Whale Talk Volume 1 Issue 2
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Table of Contents
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About this Newsletter 3 President’s Letter 4 Key Club 101 5 The Dog Days Are Over 7 Welcome to Service! 9 Upcoming Events 11 KeyLeader 13 Other Newsletters 15 Officer Contact Info 16
Nestled among the San Juan Islands floats Fidalgo Island, an island that is half retirement community, half hipster haven. The Anacortes Key Club may not quite be the lifeblood of this eccentric community, but surely the town of Anacortes wouldn’t be the same without it. The words of the Key Club motto, “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”, is thoroughly ingrained in every active member of our club. These faithful community servants keep these words in mind when living their lives and seek to better their world in every way they know how. The members of the Anacortes Key Club have many mascots: their school’s Seahawk, their club’s Whale, their division’s Samurai, and their district’s Moose, but they have only one allegiance; the allegiance to leadership, inclusiveness, caring, and character building. These core values show through in the ways they provide for their community. For example, they trick-or-treat for UNICEF, and pick up the community’s Christmas trees annually, as well as perform various other acts of selflessness for those around them. You can also
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Abou t find the members of the Anacortes chapter of Key Club selling secondhand wares at the Kiwanis shop, organizing food for the needy at the Salvation Army, teaching young children the ways of the world at the Boys and Girls Club, or any number of other noble pursuits any day of the week. It may be a mystery to some how these teenagers are so motivated to serve their community, but it’s no puzzle to us: the nature of Key Club breeds this compassionate spirit, along with a sense of comradery among all its members. If you were to ask any of our key clubbers (or at least those who have attended DCON) how they feel, they would likely reply “I feel so good! Oh, I feel so good!” after which the chant would descend into undecipherable grunting of varying cadences. The meaning behind the chant is still clearly evident, however; the members of Key Club in Anacortes, and all across the world, are optimistic people who are excited about the world and the part they get to play in it. It’s an honor to be a part of an organization filled with people like that.
Hello Key Clubbers, This year I hope we can accomplish great things and improve our community. I hope you all sign up to help at as many volunteer opportunities as you can. This is going to be a great year! In Love and Service, Lauren Doster Club President Anacortes High School Key Club International dostelau000@stu.asd103.org (360) 420-6715
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The Dog Days a o 7
g are over
Sticky sweet syrup and refreshingly cold ice mix in paper cone after paper cone. Vials of colored sugar are spun into pastel clouds. Countless small faces light up in delight as they see their favorite colors turned into saccharine confections. Kernels pop in the background of the hustle and bustle of the volunteering key clubbers. The bright summer sun warms the backs of these volunteers. Their hands move quickly through the assembly line they’ve figured out. Kate scoops ice into a perfect semi-sphere and then hands it off to Anne, who by now expertly creates a rainbow kalaidescope of colors before handing the treat off to the beaming child. All the while Henry gets change for the waiting customer. They work together like incricate clockwork, each cog doing their own part. Laughter bubbles up from the tent as they trade jokes. Various volunteers come and go, but there are always others to replace those who leave. Most of these faces are familiar. They are the same ones who appear at the Kids-R-Best Fest having been at the Relay for Life or Fourth of July Festival too. They keep returning, offering up an hour or two here or there of their summer freedom to help out their fellow key clubbers. They are not discouraged by the blazing sun at Kids-R-Best Fest or the frigid night air at Relay for Life. Instead, they find these sometimes long and arduous hours a time to bond with the other volunteers. That’s what these summer months are all about, and that’s what happens when you spend time with someone making popcorn and snow cones in the wee, small hours of the night, or in the heat on an August afternoon. These days will be missed, but there’s always next summer.
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welcome to service Welcome one and welcome all. Welcome to those who are always the first to offer a hand to those who have fallen. Welcome to those who have fallen, and want to be the one who offers a hand for a change. Welcome to those find bliss in causing a smile or a laugh. Welcome to those who want only to prevent others from frowning. Welcome to the ones who know that this is where they belong. Welcome to the ones who don’t know where they belong, but thought maybe this would be a fun thing to try. Welcome to those who were pressured here by a friend. Welcome those who come alone. Key Club is a place of middling, where people of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds come together to give back to a community of people of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds. It’s a beautiful thing, and we’re glad you’ve come to be a part of it.
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Trick-or-treat for UNICEF is an annual volunteer opportunity put on by UNICEF to raise money to combat maternal and neonatal tetanus in third world countries. Key Club participates every year and brings thousands of dollars to this noble cause. Our club will meet at 6 PM in front of the high school before breaking up into groups. Each group will take on a neighborhood to cover, and then meet back for Pizza between 8:00 and 8:30 (the whole thing should be over around 9:15). Make sure you wear a costume and bring a bag for candy because even though your primary objective is getting donations, many people will offer you candy as well if you’re properly dressed. This may be your only socially-acceptable opportunity to Trick-or-Treat as a high schooler! If you plan on attending, please sign up with your group ahead of time, or contact an officer as soon as possible.
On Saturday, November 1st from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM at Fidalgo Elementary, you can go and get makeup done so you look as though you are injured to help people who are trying to get Community Emergency Response Team certified. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the man in charge at (360) 202-3106, or at rewallacepm-ff@comcast.net The 66th Annual DCON may be a long ways off, but we just wanted to give you the heads up that DCON will be from March 13th to 15th, 2015 in Seattle, WA this year. We don’t know many details yet other than the theme which is Service to Infinity and Beyond. However, we do know that DCON will be a blast this year. DCON is so many things, it’s hard to describe it in just a few words. It is the opportunity to miss a bit of school, bond with your own Key Club, make connections to the wider Key Club community, and of course, dance your heart out. That’s right: DCON has a formal dance at the end of the esteemed Governor’s Ball. For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of attending DCON, this dance is like homecoming minus the awkward asking, and plus about 300 more people. A bit of forewarning though: if you are going to DCON, you have to be prepared to cheer, loud and frequently. The only thing that Key Clubbers get more hyped about than service is DCON.
We are still in the process of confirming our weekly sign-ups from last year, but stay posted because an updated list of ongoing volunteer opportunities will be available shortly. If you haven’t been able to make any of the special events, and would like a more regular volunteer opportunity, contact on of the officers for a personalized recommendation or suggestion. See contact info on page 16.
Upcoming
Every Once in a while, the entire 20i District gets together for free food and hijinks. This month’s District Council Meeting will be on Saturday, October 25th, from 1-3 PM at Fort Nugent’s Park in Oak Harbor. At this particular DCM, you’ll get to bond with key clubbers from all over our district while playing a rousing fame of capture the flag, so come dressed to run around!
key lea In the course of a weekend, you could learn the kinds of skills that will help you revolutionize your school, community, and yes, even the world. Key Leader is not just a leadership retreat, it’s the kind of place leaders are born. You will make new friends, gain amazing memories, and learn all about what you can do as a leader both in Key Club, and outside of it. We are lucky enough to live nearby two top-of-the-line Key Leader camps, and also lucky enough to get all of our expenses paid by our sponsoring Kiwanis club. If you are at all interested, either contact the officers, Mrs. Masters, or our Kiwanis Advisors. October 24th through 26th, 2014: Camp Collins in Gresham, OR November 7th-9th, 2014: SAMBICA in Bellevue, WA
For more information on how to register, or any questions you have regarding Key Leader, contact Lauren Doster.
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If you’re looking for even more Key Club news to brighten your day and broaden your horizons, look no further than our divisional and district newletters, The Daily Samurai and The Espresso. They are both full of important information about Key Club, and definitely worth taking a look at. The Daily Samurai is our divisional newsletter, created by our division bulletin editor, Jhon Dimaculangan. It includes info about our division officers, division council meetings,
divisional and international service opportunities, and other fun trivia. You can access the most recent issue here: http://issuu.com/thedailysamurai/docs/october_newsletter1. The Espresso is our district newsletter, serving the entire Pacific Northwest. It is run by our amazing district editor, Jenny Zhang. The most recent issue can be found here: http://issuu.com/ pnwkc/docs/summer2014.
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President Lauren Doster Phone: (360) 420-6715 E-mail: dostelau000@stu. asd103.org Treasurer Hunter Wickman Phone: (360) 333-7065 E-mail: wickmhun@gmail. com
Vice President Collin Smolsnik E-mail: collinsmolsnik@yahoo.com Secretary Kate Baker
E-mail: kcbaker16@gmail.
com Bulletin Editor Alex Hanesworth Phone: (360) 510-6132
E-mail: alexhanesworth@ gmail.com
Contact Info
Volume 1 Issue 2 If you have any Key Club related pictures, quotes, or stories, or feedback about the newsletter send them to your bulletin editor at alexhanesworth@gmail.com. Thanks for reading, and have a great year!