The Key to 1B | Volume 1, Issue 6

The Key to 1B The Official Newsletter of Division 1B of the New Jersey District of Key Club International Volume 1, Issue 6 | December 2013

Absegami | ACIT | Cedar Creek | Egg Harbor Twp | Pleasantville

“Superheroes of Service”

Table of Contents A Message from your LTG………………………………pg 3 Fall Rally………………………………………………….pg 4-5 Kiwanis Family Conference….………………………pg 6-7 Key Leader……….……………………………………..pg 8-9 Advocacy Focus ……………………………………pg10-11 Contact Information…………………………………...pg 12

A Message from your LTG Hi everyone!

It’s been a while since my last issue of “The Key to 1B” and a lot has happened since then! In this issue you can see a recap of some of the last few events that the New Jersey District has been a part of. Clubs have been busy with turning in dues and getting their big service projects put together for the holiday seasons. Keep an eye out for my next issue which will be a special edition on what you can expect at DCON 2014!

Superheroes of Service Spotted at Six Flags On October 13, thousands of Key Clubbers all over New Jersey woke up early and attended the largest gathering of Key Clubbers the New Jersey District has ever seen. With over 3000 attendees, this year’s Fall Rally was the largest ever! Members sat with their divisions and cheered on their respective LTGs as they entered the arena representing their favorite superhero. As the LTG of Division 1B, I was Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls. Although Division 1B didn’t win the spirit stick, I still think you guys were the loudest of all the divisions. After a few hours of the rally, members got the park to themselves and met tons of other Key Clubbers.

KFC 2013 No, not Kentucky Fried Chicken. Kiwanis Family Conference is similar to Key Leader and is held in Black Mountain in North Carolina. After a few flights and car rides, we finally reached the beautiful mountains right as they were changing colors from the fall. We heard inspirational speeches from Bo Schafer and other Kiwanians who are all making a difference in the world. Our “families” consisted of members from Key Club, Circle-K and Kiwanis. We made skits, played games, and goofed off quite a bit. My favorite part of the trip was taking a hike with a few LTGs and Governor Ryan. It took us a few hours and a lot of going off the path, but we finally reached the top of the mountain! “Never give up” and “Up!” were our mottos for the weekend.

Key Leader Key Leader is a weekend long event that you will never want to end; and although the weekend doesn’t last forever, the lessons I’ve learned while I attended will last a lifetime, along with the people I met. Before attending, I was nervous to go. I was unsure what to expect, unsure if I would be accepted by the others and unsure if I will enjoy the weekend. I can honestly say now, there was no need for me to worry, because during my first day, I made immediate friends and was laughing by the end of the first night.

When I first arrived, I was all the characteristics I thought a leader should be, but by the end of the weekend, I became a real leader. I learned what it takes to be a leader. I learned about personal integrity, personal growth, respect, building a community, and pursuing excellence. Throughout the weekend, we applied each lesson with each other and learned how to apply it to our clubs and personal lives. Key Leaders mission statement is, “The mission of Key Leader is to inspire young people to achieve their personal best through service leadership.” Well, Key Leader definitely did its job.

I’d also like to point out the fact that I didn’t know it was possible to become best friends with someone in the matter of three days, but now I know it is. We all came to this event with a common passion: Key Club; and we all united through the long hours spent outside in the snow with our eyes shut learning how to communicate with each other. We united through the emotional moments spent around the campfire burning our deepest fears into the flames and confiding in each other about our lives (there were even some tears and LOTS of hugs). We (well…just the girls) even united when we had the same common fear and thoughts running through our heads at the same time: “Who turned on the bathroom light at 12:30 in the morning?” (P.S. the girl dorms might be haunted). In conclusion, my Key Leader experience is an irreplaceable one, and there is no doubt that I will return next year as a student facilitator.

Dianna Torres Cedar Creek Secretary

Ryan Clarkin—District Governor (862) 397-9508 | governor.clarkin@gmail.com

Kelly Tran—District Secretary (609) 432-9204 | dsectrank@gmail.com

Pak Chau—District Editor (609) 513-7313 | district.editor.pak@gmail.com

Penny Xu—District Treasurer (973) 462-3595| njtreasurerpennyxu@gmail.com

Yuya Ong—District Webmaster (201) 367-8531 | njwebmasteryuya@gmail.com

Cynthia Thurairajah—Lieutenant Governor D1B (609) 440-3366 | cynthia.ltg1b@gmail.com