Build futures, inspire hope
Transcription
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 CT Ser vi Senio r pro m ce Cook up some service Hungry for a service project This you can easily implement? re senior cipe is el Check out the service projde citize ns as r-friendly a can a ect recipe cards on page Appea ttend nd f ling t . 21, where you’ll find two Hollyw heme (1 9 ood, etc.) 50s, class Invitat great ideas. You can ic ions Flowe Band, r clip the ideas out, store DJ o (optio r coll that ectio match Refre them in your files and es th n of music Easily shm e the -acce m ssible water e (retir put them into action. venu , e DESC RIPTIO INGR N EDIE www.keyclub.org NTS e m Came recre ent home ra ation o r cente T area) Deco ia ra r ration s (am Key Club C r ount o magazine |05 wn to ta ste) 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 1 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 28| Key Club magazine 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 magazine |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. 30| Key Club magazine 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 magazine |31 [ your club in view ] In S iDE September 2009 34 35 36 36 37 | | | | | Center Stage Winning strategy House of honor Bowling for breath A taste of hunger Back to school www.keyclub.org Key Club magazine |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 34| Key Club magazine 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 magazine |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 36| Key Club magazine • 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 magazine |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 38| Key Club magazine 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 magazine |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