Potter's Papers: November 2014 by Linh Nguyen

NOVEMBER 2014

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

Volume 1 Issue 8

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

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

CONTENTS

“Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.” -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Upcoming Events

A Letter from the LTG

EDITOR’S NOTE

President’s Corner

Secretary Updates

Beyond Materialism

Volleyball/Homeless

Stories

Trash Bash

Treasurer’s Report

Fundraising

Our Club Board

T-O District Staff

Hi Key Clubbers! Hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving; I know that I did by spending the better part of my morning in Dallas City Hall Plaza helping out with Turkey Trot, and the evening eating dinner with my family. Congratulations to everyone for finishing another great month of service! A lot has been accomplished this month: Homecoming decorations, Trash Bash, Turkey Trot, and the International Teacher Appreciation Month gift bags. I’m especially glad that a bunch of people participated in that project, because we tend to take our educators for granted nowadays. As the holiday season is slowly but surely approaching, I hope that everyone keeps in mind that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a loving home and family to celebrate the holidays with; therefore, please try your best to appreciate what you do have, and help those who don’t have that much already. Once again, thank you for all of your continual support of this newsletter. Sometimes the stress is overwhelming and the feeling of not being appreciated suppresses my ability to create a perfect newsletter, but I try my best. All the officers that send in articles are highly appreciated! Yours in service, Linh Nguyen

COVER PHOTO: Iris Wong 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.

FRIDAY5DECEMBER

CMN SERVICE PROJECT WEDNESDAY10DECEMBER

WINTER PHOTOBOOTH TH-FR11-12DECEMBER

PANCAKES FOR SANTA SATURDAY13DECEMBER

UPCOMING EVENTS

CANSTRUCTION

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

Hello everyone! I hope all of you are refreshed after a lovely Thanksgiving Break, I know I am! This past month has been very exciting for our club! We were able to accomplish raising $430 for Unicef and that’s $100 more than last year so congrats and thanks for your hard efforts. We also had some interesting events this month. The homeless for a night simulation was particularly interesting because it open our eyes to some of the issues he homeless have to deal with, which only become increasingly difficult as we approach colder temperatures. I think my favorite event was the Teacher Appreciation Day. We were able to successfully deliver treats for the teachers, counselors and custodians as we thanked them for all of their hard work. We were thanked for our efforts and many teachers really appreciated receiving something from Key Club that they have never received in our 60 years of existence, so great job and thanks to all who participated in that!kjhllkhslkgldfkfglklslkfgklsfklklfgdklfkllkgkll I hope all of you enjoyed Turkey Trot, despite the initial cold weather! I hope that in the future, we can once again enjoy traveling to places with a large group. Thanks to everyone who made my last year serving at Turkey Trot as a Key Clubber so special, I’m really thankful for all of you! We also had Key Club Week this month and that also was largely successful! The house competitions on Friday and Kisses for Key Club was a lot of fun and hopefully we can do more exciting house competitions in the future. If you have any ideas, don’t ever hesitate to contact me and see if we can implement them! For those of you are not still members, we are looking to turn in your dues so we can get membership information out to all of you, so please be patient! If you still have not gotten your membership certificate and membership card and handbook, you can go to room 109 and pick that up! Also, all of you should have 26 hours by this December and if you don’t I will be contacting you about that! I really don’t want any of you to be on probation and since we make an effort to offer at least 20 hours a month, I think it’s definitely possible to get all 26 hours. However, if you are not able to do so and are having trouble with hours, you can always message me and I will try my best to sort everything out! In this next month, we have some very special events for you so please look forward to taking advantage of more fun opportunities this month! I’m especially looking forward to Canstruction, so everyone please bring cans! That way, we’ll be able to make an awesome stature out of all of our cans. It will most likely be Harry Potter Themed, since our theme this year is Get Sirius About Service. 10 cans = 1 hour. We’ll also be completing an aspect of our Children’s Miracle Network Project. We’ll have a package-constricting meeting after school December 10 to assemble our birthday packages, so please stay informed, especially if you signed up to help. Do your best to stay involved, especially with committees. We’ll have more committee meetings coming up so stay informed about those and earn your house some points! That’s all for this month, love you guys! Yours in service, Theo

Hello all! I stare out across the lake as I take a sip from my steaming cup of tea and ponder the merits of volunteering and the meaning of life itself. I watch the sun set. Crows caw in the distance as the chill of winter sets in. One I don’t actually drink tea all that often. And I don’t stare out across lakes. Ever. Nor is a winter chill setting in because it’s Texas. However, every once in a while I do wonder what it means to be a volunteer and while there is no real textbook definition I tend to find attributes that I associate with the word. Make no excuses. I would say that I’ve dealt with quite a lot of adults in volunteer type situations. And nothing is more terrifying than seeing their face tighten in anger or annoyance at the words coming out of your mouth. In order to avoid this I suggest a simple sorry or a promise to fix the problem that one has just committed. The same goes for any volunteer activity. Regardless of how insipid you think it is, a coordinator has placed us in a position for a reason and as volunteers, I believe it to be important to follow their decisions and help to the best of our abilities. As a result of these beliefs, I will take as many stank faces as it needs to ensure that every member that has personally signed up to volunteer does in fact volunteer. Collaborate with one another! Volunteering will never be done in a vacuum, thus, I cannot stress how important it is to be able to work with one another. Yes, it does take a certain amount of adapting. Not to mention developing the invaluable skill of being able to small talk, but we all might as well learn it sooner than later. I am invested in this club. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have become an officer. It is my responsibility to make sure that the organizations that we volunteer to sign up for are happy with our work and our behavior. So, if pushing and prodding is what it takes, then I will do so. Giving back and having fun are not mutually exclusive. I’ve learned that from four years in Key Club. So the next time you volunteer, please smile. Be passionate! We might be able to make someone’s day. Signing off, Ashley Tsao

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update from the secretary of hours

November was a great month of community service, holiday foods, giving thanks, and there was finally an introduction of cold weather in Texas. Personally, November is one of my favorite months. (And not only because it is my birthday month). The holiday season is beginning, the leaves crunch under your feet as you walk through grass, and the crazy fiasco of Black Friday occurs. Aside from these great factors of the wonderful month, to me, a very important part of November is Thanksgiving. It is a time to reflect over your blessings and give back to your parents, those who have helped you, and of course, the community. In a time when we thank you for how lucky we are to have shelter and food, it is also a time to think about the people are who are less fortunate. Homeless for a Night was a turkey and blanket drive held in Garland High School’s cafeteria the Friday before Thanksgiving break. An event to raise awareness

of homelessness, students were required to donate a turkey or new blanket to enter. A soup kitchen was held for dinner and students watched “The Blind Side” to get a better understanding of the struggle of the less fortunate and how nothing should be taken for granted. Proceeds went towards the Friendship House located in Garland, TX. It is an organization that helps those who are unemployed, physically handicapped, or struggling to meet ends with a low income or various other reasons. As an organizer of the event, it warms my heart to be able to announce that volunteers, including Key Clubbers, collected nearly two hundred blankets and forty turkeys. These items will comfort and feed hundreds of homeless people in the metroplex. As the holiday and winter season quickly approaches, I hope everyone can take the time to not only give thanks for what we have, but to also consider those who do not have a lot to be thankful for. -Jessie Doan

SECRETARY OF MINUTES HOURS, HOUSES, AND PAST EVENTS I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving went well and for those of you who went to Turkey Trot too, I hope y’all loved it! Recently (near the beginning of November), we had our wonderful Key Club Week. Even though making thank-you cards for our sponsors was super awesome, the most spirited part of Key Club Week was Friday, the day during which a number of members from each house (service, fundraising, advertising, and scrapbook committee) sat in the cafeteria and tried to get the most signatures from students in our school. During this event, flailing house members yelled and cheered to encourage a passerby to sign their poster that represented the members’ house. For every signature that was given, a (chocolate) kiss was given in return. Because of this awesome event, more and more people have become aware of Key Club. (Plus, we were able to build a lot of spirit and friendly competition within the houses hehe! RAVENCLAW FTW.) Thanks to everyone who participated. Key Club Week was super fun this year; let’s make it even better next year! Just another heads up: please make sure that and

you’re getting your hours for the bimonth (November and December.) If you don’t get your hours, you will be put on probation!!!!!! Jessie (Secretary of Hours) is keeping track of everyone’s hours so make sure that you get ‘em! Every member needs a cumulative of 50 hours for this semester to be considered an active member of Key Club and if you get your hours every bimonth, that’ll be no problem at all. Remember to attend events! They’re always really fun and either Iris or Hogan will probably snap a picture of you so you can be in our club’s scrapbook!! The scrapbook will be showcased at DCON and I’m pretty sure that everyone wants to show off his or her pretty face in our pretty scrapbook. Also make sure that you’re attending the scrapbook meetings that are planned by Iris and Hogan as well. They’re always really fun and I loved making and decorating scrapbook pages, especially cause even when I’ve graduated from high school, our sponsors, Bleu and Seol will keep the scrapbook made in 2014-2015 for many years to come. In fact, last year, I found a scrapbook that was 20 years old!! -Tiffany Yang

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Christmas Beyond Materialism

A small boy wakes up at dawn on a cold Thursday morning. The air reeks of garbage. He shrugs on his threadbare coat, and makes his way out the makeshift door, shivering and clinging to his father’s hand as they and his brothers go off to work. They arrive just as the garbage trucks are emptying the day’s refuse into the landfill. The family scatters to different trash piles, combing through the rubbish to find anything that can be eaten or sold. Choking on the rancid air, the boy counts down the hours until a small lunch of found scraps. That evening, his father uses the meager sum of money they earned from their sales to buy a modest dinner that will serve the family for the week. At the end of the day, the little boy kneels down and whispers a small prayer, “Thank you for letting us live to see this Christmas.” For many families, Christmas is not the lavish celebration that it is here in the United States. In Managua, Nicaragua, for example, thousands of families live in La Chureca, a giant mountain of trash. The young and the old spend their days combing through trash with no hope of anything but survival. Their poverty takes no pause for Christmas.

For them, a day-off is not a unionguaranteed right, but a sure way for their children to starve. This condition can be seen across the world and in our own nation, although the worst off in the United States are kings compared the destitute of many developing countries. So as we get our new phones, clothes, and entertainment this year and remember the gluttonous feast that was Thanksgiving, we must do two things. First, we must realize how incredibly lucky we are to have been born to families with the ability to provide for our basic needs. It is so easy to take what we have for granted when we’re writing our Christmas list and focusing on all that we don’t have. Second, we must take action to fight against this poverty this season. Whether it’s a long term commitment of sponsoring a struggling child on the other side of the world or simply donating cans to the local food bank, any unselfish act will make an impact, especially during the holidays. Key Club is dedicated to achieving these goals, and with us, your holiday will become much more meaningful.

-Lexie Ford

MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SERVE

FUN TIMES ON FROSTY NIGHTS

A booming sound echoed as I stepped through the doors of my school’s gym. I looked up to see a speeding volleyball flying over the net and a player diving for the ball, making its seemingly unstoppable way to the ground. Score! One point! The cheers of an excited crowd filled the gym. Now perhaps to somebody unaware of the situation, this would have seemed like an ordinary volleyball game. However, this volleyball game was much more than just for fun or competition; it was actually a fundraiser for UNICEF to help raise money for children in need all around the world. Garland High School’s UNICEF club organized a volleyball tournament requiring all teams participating to pay an entrance fee. The money was then donated to UNICEF along with all the money earned from concession sales. Despite the fundraiser being initially organized by one club, it attracted a great amount of diverse participants. It was a sight to see indeed, multiple clubs such as Key Club, National Honor Society, Beta Club, and HOSA collaboratively helping raise money for a good cause all while having a ton of fun! If that wasn’t enough, the event even attracted two teams from different schools! Simply being in the building, you could feel the joyful atmosphere created by the emotions of both the players and the spectators. Some teams didn’t care too much for the competitive aspect of the tournament itself and instead just having a good time and playing with their friends. Other teams were highly competitive, making game plans and supporting their teammates, eager to be named the tournament champion. Similarly, the people that were not playing were either there to volunteer with the game, be with their friends, or to watch in anticipation of the winning team. In the end though, it didn’t matter the reason they were there because at the end of the day, everyone could leave knowing that they contributed to the good cause that is UNICEF. The UNICEF volleyball tournament provides an excellent model for creative and effective fundraising. It reminds us that fundraising doesn’t have to be dull, that you don’t have to stick to asking for donations or having another carwash. Fundraisers such as these prove to be extremely flexible. They make it easy to raise money while providing loads of entertainment, proving that it’s not hard to help your community and help yourself to some fun at the same time! -Tam Nguyen

This past November, GHS Key Club participated in our schools annual Homeless for Night sponsored by DECA. Homeless for a Night is an opportunity for us students to relate to the problem of homelessness and raise awareness as well. In doing so, more people will have knowledge of the situation these people are really in. In past years, everyone would bring cardboard boxes to stay outside overnight in our schools garden. However, due to the freezing weather that Texas had this year, it was not probable for the event to be held outside. Fortunately, it could be held inside in our school’s cafeteria, which ended up being the perfect size for this event. This year’s, Homeless for a Night although it was held inside, was surprisingly very exciting and successful! During the first twenty minutes, there was a fire camp outside, and we were able to discover the art of cooking delicious s'mores. Some people mastered the technique, and achieved a nice golden warm marshmallow, yet others were not capable of learning as quickly, so theirs were burnt and looked like charcoal. The taste was perfection nevertheless if you were able to get past the initial burnt taste. Although I showed up late, when I arrived, I saw people combining their cardboard boxes together to form one massive fort. To be honest, it looked pretty good for something that was probably made in fifteen minutes. Like every building made in fifteen minutes, it did not stay up too long. but what can you really expect from a group of high school engineers. Sandwiches, crackers, water, and cookies were served as snacks for the students. The home-made touch of the sandwiches made them stand out for me as one of the best sandwiches I have ever tasted. The rest of the food was adequate in comparison. The whole cafeteria was dark, so it made the environment feel more ominous. We grouped up and a movie started playing in the background. Turkeys and blankets were also donated by the students to provide for the homeless. When the event ended, we all gathered our things and went home. The event was especially insightful in my opinion. It made me realize all the things that I have to be thankful for. Not everyone has the luxury of a home like I do. These people live through what we had to go through every single day of their lives. They always have to search for food and shelter. I look to this as inspiration for Key club to use my situation to make the lives of others better. -Hogan Nguyen

Salty Soup Ivan Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was kitchen owned by the kittens. The kittens were the masters of the kitchen and created every food product that resided in the kitchen. They were as cheery as they could be while cooking to ensure that every meal they make was made with happiness. They accomplished this difficult task by always sprinkling a little salt in a bowl of water whenever a negative thought even crossed someone’s mind. Eventually all of this hate built up in the bowl and eventually this animated the bowl. And thus, a salty soup named Ivan came to be. Ivan was by far the saltiest soup in the kitchen. Ivan did not know anything past the torment and the upset thoughts, so he is still an innocent. He never meant to be rude or mean, but due to his upbringing it was all he understood. Nothing was ever good enough for him or anyone else. That pot was insensitively pretentious, blinding everyone with its shiny exterior; Ivan would tell himself that a pretty pot like that probably has nothing inside. However, Ivan actually wished someone would wash his bowl sometime. The cabbage was so pathetically colorful; Ivan told himself that it had no self-respect because it allows the kitten chefs to peel away at its leaves one by one. However, Ivan actually wished someone would use him in a recipe some time. Eventually, Ivan’s self-tormenting, bitter thoughts became its own source of salt, adding to his extremely unfavorable taste. The kittens’ food tasted bitter and gross because of their negative attitudes so the kittens became more bitter and angrier. One day, in desperate attempt of being great chefs once again, they tried to prepare a simple escargot. They took the snail out, but they were entranced by its appearance. Its shell was a brilliant blue with a golden-yellow swirl. This angered the kittens because they were not as beautiful as this snail and its shell, but the kittens were not nearly as upset by the beauty as Ivan who began to boil again. The kittens decided to drop the snail into the salty broth that is Ivan since there was no way a snail would survive the salinity. The snail’s name was Sucré. While Sucré was being dropped into what everyone thought as her demise, she smiled. When fully immersed in the salty waters of Ivan, she spoke kindly to Ivan. Ivan was immediately taken aback; he has never been offered kindness by the kittens. Slowly his saltiness simmered and his temper cooled; he was no longer angry at Sucré for the assumptions he previously made about her. However, she slowly dissolved away in the salty doom that was Ivan’s previous state. His salt was dissipating, but that only slowed down Sucré’s own dissipation. Slowly, Ivan became a lightly sweetened broth and all that was left of Sucré was her blue and gold shell as a reminder of the first sweetness given to Ivan the once salty soup. Key Club is meant to sweeten those that may be bitter against the world. Not everyone will be happy and cheery and as Key Club members, we must not allow this to deter us from helping them. Those that are the meanest are the ones that deserve help. Also, everyone gets salty at some point, but that should not define an individual like it did for Ivan. Key Club must be Sucré, even if it means losing time and energy, Sucré’s print of kindness will be left in the center of those that receive it. -Raquel Palma

D’Wayne the Koala One fine afternoon, a very unique happening occurred. D’Wayne, a little koala, was born. In all the history of koala ceremonies, D’Wayne had the most awkward koala dust glow out ever to be seen. Instead of a dull or bright silver colored koala dust, D’Wayne had mud shaded orange that was as bright as the morning star, and not even the head elder, Kelly, can comprehend what it meant. Since koalas turn away from change or difference, they shunned and feared of D’Wayne and what the future held if he stayed with them. A baby koala would immediately die if he were to be thrown out into the wild, so it became official that on D’Wayne’s 15th birthday he was to be kicked out of the mob and move to the city. Thus the start of D’Wayne’s awkward life started. 15 birthdays flew by like the speed of light and the koala grew up. He knew that he didn’t belong in the mob and there was something out there for him. Once the clocked hit 12am D’Wayne was shoved onto the first bus to the city. He was yet to see the difficulty it was for him to still look no older than an 11 aged baby koala, it was as if his body refused to mature and ever him puberty. Even the bus driver took a retake when D’Wayne handed him his I.D. The city was cold and cruel, but D’Wayne didn’t mind because he knew this was best for him. Once he reached the city he was directed by the instructions that he was meant to walk to his new home, Koala Academy, an elite school in the heart of the city, D’Wayne had no idea what to expect….all he learned was how to always be nice to everyone and help out in any way possible. That was all he really needed though, so he wasn’t scared at all to go to this new world. At first, D’Wayne was quiet and went through the motions of life. 2 weeks had passed until his roommate invited him to one of the school socials. Steve, his roommate, was kind enough to help D’Wayne join a circle of friends, who were known to be ‘do-ers’ and not bystanders, D’Wayne actually started living and was able to spread his simple knowledge throughout his cult of friends and they started volunteering around the entire city and became known for their involvement with the community. Yet, it took D’Wayne to take one step further when his girlfriend told him that he should make this open to everyone in Koala Academy. 2 days before D’Wayne’s sixteenth birthday, him and his friends were able to form an official club open to everyone: Key Club. By next semester, Key Club was a booming club that allowed the younger Koalas to also help the community and make a better city. Key Club gave high schoolers the capability to help others within an arm’s distance away. It made it possible for the minors to know they are able to help and benefit for themselves and the community. -Sabrina Palma

HELP

Holiday Season Service Ahhh, the holidays are here!!!! The year is coming to an end and the holidays are perfect. It has been a great year with all the volunteer events we have had. Turkey Trot was amazing. Even though we have to wake up early, to get to the dart station, it was worth it at the end. It was cold, but yet really fun, getting to volunteer on Thanksgiving Day. This event has been a tradition for us to volunteer every year and its great that we can get this opportunity. Now that we are in the holiday season, we should even help out more in our community. Donate to those who don’t have anything to spend with this season. This season is of giving to those in need. We can start off by volunteering at the Salvation Army or getting cans and donating those. We can make an impact on the lives of many people in need, by showing them care and helping them out. There’s always a lot of communities or people that are in need this winter and holiday season. Now is the time to see how one helping another makes a hug difference in someone’s or a community’s life. Take for example, Trash Bash this month. We helped out community by picking up trash. This helps our community be a better environment and makes us stay an even greener environment. We saw what the importance of recycling and what littering does to the environment. Every volunteer event you go to makes a difference to the community. We learn a lesson and meet a lot of people. At the end of the day, yes you are tired, but you have a smile on your face knowing that hey, I helped someone out today. It’s a great feeling. So this holiday season, give thanks to what you have and help out people in need. So many people out there have much less than what we do, and we tend to take those that w were already blessed with for granted. But to truly make a difference in the world, we must recognize the differences between the fortunate and less fortunate, and work to close that gap and unite all of humanity in happiness and joy during the holidays. Donate; volunteer anywhere, because your contribution is a big help to the community and its worth a lot more than you imagine it does.

Making Garla

I hadn’t realized that one park until I went to Tras park I couldn’t find any tras tiny that you could barely se like bottle caps or small scra ground. I found a bunch o need to start making Garlan up trash!

The fact that picking made me really think about event. I thought about it, a ment sounded like a nice th see a friend who had recen cided to go. Before we sta handed all of us a trash bag -up stick. When we went ou trash I couldn’t find anythin things already. Then I looked see small pieces of trash ev there was so much trash he was so much everywhere.

This really made me re didn’t think there were so picked up trash with my frie up a lot (it didn’t look like a small), but some people got found large pieces of trash. A were awards, I don’t think an but I’m not sure because I glad I ended up going to th picking up trash for Garland. that I haven’t seen in a long was the most fun event I we the event.

-Jackie Sandoval

-Shamir

Trash Bash

PING TO KEEP GARLAND BEAUTIFUL ON NOVEMBER 15

and Beautiful

t there was so much litter in sh Bash. When I went to the sh because the trash was so ee it. For example, there were aps of paper just lying on the of them, also cigarettes. We nd beautiful again by picking

up trash sounds really boring t whether or not to go to this and cleaning up the environhing to do and I would get to ntly moved to Plano, so I dearted to pick up trash, they and each group a trash pick utside to the park to pick up ng, but I saw people pick up d really closely and you could verywhere. I didn’t think that ere, but I was mistaken there

eally disappointed because I many people that littered. I end and I thought we picked a lot because the trash were their bag filled because they At the end of the event there nybody won from our school, wasn’t there till the end. I’m his event because I felt good . Also, I got to see two people g time. I wouldn’t say that this ent to, but I enjoyed going to

ra Kabir

Thankful for a Clean, Beautiful World People tend to forget the impact we have on our environment and our world. One piece of trash can hurt an animal ecosystem or pollute the water we drink. And it can also make where we live look less appealing. At Trash Bash I got the opportunity to help make the city of Garland cleaner along with my fellow Key Clubbers. Running around picking up trash on a cold Saturday morning may not seem like the ideal way to spend your weekend, but it’s surely a lot more fun when you have friends around and make it a competition to see picks up more trash. While picking up trash at the park near the Granger Recreation Center, I saw how much litter there was in Garland. Most of what I picked up consisted of bottle caps, broken beer bottles, cigarette butts, and candy wrappers (mostly likely from Halloween night). And then there were some strange items like a little monkey pin and a small broken wooden letter “W”. In fact there was a prize for the strangest piece of trash and it went to a boy scout troop who found just a single rollerblade. Seeing all of this made me realize that we as people truly don’t realize how of an impact we have. All those pieces of trash picked up had accumulated over time until we decided to go out it pick it all up, especially all the candy wrappers from Halloween. I know that many of us are taught not to litter and that does help, but it should also be important to teach others and to pick others trash. It’s a fact that people are okay with cleaning up their own messes but aren’t very willing to pick up another person’s trash. I know that I can be like that too when it comes to my brothers. However at the picnic they held afterwards, I saw how many people actually came out to help pick up trash. There were so many people that they actually ran out of tables and chairs. It was amazing to see that so many people cared enough to wake early on a cold Saturday morning and pick up other people’s trash. This event in particular meant a lot to me because ever since I was young I had always been environmentally concerned and wanted to keep the world clean and beautiful, although it was a fourth grade teacher who inspired these thoughts. However over time these beliefs became weaker as I realized a lot of people didn’t really care and as I stopped having time for such things. But seeing all these people work together to make Garland cleaner gave me some hope. And in a month dedicated to giving thanks, I am thankful for the people who organized this event and helped out and the wonderful and now clean city that I live in that helps those people organize such an event. But what I am most thankful for is Key Club and the people in it who gave me the opportunity to experience such an event. -Iris Wong

WHaT iS SerViCe? What is service? That's a good question that comes with many answers and perspectives. A concrete meaning of service is the action of helping or doing work for someone, but for a Key Club member, it means so much more. Service is the heart and soul laying the foundation of our organization. From it stems the never ending feelings of warmth and joy along with a mutual benefit for both parties. People often neglect or disregard the amount of welfare derived from the act of service. It allows the union of a community working hand in hand for a greater cause, a greater purpose. Not many actions can lead to a collective effort but with service, the possibilities are endless. Shaping our character, service can help us grow and mature into a better person with a heart of giving and helping and supporting others. Key Club expands our horizon and creates opportunities to partake in serving our community. By providing ways to capture the little moments that matter, Key Club builds memories and irreplaceable tokens of happiness. From service there comes inherent traits such as good character and leadership. Skills extracted through service includes compassion, critical-thinking, selfawareness, ethical implications, and discipline. Volunteering at events through various actions exposes members to new challenges and what the world has to offer.

Sacrificing your time and putting your effort into helping someone else defines your character. It develops through repeated actions of goodness that service provides and nurture. Simple actions such as picking up trash in a park or organizing local food drives overtime fortifies the minds of young adults and establishes a habit that will continue for the rest of their lives. Service fulfills our lives in a way no other activity can give us. It sparks a bond between humans by involving an interaction greater than talking with one another. The world cannot function without the human race working together to create something beyond ourselves and it starts with service. Service is contagious and therefore, can cause a ripple effect touching numerous lives in the process. Everyone comes from a different background with an array of hardships but in that one moment of helping each other, those worries fade away. Our only objective in life is not to just make ourselves complete, it is to help others realize the same fate. Through simple acts of service, our ability to make an impact on any individual increase to make this world worth living for. -Shanon Quach

UNICEF: MAXIMIZING MONEY The month of October is always an exciting time for Key Clubbers, because we can devote the whole month, or a large portion of the month the Unicef. Rather than only participating in Trick-or-Treat for Unicef on Halloween, our club decided to collect money for Halloween all month long and in return, we doubled the amount of money we usually collect from only one event. Here are some tips to ensure that you can maximize profits for next year. Utilize the whole month. Although you might have other things going on in the month of October (we definitely did) you might want to schedule an awareness campaign to help with collecting money for Unicef. When people know exactly what cause they’re donating to, they’ll be more inclined to donate to your cause. It would be best to start the month out with a campaign to raise awareness about Unicef, that way people have the opportunity to continue being informed all month long. This year we allowed people to take boxes around all month long and rotated our members our to allow people to get the opportunity to donate. Taking a box around the school all month long is not hard to do at all and usually the band and debate kids who have competitions every weekend are very thankful for the hour opportunity. Take care of the boxes. Since you’re using these boxes all month long, you need to establish a policy to make sure all of them return safely, or you can always order a separate amount of boxes specifically for Halloween as well. Be sure to keep track of who has a box to make sure people turn in money and bring their boxes back. We also found it convenient to implement a policy for replacing lost or damaged boxes if you end up not having a ton for members to use. Collect with caution! Make sure members understand that they are carrying money in their boxes and to keep the boxes in their site at all times! You want all of the money to get to Unicef! Inform neighborhoods ahead of time about Trick-or-Treating. It’s always smart to first ask for permission to collect money for Unicef by calling the H.O.A. in a neighborhood and asking if you can hand out flyers to houses at least a week in advance. Informing the neighborhood about your arrival could be the difference from getting chump change to getting crispy $20 bills. You never know! These recommendations definitely helped out our club and at the end of the day; a little extra work can allow for much more success with fundraisers! -Theo Winter

volunteer story of the month According to the World Giving Index of 2014, the United States tied Myanmar for being the most giving nation out of 135 that were taken into consideration. Whether it is a result of getting a tax deduction or because Americans have genuine streak of altruism, the world may never know. But it is safe to say that this feat was quite impressive and deserves at the very least a head nod of acknowledgement. Giving, it seems, is global. And global catastrophes are the biggest catalyst for the increase in volunteer work. Altruism increased after the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. And what followed the nuclear meltdown was the creation of what quickly became known as the Suicide Corps, the intention behind this organization vastly different from it’s name. It consists of retirees that are sixty years old and up who have volunteered to work at the increasingly dangerous nuclear plant. They cite the fact that, “the cells of an older person's body divide more slowly than a younger individual.” Therefore, they have the duty to work. To prevent the suffering of a younger generation with a risk of harm to themselves. This is not a death wish. It is taking responsibility for the nuclear plants that the generation of volunteers installed and supported. It is worry for their children and their grandchildren. And above all it is “nothing special.” More of a duty than something to be lauded. It is heart breaking and at the same time logical. Japan ranks 90 on the World Giving Index. Surely, if the United States is ranked number 1 untold stories such as these must be rampant in America. Key Club is an avenue to become a helping hand. I have never thought of it as any more or any less. Volunteering doesn’t make you special. And it won’t kill you if you don’t volunteer. But if we have enough, it only makes sense that we give up some for others who have none at all. So, the next time you shout, “We’re #1,” remember what our rank truly stands for. -Ashley Tsao

The FUN in FUNdraising Why is fundraising important for Key Club? Fundraising provides funds for Key Club and it also increases awareness about global causes such as ELIMINATE and March of Dimes; moreover it offers opportunities for us, as members, to give back and engage in our community. The funds we raise over the course of this year will help contribute to the fees of the highlight event *drum roll*, DCON, the District Convention that allows you to meet new people, interact with your fellow Key Clubbers, and further increase your love for Key Club, yea! Additionally, the funds also provide us with necessary materials and supplies for service projects and other activities. With this, fundraising entails a certain amount of responsibility. In order for any Key Club to have an adequate amount of money for DCON, supplies, and events, our fundraisers have to be successful. Some fundraisers include Chipotle, Photo booths during lunches, car washes, parties, tournaments, etc.

The purpose is, of course, to make money *cha-ching*; moreover, to achieve our goal of collecting money for a specific cause and/or event. Though some may perceive the whole process of fundraising as complex, it can be fun, especially when you’re doing it with your peers and friends. By having a large diverse group join together for one purpose, fundraising, makes it a lot more fun and ‘collective’. So, the first semester is coming to an end, and there will be a lot more upcoming fundraisers, make sure to be involved and participate!!! Remember, money doesn’t grow on trees (darn), so you need to put effort to MAKE MONEY and put the FUN in FUNdraising~ What’s more fun than raising a whole lotta money for a good cause? ……. Of course. Nothing. -Shirley Banh

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

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POTTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PAPERS edited by: Linh Nguyen photo credits: Hogan Nguyen, Iris Wong, Tiffany Yang

VOLUME 1 // ISSUE 8