JUNEDivision 28 Newsletter

Sirens

CONTENTS

ICON

Summer

Yearly Planning

C.O.C.I.

Service Projects

Key Club 101

Contacts

ICON

International President Maria Palazzolo’s Farewell Speech

Key Club for me, and also quite a few of you, is coming to a close. I remember attending International Convention as a 15-year-old lieutenant governor in Orlando, Florida, and looking around and thinking “Wow. So this is what I’m a part of.” And I remember looking at the international and district boards…all of whom were seniors, and thinking “Wow, they’re old. I’m so glad I have more time!” And now, I stand before you, that old senior that I never wanted to become, and I’m preparing to leave the organization that has become such a large part of my existence. When it came time to write this speech, I didn’t know where to start. How was I supposed to sum up the best experience of my life into just 10 minutes? After much contemplation, I finally decided that I would frame this final speech as a list to kind of fit my personality a bit. For those of you who know me, you’ll know that I’m a “list person.” Throughout my term, I’ve learned that I need to write everything down in order to remember all of my responsibilities. I make lists before meetings. I make them after meetings. I make lists about what I need to put on my lists (No joke). Therefore, I thought the best way to summarize my time in Key Club would be to list off some lessons I’ve learned during my time in this organization. Hopefully, you can take something from what I’ve been through and what I’ve learned the hard way. Number One: Procrastination doesn’t work: Take this from a professional procrastinator. I am seriously so good at pushing things off, with the help of my trusty friend named Netflix, of course. As International President, president of National Honor Society, a senior in high school, an employee at a tutoring center, and just a normal person, I had a lot to do. Missing school all the time for Key Club didn’t help too much either with my workload. I learned a little too late in my year that I am much happier when I actually do what I need to do early on. While that is a newly learned lesson, it’s saved me a lot of stress. Case in point: Don’t procrastinate.

Number Two: Don’t be afraid of failure. My time in Key Club has been full of fears and hesitancy. I was afraid to become a lieutenant governor as a second-semester freshman...terrified. I was so concerned with people not liking me and not fitting in with the board members, who, I was sure, would be a ton of teenagers who had their lives together and wouldn’t want to waste time with boring, old Maria Palazzolo. My parents convinced me to just try it out, though. So I went to the winter board meeting and training (February 6th to 8th,, I still remember), and fell in love with Key Club. I loved the atmosphere of compassionate adults and teenagers. I loved being surrounded by people who wanted to change the world like I did, and I loved having conversations about current events and things that mattered to me. That summer, I went to International Convention and saw how international worked, and I thought, “Wow, I would love to do that!” But the candidates were so qualified, the elections process was intense, and I was nervous to put myself out there. But I did it anyways. And I was terrified to run for international president, especially since Illinois - Eastern Iowa had never had a president before. Those close to me can verify that I was extremely nervous for caucuses and sessions. I was terrified to do all of those things, but look at what happened when I first faced my fears as a little freshman. I stand before you today as an example of what happens when you throw fear out the window and just go for what you want. Who cares what other people think about you? In the grand scheme of life, the only person you should worry about disappointing is yourself. If you’re proud of what you’re doing, then do it! Sure, I’ve messed up and embarrassed myself. During caucuses for trustee, I forgot my speech and stared at the districts in that room for a solid 7 or 8 seconds before continuing. And I’ve stuttered giving speeches, like I did this year in front of all the attendees at the annual U.S Fund for UNICEF meeting in New York City. But I’m still here, though. I’m alive! You won’t die if you fail, so don’t let your fears control you. Number Three: Remember to stay humble. Whether you have a position in Key Club, you’re a leader in another organization, or you just think you’re better than someone else, my advice is to take a step back. Remember that humility is one of the most important qualities a person can have. As President, I have tried to constantly remind the International Board of this. We are no better than anyone else. District board members are no better than anyone else. And club officers are no better than anyone else. We are all Key Clubbers. We are all just people. As leaders in this organization, we are taught that service is

from the bottom up. It is not authoritative or commanding. We are team players. To me, leaders get their hands dirty and perform the tasks and jobs that they are asking their followers to perform. I admit it’s been hard as international president to remember this. The Facebook and Instagram likes got to my head at times, and the members at conventions and events who wanted pictures with me kind of blew my head up a bit. But, when I’d reflect on how I was feeling, I was quick to remind myself that I am here to serve, not be served. Humility was and is a constant thought in my mind, as it should be in yours as well. Number Four: Sacrifices are necessary to follow your passions. This lesson might be one of the toughest ones that I’ve learned this past year. I’ve had to give up a lot for Key Club. I’ve missed senior nights, football games, tournaments, parties, and school…a lot of school. As friends and family grew distant, I finally realized the effects of traveling almost every weekend and locking myself in my room to answer emails and make calls. I’ve missed a lot of my senior year. But here’s the secret…I loved Key Club so much that I didn’t really care. The experiences I have had, from traveling to Cambodia for the Eliminate Project to visiting the White House to attending District Conventions across the country…they’ve provided me with new outlooks on life. And don’t even get me started on the people I have met. I have met so many Key Clubbers in the past four years, and this past year gave me the opportunity to truly develop some amazing relationships with people I will never forget. Key Club got me hooked with its service, but changed me even more because of its members. You all made the missed football games and missed social gatherings worth it. You made the all-nighters full of work, stress, and the occasional tears worth it. I knew that my work and sacrifices were making a difference, and I loved what I was doing. Because of those sacrifices, this past year has been the most rewarding year of my life. Number Five: (Here’s a tough one to swallow.) People will come in and out of your life, whether you want them to or not: This applies to friendships, romantic relationships, and the weird relationship in between those two categories. Here’s the thing, as much as it hurts to lose someone who is important to you, it does get better. The good old saying “Time heals everything” is definitely accurate. Now, how does this apply to Key Club? I’ve met the most inspirational people because of this organization: My first district board, the people from the districts I served as a trustee (Shout out to Alabama, Carolinas, and New England), last year’s international board…all of these groups

contained some of the most important, most admirable people in my life at the time…many of whom I just don’t talk to anymore. It hurts to lose amazing people, but Key Club has taught me that that’s just part of life. Here’s the thing, though: I do have some friends that haven’t left or grown distant. These people have impacted me in immense ways and have made me the person I am today. And I wouldn’t have been able to meet them without Key Club International. People like Graham Novak, my home district’s governor last year. This kid. I can’t even put into words how important he is to me. He has shown me what true friendship is by being there for my mental breakdowns, my calls at 2am, and my annoying jokes that I always think are funny but in actuality, they aren’t. And there are even more people I’d like to list off, like Laken Kelly, Nick Azcarate, and Kevin Zhang...but I’ll stop after those three because I’m scared I’ll forget someone. The point is this: When someone leaves your life, there’s a reason. My advice is to learn to accept that, because the sooner you do, the sooner you can appreciate those who have chosen to stay in your life. Number Six: Learn how to pick your battles and take criticism. You’re going to be frustrated in your life. People are going to tell you no, and people are going to pressure you to take on tasks and assignments that you might not want to do. My advice to you is this: sometimes, you just have to deal with it. Don’t make big scenes every time someone doesn’t do what you want them to do, and don’t make big scenes if people don’t agree with something you’re passionate about. It’ll happen over and over again. If someone criticizes you, listen to them before you get defensive and offended. I’ve learned to let a lot go this year, and I’ve constantly been criticized, both constructively and not so much. However, I know that I’ve grown more as a person, leader, and a friend because of it. Alright, about to get deep. Number Seven: Learn to appreciate what you have while simultaneously helping those who aren’t as fortunate. We have so much, and we don’t even realize it. We complain so often about not being able to find Wi-Fi, and yet there are people who don’t even know what WiFi is. We whine about having homework, and there are children who don’t have homework because maybe they don’t have access to an education, or maybe they don’t go to school because they need to work and are vital for the financial stability of their families. We moan about having to clean our rooms, and there are children who don’t even have multiple rooms in their houses, much less their own, individual rooms to clean.

Alright, about to get deep. Number Seven: Learn to appreciate what you have while simultaneously helping those who aren’t as fortunate. We have so much, and we don’t even realize it. We complain so often about not being able to find Wi-Fi, and yet there are people who don’t even know what WiFi is. We whine about having homework, and there are children who don’t have homework because maybe they don’t have access to an education, or maybe they don’t go to school because they need to work and are vital for the financial stability of their families. We moan about having to clean our rooms, and there are children who don’t even have multiple rooms in their houses, much less their own, individual rooms to clean. If I came to your district convention, you might have heard my Eliminate stories about my time in Cambodia. I had seen poverty on TV, in videos, and in textbooks, but seeing it in person gave me a completely new perspective on life in general. I saw so many people who really, really needed help. These past few months, after returning from my trip, I’ve noticed how much I complain about things our generation would call “first world problems.” That phrase kind of bothers me now. We are mocking something that is a serious issue. At the DCONs I attended, I talked about how we cite statistics so often that we forget that those numbers represent actual people. People with futures. People with ambitions and desires and goals. People who want to experience life just as we do. We easily say “1 baby dies every 11 minutes” or “babies have convulsions so painful and strong that their bones break” and we move on like it’s not a big deal. But it IS a big deal. These families are losing their babies. I can’t even imagine how it would feel to give birth to a perfectly healthy baby and then BAM, she dies. I can’t imagine my brother being born and then BAM he’s gone. Preparing for him for 9 months. Anticipating the life he would have, the friends he would make, the family he would create, the impacts he would leave on the world. GONE. Human beings matter, even though they might live thousands of miles away and even though we may never meet them. People are people, regardless of what culture and ethnicity they may be. We must be grateful for what we have and treat every life, every person, as an important, irreplaceable human being. I know that the lessons I’ve learned throughout my time in Key Club will continue to shape me as a person, even after I leave this convention and this amazing organization. My ultimate goal is that you’ll listen to what I’ve told you today, and that you’ll remember this final lesson that I’ve learned:

We are on this earth to make it better. It doesn’t matter if you believe or don’t believe in something past this life. Once you are gone, the legacy you leave behind is one made of your actions and service to the world. Your money doesn’t matter. The materials you’ve bought don’t mean anything. So, don’t get caught up in some prestigious university that someone is going to that you didn’t get into, that one test you just failed, or that guy (or girl) that didn’t like you. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how you treat people and this planet. A great leader, Mahatma Gandhi once said, “My life is my message.” Your message is how you treat the man or woman begging for change on the sidewalk. It’s how you talk about someone when they’re not listening. It’s how you react when you see someone being bullied. Remember that. Life is so much more than money and recognition, and it’s so much more than outward appearances and looks. Life is about service. And Key Club is about service. Another great leader, Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?’” Well, fellow Key Clubbers, I think we could answer that question in quite a powerful way. We can say that we are doing this: We joined Key Club International, the largest, and oldest, teen-led service organization in the world. We are caring and competent servant leaders transforming communities worldwide. Together, we provide over 12 million service hours per year. Our members put on thousands of food drives, car washes, and countless other fundraisers to help others. We support March of Dimes and Children’s Miracle Network as they emphasize the importance of children’s health and work to achieve just that. And we, as a teen organization, have raised over 3.8 million dollars for mothers and babies who do not have access to one dollar and 80 cent tetanus vaccinations and who face painful, excruciating deaths because they live in places we wouldn’t be caught dead in. We have raised 1.4 million dollars of that this past year alone and have pledged 3 million dollars over the next five years to continue supporting this amazing cause. You helped us do that. We all did that together. We know what we have to do, and we understand that as humans on this journey that we call life, we have a purpose, a destiny to help others and positively impact our coI’m sad that Key Club for me is over, but I know that the lessons I’ve learned and the experiences I’ve had will be with me forever. Every smile, every laugh I’ve had because of all of you will never be forgotten. I am happy for all this organization has given me, and I am forever indebted to you because you’ve made me who I am today.

So, thank you for being a part of my journey, and thank you for being a part of Key Club International…but it’s time to say good-bye. Thank you.

Maria Palazzolo

SUMMER

Throughout the summer, there are a number of things that need to be accomplished. Although it may seem to you that the summer should be down time for your club, this is not true. These are the following goals that your club needs to complete this summer.

- Report each month - Have an officer meeting each month - Have at least ONE service project each

month - Have at least ONE full member meeting

during the summer - Learn how to complete your officer

positions effectively

None of this is incredibly difficult. Secretaries, this gives you the perfect opportunity to really learn how to get more points on each of your monthly reports.

An officer meeting each month is not something that is too difficult. I know that everyone has vacations, so do not expect to have every officer at every meeting. Make sure the majority of officers attend.

A service project each month is fairly simple. Make it fun! Clean trash off the beach then have a day in the waves!

One member meeting is essential!

The summer is your greatest opportunity as a club. Honestly, I believe that depending on how your summer goes, that will determine the state of your club for the rest of year. Do you want an active and efficient club? If you do everything I have listed on the goals section, your club will be incredibly strong throughout the year.

The reason that the summer is so important is because it sets the stage of the rest of the year, in that it provides real hands on experience without the pressures of the school year. If your officers know how to complete their jobs during the summer, they will be able to handle their positions throughout the year when they are dealing with more students.

The summer is an excellent time to plan the rest of your club’s year and there is a full article on how to do this on the next page.

Have fun this summer. Get out! Incorporate any fun activities you’ve thought of and make it Key Club related. You’ve been wanting to hang out with some of your friends that happen to be in Key Club? Invite the whole club and make it a social!

Just be proactive and have fun this summer. You only get so many summers as a Key Club officer.

YEARLY PLANNING

The summer is when you plan all that you will be completing throughout the year. There are many things that you need to plan for the upcoming year and I am providing a list of the most essential items that need to be put on the calendar.

- Schedule at least four meetings per month, two officer meetings and two member meetings (pick alternating weeks and then put every date on the calendar that you can, as to avoid conflicts with holidays and big school activities)

- Find at least one big project each month for your club and get each project on the calendar

- Plan however many fundraisers your school allows and being to allocate this money to your DCON fund.

- Create t-shirts for your club and offer the designs for sale at the beginning of the school year

- Plan at least one social event for your club each semester and get this on the calendar

- Print out your finalized calendar and put it up so everyone can see (especially officers). Every member should be able to plan ahead. If dates are subject to change, make a note of it on the calendar.

Once the upcoming year is planned, it is extremely easy to run your club. You rarely have to worry about what you are supposed to do next. You just look on your calendar and you know what to do.

When formulating your calendar, scheduling four meetings a month seems like a challenge, but honestly it’s not at all. There is only one meeting a week and only two of them require all members to present. It keeps a cohesion within your club and you have higher attendance at meetings and events. People like routine. One big project a month is something easy you can do during the summer. All you have to do is come up with at least nine projects. That’s super easy! Socials are also very easy to create. Maybe you could have a Key Club holiday party or have an annual Key Club banquet at a restaurant. You could even offer awards to those who were most dedicated throughout the year.

Fundraising is essential to your DCON attendance. Already put on your calendars that you’re coming to DCON. Not only fundraise, but contact your local Kiwanis club and ask how much they will offer your club. Often times, they will donate much money toward your DCON experience! Don’t forget the t-shirt. Everyone loves a good t-shirt.

Presidents, Faculty Advisors, and Secretaries take note: The C.O.C.I. is the registration of your club’s officers with the district board. This gives the district board the ability to observe and contact you as an officer. It’s essential that last year’s officers are removed from the roster and the new officers are placed in their respective positions on the district website. It is very easy to change your C.O.C.I. from the past year. All you need to do is login at www.tokeyclub.com with your school’s information, then just click on the tab for members only. You can make the changes to your C.O.C.I. here. It is pertinent that this is completed. Please include all of your officers. It will take a grand total of about five to ten minutes to change all of the officers information. Please complete this immediately.

All other officers: if the following officer positions mentioned in the previous paragraph are not completing the task of filling out the C.O.C.I., please contact them immediately and let them know that this issue needs to be handled promptly. Still, if no conclusion is being reached, please contact me personally and I will contact your club to have this matter settled.

All Officers: Division 28 is getting off to a great start and this needs to be handled before summer really kicks into full force. I hope the completion of the C.O.C.I. is not a challenge. If you have difficulty filling out the online information or finding the online information once logged in, I will gladly guide you through the process. Please just text me or give me a call, thanks!

Club Officer Contact Information

C.O.C.I

SERVICE PROJECTS

Some Other Place: West Brook Key Club volunteered at Some Other Place (SOP) which is a local soup kitchen that caters to the needs of the homeless. We Key Clubbers volunteer there every 2nd and 3rd Saturday of the month. Typically we make and package the food from 8:30 AM- 10:30 AM, and then we distribute the sack lunches with drinks from 10:30-11:00 AM. It’s a fulfilling, recurring project that we always enjoy. By: Kelsey Endari

Cook Children’s Serve and Learn Program: The Paschal Key Club visited Cook Children’s Medical Center to participate in its Serve and Learn Program. Members put together information packages about the Water Watchers program, a program that was started to increase awareness of safe swimming for kids in Tarrant County. Key Clubbers learned about the precautions that should be taken when swimming, all while raising awareness at their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. By: Janet Diaz

Paint the School: Members of Weatherford Key Club decided to give the halls of Weatherford High School a new coat of paint. They met over the course of a week to help paint the plain white walls and classroom doorways with Weatherford school colors, and the left-over paint was used to give the teachers’ lounge a new look. After all the painting was done, members cleaned the halls and teacher’s lounge. By: Katie Trail

Salvation Army: On Saturday, July 19th, the Boswell High School Key Club volunteered at the Fort Worth Salvation Army where they spent the morning making 200 sack meals that were to be later distributed to the local homeless and served lunch to the institution’s residents. Overall, the Boswell Key Club was able to help provide a meal for over 400 people that day which included residents of the Salvation Army and the local homeless of Fort Worth. By: Janine Arounyarath

Spring Ho Festival: Members of the Lampasas Key Club serve each year at the Spring Ho Festival Arts and Crafts Fair. It is set up at W.M. Brook Park and features over 100 vendors throughout the fair which runs Thursday to Sunday. Members made flyers for the event, saying who we are and what we would be providing in the way of ice and the prices. Vendors let us know when they needed ice and we delivered over 500 20 pound and 8 pound bags of ice.

The Top 5 Service Projects each month serve as an easy way to get awesome project ideas that will add variety and spice to your club’s repertoire of activities!

Key Club International is one of the oldest and largest service programs for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to encourage leadership through helping others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs. Many local Key Clubs are sponsored by a local Kiwanis club. The organization was started by California State Commissioner of Schools Albert C. Olney, and vocational education teacher Frank C. Vincent, who together worked to establish the first Key Club at Sacramento High School in California, on May 7, 1925. Female students were first admitted in 1977, ten years before women were admitted to the sponsoring organization, Kiwanis International.

Objectives:

• To develop initiative and leadership. • To provide experience in living and

working together. • To serve the school and community. • To cooperate with the school principal. • To prepare for useful citizenship. • To accept and promote the following

ideals, better known as the Objects of Kiwanis International:

• To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.

• To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.

• To promote the adoption and application of higher standards in scholarship, sportsmanship, and social contacts.

• To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.

• To provide a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render unselfish service, and to build better communities.

• To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and good will.

KEY CLUB 101

Pledge:

I pledge, on my honor, to uphold the Objects of Key Club International; to build my home, school and community; to serve my nation and God; and combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions

Some famous Key Clubbers:

Bill Clinton

Tom Cruise

Alan Jackson

Brad Pitt

Elvis Presley.

CONTACTS

Governor Rachel Iselin governor@tokeyclub.com

Secretary Crystal Loh secretary@tokeyclub.com

Treasurer Emily Zhao treasurer@tokeyclub.com

Editor Matthew Riley matthewriley.kc@gmail.com

Convention Liaison Megan Reynosa cl@tokeyclub.com

Lieutenant Governor Mason Woods masonwoods1997@gmail.com or ltg28@tokeyclub.com

Instagram - @masonwoods Twitter - @masonwoods1997 Facebook - www.facebook.com/masonwoods97

CONTACTS

JUNEDivision 28 Newsletter