FEBRUARY 2015
POTTER’S PAPERS Garland High School Division 2C Key Club
Volume 1 Issue 11
Caring—Our Way of Life Leadership, Character Building, Caring, and Inclusiveness
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” -Mandy Hale
EDITOR’S NOTE
CONTENTS Upcoming Events
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Letter from the LTG
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President’s Corner
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Stories
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Hi Key Clubbers! This has certainly been a hectic month; a flurry of snow days (ha) postponing board member elections twice, some unintended drama between the officers… Needless to say, it’s great to have another month to start fresh.
= We are getting closer and closer to DCON! I hope that all of you who plan on attending are excited; I know I am, even though it’s going to be my first time. There are plenty of contests to enter, for both outstanding officer recognition as well as various fun ones, such as Mario Kart, Talent Show, and so much more! If you’d like a list of that, please contact one of the officers so that we can set you up with that. After this newsletter, I’ll only have one remaining newsletter to create, and then I will step down from my position as the Club Editor. This is incredibly bittersweet for me, as, while I’ll be relieved to be free of this monthly stress period, I will miss the enhanced creativity and love of service that the 20+ pages of Key Club a month provided me. Even though no one is currently running for Editor, I truly do hope that the next one will take this position seriously and do much better than I have been able to in the past year. Thank you for all of the support and articles! Everything that is done to help the club is greatly appreciated. Yours in service, Linh Nguyen
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Fundraising Ideas
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Memories & Service
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The Grande Scheme
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CMN Miracles
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DCON Information
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DCON 2014 Recap
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Our Club Board
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T-O District Staff
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COVER PHOTO: Ashley Tsao QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?: Co n tac t me by e ma il in g lin h n gu yen3412@gmail.com or message me at https:// www.facebook.com/linh.nguyen.3241 for a more timely response.
SATURDAY07MARCH
OFFICER ELECTIONS WEDNESDAY25MARCH
KID’S FEST in DOWNTOWN SATURDAY28MARCH
FIREFLY RUN in PLANO SATURDAY28MARCH
UPCOMING EVENTS
DIVISIONAL BARBEQUE
13-... 3-... 3 3_
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To learn more about suicide in teens and adults, go to www.save.org.
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PRESIDENT Hey GHS Key Clubbers! I hope you’ve had a great February filled with lots of love and service! We were able to accomplish some great things this month, and I’m so excited for March as well! I particularly enjoyed the book donation drive for Better World Books because they used your books to either promote global literacy or use the money to fund the program. How commendable! Over the course of this last bi-month, we were able to raise a lot of money for DCON, so thank you to everyone for your participation! We are currently trying to plan an ultimate Frisbee tournament, so stayed tuned and spread the word in the meantime! For those of your who are going to DCON, be sure to look at my powerpoint talking about dates when money is due and the next DCON meeting! We have a lot to discuss, but all of it is so we can the most amount of fun during DCON! We are also fundraising for the club as well because we really want to have a ceremony for you all this year and the exclusive party for whoever wins the House Cup. Keep being active in Key Club and your committee just might win! Election time is finally here! Though this is bittersweet for me, I wish all of the new board good luck in advance! If you have any questions on your role in the club or how to write your speech be sure to contact me, or the current officer in your position. Even if you do not win, please keep staying heavily involved in Key Club throughout the year and you can always have a very active role without being on the board. You can also take responsibility of some bigger projects that require more than just the board’s help. Seniors! Be sure to get your hours this last stretch so you can earn your medal. The goal is 50 hours by the end of April! I know that it’s easy to neglect Key Club in the short term, but remember your medal is the long term goal and reflects years of hard work and dedication to service your home, school and community. We have a couple of upcoming events that involve children and I’m really excited about Kid’s Fest especially this year! We’ll be working the photo booth and the informational booth as well, so please bring your smiles and happy faces if you are going to help! I only have a little more than one month left with your guys! (*le cries*) I hope you have enjoyed this year with me as much as I have with you guys! Though our time together is very limited, I will try my best to make sure this is the best time we have had all year long. Thanks so much for all of your involvement so far, and let’s make this last stretch count. Love you guys! Yours in service, Theo Winter
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T’S CORNER Hello all! I would like to formally offer my apology for what has been happening for the past term between board themselves and between the board and members. I have sincerely tried to make Key Club a better organization this year, and if anything, my fervor to make our club legitimate may have lead to adverse effects. I fear my drive has been interpreted as an overwhelming demand from members. For this I cannot apologize enough. Please do not fret! We will finish out this term extremely strong and we hope to retain your faith as a club. With the snow days and the idea of summer quickly easing itself into our minds, it is incredibly easy to drop all thoughts of anything related to school, but I urge all members not to! The spring contains some of the most fun volunteer events because the weather is warming up (cough cough Firefly run). As for my agenda for the last remaining months of my term I intend to continue to aid Lexie in her service project pursuits as well as Shirley in her efforts to fundraise for the club itself and DCON. Your help in both of these endeavors is greatly appreciated. Lastly, I would like to say that if any aspects of Key Club are currently ailing you please let me know and I will work to fix these issues right away. Thank you for continuing to let me serve you. Signing off, Ashley Tsao
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Community Service is SNOW JOKE!!!
The drop of water sat patiently on the cold blade of grass, awaiting its inevitable faith. Slowly but surely, the sun collected what was rightfully his. The little drop dispersed into tiny glass particles and floated all the way up, miles above where it started. There it waited amongst its friends, waiting to fall back to the earth again. The time was right. The drop began its descent down as it had done thousands of times before. However, something felt off this time. Time appeared to slow down and the drop didn’t seem to fall as predictably as it normally did. It drifted down slowly to the ground and noticed that all of its friends were doing the same. That’s when the little drop of water realized: It became a snowflake! The little snowflake finally landed on the now snow covered grass. Never had that former little drop of water seen such a thing as beautiful. Throughout its entire life, it was so used to just falling down as rain and evaporating again. It was excited to be a part of something different. The little snowflake joined all the other snowflakes and became part of a greater good. An entire layer of snow blanketed the entire ground. The
children all gathered outside and cheered, laughing as they threw snowballs, built snowmen, and made snow angels. That one little snowflake that started as a drop of water was no more; instead it had combined with all the other snowflakes and together formed something bigger. Community service in a way is just like snow. Every person is a unique snowflake who started out as something even smaller – a water droplet. While an individual snowflake is pretty on its own, nothing compares to the beauty when they all combine and cover the ground with snow, bringing joy and happiness to all that is around them. And when its time, the snow does not cease to exist. Instead, it melts again into water; ready to evaporate and either begin a new life or repeat the cycle over again. In the same manner, one can never truly be done serving their community. Serving the community is like a cycle that benefits everybody. Once one person decides they are done with serving something in particular, they can move on to serve something new while another person takes their old spot. The versatility and the combined efforts of people is what makes community service so beautiful. -Tam Nguyen
THE LONELY POTATO
SIMON THE BOY
Once upon a time‌ There was a confused potato. This potato was always put down deeper into the dirt. He felt uncomfortable and squished all the time as if people trod on top of him all the time. He did not understand why he had to experience this every single morning. He just stayed in the dirt like any other potato, laying there and taking every downgrading step delivered by these strangers. This potato still grew, regardless of the pressure he feels from the surface everyday. This progress surprised him, immensely. It would honestly surprise anyone in his position. Every one of those potatoes had to deal with what he was dealing with, but in different ways. No pressure set on them was exactly equal to the other potatoes. Some areas were more comfortable than others, but they all had to experience the unexpected steps. And some days several waterfalls of water from above the surface would surprise them and succeeded to make them just feel uncomfortable. The potatoes still grew though, no matter the struggles they had to endure. Everyday without fail the potato would grow, even just a little bit. Through the cold, the dark, the drenched, the potato grew. Then one day, there was a shake in the potato’s entire life. His home began to rock and then he began to rumble. Slowly the shaking got more violent. So violent and insane that he was lifted out. The potato saw something he would have never expected; a bright light and warmth. For the first time in his life, he was out of his black, dirt hole. Holding him was a large farmer with blue skin and a yellow hat. The potato did not know beauty until he saw this. Finally, he was out of the mud and dirt and darkness. Finally, the potato was freed.
In a not so far off land, lived a boy named Simon. Simon was your simple middle classed middle schooler. He was in 8th grade to be exact. Although his family can be considered active in his town, Simon just saw this work as tedious charity work for perfect strangers. He knew that if he helped out in his community, he would look very good on colleges when the time was right...so he went on. Day after day, helping his community, getting the happy smiles from those old people that appreciate everything, but he didn't truly want to be there. His body was there but his heart wasn't. That was until one day, while walking to the library to read to kids, Simon collapsed on the floor. Luckily, someone witnessed this and called 9-1-1. He was rushed to the closest hospital and was examined right away. Simon drearily woke up to the beeping of the heart monitor and the heavy atmosphere created by his family in the room. Confused and scared he questioned "Is this a hospital? Why am I here? What happened?", somehow all of his family member's faces were able to drop even more and make the room heavier than an elephant. Simon was informed that he is diagnosed with cancer. No one knew how it came to be...it wasn't genetic...but it was still there. It was still running through his veins, mocking him, killing him softly. After a week of learning up on what is in him, he accepted the treatments and chemotherapy that was offered to treat the cancer. This six month process of radiation and therapies extended into nine months, then eighteen months, and all the way up till twenty-four months: two years. Will the power of luck and something else, Simon was able to survive cancer and go back to his normal life. What was a normal life? A lot can change in two years, and surely a lot did. He was able to move up to high school and graduate middle school by wasting a summer of playing speed catch up, but all of that were the educational lessons.
Everyone has their own burdens to carry, their own baggage to lug. There are absolutely no exceptions. That is just how life is. Sometimes things just look like it is only going down, but it is important to remember that there is still hope. Patience is key. And no matter what, you will always grow after surviving another day through the hardship. The current Key Club LTG of my region has been promoting a service project to dedicate to suicide awareness. Most people that I have known has seen suicide used as an exit when life is beating you down too hard, for what seems like no reason. I just hope that if anything I could do while serving this organization, it is to remind someone, or many someones, that they are not alone and that they can get through this life and one day see the light. -Raquel Palma
Simon missed two years of social lessons and everything in between. All he knew was that he needs to join a club to get friends and he knew exactly which club. Of course he still wants something familiar-not too new to him- and this club he found seemed to be of familiar things...and full of friendly people. Key Club is what he wrote for his after school club. He already helps the community, so what difference would it make if you add a title? Surprisingly, a whole lot would change. Simon stumbled upon kids his age who are dedicated and genuinely love to help the community. They taught him many things: how to break the ice, how to truly love volunteering, and how to be a true Key Clubber. Cancer might've made two years of his life a deep dark pit of despair, but he was able to find the light in the tunnel that'll be his ladder out of the pit: Key Club. -Sabrina Palma
FUNdraising Id
. . . AS WELL AS OTHER ORGANIZATIO
Dollars for DCON The convention of all conventions is coming up everyone! DCON is in the midst, and it’s only a matter of time before the might T-O District family is under one roof and celebrating another year of service again. Although this event is always a great experience, much work is needed to raise money so that everyone who wants to go can attend. Here are some tips on how to maximize money though easy fundraiser and advertisements. Make creative Advertisements: Have your officers or other dedicated members make creative advertisements for all events. Having a wide variety will capture the attention of people and get them excited for any upcoming events. Be sure to advertise for events a minimum of two weeks prior to events and have multiple people post about events on different days. Putting up flyers around school, along with posting on social media and video announcements are all great ways to advertise. Fundraising night at a local restaurant: Many restaurants are always willing to donate a portion of their profit to people in need. Be aware that some restaurants give 10% while others may give 50%. Take things into account like the average price of a meal, popularity of the restaurant and the best day to conduct the fundraiser within the days given toy you. It’s best to ask a number of restaurants months ahead and plan them throughout the year. Movie Night: Have everyone snuggle up and watch a popular movie! Be sure to check out if you have the legal rights to show the movie first before you have the fundraiser! You can presell tickets and increase cost of attendance at the door in order to encourage people to come! A good way to make some extra cash is to presell money with food included or have concessions at the actual event. Sports Tournament: Tournaments are always a big fundraiser that rakes in a lot of money! Pick sports that everyone can participate in like Ultimate Frisbee or Dodge Ball in order to attract as many people as possible. The best way to sign up teams is by giving them an envelope with their team name on it and a set of rules for each player so there are no issues on the day of the tournament about rules. Encourage teams to sign up quickly and on time so you can make brackets for a tournament increasing the cost of signing up by a certain date near the day of the tournament. Teams can turn their money in together and also know what the rules are before attending the event. Try and have basic medical aid there and wither ask the HOSA club if some members can be on stand by or ask for someone with basic medical care to supervise the event. All of these fundraisers can be done throughout the year on multiple occasions! With the proper planning ahead of time, you can definitely raise enough money to be able to part with the rest of T-O in April. See you at DCON! -Theodora Winter
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deas for DCON
ONS SUCH AS ELIMINATE AND CMN
Am I Making CENTS? DCON is coming soon, only a little more than a month away! A great experience for Key Clubbers as members meet new people, interact with fellow peers, engage in fun, competitive activities, and unite for a few days of fun and service. DCON is one of our Key Club’s top priority, all the fundraisers throughout the year were focused on raising money for the Convention and ELIMINATE; in addition, the money collected is to offer a chance to financially aid the actively involved members that would like to attend. The goals of our fundraisers are [cue Price tag] It's all about the money money money, We just need your money money money, We just wanna make the world dance, in other words, the purpose is to collect as much profit as possible to be able to reach our ELIMINATE goal of $1000, to have money for DCON expenses and to have upcoming socials. Rather than planning fundraisers that solely focus on bringing in the most profit; we try to make it as fun and engaging as possible for the members. Sure, money is our goal, but having fun is what makes the experiences memorable! 1. Don’t be afraid to approach your family members and friends. Ask for their contribution while making sure that your determination is clearly shown to let them know that DCON is a great learning experience with many benefits that can be attained. 2. Home-made goods (yum) If you’re artistic, sell your art, such as a painting, at a reasonable price and ask for donations too. If you bake, bake treats to sell! Or maybe do the traditional moneymaking activity…a lemonade stand (maybe hot chocolate since it’s cold)! 3. Are you a great Key Clubber? Apply for our Key Club financial aid for DCON! If you have been completing your hours, actively participating in fundraisers and events, then you are eligible for this great opportunity. There’s a misconception that some people believe when it comes to fundraising: it requires no investment, takes only a few minutes to set up, and can deliver instant results… This is a MISCONCEPTION. In order for fundraisers to be successful, time needs to be invested in order for the fundraisers to be organized and professional; therefore, this makes the contributors and members know that they are contributing to something with value, a global issue or an organization. Fundraising can be fun, it shouldn’t be exhausting. There are many creative projects to execute and plan; moreover, fundraisers are a way for members to unite for a single cause while having fun and being actively-involved. “A little money well spent can achieve a lot more than we had imagined, especially if it helps us to learn and develop ourselves.” -Shirley Banh
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Did you guys have a lot of fun at the first ever dodge ball tournament hosted by Key Club in January? A lot of people did! However, for those of you who didn’t, make sure to fill out the poll concerning your opinion about the event! At the event, there were multiple teams (of six to ten people) that battled it out from 4 to 8 in GHS’ gym in an attempt to win the grand prize, a $70 gift card to Chipotle! Although only one team got to win the gift card, everyone was a winner because all participants (even spectators) got hours for “serving” dodge balls (rim shot hehe). In addition to being fun as well as an hour opportunity, the 10% of the proceeds that were raised (more than $200!) went to the ELIMINATE project! (For those of you who may have forgotten, the ELIMINATE project is Kiwanis International’s goal to raise $10 million to provide vaccinations for neonatal and maternal tetanus and to eliminate the deadly disease. The leftover funds from the event went to Key Club’s treasury to fund our club as well as some of the costs of DCON (a very very very fun district convention during which members and advisors from all over Texas and Oklahoma get to come together to meet and compete (like in last year’s intense quiz bowl) at the hotel where the convention is held). Seeing how most of the attendees of the dodge ball tournament felt that the event was a lot of fun, do y’all want to have another tournament (a FRISBEE tournament)?! Key Club had two Frisbee tournaments last year, and the people who attended thought the event was a great opportunity to get hours as well as to have fun with their teammates and friends. Hopefully we can squeeze in a tournament before the end of March. The cost per person will most likely be $5 and the teams will be similar if not the same. More information will be given during a general meeting (hopefully) sometime soon. I went to both tournaments, and I can truthfully say that both were awesome! It’s also another opportunity for everyone to get his or her face in the scrapbook this year! (The scrapbook that will then be presented at DCON for all the attendees to view.) -Tiffany Yang
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giving back to the community Whenever you hear service what do you think about, for me I think about many things such as Key Club. Many people think that Key Club is an organization that will make their college application shine; well sure it does bring attention to the college application reader, but that’s not the only reason you should join Key Club. It is about serving your community to make it better. “Caring–Our Way of Life” The Key Club Motto. We have service projects and events that help our community or other countries. My favorite service event was probably Color Up. What was the Color Up? It was a run to help charities; we got to throw color at the runners, hand out water, or cheer on for them. The organization of the event thought even though it was important to make people smile by throwing color at them, it was also important to give back to the community. They did so by giving back to other charities. Why is it so important to me? Well to start off this was actually my first event I went to with Key Club, and let me tell you I had so much fun that it made me want to go to other events. Also, it helped me make new friends and teach me the importance of service. It helped me realize that service is when you give back to your community not through receiving something back (that is tangible), but through caring and doing it for a good deed. Many people start off joining Key Club because it makes their college application look pretty, but once they go to an event or help out with a project they realize that it’s not about making their college application look nice or to receive something tangible, but to feel compassion by helping their community. Also, it never hurts to help others in your community or around the world! Now that you know my thoughts on service, what does service mean to you? -Shamira Kabir
COMPASSION TO ACTION Community Service is important for many reasons. Taking part and volunteering teaches compassion and understanding. One of the best things about community service is that there are opportunities and choices right in your very neighborhood. You can volunteer for something you really believe and have an interest in, and can volunteer as much or as little as you'd like or have time for. Volunteering provides valuable community services so more money can be spent on local improvements. Volunteers even discover hidden talents that may change your view on your self worth. Volunteers gain knowledge of local resources available to solve community needs. Community service and volunteerism are an investment in our community and the people who live in it. You get a chance to give back. You make a difference in the world. As a volunteer you assist in uniting people from diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal. As well as learning how to work as a team and cooperating. Doing service for a community shows that you care for the community and would like to help it improve. So many people out there need one’s help.
When you help out, not only are you helping out your community but yourself as well. Meaning that, you as yourself grow through the experiences you go through and the new people you meet. Don’t be scared to go out and help. Just go. Help out any day and anytime. If you don’t have something to do, volunteer, everyone appreciates when a person takes his or her time to help out a community or someone else. Honestly service is so beneficial in many different ways. Fundamentally, volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely to those in need of your help. Unlike many things in life there is choice involved in volunteering. As a volunteer you have made a decision to help on your own accord, free from pressure to act from others. Volunteers express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. Sometimes volunteers are seemed as good people and those that hold that view also assume that one person can never make a difference. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better. -Jackie Sandoval
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In the Grande Scheme of Things
Service projects have and will be the most enduring legacy of Key Club. To me, service projects are something akin to tiny, personal gift bags that you can give to anyone of your choice. You choose the recipient, make a game plan, get the ingredients, dress up the final product, and then deliver it with a smile and goodwill. You can choose anyone on the earth to help in any way that is needed. There are endless possibilities and there are an infinite number of people willing to help if only they were asked. It is the ultimate form of creativity and leadership within volunteer organizations. Often, their importance is undermined, but I would personally like to dispute this thought. First and foremost they act to raise awareness for issues that are too often taken for granted. Last year I headed the Trevor Project anti-bullying campaign to raise donations in support of the LGBT community. It was my first big service project; similarly, it was also the first, and albeit last, time that I personally ordered around 300 cupcakes and transported them very precariously in my car to school. And this campaign was ultimately so successful because students actually listened to the cause Key Club was supported. Now, whether they were entranced by the sweet scent of frosting or altruism is debatable, but the point still stands.
it’s safe to say that I will definitely not be touching tissue or construction paper for a couple of years, our efforts filled three large cardboard boxes, evidence of our work. Especially at a time when volunteers may not see the point to their actions, service projects can swoop in and save the day. And let me just say that the hours of labor that we put in making packages or blankets may seem mundane, but they can mean the world to someone else. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not painting Key Club International as the savior of the world, but I would keep my stance in saying that we help do something. And in a world full of bad and worse than bad things, we can try to alleviate the struggles of others. Our last main service project for this board’s term is making blankets for an orphanage in Honduras. Our service head will be travelling to the country to deliver the items and show them pictures of the volunteers so that the kids can see the faces of volunteers that recognize them. That in the scheme of a world that seems to conspire against them this one group. This one organization called Key Club is trying to push back the tide of negativity in their life, even a tiny bit at a time. And at least for me, that’s enough.
-Ashley Tsao
Oftentimes volunteering may seem fruitless because there are no tangible results. By breaking up normal volunteer activities with service projects members are able to see the effects of volunteering. This year Key Club went all out creative by making birthday packages and busy books for Children’s Miracle Network. We made over 50 tissue paper pom poms, hundreds of busy books, and countless birthday banners. While
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Making Miracles with CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK Throughout the whole year, Garland High School Key Club participated in a number of new service projects, but one sticks out to me over all others- our Children’s Miracle Network service project. It’s actually a combination of service projects because only doing on thing for these kids was way too hard to choose from! After attending the STC May of last year, governor Kaitlyn Wilson gave us the idea to make door hangers for CMN, so that was our first part of the governor’s project. I particularly had fun watching people stress over making them perfect like they had just woken up and have 2 hours to finish a major project. Such dedication shows just how much our Key Clubbers care about the lives they are trying to benefit. The next installment of our project was making bracelets for the kids as well. People had all kinds of concerns about if the sizing would be right for the different age groups, so we made a bunch of different sizes to fit the wrists of many children. It seemed like the project would not end well for a little bit, but when we collected everyone’s bracelets we made over 50 bracelets for this kids! In the end, everything turned out well and we could add another gift to the Dallas Chapter of CMN. The next part of our service project was something I never really considered. After emailing Mrs. Angela, the coordinator that works with teenagers and kids for Dallas’ CMN, our Committee Head of Service Projects picked a great project for our club to participate in. She wanted us to make birthday packages for the
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the kids who have to spend their birthdays in the hospital. Originally I was taken aback because my plans were to do a magazine or book drive, but after we finished collecting items and started assembling each package, I was convinced this was a great idea. The packages consists of flowers made of tissue paper that you can hang on the ceiling with tape or a paper clip, a set of crossword puzzles and color pages with crayons and signs strung together that read “Happy BDay.” The process of assembling these packages was much more fun than simply collecting magazines and I had a lot of fun watching our members put such hard work into a project to benefit others. Though we recently finished that part of the project and that was going to be the last part of our governor’s project, we wanted the kids to have something a little more personal to let them know that GHS Key Club is cheering for them. The last part of our project is making cards for the kids with personalized messages cheering them on, pictures of us making the packages from them and little jokes so that they know that GHS Key Club supports them in their fight to regain their health. I really enjoyed this project more than others because this was the first project where GHS Key Clubbers made something to benefit others instead of just simply collecting supplies or donating money. This project encouraged us to get creative with some other projects throughout the year as well. We got to be creative with what we decided to give the kids while also making a positive on our community. I just hope the kids enjoy the packages, cards, bracelets and door hangers as much as we did making them! -Theodora Winter
wHy sHouLD seRvice Be imPoRTanT To me? From the holding of doors for a random stranger to completing a project to donate goods to the local hospital, service resonates with each person who participate in the act of selflessness. Community Service is important for many reasons. Taking part and volunteering teaches compassion and understanding. There are opportunities and choices right in your very neighborhood. You can volunteer for something you really believe and have an interest in, and can volunteer as much or as little as you'd like or have time for. The world, especially during this modern time, requires kindness and initiative. In today's society, we tend to forget the joy of receiving a personal connection with those we've helped. Think of all the benefits one volunteer can do for a community. Volunteers give words of encouragements in the hospital, help animals get adopted, raise funds for non-profit organizations, and provide donations for the less fortunates. Together and as one unit, a group of students can directly impact the lives of many with their sheer magnitude. If one person was willing to offer one hand to serve, there exists a guaranteed promise of an improved condition for someone else.
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Service is a commitment that grants a form of fulfillment unattainable elsewhere and not many people realize that. It is this ignorance that prevents many from immersing themselves into the wonders of service. Sometimes when I volunteer, I would notice different types of students present. Most of them were volunteering because they needed service hours for school. These kids sometimes just sat around waiting for their time to pass and not enjoying the experiences of human interaction. Other students were actively involved in the activities and tasks with getting hours as an added bonus. Two perspectives but only one truly has the benefit of service. As I move through life I think I will always be involved in community service. Not just because I think it is important but because it is something I enjoy and look forward to. I love bringing joy and through community service I feel I can accomplish that. I hope that this snippet inspires you to go out in your community and make a difference. I hope I have encouraged you to volunteer your time, even if your only reward is a smile, a handshake, or even a simple hug. -Shanon Quach
TEAM KEY CLUB Hey Key Clubbers. DCON is quickly approaching which means there’s a lot to prepare for even if you aren’t coming. It’s important for everyone to participate in all events and fundraisers provided to you. We had many fundraisers in January and plan on having many more until April. Whether or not you decide to go to DCON or even if you’re not in the fundraising committee it is important to participate in fundraisers because the proceeds not only go into funding our trip to DCON, they also go into funding more events for you guys and into eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus. So raising money is not just important in helping our own club it is also important in helping to save the lives of many mothers and babies. Participation is key in making our club successful so not only must you participate in just events and fundraisers, do not forget about your committees. And even if you aren’t in that committee it always helps to pitch in. Just as we need people to participate in fundraisers for DCON we also need people to help advertise for these events otherwise we won’t have as many people coming to these events. You can help by printing off advertisements and handing them out or posting on social media or even making your own advertisement. Without the help of the advertising committee, the fundraising committee would be nowhere. And as mentioned before with DCON coming up we don’t only need people to help with fundraising and advertising, we also need people to help with the service projects and the scrapbook. It’s good to see that lately a lot of people have been helping with service projects more because those need to be completed before DCON in order for us to present it to others at DCON. So please continue to help out and work hard with those service projects. Also the scrapbook needs to be completed before DCON as well in order for it be entered into the scrapbook competition and to show all the amazing things our club has accomplished in the past school year. And there will a more events for us to cover in the upcoming month so please continue to participate in order get these projects done. –Iris Wong
INTERESTED IN GOING TO
DCON?
CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER VERY SOON!
ESTIMATED COST: $150* DEADLINE: MARCH 13 BEGIN: APRIL 9 @ 6PM END: APRIL 12 @ 11AM *This price does not include the hotel fee, and there may be a required scholarship application to 19 waive the hotel fee.
DCON 2014: RE
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ECAP “Attending District Convention was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life sparking the flame for service and making me want to serve my home, schools, and communities more. I got to meet over 1,500 Key Clubbers from all over Texas and Oklahoma inspiring me to be a servant leader." -Chris Do North Garland High School “DCON was so much fun and was such a great experience. Thank you for everything the District Staff has done. You all definitely made a significant impact on Key Club and people all around the world with your caring hearts and dedication to service. “ -Tien Huynh North Garland High School “DCON was amazing. The food was good, too!” -Hogan Nguyen Garland High School “The post-DCON depression is too real. I've never been with so many wonderful people at one time! Till next year! :)” -Theodora Winter Garland High School
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2014
ASHLEY TSAO VICE-PRESIDENT ash.tsao@gmail.com
THEO PRES theodorawin
IRIS WONG HISTORIAN
HOGAN NGUYEN HISTORIAN
risxwong@hotmail.com
hoganth1@yahoo.com
JACKIE S WEBM strawberry47
SHAMIRA KABIR FRESHMAN REP shamirakabir@gmail.com
SHIRLEY BANH FUNDRAISING CHAIR shirley.banh@yahoo.com
LEXIE FORD SERVICE PROJ. CHAIR lexie.ford.5010@gmail.com
2015
WINTER SIDENT nter@gmail.com
SANDOVAL MASTER 772@gmail.com
RAQUEL PALMA TREASURER raquelpalma2015@gmail.com
TIFFANY YANG SECRETARY OF MINUTES
LINH NGUYEN BULLETIN EDITOR
tiffany.r.yang@gmail.com
linhnguyen3412@gmail.com
TAM NGUYEN TRANSPORT. CHAIR tam.nguyen676@gmail.com
SHANON QUACH ADVERTISING CHAIR shanon.quach21@gmail.com
SABRINA PALMA FRESHMAN REP palma.sabrina4@gmail.com
TEXAS-OKLAHOMA DISTRICT STAFF KAITLYN WILSON DISTRICT GOVERNOR GOVERNOR@TOKEYCLUB.COM
SAMUEL KINNIN DISTRICT SECRETARY SECRETARY@TOKEYCLUB.COM
COLIN GONZALES DISTRICT TREASURER TREASURER@TOKEYCLUB.COM
DENNIS HOGAN REGION 8 ADVISOR REGION8@TOKEYCLUB.COM
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ANDREW LOH CONVENTION LIAISON ANDREWLOH39S@GMAIL.COM
BOBBY THAKKAR TECH/VIDEO PRODUCER BOBBYTHAKKAR99@GMAIL.COM
EMILY ZHAO DISTRICT EDITOR EDITOR@TOKEYCLUB.COM
TIEN HUYNH DIVISION 2C/2S LTG TIENTHIHUYNH97@GMAIL.COM
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POTTER’S PAPERS edited by: Linh Nguyen photo credits: Alina Ha, Tien Huynh, Edeline Ong, Ashley Tsao, Theodora Winter, Iris Wong, Tiffany Yang
VOLUME 1 // ISSUE 11