out of paper
and award them to those who
deserve a “tip of the hat.”
Bright ideas: Give a light bulb to
members with bright ideas.
Hangers: Give a plastic hanger to
members who need encouragement to “hang in there” during a
tough time.
Midway celebration: Plan a midsemester or midterm pizza party to
chase away the blahs—and remind
members they’re appreciated.
Wanted posters: Use photos to
create “Wanted for good behavior” posters to hang in the hall
or office.
Source: 2009–10 Key Club Leadership
Handbook
Source: 2009–10 Key Club
Leadership Handbook
College? Career? CKI.
Keep your commitment to Key Club values. Renew your passion for UNICEF. Join Circle K International (CKI),
the largest collegiate community service, leadership development and friendship organization in the world.
Learn more at www.circlek.org.
Key Club
CircleK_Ad_Final.indd
08|
magazine
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www.keyclub.org
6/25/09
2:58:28
September
2009PM
[ resources, downloads and just cool stuff we found ]
On the Web
w h a t ’ s N EW
Social Ties
Captured in action
Find us on Facebook
Discover what 10,000 others
have already found—the official
Key Club International Facebook
fan page. Stay connected to Key
Club International and talk with
other members about fundraising
tips and service project ideas.
Become a fan of Key Club
International at its official Facebook
fan page, www.facebook.com/
keyclubintnl.
Producing a newsletter or poster, but need a Key Club photo? Check
out the downloads section of www.keyclub.org and click on the Key Club
Image Library link to download images of Key Clubbers in a variety of situations. There are 40 images to choose from and each is available in two
sizes, one for print pieces and another for the Web.
Easy access
Key Club magazine now has a
Listen to
us tweet
Key Club has
jumped onboard with the latest
social networking craze. Follow Key
Club International on Twitter @ keyclubintnl.
new online home. You can easily
Get some press
find a link to the latest issue at the
top of the Key Club home page.
Click the link to download a PDF of
the most recent issue.
www.keyclub.org/magazine
resources
Live, learn, log on
Hungry to know how you can
help kids ages 5–9? Watch the Live
2 Learn online video at www.keyclub.org.
By supporting the Major Emphasis Program through hands-on service, you
can help Live 2 Learn assist children in overcoming learning obstacles so they
can be successful and give back to their home, school and community.
Learn more about Live 2 Learn at www.keyclub.org.
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Did you host a successful service project? Share
it with the Key Club
nation! Submit your club
or district’s success story,
along with photos or
video of your project or
event to keyclubnews@
kiwanis.org. It may end
up on the official Key
Club site or magazine.
Key Club
magazine
|09
Key Club
International has
committed to raising
US$1.5 million
for Operation
Uruguay.
10|
Key Club
magazine
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
Key Club International and UNICEF team up
to protect the children and teens of Uruguay
Photos by Bobby Ellis • Story by Amberly Peterson
F
rom June 6–11, Key Club International’s four ambassadors
to UNICEF traveled to Uru-
guay to experience firsthand the lifestyles of children and teens there. They
also learned more about Operation
Uruguay: Protecting the Rights of Children and how Key Club members can
make a difference. • Each ambassador
kept a journal of his or her trip…Read
about their journey on the following
pages. • You and your Key Club can
help, too, when you Trick-or-Treat for
UNICEF this Halloween. Donations
will support the Mandalavos Center
and others like it to ensure the rights
of youth to education, health and basic
services and family support.
September 2009
Newly elected Key Club International board members (from left) Lance
Wilson, Jared Doles, Abigail McKamey and Anna Nguyen accompanied
Mike Downs, Key Club International director and Kristi Burnham, from
the U.S. Fund for UNICEF (not pictured) to the South American country of
Uruguay.
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|11
I was taken care of.”
—Abigail McKamey
“My alarm went off at 10 ‘til
5 a.m. I got ready and went
downstairs to meet my parents.
We got in the car and got
the yummiest blueberry cake
donuts and went to the airport
in Nashville. It’s sad, but when I
said goodbye, my mom cried—
but honestly I’ve never been really nervous about the trip (like
she has!).…
“Today I had to take the SAT,
then go to work before I went to
the airport. When I got to the
airport, my flight was delayed.
I’m barely supposed to make the
flight to Buenos Aires. The flight
is eight hours long, but thankfully, I have my iPod and one of
the other ambassadors sitting
near me to talk to. We’re all excited to meet some Uruguayan
teens and, hopefully, help them
We boarded the 777 American
Airlines jet and that was it—we
Key Club ambassadors got briefed on Operation Uruguay.
were off! Everything had gone
relatively smoothly. We had a
with their care centers.
few delays, and goodbyes were bittersweet, but at the end of the
“Lance and I get angry looks from the other passengers because it’s
night, I was completely excited about the journey ahead. I had no
midnight and we don’t stop laughing and cutting up. Eventually, we
clue what to expect, who I would meet or what I would learn from
stop and watch Confessions of a Shopaholic.” —Anna Nguyen
all the overall experience. It didn’t matter. Aboard flight 943, I knew
“The flight to Montevideo was a short
25 minutes, and once we arrived we set
off for the hotel. The scenery was lovely
and the civilians were very family-oriented.
Many people spent the day walking the
beach or playing soccer. We also received a
tour of Montevideo including a panoramic
view of the city from its highest point.” —Lance Wilson
“Montevideo seems both beautiful and poor at the same time.”—Anna Nguyen
“The airport lost Anna’s luggage. I
felt really bad, but hoped Abigail
could lend her some stuff for
a couple of days. Met
Egidio, head of the
UNICEF Uruguay
office, and Maria.
Apparently they kiss
to greet a person
in Uruguay. Weird,
but whatev…”
—Jared Doles
Nearly 50%
of children in
Uruguay grow up
below the
poverty line.
Watch a video of the trip and read Abigail’s, Anna’s, Jared’s
and Lance’s complete journals at keyclub.org/magazine.
12|
Key Club
magazine
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
“Our first stop today is the UNICEF office in Montevideo. We
meet many UNICEF team members who happily greet us. We get
a quick tour of the UNICEF Uruguay office. It is small and quaint.
We get briefed on how UNICEF is working with the government
to support programs like PLAN CEIBAL, where every primary
school student in Uruguay is given a laptop so they may improve
Web activity and access, and the Community Teachers Programme,
where teachers work with students who face repeating the first years
in school, at home or school. The Uruguay Fund for UNICEF is
also working to decrease violence. Something that strikes me: Egidio
said, ‘How can we promote a peaceful society without promoting
peaceful dialogue?’” —Anna Nguyen
“Arrived at Mandalavos Center. Did I mention they kiss on the
cheek to greet someone? A bunch of the kids were waiting to greet
us along with Fernando, the adult in charge. They all seemed so ex-
cited to meet us. We actually met the kids from the interviews! One
of the guys grabbed me and we went over and played ping-pong.
We hung out, talking with the kids and playing games. They got
an interpreter for us named Macarena, but we ended up playing
charades pretty often to try and talk.” —Jared Doles
“We returned and had a nice snack before sitting and watching the
cinemas, which were prepared by Mandalavos. Thankfully, they had
subscript in English since we couldn’t understand Spanish. We went
to a retreat house after that, called Emaus. Here we ate a wonderful
dinner of steaks, sausages and a variety of meats. We sat around
the fire and played games and colored drawings and bonded with
kids before returning to the sleeping quarters only to have a pillow
fight with the rest of the boys before eventually turning in.” —Lance Wilson
“We learn how one school is working
to help children with mental challenges
integrate the system. We are also provided
with numbers of students who dropped out,
the school schedule for students, etc. It’s
really interesting to see how the Uruguayan
community is so involved with getting kids
back in school. They tell us that they do it
because they love doing what they do. They
name the Community Teachers Programme.
Then they also tell us that they can
definitely see how well Mandalavos
is affecting some of their students.” —Anna Nguyen
“As a special surprise the
teens at the Mandalabos
Center presented us with
a dried gourd that had all
their names carved into
Key Club members and teens at the Mandalavos Center built friendships over a game of ping-pong.
it. In Uruguayan
LEFT: At the trip’s end the Uruguayans honored their new friends with this gourd.
culture, they
used to break
them and two people would each
for us and one for themselves so we would remember them—like we
take a piece, so that when they
could forget. When we finally went to leave, the entire group
kept it they would remember there
followed us out to the van. As it pulled away, the whole crowd of
was someone out there you were
them chased us down the sidewalk yelling and waving. I will never
connected with. They made one
forget that.” —Jared Doles
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|13
“We went to the Defensa de los Ninos
Internacional (DNI) office. The briefing
included the actions taken when a juvenile
committed a crime and the assisted programs they could be involved in. We then
went to a community-based center that
promoted child rights. We received a tour
and visited some preschoolers.”
—Lance Wilson
“Next we go to visit the oldest school in
Montevideo. The principal tells us that it
has been around for 100 years. He takes
us back past the cafeteria to his technological room. Here we see the laptops given to
the primary school students by the government. These computers are actually really
neat! They can play games, write, research,
film videos, play music, etc. I’m blown
away when the students say if a computer
crashes, they bring it to the tech room and
kids who are maybe 11 or 12 years old fix
the computers themselves.” —Anna Nguyen
Primary students use laptops that play games, show videos, play
music and more.
“One of my favorite visits was to a statefunded preschool. We got a chance to play
with the 3-year-olds. As I was running around chasing a group of
boys, growling and tickling, I felt a tug on my blue jeans. It was a
tiny, olive-skinned beauty with a shy smile on her face. Her hair was
curly and pulled back in a ponytail. I held out my arms and she
hesitantly came to me. As I held her, we just looked at each other.
14|
33% of
15-year-olds
in Uruguay are
behind in reading
and math.
Smiles came when the tickling started
and they didn’t stop until it was time to
go. I will never forget her sweet face—and I
hope that happiness we found during those short moments will be
relived throughout her life.” —Abigail McKamey
How did your experience differ from
how you thought it would be?
Who have you most enjoyed meeting
on this trip?
“The kids were so much
more personal and inviting than I had expected.
I was waiting for formal
introductions and planned
activities, but the first
thing we did was start
playing ping-pong! By
the end of the weekend
we were crying at the
thought of leaving each
other. There wasn’t even an awkward space of time before they
were comfortable with us.” —Jared Doles
“I most enjoyed meeting Caty, one of the
Mandalavos teenagers. I
remember reading about
her story in Atlanta and
it was really cool to me.
Now if I told her story
to anyone, I could relate
to that story personally.
This isn’t the only reason,
though. I remember Caty
giving me a note in English that said, ‘I found family, a nice
family with you.’”
—Anna Nguyen
Key Club
magazine
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
“We saw the circle
of bears in the town
square representing the countries
involved in the United
Nations—major cool!
The architecture in the
city was gorgeous! Before lunch, we stopped
for a few minutes of
shopping—emphasis
on the ‘few.’ Still I
managed to do some
The bears in Montevideo’s town square repredamage. As we ensent the United Nations member countries.
tered the restaurant,
we hurried to meet
our much-missed friends. We were greeted by hugs and kisses. The
teens had spent hours making us farewell gifts—handmade cards,
wood-burned signs and letters. Lunch was tasty, but watching them
indulge in the unknown frivolities of a restaurant was even more
fun. I looked over at Lance and we both were trying to hold back
the tears. We were going to miss them immensely. If they only
knew how much they had given to us through their simple acts
of kindness.” —Abigail McKamey
“We walked across the city along the road and down the pier to
a lighthouse. Once we reached the lighthouse, Fernando explained
that Montevideo along with Argentina used to control the coast
during Spanish colonization. He also explained why he liked to
bring the kids here. He said, ‘They focus so much on getting to the
end, and once they do, they realize that the journey was the most
important part.’ He meant it as a metaphor for life. The beautiful
waves and the view of the city coastline made it clear as we walked
back.” —Jared Doles
Teens from the Mandalavos Center shared one last meal with the Key Clubbers before saying goodbye.
You can help! This fall, join the cause by participating in Trick-or-Treat
for UNICEF, which will benefit Operation Uruguay: Protecting the Rights of
Children. With your help, Key Club and UNICEF can make a difference.
Which memory from Uruguay sticks out
in your mind most?
What would you tell your friends at
home about your experience?
“We passed through
the slums at one point
to witness some of the
harshest lifestyles. The
slums were basically a few
sheets of metal propped
up to create a home. As
we passed a young girl
hid her face from the van.
It really stood out that a
child could grow up with
such low self-esteem and embarrassment that she couldn’t bear
to show her face.” —Lance Wilson
“It changed my life. I
came back enthused and
overjoyed to be working
with Key Club International and UNICEF. By
showing pictures and
little treasures I gained
from the trip, I would
hope to share the message that this project is
worth every penny. We
are giving the teens of Uruguay a chance. —Abigail McKamey
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|15
Social revolution
Social networking is fun. It’s also
good for your club. Get the scoop
on social networking sites that can
help you organize, communicate
and promote your club.
Story by Shanna Mooney
Y
ou already spend hours each
week online at social networking
sites such as Facebook and other fun Web
sites like YouTube. You probably even do some club business via e-mail and texting. But did you know you can use
technology—most of it free and available online—to market
and manage your club more efficiently?
Try some of these social networking tools and start filling up
your techie toolbox.
16|
Key Club
magazine
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|17
YouTubewww.youtube.com
What it is: A place to share and
view homemade videos.
How it can help your club:
Viral marketing—free Web traffic
and instant exposure. It brings your
club to life online. Be sure to embed
videos of your club’s projects on your
Facebook and MySpace pages too.
Tips: Judson Laipply, a frequent
guest at Key Club conventions and
Key Leader
events, whose
“Evolution of
Dance” video
is the No. 1
most-viewed
video of all time
Judson Laipply
on YouTube, the
No. 1 top-rated video and the No.
3 most-discussed video, offers these
dos and don’ts for your videos.
Do: Adapt your story to the medium.
You don’t watch a movie to see the
director reading the script. Use the
video to tell a story. • Try to hit an emotional chord. The
most desired responses to your video
are “funny” and “awwww.” If you
can elicit either of those reactions,
then you’ll have something people
want to pass on. • Post your video everywhere. Use
tags to help people find the video.
Annotations also can help you link to
other videos you have on YouTube as
well so be sure to check out how to
use them. Don’t: Be a talking head. Unless
you’re funny enough to be a full-time
comedian or compelling enough to
keep people’s attention you’ll just
bore them. • Make it too long. Two minutes is
usually the benchmark for a successful video. Attention spans are short,
so your video should be too. • Expect your video to just go viral.
It’s important to understand that there
are more than 100,000 videos being
uploaded daily. 18|
Key Club
magazine
legal tip: Use only podsafe music.
If you intend to use music as part
of your video, make sure it is not
copyrighted. Search for shareable
music at sites like soundclick.com
or ccmister.org or, if you’ve used a
popular song, try YouTube’s Audio
Swap. Otherwise your YouTube posting could be subject to removal.
JayCutwww.jaycut.com
What it is: A quick, easy and
free way to edit your videos with just
a browser, a JayCut account and
broadband connection.
How it can help your club:
Clean up and shorten lengthy videos
before posting them to gain maximum views.
Tips: Upload video clips from cameras, Webcams or cell phones and
edit them together to make a single
video.
• Videos shot from cameras will pro-
duce the best quality. So if you plan
on using your video to market your
club, don’t record it on your phone.
• Use Judson’s video dos and don’ts
and you won’t have much editing to do!
Flickrwww.flickr.com
What it is: A way to manage and
share photos and videos.
How it can help your club:
If you are working on a flier to promote your next event and don’t have
a photo, perhaps another member
can share one. Or store all your club
photos in this one place.
Tips: If your photos include children,
or if you just prefer it, you can keep
your photos private or just share with
other club members.
• Encourage club members to comment on the photos to make it more
fun for other users—as well as create
a sort of evolving record of club
Social skills
1Connect the dots.
“At
some point you’ll find you have an
incredible number of accounts open,”
says Dan Finney, designer of the Key
Club International Web site. To avoid
having to log on to each account to
make updates, try linking your Twitter
status to multiple sites so that when
you tweet, your status is also posted
to your other social media sites.
2 Plan your profile.
Be sure
to flesh out your profile on each
social network before you start connecting to others. You don’t want to be
mistaken for one of the many “automated accounts” out there, causing
people to block or ignore you.
3 Speak out.
Don’t be afraid
to have conversations with memwww.keyclub.org
bers in the public forum even when
members don’t agree. While you
don’t want to have nasty arguments
online, a heated but respectful debate
is a great way to attract attention and
interest. When people can see the
decision making process it gives them
a better idea of how the club operates
and why they should join.
4 Share your sources.
Always give credit to the person
who had the original thought or idea
you are sharing.
5 Keep it professional.
Personal posting is fine for your
personal account. If you have an
account in your club’s name, make
sure your posts are appropriate for
representing the club.
September 2009
activities through a slideshow.
Comments: “Flickr allows sharing
photos with club members (privately
and publicly) as well as providing
photos to news media about your
club’s events and community work,”
says Finney.
Ben Gillilan
used Flickr to
post this photo of
Alabama District
Key Clubbers
touring the city
of Dallas, Texas,
during the 66th
Annual Key Club
International
Convention.
TwitterTwitter.com
What it is: A quick and easy way
to communicate in 140 characters
of less. These microblogs are called
“tweets.”
How it can help your club:
Keep club members who couldn’t attend a service project informed about
what’s going on. Let others interested
in your club, project or school follow
your progress.
Tips: Be sure to set some quiet,
uninterrupted times on Twitter so you
can do homework. It’s easy to quickly
suffer information overload.
• Create a private Twitter group, at
yammer.com.
“You can find local conversations
happening on Twitter with #searches,
or hashtags, and through Web sites
like nearbytweets.com,” says Dan
Finney, designer of the Key Club
International Web site and selfdescribed “tech geek.” “Be sure to
follow local politicians, museums and
attractions as they will refollow you
and you will become visible to their
followers. As you begin following
people in the community and engaging them in conversation, you can
begin to understand the interests and
needs of that community. You can
ask for help directly with tasks, invite
followers to events and communicate
your needs through that dialogue.”
Skypewww.skype.com
What it is: A way to make free or
low-cost video or voice calls.
10 social media tips
6 Proofread.
You have a
limited number of characters on
some platforms and creative abbreviation is fine. Spelling mistakes still
reflect poorly on the quality of your
information.
believe every7 Don’t
thing you read.
That is
especially true for those things read
online, says Dr. Michael Osit, author
of Generation Text. “People can lie
to you, manipulate or even trick you.
And you need to be aware that not
everything you see and read is really
true,” he says.
all audiences in
8 Keep
mind.
Only post things you
wouldn’t mind your teachers, parents,
college recruiters or potential future
September 2009
employers seeing. Nothing is ever
really private online.
login infor9 Choose
mation carefully.
Vary
your passwords and avoid easy-toguess ones like your best friend’s
name or your date of birth. Choose
a sentence, or combine your favorite candy with your favorite movie,
adding the initials of the site to make
them different site by site. Don’t share
your passwords.
a second opin10 Get
ion.
Before going “live”
with your profile, check it again and
have a friend or parent take a look
to make sure you aren’t sharing too
much personal information.
Sources: Dan Finney and lmk.girlscouts.org.
www.keyclub.org
How it can help your club:
Saves time, money and gas—
and you can still have a face-to-face
meeting.
Tips: Do a test run before trying to
conduct a meeting using Skype.
• You may need a headset or Webcam depending on your call
preference.
• Use it in conjunction with Mikogo
and Yugma for Web conferences.
Diggwww.digg.com
What it is: A place where people
submit photos, news stories, blog
entries, videos or anything else they
find on the Web that’s interesting. If
enough other users “Digg” what you
post, it will be moved to the main
page where the world can enjoy it.
How it can help your club:
Don’t be shy—share a photo and
Key Club
magazine
|19
story of your latest service project.
Tips: Make sure the photo rocks.
• Tell your club—and everyone you
know—to Digg it and add comments
so more people will discover what
Key Club is all about.
• Make your description fun, short
and lively and use common key
words that people might use when
they search.
• Connect Digg and Facebook.
Facebookwww.facebook.com
What it is: The social networking
site used by everyone from your best
friend to your grandma.
How it can help your club:
So many ways. From simple communication to marketing your club to
anyone who stumbles upon it. Creating a club group offers an easy way
to plan service projects, brainstorm
ideas or ask for advice from other
members. And you can join the Key
Club International group to keep tabs
on and network with other Key Clubbers from around the world.
Tips: “Stranger danger” applies
online too. Make sure your “friends”
really are friends. And don’t post per-
sonal information like phone numbers
or addresses.
• Become a member of the Key Club
International group.
Comments: Brian Elliott Lavoie,
a member of the Key Club of Lemon
Bay High School in Florida, says his club’s Facebook group is indispensable.
“We use it to connect and collaborate by messaging each other,” he
says. “It’s great to be able to see
what other members are on Facebook. Technology has definitely
influenced our club, but only for the better!”
Ningwww.ning.com
What it is: A way to create your
own social network.
How it can help your club:
You can easily create a site and
promote your club and activities to
anyone who types “Key Club” into
the search prompt.
Tips: The Key Club of West Leyden,
Illinois, uses its Ning account as a
full-fledged Web site. On it, members are informed about upcoming
events. They can vote on ideas, plan
In February, Key Club members chose their
favorite magazine cover by voting on Facebook. The
winning artwork (right) appeared on the April 2009
Club
20| Key
magazine
Get connected
to the Kiwanis and Key Club
social media sites.
Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/keyclubintnl
Make a friend request to
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
keyclubintnl
Join our group on
LinkedIn: Key Club International
official group
upcoming events, post photos and
comments and even find out about
spastic paralysis, the club’s main
fundraising recipient, via a video.
“Ning communities are great for
networking with your club, but they
require some advanced setup,” says
Finney. Start by choosing a club
administrator for your Ning account. Because you’ll want a private
Ning community to safeguard your
network’s privacy, this administrator
will set up the account, invite club
members and potential members to
join your Ning community and approve additions to your network.
Key Club magazine. Try polling your club’s members
about service projects, T-shirt designs and more on
your club’s Facebook or Flickr page.
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
Service simplified
[ recipes for successful service ]
project
Senior prom
description
This recipe is elder-friendly and fun. It serves as many
senior citizens as can attend.
prep time
2 hours
total time
5 hours
ingredients
Appealing theme (1950s, classic
Hollywood, etc.)
Flower corsages and boutonnieres
(optional)
Invitations
Refreshments (coffee, tea,
water, fruit, nuts, etc.)
Band, DJ or collection of music
that matches the theme
Easily-accessible venue
(retirement home or center
recreation area)
Camera
Tiara
Crown
Decorations (amount to taste)
project
Clean sweep
description
This easy recipe is family-friendly and serves
the environment.
prep time
1.5 hours
total time
4 hours
ingredients
Gloves for each participant
Garbage bags and buckets
for each participant
Sunscreen (as needed)
Water
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|21
directions
Work with a retirement home or senior citizen
center to see how many invitations you’ll need and
to figure out the venue (areas for dancing, refreshments and resting/visiting will be needed).
Pick a theme and work it into as many aspects of
the prom as possible.
Make or purchase invitations and deliver them to
senior citizens at the home or center.
Decide on music, food and decorations. On the
day of the prom, arrive early enough to set up the
different areas, decorate, arrange the food and
create a nice backdrop for prom pictures.
Escort seniors to the prom. Pin on corsages.
Mingle, dance with and serve food to guests.
Take prom photos of each guest. (Using a digital
printer to give them photos instantly is ideal.)
Pick and crown the prom queen and king, perhaps
by election, or randomly selecting names, if participants aren’t that familiar with each other. Have
them dance together and take photos.
At the end of the evening, thank everyone, help
escort them back if needed, clean up and put
tables and chairs back where they go.
Tip: Try to get flowers and refreshments donated. Otherwise, try a discount warehouse.
directions
Take a look at your community and decide what
needs to be cleaned up: A roadside, beach, community park, etc.
On the day of the cleanup, pass out gloves, bags
and buckets to each participant. Divide into teams
for different areas.
Contact city officials for their suggestions and any
permits needed.
Arrange for everyone to meet back at a certain
time for garbage pickup.
Invite friends and family to join your club in this
kid-friendly event.
Have water and sunscreen available.
Tip: City officials might have special trash pickup and supplies available for the asking.
Tip: Provide refreshments or present some token of appreciation, like a pin, sticker or
water bottle, once the project is complete.
Variation: Consider sorting the items into trash and recyclables. This may require an extra
trip to a recycling receptacle, so find a willing participant to transport the items.
Club
22| Key
magazine
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
Hot and happenin'
What went down in the Big D during
the 2009 International Convention
Photos by Lynn Seeden • Story by Amberly Peterson
D
allas, Texas is hot
in July, but it’s even hotter
when the Key Club International
convention comes to town. This
year, almost 1,500 Key Club
members, advisors and administrators attended the 66th Annual
Key Club International Convention, which took place July 1–4.
They came from all corners of
the United States, Canada, the
Caribbean—even Germany.
At the four-day event teens saw
compelling presentations, heard
firsthand stories of service and
danced till the ballroom floor
bounced. Check it out.
September 2009
Who’s that girl?
Striking a pose at
the masquerade dance.
See all the convention photos
at www.flickr.com/kiwanis
international.
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|23
Your vote counts A Key Club member casts his vote for international board
members.
Campaign pros International Trustee
Shelby Goodfriend takes questions at district
caucusing.
24|
Key Club
magazine
www.www.
September 2009
Miracle walkers Key Club members take to the streets of downtown Dallas, Texas. Participants raised almost $14,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Dallas, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
Quiet time Participants in the yoga basics workshop, led by MiMi Mears from Breathe Yoga, had a few extra minutes to clear their minds.
Hilarious hypnosis
Key Clubbers take a trip to
Jamaica and “swim” in the
ocean after being hypnotized by Steve Meade.
September 2009
photo by amberly peterson
Ride ‘em cowboy
The host committee from the Texas-Oklahoma District pulled out all the stops—including a mechanical bull and a lasso machine—for the Meet and Greet–
Key Club Round Up.
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|25
Meet your Key Club
Abigail
McKamey
president
Adam
Joslyn
vice president
Jared
Doles
trustee
Shelby
Goodfriend
trustee
Susan
Kim
trustee
Eileen
Lee
trustee
key club Lawrence County
High School
Lawrenceburg,
Tennessee
Saint Mary’s
Springs High
School Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin
Goddard High School Roswell, New Mexico
Port Charlotte
High School
Port Charlotte,
Florida
Kent-Meridian
High School
Kent, Washington
Roxbury High School
Succasunna,
New Jersey
previous key
club role
2008–09 Kentucky-
Tennessee District
governor
2008–09 Key Club International
trustee
2008–09
Southwest District
governor
2008–09 Florida District
treasurer
2008–09 Pacific Northwest
District lieutenant
governor
2008–09 New Jersey
District editor
goals for the
2009-10 year
“To unite Key
Club in a
way that all
communities
will recognize
its aptitude of
success.”
“I hope to
help Key Club
International
become more
effective,
increase
membership
and improve
the ways it
conducts business. I believe
looking to the
future is key,
not trying to
make a name
for ourselves
as officers.”
“I want to
bridge the
gap between
the International board
and the rest
of the organization.
We need to
investigate
better ways
to advertise
the workings
of the International board,
including its
decisions and
special projects so that
we can better
unify the organization
as a whole.”
“I believe that
communication is such
an important part of
strengthening
an organization and I
would like
to see this
improved. It
is important
that all levels,
from the member to the
international
president, are
on the same
page and
fully aware of the happenings of
Key Club
International.“
“My plan
can be summarized in
expansion.
To expand
and increase
membership,
the breadth of
the countries
and clubs we
serve and the
opportunities that are
offered such
as service
projects,
scholarships
and anything
that can spark
an interest
among Key
Clubbers.”
“I want to
focus on
enhancing
the bond
between Key
Clubbers from
the club level
to the international level.
I also hope
to publicize
and spread
the wonderful
works of Key
Club by utilizing the clubs
and districts
we have now
in order to
expand our
reach around
the world.”
I love to run,
bike, boat, travel,
play sports or basically anything that involves
being active.
I love to run and
to read.
Puppeteering,
working on political campaigns,
going to the
beach and attempting to golf. Volunteering,
sports, walking,
playing with puppies at the animal
shelter.
Running, shopping, skiing,
listening to music,
hanging out with
friends.
hobbies I enjoy reading,
spending time
with friends
and family and
exercising.
Club
26| Key
magazine
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
International Board
Larmon
Luo
trustee
Anna
Nguyen
trustee
Will
Robertson
trustee
XinLei “Tony”
Wang
trustee
Lance
Wilson
trustee
Jenelle
Yee
trustee
Nancy
Zhang
trustee
Franklin High School
Elk Grove, California
St. Mary’s Dominican
New Orleans,
Louisiana
Myers Park High School
Charlotte, North Carolina
Burlington High School
Burlington, Wisconsin
Osceola Communications,
Arts and Business
School, Osceola,
Arkansas
Edward C. Reed
High School
Sparks, Nevada
Hunter College
High School
New York City,
New York
2008–09 club president
2008–09 LouisianaMississippi-West
Tennessee District
governor
2008–09 Carolinas District
lieutenant governor
2008–09
Wisconsin-Upper
Michigan District
lieutenant governor
2008–09 Missouri-
Arkansas District governor
2008–09 CaliforniaNevada-Hawaii
District secretary
2008–09 New York District
lieutenant governor
“I hope to
motivate and
inspire Key
Clubbers to
actively serve
while in Key
Club, and to
continue following their
passion of
helping others. I hope to
continue promoting global
activism, the
necessity of a
good education to solve
the world’s
problems
and the openmindedness
to address
issues.”
“I hope to
make Key
Club International stronger
by raising
participation
and growth
in clubs. I
hope to build
stronger
Kiwanis-family
relationships
between
Key Club
International,
Circle K
International,
Kiwanis International and
all the other
Kiwanis-family
branches.”
“I want to
learn from
the old and
enhance
the new—to
build the Key
Club experience for
tomorrow’s
members—
to make
Key Club
less about
deadlines
and dollars
raised and
more about
touching
other people’s
lives.”
“I hope to
strengthen
the communication to
all aspects of
our Kiwanisfamily and
build a solid
foundation for
the growth of
service and
leadership.”
“I’ve noticed
that many
individual
members fail
to realize
that Key Club
truly is an
international
organization. I would like
to work with
the board to
find ways to
promote Key
Club’s name,
both within
the organization and in
high schools
that do not
have a Key
Club.“
“With awesome service
projects and
events waiting
to be organized and put
into action,
I hope to
encourage my
designated
districts’ clubs
to come up
with original
ideas that
they are
capable of
carrying out.”
“I would like
members to
be more educated about
Key Club
International.
With more
knowledge
about how
the organization works,
we can work
together more
efficiently to
reach our
goals. I want
to be able to provide
resources
for districts,
officers and
members
alike.”
Running, studying, playing
tennis, playing
the piano.
I enjoy doing
other community
service activities
and I love to just
stay at home and
watch movies.
Golf, tennis,
basketball, public
speaking and trying new
things.
Traveling, painting.
Hang out with
friends, play
sports, travel,
swim.
Playing tennis,
watching movies,
watching One
Tree Hill, listening
to music.
Swimming,
tennis, reading,
writing, photography, listening to music.
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
magazine
|27
Meet the district governors
Alabama
Brandon Bourque
Bahamas
Branique Coakley
California–
Nevada–Hawaii
Jesse Truong
Capital
Samah McGona
Caribbean–
Atlantic
Ikwo Morris
Carolinas
Turner Bowman
Map it out
Eastern Canada
Brian Kim
Florida
Sergio Segrera
Georgia
Cody Nichelson
Curious to see who else is in your district? Want to know where other district’s
boundaries are? Check out the map at
www.keyclub.org.
Illinois–
Eastern Iowa
Blaire Sambdman
Indiana
Taylor Granat
Jamaica
Rushell Ferarah
Kansas
Hera Wu
Kentucky–
Tennessee
KeriBeth Wilkins
KIWIN’s
Mary Nguyen
Louisiana–
Mississippi–
West Tennessee
Jimmy Jarnagin
Michigan
Lily Schmidt
Minnesota–
Dakotas
Natalie Sitter
Missouri–
Arkansas
Patrick Ratliff
Montana
Amanda Bryant
Nebraska–
Iowa
Matt Johnson
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www.keyclub.org
September 2009
The 2009–10 leaders are ready to serve
Club elections
Cheat sheet
New England
Emily George
New Jersey
Melissa Polewczak
New YORK
Allen Yu
Ohio
Zach Sefcovic
Pacific
Northwest
Sophia Vo
Pennsylvania
Julia Defabo
Yes, it’s only September, but it’s not too early to start thinking about club elections, especially if you’re a club president. It’s
your job to conduct officer elections in February. Here’s a cheat
sheet to get the process started.
• Form a nominating committee and ask club members to run
for each office.
• Ask for other nominations.
• Aim to get two or more nominations for an office.
• For offices with two or more nominees, put together a secret
ballot. Club president nominees should be at the top of the
ballot, followed by vice president and the other offices.
• Conduct the election at a February meeting.
• For offices with only one nomination, put it to a vote and declare the person elected if the majority of club members agree.
Use the below sample ballot to help guide your next club election.
Rocky
Mountain
Andrea Novotny
Southwest
Amber Porter
Texas–
Oklahoma
Kevin Meeks
John Doe Memorial High School
Key Club
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Ballot #1
Club president
Utah–Idaho
Andrew Cheng
West Virginia
David Ehrenberg
Wisconsin–
Upper
Michigan
Nick Cornell
Kelly Keyclubber
Sarah Service
Logan Leader
Joe Volunteer
Organizing district
Western
Canada
Ian Moran
September 2009
Do not mark this ballot until instructed
to do so.
Vote for only one candidate.
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
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|29
friend finder
[ make friends with these Key Clubbers online ]
Share service project ideas, tales from your club and tips for the year when you become
friends with these and other Key Clubbers online. See page 16 for ways to connect.
Get to know me
What is your favorite part
about being in Key Club?
The people you meet are
amazing and the purpose is so
good.
Jordan Gunderson
Corey Mason
Information
Information
Age: 15
High school: Kalkaska High
School
Hometown: Kalkaska, Michigan
Preferred social networking site:
Facebook
Age: 17
High school: Jefferson High
School
Hometown: Charlestown, West
Virginia
Preferred social networking site:
Facebook
Get to know me
What is your favorite part
about being in Key Club?
Helping others on a larger
scale than just your community.
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Who is the best leader you know?
David Ehrenberg, our district governor.
Get to know me
What is your favorite part
about being in Key Club?
All of the service projects,
weekend of a lifetime
district convention and now
international convention.
What has been your favorite
service project?
A penny war between the
classes at our high school.
All proceeds benefited the
Kalkaska animal shelter.
Who is the best leader you know?
My sister, Jessica. She can
enter any situation and turn it
around 180 degrees in the right
direction with no problem.
What has been your favorite
service project?
I like the March of Dimes
because so many people get
together to help.
Stewart Poindexter
Information
Age: 17
High school: Summit High
School
Hometown: Mansfield, Texas
Preferred social networking site:
Facebook
www.keyclub.org
What has been your favorite
service project?
Breakfast with Santa where we
eat breakfast with kids in our
community.
Who is the best leader you know?
Connie McGough, our club
advisor and school counselor.
September 2009
[ make friends with these Key Clubbers online ]
friend finder
Get to know me
What is your favorite part
about being in Key Club?
The projects we are involved
in that put smiles on people’s
faces.
What has been your favorite
service project?
Raising funds for the homeless.
Maria Harper
Information
Who is the best leader you
know?
Barack Obama.
Age: 16
High school: Springer Memorial
Secondary School
Hometown: Barbados, West
Indies
Preferred social networking site:
Facebook
High school: Wayne Early
Middle College High School
Hometown: Goldsboro, North
Carolina
Preferred social networking site:
MySpace and Twitter
What is your favorite part
about being in Key Club?
Key Club to me is like paint to
Picasso, I get to express myself!
What has been your favorite
service project?
March of Dimes, March for
Babies. Walk, raise money and
awareness.
Information
Age: 17
High school: Joplin High School
Hometown: Joplin, Missouri
Preferred social networking site:
Facebook
September 2009
Information
Age: 17
Get to know me
MacKenszee Roberts
Keiko Gurley
Who is the best leader you
know?
My club’s faculty advisor,
Karisa Bayer.
www.keyclub.org
Get to know me
What is your favorite part
about being in Key Club?
The many opportunities to
better oneself by leading others
and serving those in need.
What has been your favorite
service project?
“Adopt a Family” was very
meaningful to me. We, as a
club, collect clothing and food
for a family we’ve have formed
a relationship with.
Who is the best leader you know?
My district governor, Turner
Bowman.
Key Club
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|31
[ your club in view ]
In
S
iDE
September 2009
34
35
36
36
37
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Center Stage
Winning strategy
House of honor
Bowling for breath
A taste of hunger
Back to school
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
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|33
[ your club in view ]
photo courtesy of the news and sentinel, colebrook, new hampshire
CEnter Stage
What happened when the Key Club of Colebrook Academy in New Hampshire created games to build
kids’ self-esteem? Fun, excitement and pride.
Winning strategy
children, to make learning fun and less
The Key Club of Colebrook Academy
stressful for everyone, to help the chilin New Hampshire had some fun with
dren overcome learning obstacles and to
Key Club’s Service Initiative, Live 2
help them succeed in school.
Learn—and they helped kids learn along
They hope to have a hand in helping
the way.
students participate in school with good
First, club members played around
behavior and gain greater self-esteem.
with some ideas. Then they decided to
“Children who
produce educational
believe in themselves
games, says Heather
are more likely to help
Hibbard, immediate
“They see us
out at school, at home
past president of the
mentoring,
and in their commuKey Club. Searching
nity,” Hibbard says. and we hope
for a “signature game”
the club turned to the
they’ll want to “They see us teenagers
mentoring them, and
Internet and hit the
do
the
same.”
we hope they’ll want to
jackpot.
do the same once they
“At a teachers’
—Heather Hibbard,
are older.”
learning shop, we
Colebrook Academy Key Club
Everyone loved the
found unique ways to
games. Parents said
use Bingo to enhance
it was a great idea. Two school board
learning, which fit the criteria of Key
members and the superintendent were
Club’s Major Emphasis Project,” Hibbard
interested, too.
says. “We developed our project to make
In all, the club gave away 55 sets of
the learning process for children ages 5 to
games. What they got back was even bet9 easier and more effective.”
ter. “We all had a great time,” Hibbard
The club’s goals were to teach games
says. “We felt we made a difference.”
that parents could do at home with their
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www.keyclub.org
Games people play
While playing games the
Key Club of Colebrook Academy made, children learn
math, logic, rhyming, grammar,
reading, recognizing numbers,
counting, number sequencing,
memorizing, matching, pairing,
visual alertness and much more,
says Colebrook Academy Key
Clubber Heather Hibbard.
Here’s a list of the games
they created for Live 2 Learn:
• Bingo States
and Capitals
• Bingo Rhyming
• Quicksand
• Landslide
• Mathematical Tiddly Winks
• Tossing cards in a hat
• Go Fish
• I Doubt It
• War
• Slap Jack
• Old Maid
• Rolling
Stone
• Concentration
• The Last Draw
• Slide Sounds to Teach Reading
• Three Card Draw
• Where’s the Barn
The club also offered instructions with the Bingo game on
how to use it to study a subject,
Hibbard says.
September 2009
[ your club in view ]
Center Stage
Jesuit Key Club of Tampa senior Trey Warnock and junior Charlie Kutt move an interior wall into place at the club’s Habitat for
Humanity project to honor a sponsor’s late wife. Their club built a new house for a family with children.
House of honor
The club raised $45,000, found a co-sponsor
By now, most people know about Habitat for
and, on April 4, 2009, held the wall-raising cerHumanity and the good it does for families who
emony in Plant City, Florida.
need homes. One Key Club took a Habitat project
For seven weeks, culminating with the dedicato a whole new level.
tion on May 16, 2009, volunteers arrived at least
“In July of last year, our friend and thentwice each week to
governor-elect of
build the house,
the Kiwanis Florida
Charette says. Each
District, David Lidday included prayer,
dell, suddenly lost
safety talks, meal
his wife, Nancy,”
times and serious
says Eileen Charette,
work for seven or
a member of the
eight hours. Jesuit
Tampa Jesuit High
—Eileen Charette, Tampa Jesuit High School
Key Club members,
School Key Club.
their families, KiThe Liddells had
wanians, Gerdau Ameristeel workers, teachers from
been true friends of Key Club in the Florida
Jesuit and local Habitat volunteers all pitched in.
District and special friends to the Jesuit Key Club
What did the club learn? “Don’t consider how
in Tampa because they belonged to the sponsoring
difficult the project is. Consider how amazing the
Kiwanis Club of Tampa, Charette says.
impact will be,” Charette says. “Figure out what
The Key Clubbers wanted to make a statement
you’ll need, say a lot of prayers and ask for help. If
about their admiration for Nancy. They decided
the project matters, you’re going to sweat a lot.”
the best way to honor her was by providing safe and
permanent housing for a family with children.
“Don’t consider how
difficult the project is.
Consider how amazing
the impact will be.”
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
Key Club
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|35
CEnter Stage
[ your club in view ]
Bowling for breath
A family connection and lots of fun
keep the KIWIN’S Club of St. Lucy’s
High School in California bowling for
breath.
The club began participating in the
Cystic Fibrosis Bowl for Breath in the
2005–06 school year under past president
Britney Blackburn, says club president Isbella Diaz. Blackburn’s family already was
involved with the organization because
she had a cousin with cystic fibrosis.
This year the club participated in two
bowl-a-thons, Diaz says. The reaction
from club members is always enthusiastic.
“It’s one of our most popular and wellknown events for KIWIN’S,” Diaz says.
“We raise money and help out, but it’s an
event that really lights a fire inside every
KIWIN. There’s nothing like that feeling
of getting out of school, changing into
your blue KIWIN’S shirt and heading
over to the bowling alley. You find your
friends, pick your lane and, all the while,
you’re supporting an amazing cause!”
The club works with a local restaurant
that donates $1,000 for every $1,000
raised by the club. This past year, that
translated into a donation of $4,539 for
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The club also raised awareness of
cystic fibrosis through creating and
distributing information packets on the
disease, which helped gain sponsorships.
Club members hung posters advertising
the event around their school and in the
bowling alley on the event days, and the
club shared cystic fibrosis facts during
school announcements.
The KIWIN’S Club of St. Lucy’s High School in
California, bowls for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This past year, the club partnered with a
restaurant to raise almost $5,000.
A taste of hunger
A taste of the real world
In life, Mary DeLazzer fed the hungry for more than 20
years at Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen in Bradenton,
Florida. After she died in a tragic accident, the Key Club of
Southeast High School, Bradenton, took up the cause and
raised $2,700 for Our Daily Bread, as well as awareness of
the world hunger issue.
The club’s World Hunger Banquet offered attendees the
chance to experience a brief glimpse into life in a thirdworld nation. “When people entered the banquet, they
drew a ticket out of a box that determined whether they
were a person of the first, second or third world,” says
club member Kiah Brown. Half of the tickets indicated third
world, 35 percent second world and the remaining 15 percent were first world. Then, guests were led to their respective areas. Here’s a taste of what they experienced:
The Key Club of Southeast High School in Bradenton, Florida, treats guests
to dinner in the third world.
First world
• Nice chairs
• Tables adorned with tablecloths
• Sparkling silverware
• Three-course meal of salad, spaghetti and cake
Second world
• Plain tables and chairs
• A paper plate with rice and beans
Third world
• A small area with only blankets on which to sit
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• No plates or utensils
• Only rice to eat—after everyone else had been served
Following the banquet, guests learned about hunger locally and around the world.
A grant, food donated by the school’s culinary department and through a silent auction and ticket sales helped
support the event.
“The banquet helped remind people to appreciate what
they have and to inspire them to help those who are less
fortunate,” says club president Severin Walstad.
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
[ your club in view ]
Back to school
The Rocky Mountain District of Key
Club is at it again. After holding countless bake sales, dog washes, lollipop sales
and spaghetti dinners to raise more than
$40,000 to build a school in Vietnam a
few years ago, the Key Clubbers discovered a new way to help Vietnamese kids.
Once again partnering with Children of Peace International (COPI), the
district set a goal to raise $72,000 to renovate another school, this time in Sa Pa,
Vietnam. Sa Pa is in a rural, mountainous part of the country, so transportation
and construction costs are high.
COPI is dedicated to building
schools, orphanages and hospitals in
poverty-stricken areas of Vietnam, says
Andrea Novotny, Rocky Mountain
District governor. Her Key Club has been
helping build a school in Doan Hung
and plans to renovate an existing school
in Sa Pa. “The fact that our involvement
deals specifically with building schools
sets COPI apart,” she says. “We’re focusing our efforts on helping people our age,
or close to our age.”
Center Stage
Rocky Mountain District Key Clubs are
helping renovate a Vietnamese School
in the clubs or divisions,” Novotny says.
Fundraisers include car washes, school
dances or, “due to the fact that we live in
the Midwest, cow bingo.”
The club also does some fundraising
at its district convention in a competition known as Copper for COPI. “It’s
“Once the children can manage
to care for one another, then and
only then we will have true peace.”
It also means a lot because the
kids have no other access to education.
“Through working with this organization, we have gained an understanding
that the only way to ever truly help
anyone is by helping them to become
self sufficient.”
Currently, the district is busy raising
funds to ensure the project, which is set
to begin construction later this year, stays
on track.
“Most of the fundraising takes place
September 2009
—Binh Rybacki
Children of Peace International founder
basically a penny war between teams,”
Novotny says. Each club also turns in
funds raised at convention. “This year,
we set a goal of $25,000. If we met this
goal, Dave Harris, our district administrator, pledged to shave off all the hair from
his beard and head. We exceeded the
goal, and Mr. Harris did, indeed, shave
his head and beard! This wasn’t exactly a
fundraiser, granted, but it was certainly a
great tool for promoting our goal.”
www.keyclub.org
ABOVE: The girl on the left, a member of the
Black Mong, and the girl on the right, a member
of the Flower Mong, both attend the school.
Black Mong and Flower Mong are two of the
five different indigenous people living peacefully
in Sa Pa.
TOP: The Sa Pa school as it looks now.
Key Club
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|37
Your space
random
thoughts
What’s one thing you’d
take with you to a deserted
island?
“A boat to escape.”
—Sarah Taylor,
Martinsburg High
School, West Virginia
“A toothbrush.”
[ your words, pictures, art ]
Poetic praise for Key Club
How Key Club changes lives
Whether it’s to serve others or increase awareness, all members volunteer their time with passion and happiness.
Every single act we do in this club makes sense, as we increase our leadership skills and also our tolerance.
Caring is indeed our way of life, as we help those in need, as we define teamwork, as we tackle each and every deed.
Together, we can learn and solve different problems in our nations, as we work together and achieve different goals, we can have celebrations!
During this lifelong process, we establish new friendships along the way; Key Club motivates me to make a difference every day!
—Kay Manuel, lieutenant governor
New Jersey District
—Shogo Uehara,
Wayne Early Middle
College High School,
North Carolina
“A survival
guide book.”
—Samantha Schneider,
Braden River High
School, Florida
“Food.”
—Kirk Williams,
Chapparal High School,
Kansas
“A friend from
Key Club.”
—Rachel Shanley,
Westmont High School,
California
“A positive attitude.”
—Amelia Johnson,
St. George Secondary
School, Barbados,
West Indies
“Sunscreen.”
—Chelsea Stemple,
Hickory High School,
North Carolina
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Behind bars. Texas-Oklahoma District and
host committee member Chase Beavers, pictured
here with Julia Rose, got locked up for a good
cause during the Meet and Greet Key Club Round
Up at the Key Club International Convention.
Show your stuff
These pages are called “Your Space” for a reason—because they’re a place for you to shine.
Do you have something to say or something to share? This is your chance to be published—
either in the pages of the magazine or online at www.keyclub.org. E-mail high-resolution photos
to [email protected].
www.keyclub.org
September 2009
[ your words, pictures, art ]
Your space
How has Key Club
impacted your life?
Here’s what Key Clubbers had to say:
“Key Club has helped me
photo by grace lee
break out of my shell.”
Just ducky. Members of the California-NevadaHawaii District’s Division 4-West participated in
Duck-A-Thon 2009, an annual Huntington Beach,
California, tradition. The event raises money for AltaMed’s Huntington Beach Community Clinic, which
serves thousands of uninsured and medically underserved patients each year.
• “Key Club has given me
the opportunities to serve my
community and develop
leadership skills.”
• “It has shown me that I can
achieve many things and
make a difference
in someone’s life.” • “It has
made me a better per-
son overall and has improved the way I think about
the world.” • “I have a stronger appreciation for others.” • “Key Club has allowed
interact with my
peers.” • “My GPA has
me to
increased and I’ve become
more optimistic.” • “Key
Club has taught me to be
less selfish and more
of a leader.” • “I love being
feel
wanted and needed.” •
in Key Club. It makes me
Tie-dyed troop. Nicole Noonan, New England District secretary, submitted this photo of
New England District members at this summer’s
Key Club International convention.
September 2009
www.keyclub.org
“Key Club has given me something to dedicate myself
to.” • “Key Club has taught
more to
life than school
and parties.“
me that there’s
Key Club
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|39
Kiwanis Intl. 3636 Woodview Tr. Indianapolis, IN 46268-3196 USA
Does Key Club
have your correct
e-mail address?
ChANge ServICe reqUeSTed
E-mail [email protected]
to update your information!
Take a risk.
Want to do more
with your life?
A Key Leader weekend can
show you the way. You’ll do
things you’ve never done before,
meet people you’ll never forget and discover how to be the
very best you can be—the best
friend, the best leader, the best
member of your community and
the world. That’s a lot to expect
from three days of workshops,
campfires, and hanging out with
friends. But it can happen to
you at Key Leader.
September 18–20
Camp Huckins ..................... Freedom, NH
September 25–27
Camp Rancho Framasa ......... Nashville, IN
Camp Wawbeek................... Wisconsin Dells, WI
October 2–4
Anderson Camps ................. Gypsum, CO
Inspiration Point .................. Clitherall, MN
October 9–11
Chewelah Peak .................... Chewelah, WA
Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp ........ Rhododendron, OR
October 16–18
Camp Lebanon .................... Lebanon, NJ
Camp Sky Y ........................ Prescott, AZ
St. Ignatius ........................ Grand Cayman Island
Wildwood Hills..................... St. Charles, IA
October 24–25
Levittown Education Center... Levittown, NY
October 30–November 1
Circle Square Ranch ............. Arden, Ontario, Can
Pilgrim Pines ....................... Yucaipa, CA
Tim Horton Children’s Camp .. Tatamagouche, NS, Can
November 6–8
Camp Istrouma ................... Greenwell Springs, LA
Camp Jones Gulch ............... La Honda, CA
Eastern 4-H Center .............. Gretna, NE
Circle Square Ranch ............. Brantford, Ontario, Can
Reynolds Center .................. Damascus, AR
November 13–15
Caraway Conference Center... Asheboro, NC
Recreation Unlimited ............ Ashley, OH
San Salvador -TBD............... El Salvador
October 23–25
Camp Cedar Glen ................ Julian, CA
Camp Mihaska .................... Bourbon, MO
Lakeside Camp .................... Pittsfield, MA
Windy Peak Outdoor Lab ...... Bailey, CO
Take the lead. Do your part. Get into Key Leader.
www.key-leader.org