Josie Suddeth “District Governor”
I still can’t believe it is the end of the year. It feels like I was elected last week. Even though the year’s end is drawing near, there are several points of important, unfinished business. If you think this year has been fun, you haven’t seen anything yet. DCON 2016 is going to be one for the record books. District Convention is an annual conference to celebrate the past year and kick off another great one. This year it will be at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa from April 1st-3rd. At DCON, you will elect the District Executive Officers, attend outstanding workshops, hear an outstanding keynote presentation from John Shertzer, have fun at the beach, earn our license to serve and so much more. Not only that, but you will get to connect with service oriented teens like you. District Convention made the big picture of Key Club click for me and so many others. If you haven’t already, talk to your club about going today! Early registration is due by February 12th and late registration is due by March 12th. Please contact me or your LTG with any questions. Elections for next year are also a hot topic. If you would like to run for a district executive position, please be sure to mail the interest form and contact Elections Chair Zierra that you would like to run no later than February 4th. At the club level, elections are also starting up. I highly recommend becoming an officer. We have so many opportunities in this world to make a difference and chase fulfilment. Taking the next step and becoming a Key Club leader allows you to do that in an indescribable way. In case you won’t be at DCON, I would like to thank you all for giving me the amazing opportunity of serving as your governor. All of the work you all do makes me smile and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without all of you. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill. Thank you NJ, for inspiring me to give my all. —Josie
David Guirgis “District Editor”
I’m fairly positive that, if you’re reading this and prepping for DCON, you’ve experienced some variation of missing out on the classic high school experience. Of course we’ve missed out. When one works as you’ve all done in making the world a better place, one sometimes forget to breathe. We sometimes forget to live out our teenage years; we sometimes forget to enjoy what we’re doing. And as we all go off into our futures—both the Key Clubbers lucky enough to spend at least another year with Key Club, and the seniors carrying its values off to college—I hope you guys never forget. I hope you guys never lose your balance. I don’t regret the time I’ve spent in Key Club; I regret, however, the days I forgot what it meant to have fun, both within Key Clun and outside of it. And it’s a fear that I think all of us, who are on the cusp of adulthood, have; I’m terrified of losing my inner child, of waking up one morning well into my adult life and realizing I’ve lost my ability to fall in love with my work and take pleasure out of it. So this is all I ask of you, really—to remember, always, that what you do will never be special unless you love it. And on those days when the work feels overwhelming, step back and sleep it off—and wake up tomorrow refreshed in the knowledge that you’re still as deeply in love with service as you were when you first came into Key Club. That’s all I can hope for. “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it-always.” ― Mahatma Ghandi With love - David.
This year the New Jersey district has done incredible things in your homes, schools, and communities and now it’s coming to a close. We have finally finished an incredibly successful service year. District Convention is just around the corner, and I hope to see you all celebrating the year there.
District Convention is an opportunity to celebrate everything, you as a district, have accomplished. Key Club is not only the largest student organization in the world, but a family. Branch out from the members of your club and interact with the hundreds of Key Clubbers from around New Jersey. Every one of you has a unique Key Club story. Share your story with those you meet and make some lifelong friends.
Kacie Hines “Int’l Trustee”
I can never thank you enough for your dedication and service to your homes, schools, and communities. Your creative support for The Eliminate Project and the New Jersey Federation of Food Banks is truly remarkable. I cannot wait to meet you all at DCON. Moreover, I hope to see you all again in Atlanta, Georgia for the 2016 International Convention. Here’s to many more years of being “the best of all the rest”! All the best,
Kacie
Devin Sun “Int’l Trustee”
Oh, how time flies. It seems like DCON 2015 was just yesterday; can you believe it? Now that DCON 2016 is right around the corner, we will be celebrating an amazing year of service, and rightfully so. As a term in the New Jersey District comes to end, I would like to thank you and your district leaders for your help in making Key Club what it is today. You, your clubs, and our district work diligently to truly represent Key Club International in our homes, schools, and communities. Always remember that there is a reason why we do what we do for Key Club; we do everything that we do and have done because we know that we can and will make a difference in the world around us. I would like to say, and I think I speak on behalf of the Key Club International Board: thank you for everything that you do for your homes, schools, and communities. As Key Clubbers, we do not get to physically see the fruits of our labor. What we do manifests itself not only in our homes, schools, and communities, but also in other states, other countries, and the future. To be a Key Clubber is to be a part of something larger than yourself. You may not realize it at the moment, but we as an organization are leaving a legacy that will continue to exist past our lifetimes. Our district and Key Club International as a whole have accomplished so much in 2015: we celebrated Kiwanis’s 100th birthday in Indianapolis, Indiana; we raised over $104 million for the Eliminate Project; and we welcomed Saudi Arabia as our 36th Key Club nation. If we were able to accomplish so much in 2015, I cannot wait to see what we as an organization will achieve in 2016. Considering that we recently welcomed Japan as our 37th Key Club nation, I’d say that we are off to a great start. —Devin
Are you an enthusiastic Key Clubber? Do you want to meet thousands of Key Clubbers from around the world while they celebrate a year of service? If so, you should consider International Convention! This year’s International Convention is happening from July 6th -10th in Atlanta, Georgia! The New Jersey District will be departing on July 3rd and returning on July 10th. We will make a stop in Virginia along our way to Georgia.
While in Georgia, we will have opportunities to visit several attractions in the area! During convention, we engage in workshops and vote on bylaws as well as International Candidates! ICON will cost $995 this year! You will not want to miss a week of adventure as we meet with passionate Key Clubbers from Canada, Aruba, Jamaica, and states across the United States! —LTG ZIERRA DEAN 005
This is the 70th annual Convention...District Convention. Attending District Convention is part of your training in becoming a Secret Agent of Service. At Convention, you will learn all necessary skills to carry out your Key Club operations successfully and make friends along the way. You will have the opportunity to attend workshops, led by the Agents of the New Jersey District Board of Trustees. Each workshop is tailored to different parts of running an operation - from officer workshops, to a Service Panel, there is something for all agents-in-training. Additionally, you will be involved in the process of electing the masters of headquarters (or Executive Board) for the 20162017 service year. During caucusing, you will have the opportunity to ask candidates questions and gage their readiness for being head spies. But have no fear, agents- Convention is not all work and no play! You will have the opportunity to meet masters of service at the Service Fair, dance it out at the Friday Night and Saturday Night-Skyfall dances. You can take advantage of the beach right outside the hotel and enjoy a well-deserved meal with fellow spies on the boardwalk. You will watch as the head spies of the 2015-2016 service year retire, and the 2016-2017 officers are installed. You will watch your fellow agents perform during the Talent Show and earn recognition of your successful operations during this past service year.
The New Jersey District of Key Club International officially extends our invitation for you to attend this year’s District Convention. We hope to see you at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa from April 1st-3rd for this year’s District Convention!
A tradition that Clifton High School Key Club has held for the past eight years is its contributions to the Giggles Theater. Each December, the school’s Key Club hosts a performance at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ for the pediatric department, presenting skits, jokes, dances, and musical performances. The performances aim to uplift the patients during difficult times. Clifton Key Club won a $2,000 grant from the Youth Opportunities Fund which has been donated to the Giggles Theater to continue to provide nightly shows for the pediatric patients. In addition, the club raised $100 to support the cause. The efforts of Clifton High School Key Club truly show the compassion of the Clifton community! The Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) is an endowed fund for Key Club International that provides funds to help Key Clubs execute their service opportunities. The YOF is established through gifts to the G. Harold Martin Fellowships – a fellowship that aims to fund service projects and recognize people who unselfishly contribute their time to the Key Club Program. YOF grants can help your club perform the service project of your dreams; start looking around your school, community, or world for things that need improvement!
“Food Drive Wars” Madison High School agent :: Mark Ozdemir What better to feed the volunteer spirit this holiday season than a little friendly competition? Madison Key Club has taken this idea to heart over the past few weeks by holding a competitive food drive. Teachers collected canned good from each of their class periods, to see who could come up with the most, and all donations were turned over to Interfaith Food Pantry, located in Morris Plains, NJ. The promise that motivated students was a reward of some sort, in the form of extra credit, a homework pass, or simply glory, to the winning class. The winning overall teacher would also be recognized with a special announcement. Madison came together through this competition to help end hunger, and the results were truly astounding. Teachers began to announce the competitive collection towards the beginning of November, urging students to donate, as every can would both feed a family in need, and feed the teacher's own ego through victory. Amidst busy school work, and with the holiday season seeming far in the distance, cans only trickled in for the first few weeks. However, the teachers were persistent, reminding students every day of the drive and enticing them with the rewards associated with donation. By the last week of November the spark was finally lit in the students. Cans poured into the collection boxes, and as classes witnessed higher and higher piles from other periods, they in turn donated more to compete. On collection day, the food was so plentiful that it was far too heavy to carry, and had to be wheeled down in large carts to our Key Club office. After a long lunch period of counting, we discovered that over 300 cans and boxes of food had been donated by generous students throughout the school. This is enough to have a significant impact on the lives of so many hungry families all over our community. The math department came away victorious in terms of number of items collected, and the winning students and teachers were given their well-deserved rewards. With the cold winter months approaching, Madison Key Club was able to spread a little warmth into the hearts of those in need, as food donors were rewarded with both coveted prizes, and the feeling of making a positive difference in the community.
“Operation: Blanket” James Caldwell High School agent :: Alec Tobin The James Caldwell High School Key Club’s service project this month was making blankets for those in need during this cold time of year. On January 13, approximately 25 key clubbers stayed after a general meeting to help make the blankets. Some members cut fabric to the appropriate lengths and others tied them together to create beautiful blankets. "It was really great to try something new and hands-on with our club members," said president Alec Tobin. "This is definitely a fun way to spend some time helping out the community, and we are looking forward to making more blankets in the future." In 45 minutes, 8 blankets were made to be distributed to two different organizations. Some will go to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Harlem Hospital Center for sick children who don’t have the resources for simple things like blankets. The rest of the blankets will go to Sisters of Life, a mission that houses young pregnant girls and new mothers in need. In both cases, the blankets will go to young children who could really use them during this time of year. With the success of this service project, the JCHS Key Club plans to continue making blankets throughout the winter.
“LACD Sports Clinic” Livingston High School agent :: Lawrence Lerman
An event that I love to attend are the LACD sports clinics. These clinics take place every Wednesday from October through June. These clinics offers children with special needs the opportunity to learn a variety of different sports. From first hand experience I enjoy helping each kid learn a new sport each week and to see their happiness makes every volunteer feel appreciated. When you see the child play the sport you taught them you feel proud of not only the child but yourself.
“LCMR Food Drive” Lower Cape May Regional High School agent :: Caleigh Manyak “Holiday Circle” Egg Harbor Township High School agent :: Hanson Ky Annually, my home Key Club at Egg Harbor Township High School hosts a project known as Holiday Circle. Held around mid-December around the holidays, about forty volunteers spend their Saturday at an elementary school helping out at a children’s party. The Key Clubbers have to plan the party, as well as host it. Although the preparation sounds hectic, the event itself is always a success. This event has a reputation of continuously bringing a smile on someone’s face because of the joy and excitement during the project. Holiday Circle is truly one of my favorite projects because there are a variety of activities for the children, volunteers band together to create an exhilarating party, and the endless excitement. At Holiday Circle, there are a diversity of activities and games for both the children and the volunteers. For example, there is a face-painting station where a volunteer will paint whatever the child would like on his/her face. Moreover, there are many arts-and-crafts activities in which the children paint a picture or construct an image out of glitter, popsicle sticks, and much more. Also, children enjoy playing a game of “Put the Red Nose on Rudolph” where they are blindfolded and have to place a red nose on Rudolph. Finally, there are other activities like meeting Santa, Simon Says, and Freeze Dance! There is always a great turnout of activities and games to sustain the children and volunteers! With much planning and preparation put into Holiday Circle, there is always a great deal of responsibility required. Key Clubbers spend countless months putting their time and effort for a great turnout. Consequently, there needs to be mini-projects for volunteers to create decorative posters, to bring food in, and so much more. However, Holiday Circle never fails to impress me. Without the Key Clubbers and their passion, Holiday Circle would not exist in the first place. The amount of teamwork and dedication put into this event always baffles me. Finally, Holiday Circle always has a pleasant atmosphere because of the happiness at the event. Nothing beats the smile of both the children and the volunteers after months of preparation and a day of fun and enjoyment. This event brings us Key Clubbers closer together, and it really makes our generation connect with the lower ones. Holiday Circle definitely gives us the opportunity to be amazing Key Clubbers with a desire of service. I think it is safe to say that Holiday Circle is a circle of teamwork, happiness, service, and exhilaration.
We all know the holidays can be a rough time for everyone financially. While some are struggling to fill their children's stockings, others are striving to put food on their family's table. Because of this, every November Lower Cape May Regional's Key Club hosts a food drive for the students and faculty to donate to. We place boxes in every classroom in the school and administrative building the first week in November and collect them the half-day before Thanksgiving break.
This year, we raised over 1500 cans and non-perishables for our food drive. After counting and checking the dates of every can, a few specifically dedicated Key Clubbers stayed after school, loaded up their cars and took the food to three local food banks, St. Barnabas of Villas, First Presbyterian Church of West Cape May, and Seashore Community Church of the Nazarene of Erma. Along with food and nonperishables, many of our key clubbers were also thoughtful enough to bring other products like shampoo, toothbrushes, and soap, which are just as needed to impoverished families Delivering the food is always our key clubbers favorite part of the process. Every year, the supervisor of the food bank in the St. Barnabas church always cries and it really resonates with our club. We see how desperate people in our community are for simple necessities like food and it breaks our hearts. But it's also uplifting to know that we can make a difference in our community, even if only a few families are touched. Each year, our club and school prove to be even more excited to help our community any way we possibly can.
“Stocking the Pantry” Rancocas Valley High School agent :: Zierra Dean For the Rancocas Valley Key Club, we have three monthly events. The first event happens on the third Wednesday of each month. Officers and members of the club walk to our local food pantry located at Sacred Heart Church. We support the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. The church is about an eight minute walk from RV. Once we arrive, we help unload various perishable foods. We make an assembly line and pass the food to each other, and place it in the correct spot in. Although it gets cold to walk during November-February, we are able to keep many members involved and help the food pantry.
MEMO: AARF On behalf of the New Jersey District, thank you all for filling out your Club Monthly Report Forms.The CMRFs have allowed the District Board to recognize and celebrate all the hard work you do. The work you put into your CMRFs does not go unnoticed! CMRFs will be helpful in filling out the Annual Achievement Report Form, or AARF. The AARF will be used in offering clubs recognition during District Convention and, possibly, International Convention! If you have been filling out your CMRFs in a timely fashion, it will make filling out the AARF much easier! The AARF is the culmination of all the CMRFs, and therefore all your clubs’ accomplishments! Here are some important notes about the AARF: How do I fill out the AARF? If you have been completing your CMRFs monthly, you can use them to transfer necessary information to the AARF. You can either: Fill out the AARF by hand OR Edit it electronically. Where should I send my completed AARF? The AARF must be received by March 7th, 2016, and sent to: Mrs. Helene Meissner 166 Oaklyn Road Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 Once again, we are proud to see all the work that clubs do via the CMRFs. The AARF is your chance to put all your work together in one document for a chance to receive the recognition you deserve! Please feel free to contact either myself or your respective Lieutenant Governor with any questions!