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A GUIDE TO STARTINGYOUR INTERACT YEAROFF RIGHT, 2013-2014

DEAR

WITH INTERACT LOVE, JAMIE LAM, GOVERNOR

DAVID KANG, LT. GOVERNORGOVERNOR@INTERACT5170.ORG | LTGOVERNOR@INTERACT5170.ORG

INTERACT PRESIDENT,

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ow excited we are to begin the new Interact year with you! Our names are Jamie Lam and David Kang, and we are your Governor and Lieutenant Governor for the 2013-2014 year. We’re incredibly excited for the year ahead of us, and one of the best parts to witness in our tenure is all of the wonderful contributions the Interactors in our district make.

Here in Interact, we believe in the power of family. All of us here are extremely different leaders with diverging traits, but we’re all here under one umbrella: to change the world. Despite our various

backgrounds—age, creed, gender, sexuality, ethnicity—when we come together, we are the largest, most prolific Interact District in the world.

In order to help you kick off your year on a high note, we’ve provided some basic information that could potentially be of great use to you. For instance, taking the initiative to start a Junior Interact club at your local middle school may not be an easy decision, but trust us—you will not regret it! Our District will welcome you and your new Junior Interact club with open arms and will be here every step of the way to guide and assist you when needed, learning as we also develop into stronger leaders with new experiences.

We know that as a club leader, you will empower change alongside the District, working to ensure our one family, with one goal of service is collaborative and accepting, and that we will always recognize our achievements while continuing our legacy. Together, we are the change.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help or to be brave and take initiative if ever needed. We’re here for you every step of the way, and by assessing and planning out your own Interact goals for the year, you have already taken the first step toward greatness.

If you choose to start a Junior Interact, please keep your Area Director, our Outreach Coordinator, and us updated on all your progress and hard work. Similarly, if you encounter any difficulties while completing the International Project Funds Transmittal form that all club presidents must now use to submit all money to the district, direct your questions and concerns to our Secretary. We are so proud and look immensely forward to what you bring to our family.

Check out our District website, www.interact5170.org for additonal resources about our vision/theme for the year, information about our International and Community projects, history on our Interact legacy, and other media and events that may aid your journey!

HSTARTING A JUNIOR INTERACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4DEFINING JUNIOR INTERACT

STARTING A JUNIOR INTERACT

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FREQUENTLY ASKED8

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS

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3

QUESTIONS

ADDITIONAL NOTES

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INTERNATIONAL PROJECTFUNDS TRANSMIT FORM

CONTACT INFORMATION

VISIONS & GOALS, 2013-2014

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VISION & GOALS

by leading as one family, with one goal: service, celebrating our legacy and leadership to recognize our achievements, ensuring we can continue our legacy—one that has been passed down to us so we can pass it down to those after us.

EMPOWER CHANGE

TOGETHER, WE ARE THE CHANGE.

EMPOWER CHANGEWe step forward this year as a District by aligning the energy, drive, and influence of the youth of the Bay Area with the values of Rotary—of integrity, initiative, the 4-way test, and service. We believe in fostering and developing our successes and achievements by looking beyond the numbers and by looking at the leaders who created said change. Rotary International’s theme for the year, “Engage Rotary, Change Lives,” has influenced us to continue changing the world by fostering and engaing new leaders who show an awareness and consciousness for world peace, goodwill, and better friendships.

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EMPOWER CHANGE

TOGETHER, WE ARE THE CHANGE.

EMPOWER CHANGE

ONE FAMILY, ONE GOALThe blood that runs through the course of Interact is most contingent upon our basic, most original theme: service. We wish to bring the focus back on our local communities and allowing ourselves to once more volunteer and give back. Forging on with the sense of acceptance and community that every Interactor finds in our family, we wish to once more create an open environment for leaders to speak freely and collaborate to achieve better results.

By strengthening our bonds with our local Rotary, Rotaract, and Junior Interact clubs, we hope to ensure the future of Interact is concretized long after our generation is gone. Interactors are Interactors no matter how far their path goes after we have graduated, and Interact will always be home. We become and then create better leaders by learning more of our roots and how we became the most prolific, largest district in the world.

Throughout the course of our Interact careers, we have each seen immense growth in individuals and in our district as a whole. We believe that we should celebrate these successes and recognize one another for every difference that is made, miniscule to large, because any difference that is made takes initiative and courage and is significant.

RECOGNIZE OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

CONTINUE OUR LEGACY

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FINING JUNIOR

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FINING JUNIOR

WHAT IS JUNIOR INTERACT?

WHY START A JUNIOR INTERACT?

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Junior Interact is a service club that serves as the middle school branch of Rotary International. Similar to an Interact Club, a Junior Interact Club focuses on the core values of Rotary becoming instilled in the youth; granting social and leadership skills to be developed through a willingness and consciousness of service through community and international outreach. Junior Interact clubs work in coalition with full-fledged Interact clubs to reach annual goals of visions, themes, and monetary/community service hour goals that align the energy and passion of the youth to the lessons of Rotary.

Starting a Junior Interact Club is a great way to instill a spirit for early on in a student’s academic and extracurricular career, providing future Interactors with the experience and insight they will need to better lead Interact clubs when they enter high school. Creating a Junior Interact Club also helps promote unity between the middle school and high school. It is a great way to mentor middle school students to adhere themselves to the values of Rotary, which exposes them to the process of organizing and participating in community service events and teaches them leadership skills.

Junior Interact members will be given opportunities to participate in community service events with high school Interact members, as well as organize volunteer events of their own at local organizations with the help of the Interact-Junior Interact liaison. Junior Interact members are also allowed unique opportunities to shadow Interactors in many of their endeavors as they seek to bring world change to their local and international communities.

5STEPS TOCREATE ASUCCESSFUL Junior Interact

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Contact the middle school’s principal to seek approval for starting a Junior Interact Club. In addition to emailing/calling the principal, you

should request and arrange a one-on-one meeting with the administration. This way, you can further describe your goals for the club, why you want to start a Junior Interact Club, and how the club can benefit the students. If you don’t already have a middle school faculty adviser in mind, ask the principal which teacher may be interested in helping you start up the club. A committed adviser will greatly contribute to the success of your Junior Interact Club. Advisers need to be present at all meetings, so the locations and times of meetings should be coordinated with them.

1 CONTACTADMINISTRATION

You should also get in touch with your sponsoring Rotary Club. Attend a Rotary meeting and update your Rotarians with the status of the club. Contacting the District Outreach Coordinator

and your Area Director is also crucial so that your Junior Interact club is on record at the district level. If you experience difficulties while starting up your club, seeking assistance from the District Outreach Coordinator is highly advised.

DISTRICT

2 PRESENT & SELLEnsure the image of the Junior Interact Club to parents and faculty is one that is positive and friendly. Having adults’ support in this process makes it easier to create

and run a Junior Interact club. One way to do this is by asking the school’s administration if you could set up a booth at an event such as Back-to-School Night when parents are invited to the school. At such an event, marketing your club to parents and teachers is most optimal with informational flyers created to distribute, as well as experienced and knowledgeable high school officers who are ready to speak with the adults about Interact and its benefits.

PARENTS & FACULTY

Staff members can also help you advertise your events at orientation or through announcements throughout the year. Be sure to explain the goals of Rotary and Interact, as well as what

these two organizations can bring to students at the middle school level. Be enthusiastic, sell your ideas, and share your passion!

STUDENTS

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The duties of an Events Coordinator include, but are not limited to: working with the Interact-Junior Interact liaison and faculty advisor to look for local volunteer opportunities for the members to participate in,

assigning roles and responsibilities for event management, and collaborating with the club in order to ensure maximum attendance at events.

3 CREATEChoose officers for Junior Interact and appoint one of your own Interact Club officers to act as the adviser and liaison between your Interact and Junior Interact clubs. You can give them a title such as “Outreach Coordinator” or “Junior Interact Liaison.”

Works with Interact to create a member database and keep track of all hours completed by each member. Takes notes at all meetings

and later sends them to the other officers and the Interact-Junior Interact liaison.

SECRETARY

EVENTS

If there is a significant amount of interest in the club, consider delegating the role of Board Member to a few members. The Board is led by

the Events Coordinator, and it helps to find potential volunteer events for the club. Along with searching for and organizing activities, the Board Members will be responsible for attending meetings and helping to lead their own volunteer events with the help of the Interact-Junior Interact liaison.

BOARD MEMBERS (OPT.)

4 PUBLICIZE

5 COMMUNICATE

Publicize around the middle school about meetings and community service opportunities. You may do this through flyers, bulletin boards, email, school website (under the events or announcements section), and social networking sites (eg. Facebook), etc.

Share Interact with your Junior Interactors by inviting them to your events. (Do not feel that you must limit this to volunteer events though; FLC and Area Charity Dinners are appropriate events if you are willing to speak with administration and parents about it.) Always remember to be a role model and show them what Interact means to you. Above all else, inspire the uninspired and lead by example!

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PUBLICIZE

FREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONS

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DOES A JUNIOR INTERACT CLUB REQUIRE A SPONSORSHIP?Yes. Please notify your sponsoring Rotary Club, Area Director, and the District Outreach Coordinator before taking action to begin your club. You can reach the Outreach Coordinator by emailing outreach@interact5170.org. This is crucial because all Junior Interact clubs in the district need to be officiated.

WHAT IF THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT REPONDING TO MY EMAILS?

If the administration is unresponsive, you should try meeting the Principal one-on-one, face-to-face. If you talk to the school secretary, he/she may notify you of the Principal’s schedule and then mark you down for an appointment. If you still have problems with the administration, you should immediately contact your sponsoring Rotary Club, the District Outreach Coordinator, or your Area Director.

WHAT TYPES OF COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITES DO WE OFFER MEMBERS?You should invite the Junior Interactors to any of your club events that are age-appropriate! Encourage them to volunteer with your club members. This gives Junior Interactors an opportunity to meet Interactors and learn more about the high school club. Additionally, Junior Interactors can volunteer at local organizations, such as the animal shelter or public library. Be aware of age requirements and waivers for certain volunteer events.

HOW SHOULD MEETINGS TAKE PLACE?Preferably, meetings should take place after school so that the Interact-Junior Interact liaison from the Interact club can attend. The location should be discussed with the faculty adviser, seeing as how he/she must also be present, and it is common courtesy to hold meetings at a location on campus (such as a classroom) where it is easiest for him/her. Occasionally, the District Outreach Coordinator may also attend these meetings to check in on the club’s progress. Meetings should be held at a minimum of once a month and should not last for more than 30 minutes.

HOW SHOULD I APPROACH THE OFFICER SELECTION PROCESS?The selection process may vary with each school, but an application is recommended. If the administration advises you to select the officers before the first club meeting, you should set up a booth at the middle school (coordinate with the school for an appropriate time such as Back to School Night) and look for prospective candidates/officers. Once you release the application, give members about 1-2 weeks to submit them. You should be able to pick your team following this step, but if you feel you need to further assess your candidates upon reviewing applications, an interview process is recommended. If you receive a large number of applications and end up turning applicants down, it is of utmost importance that you explain to them that they should not be deterred from becoming involved in Junior Interact despite the decision because there are many other opportunities to gain leadership skills.

SAMPLE APPLICATION QUESTIONS...Why is service important for our communities?

How do you define a leader?What motivated you to join Junior Interact?

What can you bring to the club?12

CHECKLIST

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CONTACT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL’S ADMINISTRATION TO ASK FOR PERMISSION TO START UP YOUR INTERACT CLUB AND COMMUNICATE YOUR GOALS FOR THE CLUB AND ITS PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS.

CONTACT THE DISTRICT OUTREACH COORDINATOR AND YOUR AREA COORDINATOR SO THAT YOU MAY RECIEVE ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT YOUR NEW JUNIOR INTERACT CLUB IS ON RECORD AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ROTARY CLUB BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED A SPONSOR FOR YOUR JUNIOR INTERACT CLUB.

SEEK OUT AN ADVISER FOR YOUR CLUB, PREFERABLY A FACULTY MEMBER WHO IS BOTH ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT INTERACT AND HAS A SCHEDULE THAT ENABLES YOU TO USE HIS/HER CLASSROOM FOR MEETINGS.

MARKET YOUR CLUB TO PARENTS AND STAFF AT EVENTS SUCH AS BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT.

DELEGATE THE ROLE OF INTERACT-JUNIOR INTERACT LIAISON TO ONE OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL OFFICERS.

RECRUIT A TEAM OF RELIABLE AND PASSIONATE JUNIOR INTERACT OFFICERS TO HELP YOUR CLUB FLOURISH. AN APPLICATION PROCESS IS RECOMMENDED FOR THIS STEP.

PUBLICIZE THE CLUB AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL THROUGH ANNOUNCEMENTS, FLYERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC.

INVITE JUNIOR INTERACT MEMBERS TO INTERACT EVENTS, RANGING FROM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES TO FLC TO AREA CHARITY DINNERS.

ENSURE THAT JUNIOR INTERACT CLUB AND OFFICER MEETINGS OCCUR AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH AND HELP THE JUNIOR INTERACT OFFICERS FIND SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR MEMBERS.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

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Interact District 5170 2570 N. First Street, Suite 200 San Jose, CA 95131

PHONE 408-273-4577 E-MAIL rotary@interact5170.org WEB SITE www.interact5170.org

Interact 5170 a Rotary International

sponsored youth organization

Make checks payable to "District 5170 Foundation" with the Memo "Interact 5170 International Project 2012-13." There are two requested deadlines to turn in funds so we can track fundraising progress against goals. You may also send in money anytime. The deadlines are January 17th 2014 and June 2nd 2014. Interact Club of _____________________________________________ Area #______ Amount enclosed $ __________________________________________________ Check #(s) _________________________________________________________ Club President __________________________________________________________ Please print name legibly Direct phone number (______) _______-________________ E-mail address __________________________________________________________ Signature ____________________________________________ Date _____________ Mail all funds with this form to ensure credit to your Club and Area. Personal donations will be accepted and may be tax-deductible. Tax ID#: 94-3016176. VERY IMPORTANT: To ensure compliance with school requirements, club fundraising proceeds MUST be deposited in the school account. Checks to “District 5170 Foundation” for club fundraising will only be accepted if issued from the school account. ***CASH WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED*** For questions, call the number below, or e-mail: Lillian Zhao District Council Secretary secretary@interact5170.org

INTERNATIONAL PROJECT – FUND TRANSMITTAL FORM

Office Use Only Account #: Date Mailed:

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INTERACT DISTRICT 5170

AARON DENG, OUTREACH COORDINATORATHIRA PENGHAT, PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR

OUTREACH@INTERACT5170.ORG | SECRETARY@INTERACT5170.ORG

LILLIAN ZHAO, SECRETARY

PUBLICATIONS@INTERACT5170.ORG