Potter's Papers: January 2015 by Linh Nguyen

JANUARY 2014

POTTER’S PAPERS Garland High School Division 2C Key Club

Volume 1 Issue 10

Caring—Our Way of Life Leadership, Character Building, Caring, and Inclusiveness

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but when we are challenged to be what we can be.” -Morris Adler

EDITOR’S NOTE

CONTENTS Upcoming Events

President’s Corner

Valentine’s Day

Forced Volunteer Work

Stories

Lessons from Key Club

Kiwanis 100th Anniv.

Chipotle/Dodgeball

DCON Information

DCON 2014 Recap

Our Club Board

T-O District Staff

Hi Key Clubbers! We are finally one whole month into 2015; how exciting! I hope that all of you have begun the new year with a ton of service, and also enjoyed the last few days of the holidays with your loved ones. As we begin to approach DCON, I urge everyone to try their best to attend this annual convention. This will actually be my first one, but I’m so excited to see what’s in store for all of the Key Clubbers in the Texas-Oklahoma District this year! DCON will be held at the Sheraton in Dallas, and will be April 9-12. Go to learn more about your positions, to further your responsibilities in service, and to enter some great contests that showcase your abilities. On another note, as DCON is in just a few months, the elections of new board members are also coming. Please start signing up for the positions! We want the board to be in good hands for next year, and it is of great importance that we have devoted Key Clubbers running our high school’s club. It is my hope that the new board will be immensely compatible and will be able to handle any drama with aplomb and grace. Thank you again to all the officers that sent in articles! After this newsletter, I will only be creating two more, and then the new editor will be responsible for starting the next volume of “Potter’s Papers”. Yours in service, Linh Nguyen

COVER PHOTO: Tien Huynh 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.

FRIDAY13FEBRUARY

LTG’S DEC/DCM SATURDAY14FEBRUARY

NEW BOARD ELECTIONS WEDNESDAY25FEBRUARY

FRIENDSHIP HOUSE ALLMONTHFEBRUARY

UPCOMING EVENTS

V-DAY POLAROIDS

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To learn more about suicide in teens and adults, go to www.save.org.

GET READY FOR A

T-O DCON THE SHERATON IN DALLAS, TX. APRIL 9-12, 2015 REGISTER TODAY! See more about DCON on pages 19-21!

Hello GHS Key Clubbers! I’ve had such a great time serving as your president, and January has definitely not disappointed! We’ve been able to continue our CMN service project and I can’t wait until we can complete that and do something for the ELIMINATE Project! Service projects are integral to this club, so if you haven’t participated in one yet, be sure to do so before the year ends. The dodge ball tournament and Chipotle fundraiser were a major success, so thank you all for coming out to attend that, I really appreciate it. If we continue to work hard with our fundraisers, we can have enough money for DCON attendees, senior medallions and a banquet for all members. This month is very crucial for those of you interested in running for a club, divisional, or district position. As a fellow board member, I encourage you all to run for a position because it has been extremely rewarding for me this past year. Please remember to fill out the officer questionnaire the Friday before elections so the board has time to approve you. This is the only way that you may run for the position so be sure to get that done ASAP! We have already started registering people for District Convention, which is going to be so much fun! If you are interested in going, you also need to help fundraise because we would like to decrease the cost of attendance as much as possible. We will most likely be having an ultimate Frisbee Tournament, movie night, Valentine’s Day fundraiser and another movie night, so please help us out by participating! So far, Gryffindor is still in the lead, which means if nothing changes, then they’ll be having the exclusive party. Guys, be sure to stay involved with your committees, each and every one of them are extremely important and we would like everyone to contribute! You get points for all things Key Club related, so please be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to get points for your committee. Hopefully we can bring to have more frequent scrapbook meetings so that we can finish in good time before DCON April 9-12th! There are many other fun competitions that we can compete in as well, at DCON and if you want more information, just contact me and I’d love to send you our resource package! We would love to finish our CMN project so that we can start another service project, so please please please help us get our project done soon! We are assembling birthday packages for CMN and it’s a really great project that just requires assembling the packages together. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can move onto March of Dimes and ELIMINATE. I’ve only got two months left with you guys, but I hope I can make these two months great! Please continue to be involved as get near the end of this Key Club year. For those of you going to DCON, I can’t wait to have a blast with you guys! Love you guys! Yours in service, -Theo

Hello all! Quick thanks to everyone that participated in our Chipotle Fundraiser and our dodgeball fundraiser. WE DID SUPER WELL THANKS TO YOU ALL! We are quickly nearing election season for Key Club which means, yes a new board. I highly encourage all members who are dedicated and willing to work for the club run for a position. We would much prefer an individual who is willing to work and learn that one who is experienced, but does not wish to put in the effort. I can personally say that Key Club allowed for me to have an extremely amazing medium through which I could channel my creativity by planning fun service projects to benefit organizations like Children’s Miracle Network. I’ve made quite a lot of friends and have learned to work with adults. I have sharpened my organizational skills and I’ve quite almost been pushed over the edge a couple of times, but my other officers have held me back and for that I am grateful to them. Because the end of the Key Club year is rapidly approaching, my agenda for the last part of my officership will include creating more service projects with Lexie, aiding Shirley with fundraising, helping to train the new VP, and most importantly convincing all members that volunteering is extremely rewarding and almost necessary in a world where the disparity between poverty and wealth is immense. Thank you to all members! Signing off, Ashley Tsao

Integrating Service a

♥ SPREAD T

A Giving Equilibrium According to CNN there are an estimated 224 million roses grown for Valentine’s day. 1.6 billion dollars will be spent on candy, 1.9 billion will be spent on flowers, and 4.4 will be spent on diamonds, gold, and silver. This is only in America, land of consumerist holidays. But I digress, for Valentine’s day is now a holiday celebrated globally. One of which is Japan. In Japan, Valentine’s day is a big deal. Like a BIG BIG deal. There are practically rules. Like, how on the day of, only women are supposed to hand out chocolates. Not men. And they generally give them to their male lovers, friends, coworkers, or family members. They fall into the category of obligation chocolate or lovers chocolate, but hey, either way, it’s chocolate right? On what is known as White day, men give return gifts to the women. It’s this weird sort of circular process that never seems to end. Gifts seem to be endlessly passed back and forth in a peculiar gift giving equilibrium. It’s endless. You’re stuck in present limbo until the next year comes around. But most importantly is that this holiday is celebrated literally every year. Regardless of how bad situations are in Japan. And just like the different types of chocolate in Japan, Key Club is filled with a wide range of motivations. From an almost obligatory “my sister was in this club” to a manic “ILOVETOVOLUNTEERIT’SMYLIFE” sort of attitude, the flavors of members in this organization are almost infinite. But there hasn’t been a year since 1925 that Key Club hasn’t helped to quite literally change the world. Key Club lasted through the Great Depression and both World Wars and I have to say that’s pretty amazing. It’s an organization where the desire and passion to give to a loved one on a holiday has been bottled up and saved for those who need it the most. And, it was founded one year before Godiva Chocolate. THAT’S how old Key Club is. THAT’S how utterly constant it is. And its members give time and effort and smiles and cheers back to their community, who in turn, gives them a more conducive environment with which to grow in. Key Club is a medium through which our own sort of equilibrium can be reached because regardless of your motivation to volunteer and to give, you’ll always get something back. -Ashley Tsao

and Valentine’s Day

THE LOVE ♥

Fundraising Ideas with Tiffany Regardless of what club you're in, you know how hard it is to advertise events in order to obtain the necessary funds for your club to stay afloat. As DCON is approaching, every club should be working on acquiring said funds in order to help their members pay their way to go to the best convention of the year! 1) Have a movie night! (Participants can pay an entrance fee, such as $5 to get in and food can be sold at the event to raise additional funds.) 2) Have a sports tournament (i.e. Frisbee, basketball, volleyball. Make sure you write out things such as waivers and you could possibly need a medical tent) 3) Have a contest (such as a guessing how many jellybeans are in a jar and have guessers pay $1 to guess, or having a hairy leg contest [have participants put money into jars to vote on the hairiest leg! Sounds nasty, but it’s pretty funny!]) 4) HAVE A KARAOKE NIGHT!! 5) Have a bake sale! (Make sure that you’ve talked to the people in the school’s office about this; not every school will allow clubs to sell goodies during school.) 6) Have a video game tournament! (Players can play games [like League of Legends or Just Dance] at someone’s house and an entrance fee can be charged) 7) Host an ice cream social (It’s a great way to get to know the members in your club as well J! Plus having ice cream at an event is always a plus hehe.) 8) Have a luau 9) Have a Sadie Hawkins Dance 10) Talk to the office people at your school and see if you can have a PJ Day during which people can purchase a PJ coupon for a certain amount that will allow them to go to school in their pajamas! And specifically for Valentine’s Day: 11) Have a Bingo Game (Don’t forget to offer prizes!!) 12) Sell cute Val-O-Grams made by Key Clubbers or other volunteers to people in your school 13) Have a photo booth (props and cutouts can be brought. Those who want to participate can pay a fee) 14) Have a kissing booth?! (If it’s for Key Club, right?! There is probably a low chance of contacting cooties) 15) Have a donation jar and offer Hugs and Kisses (the candies!) Pick your favorite fundraising idea and discuss it with the club! Fund for projects and have fun with it! -Tiffany Yang

The Oxymoron that is Forced Vol unteer Work

Students may understandably wince at the mention of mandatory volunteer work, but can it really be as bad as it sounds? The requirement for all high school students to volunteer is not a new topic, in fact it is required in a few high school curriculum already. Although busy and lazy teens alike may oppose the idea since it eats up time and demands effort, there are several arguments in favor of required service. The most obvious reason is that the requirement would greatly benefit society, starting at the community level. If a school district could recruit the efforts of all students into a single service project, it would be complete in nearly no time. This could reduce expenses that cities currently deal with and get things done at the same time. For example, let's imagine if a highway needs cleaning. Instead of hiring labor and wasting government resources, students take up the job. Now students can fulfill their service requirements and the money that would have been spent can now be used for something else, such as the funding of school programs. Everybody wins in this situation. Now before you start comparing this to slave labor, let us think about how it would benefit the students. Community service is flexible, there is more than just one job. Students have the ability to pick what they want to do, thus getting rid of the monotony that students may tend to associate with such work. If they can't do one thing, there's always an alternative. Eventually, students will find what they like and stick to it.

Just because you have to do something does not that you cannot have fun. Additionally, volunteer work provides real world experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom. There is no better way to learn than by doing. As a result, the variety in choices provided by community service allows for a variety of learning opportunities. These lessons transfer with students and help them once they enter the working world. For example, listing volunteer work on a resume is a great way to catch the eye of an interviewer and is more likely to get you hired. This very example personally helped me land the job I have today without having to be previously employed. It shows employers that you are comfortable working, are disciplined, and know what you are doing. Let's pretend that students only have to volunteer for 10 hours every year. Being in Key Club, we know that 10 hours a year is virtually nothing. However, the hours required would not have to be high as the sheer volume of people would make up for it. A little bit of service would be more than enough to show students firsthand the benefits that a constant volunteer work can provide. If a student chooses to only volunteer for the bare minimum of 10 hours, then so be it. But for others, that little introductory push is all that is needed to create an interest in volunteering. One small push is all it takes to knock over a line of dominoes. Mandatory service may be that small push that we need. -Tam Nguyen

KOA THE PANDA BEAR

SALLY THE PROCRASTINATOR

There lived a panda named Koa in the land of Keytopia who paid little attention to the feelings of others; he often disregarded the good intentions of his peers. One day while walking through the forest, he stumbled upon a golden bamboo stick protruding from the top of a large boulder. As a panda, he wanted to obtain the wonderful treasure. Approaching the slab of marble, he saw a delicate scribble engrained on the surface of the bamboo. It read “To all those who wish to be the holder of the Golden Bamboo, a good deed must be done consciously but obliviously.” Koa did not understand the context of the riddle but he desperately wanted this talisman. He pulled and kicked and pushed but nothing would make the Golden Bamboo budge. As time progressed, Koa became impatient and decided to follow the riddle's order of doing a good deed. At this moment, a snake slithered by, screaming for help. She had a splintered in her tail that caused her excruciating pain. Koa took this opportunity to offer her his service with the mentality of receiving the Golden Bamboo. He manages to successfully pry the piece of wood out using his claws. The snake thanked him profusely and went on her merry way. Returning to the boulder, Koa attempts to remove the Golden Bamboo, only to be disappointed at the results. Next comes a monkey swinging on the jungle vines, who was screaming for help. The monkey wanted to reach the bunches of bananas on the canopy but could not climb that high. Koa offered him aid by weighing down on the trunks, making the branches slump onto the forest floor. Touched by Koa's willingness to help, the monkey gave him a few bananas and showed him great gratitude. With intentions of detaching the Golden Bamboo, Koa ran to the boulder determined to pull it out. His luck ran short when he realize the talisman remained fastened on to the surface of the rock. On the verge of giving up, Koa sat there contemplating of how to move the entire rock back to his house on the other side of the jungle when suddenly, he notices an aged turtle carefully trying to cross the stream. Realizing the turtle was struggling, he rushed over to offer his service. The turtle smiled at him and allowed Koa to carry him across the river. Absentmindedly, Koa smiled back with great enthusiasm as the turtle hugged him, feeling compassion radiating throughout his furry body. Once again, Koa returned to the Golden Bamboo to say his last goodbyes, accepting that he cannot always get what he wants. As he places his paws on the smooth surface, the glowing stick glided smoothly out of the granite slab. That day, Koa learned the importance of providing sincere service to all of those in need without the need for compensation. -Shanon Quach

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sally. She was your typical kid; average all around and never did anything too extraordinary. And like every kid, laziness and procrastination was a struggle that was all too real in school life. Why would she rather sit down on a chair and force words onto a paper she cares little about when she could be running around and playing with her friends? How would her doing this work help anyone in life? If she were to play with her friends, she could share her happiness with loved ones. So one day, she did exactly that, she quit doing her school work and played around with friends instead. It was the best release this child ever experienced. However, as she continued this habit of not doing her schoolwork, it began to pile up, and with that much work waiting to be done consequences are just around the corner. Her grades began dropping and her friends had to do their own work so her playful runs with loved ones became just her walking alone. She just really would rather not do any schoolwork because hey, at least she is not inside doing paperwork. Every time she saw that pile of work waiting to be done and the notes from disappointed teachers asking her to turn in work the more stressed she got and so the further away she placed herself from the pregnant whale of a bag beached by her door. She still went to school because her friends would be there, but the anxiety in her chest twisted around too much at night that she could not sleep so that she ended up sleeping in class. Poor Sally. Everyone thought it, but they did not know how to help her because she was too stubborn to do any work. If only she was in Key Club, then she could have known how to have fun with friends while being productive in life. That would have given her a kick-start on work. She procrastinated for too long and she enjoyed the lax lifestyle. Sally will one day figure it out, no one knows when, but it will happen eventually. We can only hope that it happens and make sure that we are there if she finally reaches out for us. That is what needs to be understood sometimes. No one is a “lost case”, but in order to receive help, one needs to stand up to accept it. -Raquel Palma

New Year NEW ME I stared at the piece of paper in front of me. Blank, absolutely blank. Pondering, reflecting, and gazing off into blank space (cue Taylor Swift) as I attempt to set new objectives and revise the old ones. What objectives? New Year Resolutions. As the New Year arrives, there is the common task of creating New Year resolutions. The idea that by establishing these goals, you can have a great start in the New Year. However: New Year's resolutions are easy to make … and difficult to keep. My advice: Make resolutions that reflect your core values, the cliché goal: become a better person. Be actively involved in your community, volunteer, be confident and have self-value, expose yourself to change, set your priorities straight, and make an impact. It’s January, 11 more months until 2016. The wait is long, so establish resolutions that will keep you motivated throughout the year, not ones that you make with an initial sense of great determination that you will neglect and forget a few days later. There is a saying that there is one common goal within all humans: happiness. And I personally believe, that happiness and gratitude go hand in hand. Rather than establishing the common goals of eating healthier, exercising more, going to the gym often, not procrastinating, and more, take the time to reflect on

how fortunate you are. Use the gratitude to make goals that not only benefit yourself, but a whole community. Key Cub is service-oriented. The members have a desire to serve and lend a helping hand. The happiness that you can provide to not only yourself, but to another being in need can be your drive to serve. This is the purpose of Key Club after all. Caring – our way of life. We get to have the opportunity and privilege to participate in greater causes and projects such as ELIMINATE (UNICEF). “What is so special working for UNICEF, at least to me, is that it's sort of our way of fighting injustice. It's just poverty, lack of opportunities, and that children don't have the same opportunity as my children. Iodized salt gives us the confidence. The progress gives us clear confidence that other problems can be solved if we just put forth effort, find the right strategy, and go after it." - Dr. Ray Yip I stared at the piece of paper in front of me and smiled. As long as it took, I was able to sum up my resolution in a few words. New Year Resolutions: 2015 and after 1. Live Every Day with Passion and Purpose… -Shirley Banh

What Key Club Has Taught Me

These past two years, I have had the privilege of being a board member for my club, and out of all the leadership positions I’ve been given, being a Key Club officer has been the most advantageous one. I believe part of the reason why I’ve been able to grow so much is because Key Club International supplies you with so many resources in order to grow your club and fulfill you duties as an officer. When I was an editor, I definitely stalked the Key Club brand package and now as president, I utilize all of the tools that the KCI website officers. By striving to achieve the goals set up for me by KCI, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons along the way. Communication: By striving to keep up with the Kfamily, district, division and my own club, I have improved my ability to effectively communicate with others. This is particularly important with a club that reaches and international audience! Communication between the different levels of Key Club has taught me the importance of collaboration and in the process, my communication skills have improved. Leadership: Being involved on the board has shaped what type of leader I am. The ability to collaborate with other club leaders on the district, club and divisional level has also let me emulate some of the other leaders that I admire. Organization: I think one of the key attributes that you can improve upon is organization. When being on the board, a lot of times we have different ideas that we’ve never done before and with good organization skills, we can get things done efficiently. The great thing about planning service projects, fundraisers and other service events is that you can learn from the positive and negative experiences in order to maximize efficiency. I’ve definitely utilized

some of the fundraising ideas posted on the Key Club website and in the Tex–o–Key and the tips that they supply have helped me become better at organizing events. Attitude: Thanks to all of the memories I’ve acquired over these past four years, Key Club has helped me to become a more positive person towards others. Sharing experiences with other Key Clubbers who want to impact their community has helped me to see the good in others and in the process, I’ve been motivated to serve my community even more. For those of you who shared some of the same experiences as I do, I think if you have the opportunity to run for a board position on the club, divisional or district level, you definitely should! All of the benefits you receive while being a board member only increase when becoming an officer, and you grow in so many ways by being an officer. If you believe that you have been positively impacted by being a club member, take the opportunity to serve those around you by running for a board position as a taken of gratitude for all that Key Club has done for you. -Theodora Winter

KIWANIS 100th ANNIVERSARY! The Kiwanis Club merely started as a Detroit Club in 1915, but now it is an international organization that has created Kiwanis types of clubs for every age. Their goal was to create a good impact on their communities, while also helping with global issues. The club helped during the Great depression, but now they help children across the world. They started working with UNICEF, helping kids with IDD the most common disorder that causes intellectual disability. After Kiwanis helped establish UNICEF, they started a bigger project to help kids, The Eliminate Project, it is actually another UNICEF project, but it helps kids that have maternal and neonatal tetanus to eliminate it, hence the projects name. They want to raise a hundred and ten million dollars; Kiwanis hopes to save a hundred and twenty-nine babies and mothers by the end of their anniversary year, 2015.. After a hundred years, not only has this club has brought both act kindness and charity they have also created clubs for different ages. Key Club Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about teens that help serve their communities through service and fundraising. Builders Club They help students build leadership, self-esteem, and skills necessary in life; the club teaches these techniques to develop kids into leaders for their school, their community and the world. Kiwanis Kids This club establishes students to build into leaders, creating a service projects so kids could work together, and to develop good characteristics. Circle K It is a university service leadership that organizes service project sand leadership training. Aktion Club It is to provide adults with disabilities to have opportunities to be involved with their communities by creating service projects and developing their leadership skills. The Kiwanis Club has done so much to the community and the world; I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see what they do in the years to come. -Shamira Kabir

YES or NO We don’t have time. We’re too busy. We have to do this. We need to do that. We don’t have time to write this article. We don’t have the energy to go to this event. We’re too drained to care about the poor and the hungry and the sick. If we do one more thing we’re going to go over the edge. But we do it anyway. Now, the next piece may sound a little strange. I’m the Service Projects Committee Chair, and usually when I write, I’m naturally promoting service, especially of the selfsacrificing variety. But that doesn’t mean doing everything. What we need to do is stop. We need to learn to say no. We have to learn to prioritize. Sometimes, we have to say no to physics problems. Sometimes we have to say no to making bracelets. Sometimes we have to say no to being the good, supportive friend. And even more than that, we shouldn’t have to feel guilty about it. You don’t owe your time to anyone that asks (or offers you hours). Saying no is healthy. It’s taking control of your life. Saying no is okay. Is this a free pass to sit back and do nothing? Of course not. You have to learn to say no to some things, even

to say no to some things, even a lot of things, so that you have the opportunity to fully say YES to other things. If you say yes to everything, you are simultaneously saying no to everything. You are saying that there is nothing worth devoting your full self and energy to. Nothing will be done well and everything will become no more than a task that needs to be completed. You simply cannot care deeply about everything. We have to learn to pick a few things, less than 5, to be passionate about and say no to everything else. Being a great friend and a great leader and a great officer and a great student and a great partner and a great club member and a great athlete isn’t sustainable. Something has to give so that you don’t entirely burn yourself out. But make cuts based on what is meaningful, not what is easy. We have to make choices, and when we do, the rewards are impressive. Things flourish, you begin to care again, and you become a more productive member of society. You can serve better. You can love better. You can live better. And it’s as simple as yes or no. -Lexie Ford

update from sec. of hours One of my favorite things about Key Club is how inclusive it is. There aren't requirements to become a member other than a desire to serve your community, so we have a variety of different types of students united in one club. It's not an academic honor society, so anyone with a passion for service can lend a helping hand without worrying about maintaining grades or fitting in with a certain group of students. Because of this, Key Club can be very large. On one hand, this is a huge asset, literally. With more members, we have more hands to help at volunteer events. With more members, we have more funds to buy supplies and provide scholarships. With more members, we can collect more donations. With more members, we can raise more money for the Eliminate Project, to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. With more members, we can impact more lives. However, with more members, it becomes more difficult for each individual member to be deeply involved with Key Club. This is why committees are so important. They give individual general members a voice without having to have a position on the board. Committees are a great idea for further developing the many aspects of Key Club. No matter which one you belong to, you can use it as an opportunity to enrich your experience with Key Club, make friends who share your interests, and help our club serve even more people. For example, if there were a Service Projects committee in your club, members should take this opportunity to become leaders by envisioning a project that they’re passionate about, proposing the idea, forming a plan, and eventually experiencing the satisfaction that comes from knowing that your specific ideas and actions made a difference in people’s lives. That being said, being involved in your committee does not have to be a huge undertaking that adds undue stress to your already hectic life. If you do chose to lead a project/ campaign (fundraiser, advertising, etc.), the rest of your committee and the board will be there to support you every step of the way. Less ambitious members are just as vital because every small contribution allows the club to function better as a whole. So rather than just floating along, getting your required hours without investing yourself, buy into Key Club and get the most out of your committees. Your participation is key! -Lexie Ford

CHiPot Le anD DoDgeBaLLs This past month we had two major fundraising events: Chipotle night and the Dodgeball Tourney. Both of which were very successful. Both events in total made around $800, which is very good since that money not only goes to funding our DCON trip that is coming up soon, but 10 percent also goes to the ELIMINATE Project. And not only were these event for a good cause, they were also fun and enjoyable to participate in. On January 27, we had our Chipotle fundraiser and I was very pleased to see so many people there that night to support us, and that even included complete strangers who were happy to mention Key Club for us when we asked. That night was also a big night for me since I had never been to Chipotle before and I am happy to say you can be sure that I will be going back there again soon. The food delicious and I had a great time with my friends and even meeting a few of my friends’ family who had decided to go there dinner. I also got to see some old classmates who I had seen since middle school. My first trip to Chipotle was a really fun experience and it was all worth it since I got to hang out with my friends and support my club. And very recently we held our first dodgeball tournament. It was really exciting to see so many people who weren’t even members of our club and even people from other schools come together and join us to compete.

There was some trouble with getting everything organized, but in the end everyone got to play, watch, and enjoy some pizza. There was so much energy as the competition got heated and all the teams had given it their best shot. However there could only be one winner and with that I say congratulations to “The Seahorses” who had won round after round and became the winners of the $70 gift cards to Chipotle. But in the end everyone is a winner because they got the opportunity to have fun, meet new people, and some of that money raised also goes to the ELIMINATE Project. However these events could not be such a success without the help of everyone who helped to advertise for them. Without the constant advertising the weeks before the events, not as many would have showed up to participate. We wouldn’t have gotten as much money at Chipotle if no one told anyone and we wouldn’t have even gotten 14 teams to come out and play for the tournament. It just goes to show what a team effort can do and as long we can continue to provide service with a smile and always have fun doing it, it doesn’t if you get a $70 gift card to anywhere in the world or not, we’re all winners. -Iris Wong

COUNTDOWN TO DCON Guys guess what’s in 3 months? DCON! YAY! Even though it’s just the beginning of a new year and we are all getting back in the school zone and Key club system we should all anticipate attending this fabulous event. For those who don’t already know, DCON is a great event! Even though personally I haven’t attended it, it makes me excited hearing about everyone else experiences and about how great it is. Even though some of you guys haven’t been to DCON, I encourage you all to go, or at the very least to consider it. I’m pretty excited about going for my first time. DCON is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about what Key Club is, meet new different people from all the other key clubs in Texas and Oklahoma, and even learn people’s passion for key club. You never know what you might learn. This is fun event is full of great activities, leadership development workshops, and many more other events you get to go to that are provided. In addition, DCON is rife with contests and awards as well as amazing scholarships for any seniors. In the end, you leave with this great feeling – a feeling that now you are more prepared to be a service leader and help your key club have a stronger leadership stance to help your community be a better place. However, to actually experience all this, you must help out your club in funds. Funds and fundraisers help lower the cost for the trip. I can pretty much say that many of us freak out because of the cost, which is $120 for the early bird registration alone, not including the price of the hotel fees. I completely understand why the price may scare some people away, but that’s why you should help your club with funds and fundraisers to collect funds so we can go to DCON! But don’t forget that, regardless of whether or not you personally decide to go to DCON, you should help your club in fundraisers, so our club can grow and stay strong as a team! -Jackie Sandoval

INTERESTED IN GOING TO

DCON?

CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER VERY SOON!

ESTIMATED COST: $120* 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

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

2014

RAQUEL PALMA TREASURER raquelpalma2015@gmail.com

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

TIFFANY YANG SECRETARY OF MINUTES

JESSIE DOAN SECRETARY OF HOURS

tiffany.r.yang@gmail.com

jtdoan100@yahoo.com

JOSH MATHEW SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

LINH NGUYEN BULLETIN EDITOR

mrjoshmathew@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

KAITLYN WILSON

SAMUEL KINNIN

DISTRICT GOVERNOR

DISTRICT SECRETARY

GOVERNOR@TOKEYCLUB.COM

SECRETARY@TOKEYCLUB.COM

COLIN GONZALES

DENNIS HOGAN

DISTRICT TREASURER

REGION 8 ADVISOR

TREASURER@TOKEYCLUB.COM

REGION8@TOKEYCLUB.COM

DISTRICT STAFF

BOBBY THAKKAR

ANDREW LOH

TECH/VIDEO PRODUCER

CONVENTION LIAISON

BOBBYTHAKKAR99@GMAIL.COM

ANDREWLOH39S@GMAIL.COM

TIEN HUYNH

EMILY ZHAO

DIVISION 2C/2S LTG

DISTRICT EDITOR

TIENTHIHUYNH97@GMAIL.COM

EDITOR@TOKEYCLUB.COM

POTTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PAPERS edited by: Linh Nguyen photo credits: Alina Ha, Edeline Ong, Theodora Winter, Iris Wong, Key Club International

VOLUME 1 // ISSUE 10