Volume 2, Issue 9 March 5, 2014
The official newsletter of the Cypress Woods High School Key Club
KEY FACTS Get
HOOKED. Key Club’s trip to the 2014 District Convention is almost upon us.
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State of the Club Address See what Bryan Veit has to say about the club this year.
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It’s almost here. DCON 2014 is approaching; see how the club is preparing.
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Savvy Socializing The ins and outs of planning a Key Club social
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CON RIBUTI NS ARTICLES Sharon Zhou Dang Dinh Nikki Carter Gaurav Lalsinghani Priscilla Lam Garrett Alms PRESIDENT’S LETTER Bryan Veit
COVER PHOTO Nikki Carter
BACK COVER PHOTOS Derinda Keiser Nicholas Nguyen Ashley Kawakubo Jordan Castillo
IN THIS ISSUE... A word from club president Bryan Veit 03 See the theme for DCON 2014! 04 Learn how volunteering can affect you positively 07 Find out what all the DCON buzz is about 08 Contact your club, division, and district officers 13
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A letter from your
Club President Dear fellow Key Clubbers, As many of you know, we recently held officer elections for the club. After a very close election, we emerged with strong and enthusiastic new group of servant leaders! Please take a moment to congratulate all of the newly elected officers for the 2014-2015 school year: President: Natasha Solanki Vice President: Matt Faga Historian: Gina Zhang Treasurer: Ashley Kawakubo Editor: Shannon Steele Webmaster: Nicholas Nguyen Junior Secretary: Sharon Zhou Representative Coordinator: Kishan Solanki I couldn’t be more pleased with the passion and ingenuity that the upcoming officer team holds, and I am extremely confident in the ability of my vice president and successor, Natasha Solanki. She has demonstrated phenomenal support for me and the other officers throughout this past year, and we are exponentially grateful. I wish I could stick around next year to see Key Club thrive under her apt leadership skills. She will continue to train for the presidency through the remainder of the semester alongside new officer team. If you ran for an officer position and were not elected, do not fret! Key Club’s officer team is backed by an even larger team of representatives, and we will be choosing a whole new batch soon. These unofficial officers aid the club tremendously through a variety of methods. Among other things, they ensure that the club has new events and that the meetings run smoothly. Representative positions are available for any grade level. Applications will be released in April or May, and we will begin the interview process shortly after. A representative position is a great way to become familiar with the inner workings of the club while honing your leadership and collaboration skills. If you think your skills will help the bright future of this club shine, do not hesitate to seize the day and seize this opportunity! In service,
Bryan J. Veit President of Cy Woods Key Club
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From Key Clubbers to Key Leaders Inspirational PCM leads to the expansion of comfort zones At the r e c e n t February P C M , there were two topics that were covered in detail. The first was, of course, the fast-approaching, service-recognizing, oncein-a-lifetime, Peter Panthemed DCON! We started off talking about fundraising ideas that different schools were implementing to fundraise their trip to Dallas. Different Key Clubbers from different schools in Division 3N offered up various fundraisers that they were doing. For example, one school said they were selling donuts and baked goods before and after Key Club meetings. Another talked about selling candy to the student body, and yet another explained how they got in touch with a local restaurant and had a fundraising night there, with a certain percent of the money going towards their school. As everyone talked about how they were raising the money, the small group that met at Telge Park got more and more excited about the upcoming event. After our talk about the biggest Key Club event of the year, we moved on to something that less people had heard or knew about: Key Leader. As Gabi introduced out guest speaker, Alyson White, I couldn’t help but feel a little
left out of the loop. “Am I the only one here that doesn’t know what she’s talking about?” I thought nervously to myself. But my fears were quickly vanished after Alyson asked how many people knew what Key Leader was and only a few people raised their hands. The rest of us gratefully listened as Alyson explained that Key Leader was a unique leadership camp, limited to not just Key Clubbers, that was open to anyone that was interested. At Key Leader, students learned how to lead from other students and then had to apply what they learned in activities like ROPES courses. After the compulsory introduction, Alyson started us off by giving us an activity. In small groups of 3 to 4 people, we were instructed to draw what we thought a Key Leader looked like. But alas, like any other challenge, there was a catch that struck terror into our hearts: we had to work with people we didn’t know. As we meekly got together with two or three strangers, we grabbed paper and pencils and made ourselves comfortable on picnic tables. Luckily for me, one of the girls in my group was an artist, so as the rest of us described to her what to draw on our person (a watch to show punctuality, big ears to show that a leader listens to others). She swiftly put our ideas on paper with only the Sharpie and blue and yellow markers we were given. After
Key Clubbers share their own versions of Key Leaders with masterpieces made with Sharpies and markers.
everyone finished drawing, Alyson told us of another hurdle that we had to cross: we had to present our Key Leaders to the group. One by one, groups went up and explained why they drew their Key Leader the way they did. After all groups
had gone up and made fun of their own drawings, we concluded our PCM with a video of the activities that transpired at the most recent Key Leader camp and then a heart-pumping version of tag. Needless to say, it was a very productive meeting!
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Serve yourself while serving others Both sides of volunteering feel the effects of the actions. Volunteering is what makes a community because it brings people together to work toward a common goal, and this unity is especially seen during the holiday season when almost everyone is looking for a helping hand. When a person donates a handful of their time, the difference made is tremendous, and it shapes a community for the better. During this year’s festive time, I was fortunate enough to donate my time in helping out at the Christ United Church. As many people know, the months of October through December can be quite hectic with all of the festivities, which bring food, church events and, of course, volunteers. This October, Christ United needed volunteers to help set up and
organize their fall festival. With high spirits, I, along with many other Key Clubbers, began our mission to help set up the festival by constructing canopies outside. Despite the heat beating down on us, the motivation to help the church out made the task rewarding. Through teamwork, we worked through the challenge of constructing six canopies. Although the process was long and tiring, each volunteer stepped up to the plate and worked hard to get the job done. After each tent was set up, we continued to showcase our diligence by carrying wooden tables to their designated spots. With the help of adults, we quickly finished our task. By the end of it, the parking lot was transformed into a shaded area where people could sit down and enjoy their food and the festival activities. The entire experience was very rewarding, and the person in charge was very thankful
for our services. The smiles and thankful faces that surrounded us made everything worth it. It made me feel like I was a part of something bigger. I wasn’t just part of a club at school. No; I was a part of the community, and I’m glad Key Club was the foundation for my participation in the community that surrounds us. All in all, high schoolers should realize that volunteering is more than just an activity that can help you get your hours done. It is something that brings hope and happiness to people, and it also leads to spiritual and personal growth. It gives you the satisfaction of playing a role in someone else’s life, and it is a way of giving back to your community. Volunteering is a chain reaction in which everyone gets to share the happiness. It is a step closer to a better community, one unselfish act at a time. It is simply an experience that cannot be bought with any amount of money.
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DCON 2013: a weekend of fun All the makings of a spectacular service-oriented convention It has already been a year since DCON last year in April. I am very excited by the prospect of attending DCON this year. This weekend is sure to be a blast similar, if not greater than, last year. What I really hope to experience are brand new and creative projects brought forward by all the Key Clubs within the TexasOklahoma District. Other than the projects, I look forward to attending the different forums, special events like the Opening Session, Leadership Luncheon and the Awards Banquet that are presented by the District Board, special guests and fellow TexasOklahoma clubs. Finally, I am most excited about seeing the different candidates running for District Office, as they are the most vital
part of making the TexasOklahoma District the best it can be. The memories of last year’s DCON remain fresh on my mind, starting with the service projects that lasted throughout the first day. I look forward to witnessing all of the great displays of various service projects done by many clubs. I recall the different projects most of the club had displayed and the time that I was sent to jail three times in a row. Really, that was a bit overkill, but all the money paid to leave was going to the ELIMINATE Project. There was also a game of Twister available on the floor, as well as a chance for you to get married with another Key Clubber. One of the forums the next day provided detailed information about what you could do with your club to help support the ELIMINATE Project as well as background information about the project to those who had never heard of it before. Finally, there
was the Secretary’s forum, which provided a useful fountain of information for new secretaries as well as refreshers for the old. Although the forums were wonderfully informative, I wasn’t too focused on them because the very next day, I would be officially campaigning in front of each division for the position of District Secretary. Running for the position of District Secretary or any District Staff position is a nerve-racking experience. You don’t know many of the people in the other clubs, and you will be putting your ideas out in front of everyone to listen and judge. Multiply that feeling eight times, and you can get a bearing of what it was like going through each room during the caucuses. After the caucuses, we had the Leadership Luncheon where we witnessed some of the awards being given out and watched the showdown between Texas and Oklahoma through the annual Quiz Bowl. Once the
DCON2013RECAP [CYPRESS WOODS HIGH SCHOOL [ 9TH PLACE OVERALL BEST T-SHIRT AWARD FOR DIGITAL POSTER BEST NEWSLETTER [NOMINATED]
luncheon was finished, the final leg of the caucuses was around the corner through the House of Delegates. Once I had finished speaking at the House of Delegates, it was a relaxing afternoon until the awards ceremony later that night. After the awards ceremony, the Governor’s Ball became the time to relax and let loose. DCON came to an end with the Farewell Breakfast in the morning. The scholarship winners were announced to the crowd and, finally, the winners of each position on the District Staff. While I didn’t win the position of District Secretary, I learned more about myself than I ever thought possible. These experiences became a part of the new me, and it made this DCON one of the best that I had ever attended. I hope the one in a few months will be just as great as it will be the last DCON I will attend as a Key Clubber at Cy Woods High School.
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Creating convention memories Reminiscing on last year’s DCON with high hopes for April Almost a year has passed since I attended my first ever DCON. I was only a Junior Representative, but I had recently been elected Editor of my home club. I went into the weekend full of optimism; I had heard nothing but positive feedback about past years, so I couldn’t wait to finally experience it all for myself while continuing to prepare for my upcoming officer position. To say the least, my expectations were only exceeded during the convention. I attended many forums to learn about the requirements of a club editor, and I left with a solid grasp on what my responsibilities
Senior representatives Drew Dockery and Sean Sellers locked up in Key Club jail
Cy Woods officers and representatives show off their trophies on stage after the awards ceremony of DCON 2013
were to be for the upcoming year. The Immediate-Past District Editor Grace Liu was immensely helpful in giving us tips on organizing the articles, which programs to use to construct newsletters, and general advice about how to get the job done in a timely manner. All of this, along with the rest of the excited atmosphere filling the Sheraton Hotel, resulted in my sheer eagerness to begin working that very day. My enthusiasm was only encouraged by the various awards that were given out during the weekend. My home club was awarded Best T-Shirt Design and was named the number nine club in the Texas-Oklahoma District. This was a bit of a regression from the previous year, but in all honesty, the officer and representative team expected a much lower finish, so it was a pleasant surprise and a great way to finish off our last night at DCON. The Governor’s Ball after the award ceremony was a fun way to unwind with friends old and new and reflect upon the weekend; I really appreciated being able to spend time with some of the new district officers and other Key Clubbers whom I had not even met yet. The Farewell Breakfast the next morning left me with a very sentimental feeling. When I saw the district officers stand to allow the
just-elected officers to take their places, I could sense what an emotional action this was, even only having been a significant member of Key Club for one year. This is an organization into which students pour their hearts and souls; the Texas-Oklahoma District could not thrive if not for the tireless and passionate work of our District Governor, Treasurer, Editor, and Secretary. I thought about what the Farewell Breakfast would feel like a year from then, when I would be finishing my term as Editor and graduating high school in under two months. I could already tell that it would be an emotional experience. Now, that time has almost come. DCON is almost upon us, and I possess a strange combination of emotions. Obviously, I am excited. I made so many friends and learned so many things last year, so I cannot wait to experience that again. However, I am also reluctant. On the morning of Sunday, April 27, 2014, my official time as a Key Club officer will come to an end as the new District Officers and club presidents are sworn in. I know it is just about time to move on to another chapter of my life, but I still acknowledge the fact that my experiences in Key Club have been some of the best in my life.
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Countdown to DCON
Anticipation is brewing inside Key Clubbers across the District Key Club District Convention, popularly known as DCON, is the premiere annual highlight for any Key Clubber. The uncontrollable exuberance of members and officers from around the district, the conclusion of a year of service and the thrill of discovering how you rank amongst your peers in service and dance competitions culminate to form an unforgettable and thrilling weekend for anyone and everyone. DCON 2013 was phenomenal. Needless to say, ImmediatePast Convention Liaison Roshni Chandwani, along with her Kiwanian administrators, was able to beautifully blend the essence of service with the excitement of fright to create an unforgettable extravaganza. As Key Clubbers arrived Thursday afternoon, they were given the opportunity to participate in a plethora of welcoming activities. From getting Key-Clubmarried to taking pictures in a photo booth and getting fortunes told by part-time psychic Kevin Duong, Key Clubbers had plenty of opportunities to make new friends and see the tone that would underlie the entire weekend. On Friday, Key Clubbers were given the opportunity to attend a range of forums presented by Lieutenant Governors from across the district while anticipating the opening session that would follow that night. That evening, members got their first
glimpse at the exquisitely detailed haunted house graced the stage that brought the convention theme to life. An interwoven story line of an elderly housekeeper’s anticipation for her master’s arrival kept the audience on its feet. Furthermore, Key Clubbers and Kiwanians felt a wave of nostalgia as Keynote Speaker Rhett Laubach went through the playlists of their lives. Friday’s glitz and glamor came with the seriousness of Saturday morning’s caucuses. As candidates delivered the first of many speeches and made their first impressions, Key Clubbers from across the district voiced their opinion on who they believed should stand as the leaders of the 2013-2014 District Board. After the pool of candidates was narrowed down to two for every position, Key Clubbers had the opportunity to witness the Texas team sweep the Quiz Bowl and take back the 1st place title from Team Oklahoma at the Annual Leadership Luncheon. As select members made their ways to the House of Delegates, many members enjoyed a two-hour grace period of free time. That evening, Key Clubbers enjoyed a night of awards, talent, and amazing food as they awaited to see how they ranked up amongst other clubs in the T-O district. After taking home accolades in T-Shirt Design and ranking up a 9th place finish overall, it was time for the Cy Woods Key Club to celebrate at the Governor’s Ball. The next morning, Key Clubbers were introduced to the 2013-2014 District Board and were given the opportunity to bid their final farewells till next year. Needless to say, DCON 2013 was an
action-packed experience. I emerged with a plethora of ideas for service projects, an ensemble of Facebook friends, and a rekindled love for service. Every year, Key Clubbers from around the T-O District flock to Dallas, Texas, in order to celebrate the one thing that binds us together: a passion for service. DCON allows volunteers to celebrate their year-round accomplishments, meet new friends, and emerge with a new love for our community and for that reason we, as Key Clubbers, can only wait and anticipate the excitement that will unfold at DCON 2014!
Seniors Drishti Wadhwa and Dang Dinh at DCON 2013, at which they both ran for District Staff positions.
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Getting hooked on service Get a sneak peek of this year’s convention It’s coming close to that time of year again. The 65th Annual T-O District Convention is this April. At DCON, there are many activities to do. It’s a very lively and enjoyable weekend full of leadership development workshops, Awards Banquet, a variety of competitions, and more. DCON leaves an impact on you by meeting new friends, the numerous awards and competitions, the keynote speaker at the Opening Session, the district staff elections, teaching you more about Key Club, and how to become successful officers. This year’s DCON theme is getting hooked on service with Peter Pan. With this theme, you can choose to be on Team Hook or Team Pan. You will surely meet a lot of other Key Clubbers. There will be costume
contests and team competitions for everyone to participate in. At DCON, you will attend various forums and do activities where you will be involved with other Key Clubbers. Everyone who attends makes new friends, and it will be a fun time of adventure and unity. At DCON, there are over 75 trophies, plaques, and other awards to give to various clubs. One of the most desirable awards is the Top 25 ranking of our clubs. Every year, awards go out to the top ranking clubs, and Cy Woods has been at the top. Last year, Cy Woods won the best Key Club T-Shirt design. The Annual Video Game Contest and Annual Convention Theme Contest are two exciting competitions that are taking place this year. For the video game contest, people will be competing in Mario Kart on the Wii, and the theme contest is awarded to the best built pirate ship. Other than awards and contests, there are many other fun activities to do at DCON. This year, at the Opening
Session, we have Kevin Wanzer as the keynote speaker. He is coming to give his “once in a laughtime” message. He has traveled to nearly 50 states and other areas including China, Europe, Canada, and Singapore where he has impacted with his powerful and influential speech. With his sense of humor, Wanzer expresses his feelings on overcoming obstacles. His keynotes spread an unforgettable mindset that allows you to maintain a positive environment. With his wisdom, he shares essential and beneficial messages around the world. Also, your attendance to DCON is very important. You will be able to cast a vote on next year’s District Staff members: Governor, Secretary, and Treasurer. District Staff Elections are important because you determine who’s qualified for the position to become a leader of Texas-Oklahoma. DCON teaches you how to be more active in your organization as a fellow Key Clubber. It provides information on becoming a productive leader, and how to help your society and community. Once your weekend is over, you will feel like a new person with new determined goals.
DCON2014 [APRIL 24 - 27[ The Sheraton Dallas, Texas
TEAM HOOK vs. TEAM PAN Cy Woods officers and representatives hang out at the Sheraton Hotel at DCON.
WHICH TEAM ARE YOU ON?
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Let’s get social.
How to plan the perfect get-together for your club C l u b socials are very i m p o r t a nt to how smoothly a club runs. Members do not find merely working appealing. The more fun activities you plan, the more involved people will be. So here are a few ways on how to plan a fun and successful Key Club social. One of the things you might and should take into consideration is how to keep the members of the club engaged and entertained thorough out the social. Let us say, for example, that you are planning an ice cream social; you do not just want small groups of people strung out in their own worlds not caring about each other. You
want to enthrall them with activities and games so that everyone mixes and has a chance to meet each other. That is precisely the whole point of the social in the first place—for everyone to get to know each other. A great suggestion for an activity (space providing ) is to play a game of Dodge Ball or something along those lines with teams to encourage team work and communication. Another thing you might take in to consideration is food. It is more than a fact that as humans we love food, and free food just makes things even better. Just like the ice cream social idea, food seems to attract people to events. For an example, you could plan a social completely around lunch and the officers could make hamburgers for everyone. Of course, during this social you will also want to include
activities while the food is being cooked or prepared and after everyone is done eating. Another tip to consider is a theme. If you pick a theme, it makes it easier to plan what happens during the event. Say the theme a club is going to use is a Christmas party. With this theme you can consider the food and the activities for the event which in turn narrows down the planning process making things a lot easier. As an
example for a Christmas party, one would plan on bringing Christmas cookies or Christmas-themed candies. For activities, the planner could organize a gift exchange or play a game like Charades. To recap, the three tips to remember are entertainment, food and a theme. With these tips and brilliant ideas a club can organize a great social event all can enjoy. Now all is needed is for you to take the ideas into practice.
(below) Key Clubbers at the annual lock-in in December 2013
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Contact Information
CY WOODS KEY CLUB // OFFICERS
President Bryan Veit bryveit1995@gmail.com Vice President Natasha Solanki natasha.solanki@hotmail.com Senior Secretary Dang Dinh dang.qdinh@gmail.com Editor Nikki Carter ncarter37@sbcglobal.net Treasurer Kelli Brusen kcb400@sbcglobal.net Representative Coordinator Gaurav Lalsinghani gaunir@yahoo.com Webmaster Nicholas Nguyen nick.erik2010@yahoo.com K-Family Board Derielle Keiser derielle.keiser@yahoo.com Drishti Wadhwa drishtiw@yahoo.com Kelsey Foulds kelseyfoulds@entouch.net Madelin Cowden madelin11@live.com Ryan Lucker rjlucker@yahoo.com Sponsor John Kent john.kent@cfisd.net
281-757-7061 281-904-7873 281-723-5695 713-855-1645 832-573-0187 281-796-7349 281-849-4885 281-889-0885 713-614-2052 281-253-8280 281-210-6465 832-334-1033
DIVISION 3N // LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Gabi Bradshaw Cypress Falls gabibradshaw3nltg@gmail.com
832-341-6930
TEXAS-OKLAHOMA // DISTRICT STAFF Governor Luke Broussard governor@tokeyclub.com Secretary Usman Hyder secretary@tokeyclub.com Treasurer Isaiah Vallequinones treasurer@tokeyclub.com Editor Tashrima Hossain editor@tokeyclub.com Convention Liason Grace Liu conventionliason@tokeyclub.com
325-998-1384 817-715-5111 580-458-1432 713-505-2252 817-962-8945
KEY FACTS
CY WOODS KEY CLUB // MARCH 2014 Newsletter compiled and designed by Nikki Carter
tokeyclub.com