Adam’s Articles Henry Hudson, High Tech, MAST, Middletown North, Middletown South, Rumson-Fair Haven
Official Newsletter of Division 8 of the New Jersey District of Key Club International
Happy Holidays From Your LTG! Hello Division 8! I’m so sorry it has been such I long time since I last published a newsletter for the division. As we move past the holiday season and into the throws of the winter season, make sure you stay on top of all of your schoolwork as well as your Key Club duties! Officers! Make sure you keep your club meetings interesting and appealing so you don’t lose members, and also make sure you keep up with creating and organizing service projects. General Members! In my honest opinion, you are the most important aspect of every single Key Club and of the organization as a whole! Without you guys, there would be no one for the club leadership to work for and plan for. None of the amazing work that we do every day would happen! That being said, make sure you don’t slack on your Key Club responsibilities during the winter season. In the aftermath of the holiday season, make sure you keep those not as fortunate as you in mind. Attend service projects and make a difference that you can be proud of, help make the holiday
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season a good one for a family who can’t afford it.
In this issue! LTG’s Note .................. 1
For all you seniors out there, make sure you don’t start slacking! I know its hard, especially with some of those college acceptances rolling out, but keep up the amazing work ethic and grades I know you are all capable of getting! Good luck to you for any applications that you still have to complete (I know I still have many) as well as good luck to those you have that you are waiting on acceptances from!
Divisional News ………2 District News ………… 3 Advocacy Flyers …… 4 International News … 7
Enclosed in this email you will find tons of useful information for upcoming and past events, divisional, district and internationally. I hope that you find all of the information exciting and useful to use in the future!
Upcoming Events ….. 8 Calendar ……………. 9
Yours in caring and service,
Adam Rubin P.S. I hope you all had a wonderfully happy holiday season, and that your new year is simply the best ever!
CMRFs are due the 10th of every month!
Remind 101! I set up a remind 101 for the division, which will send important text message reminders for upcoming events and when things are due and stuff like that! I especially recommend this to Secretaries since I will be sending out reminders for when CMRFs are due! If you want to sign up just send the message @njkcdiv8 to (732) 9822331. That will sign you up for all the important text message reminders!
Upcoming DCM On January 4, 2014 I will be holding another DCM at the Panera Bread in Shrewsbury, NJ. It will be at 1:00 PM. As always, is it is mandatory that each club in the division send at least two delegates. They can be officers or general members. Presidents, please send me an email or a text with who from your club will be attending! If your club still has officers that need to be trained, please try and send them as I will conduct training while there. I am also looking for some ideas for a small, quick service project we could do while there, so if you have any ideas, please let me know! See you guys on January 4, 2014 at 1:00 PM!
Divisional News 2014-2015 LTG Elections! As much as it saddens me to say, I would like to officially announce the date of the elections for the 2014-2015 Lieutenant Governor! Division 8’s election will be held on January 23, 2014 at 6:00 PM at the Eastern Branch Library in Shrewsbury, NJ. Clubs are expected to send 2 delegates to vote. They must also be dues paid, meaning they have submitted dues for the 2013-2014 service year. Also, be on the lookout for people interested in running for the position of LTG! As long as they have paid dues for the 2013-2014 year and are an underclassman they are eligible to run for office! If you find any interested members or you yourself are interested, please have them email me at ltg.adam.div8@gmail.com.
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Advice for Seniors! Hey Seniors! I know you all want to be relaxing and enjoying the winter break, but there are only a few more days till most college application are due! The excuses can be piled up high and it is ever so tempting to give up, but this is the moment you have worked hard for, the finish line is insight so do not lose hope! Keep pushing through and before you know it you will be that college freshman to come home for an entire month off! Sometimes your house maybe distracting: comfy bed, television, and family members. If that’s the case, how about you go to a local coffee shop to do work (and most of them have wifi!). YOU GO GLEN COCO! -Courtesy of Hamiyyet Dilek, LTG, Div 15
Fall Rally! On October 13, over 3,000 Key Clubbers from all over the New Jersey District woke up extra early and flew down to Six Flags Great Adventure for the largest gathering in the history of the District. With 3,039 members, this year’s rally was the largest ever! Members sat with their respective Divisions and cheered loudly as each LTG entered the arena representing their favorite superhero. As the LTG for division 8, I was Thor. Even though division 8 didn’t win the spirit stick this year, I still think you guys were the loudest and most spirited out there! After the rally members got the park to themselves and got to meet tons of other key clubbers!
The New Jersey District Board and International Trustee Madi Kemker a few minutes before entering the arena to kickoff the best Fall Rally ever!
District News Helping the Philippines In light of the recent events in the Philippines, Verizon Wireless customers can make a $10 donation by texting the numbers listed below: • • • • • • • •
Text RELIEF to 25383 to give to Catholic Relief Services Text AID to 80077 to give to HOPE Worldwide Text AID to 50555 to give to Operation USA Text DONATE to 20222 to give to Save the Children Text SHELTER to 20222 to give to Shelter Box USA Text RELIEF to 864233 to give to UNICEF Text AID to 27722 to give to World Food Program USA Text Hope to 777444 to give to WORLD VISION
DCON 2014 This year’s District Convention is March 2830, 2014. It is the New Jersey District’s 68th Annual Convention, and is entitled “Destination: Service”. DCON is absolutely wonderful but it requires planning on each clubs part. Start talking to your advisors now about attending! Early registration ends February 14, 2014! If your club’s registration is postmarked by then the cost per member is $255. Regular Registration ends March 6, 2014! If your club registers after the Early Registration date, but before this date, the cost per member is $260. DCON truly is an amazing experience, and I encourage everyone to go, freshman to senior, general member to club president!
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Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that is characterized by muscle pain and fatigue. Fibro affects people of all ages who look healthy on the outside and are often misdiagnosed. Fibromyalgia is a condition few know exist, but is a serious illness many people are stuck fighting all by themselves. Some organizations that are working to raise awareness and do research are the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) and the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association.
Sock Puppets! Due to the nature of Fibromyalgia, there are very few volunteer opportunities. However, clubs can create sock puppets for local children suffering from Fibro and other similar conditions. Sock Puppets are always fun to make with your members and are guaranteed to make children of all ages happy.
Division 21
Lieutenant Governor Sarah McGuire and the clubs of Division 21 are making pillows the Children’s Specialized Hospital. Beginning at a Divisional Council Meeting, the members of Division 21 are going make pillows and then spend a day with the patients of the Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside. From entertaining the children to playing board games, everyone involved will make wonderful memories that last forever.
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Commonly known as PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, can occur after a traumatic experience. Examples of such experiences are: combat exposure, child, sexual, or physical abuse, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents or natural disasters. People of any age can develop PTSD and it does not always manifest right away. Symptoms include flashbacks to the event, being hyperaware of surroundings, avoiding similar situations and/or feeling guilty or shameful. If these symptoms persist, a person may be suffering from PTSD.
Raise Awareness
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder often goes undetected for long periods of time. The quicker a person receives treatment, the better off they are. While Key Clubbers can not go out and with victims of PTSD due to the treatment primarily being different types of therapy, we can help raise awareness about the disorder. Holding a concert with some local bands and one or two speakers who have overcome PTSD is a great way to alert people in your community about the harmful effects of this disorder.
Immediate Past Lieutenant Governor of Division 21 Eric Smuda held a concert to raise awareness about Bullying and Suicide Prevention, the district’s advocacy focus at that time, last year. At the concert local bands performed and a couple of people who had been bullied as teenagers spoke about their experience. The concert was incredibly well-attended and opened up students and adults alike to the harmful effects of bullying and ways to address it. Hosting a concert similar to this for PTSD is a great way to get students interested and informed about a disorder many have never even heard of.
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Bipolar Disorder
The alternation between depression and hyperactive, wildly optimistic behavior characterizes bipolar disorder, a mental illness affecting many people including a growing number of adolescents. Mania, or the hyperactive phase, has symptoms of being overactive, overly talkative and elated. People often compulsively shop, engage in risky behavior and need little sleep. The depressive part of the cycle is the opposite with long periods of inactivity and sleep.
Advocate & Discuss The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and Care for Your Mind are examples of organizations that provide support for those with bipolar disorder. Care for Your Mind encourages advocacy and discussion to prevent the narrowing of mental health services. DBSA also provides advocacy but also runs a peer support network and resource center to link patients with necessary services.
Direct service to patients and/or clients with bipolar is beyond the scope of Key Clubbers but raising funds to necessary services and creating awareness campaigns in your schools is a great way to help. With more and more teens being diagnosed, understanding the reality of bipolar disorder and being a friend is a way to serve those with this illness.
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2013-2014 Key Club Dues! I wanted to thank all of you guys, because many of your clubs were able to send in dues on time this year! Dues are an important part of keeping Key Club International operational. Parts of dues go to International to keep the International aspects of the organization running, parts go to the district to keep district events running, such as Fall Rally, DCON, and scholarships, and parts go to each club to add to the club treasury. Every year dues are due by December 1st, and most of the clubs in division 8 were able to get dues in by that date. I applaud all the clubs that were able to get them in on time and commend the clubs that were able to pay dues before the Early Bird date of November 1st even higher! If your club hasn’t paid dues yet, I urge you to pay dues as soon as possible! If you do not, you will not be able to vote for next year’s LTG, members of your club will not be allowed to run for District or International Office, and you may not even be allowed to have voting delegates at District Convention! Please pay dues as soon as possible as they are now past due!
International News Quotes from #keyclub on Twitter
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Important Contacts
Look out! Upcoming events! •
January 4, 2014 – Divisional Council Meeting – 1:00 PM
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January 9, 2014 – Officer Training Conference – 6:00 PM
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January 17, 2014 – January Newsletter I Released
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January 23, 2014 – LTG Election – 6:00 PM
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January 31, 2014 – January Newsletter II Released
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February 8, 2014 – February Newsletter Released
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February 14, 2014 – DCON Early Registration Ends
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February 15, 2014 – Divisional Council Meeting – 1:00 PM
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February 22, 2014 – District Convention Newsletter Released
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March 6, 2014 – DCON Regular Registration Ends
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March 8, 2014 – March Newsletter Released
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March 22, 2014 – Divisional Council Meeting – 1:00 PM
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March 27, 2014 – Farewell Newsletter Released
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March 28-30, 2014 – District Convention 2014
Adam Rubin
Lieutenant Governor of Division 8 Email: ltg.adam.div8@gmail.com 160 Kings Mountain Road Freehold, NJ 07728 Cell: (732) 320-8036
Ryan Clarkin District Governor governor.clarkin@gmail.com
Kelly Tran District Secretary dsectrank@gmail.com
Penny Xu District Treasurer njtreasurerpennyxu@gmail.com
Pak Chau District Editor district.editor.pak@gmail.com
Yuya Ong District Webmaster njwebmasteryuya@gmail.com
Rob Acerra Zone Administrator acerra.kci@gmail.com
Please do not hesitate to contact me in any way you feel comfortable whether it’s through emails, text messages, phone calls, or even send me letters! My goal is to be as accessible to you as possible!
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Calendar of the Upcoming Month
January Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1 Happy New Year!
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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DCM Panera, Shrewsbury 1:00 PM
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OTC Panera, Shrewsbury 6:00 PM
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January Newsletter I
23 19
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LTG Election Shrewsbury Library 6:00 PM
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Please do not hesitate to contact me in any way you feel comfortable whether it’s through emails, text messages, phone calls, or even send me letters! My goal is to be as accessible to you as possible!
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