The
EmpireKey
The Official Publication of the New York District Key Club
July/August 2014
Issue 2
DISTRICT BOARD 2014-2015
DISTRICT OFFICERS GOVERNOR SECRETARY TREASURER WEBMASTER EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT BULLETIN EDITOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS 1—SARAH STREBEL 2—ZACH PAYTON 3—CHRISTINE SHEN 4—FALLON BLACHARSKI 5—JESSICA MARQUES 6—ZAINAB NATHANI 7—ANISH JAIN 8—HENRY WANG 8A—CINDY PIETRAKOWSKI 9—CLIFFORD YOUNG 10—RYAN COFFEY 11—AARON CHEUNG 12—DIYU PEARCE-FISCHER 13—JAI AGARWAL
JACOB SPENCER HEATHER FARLEY ANUSHA SYED DANNY QIU THERESA LIN KIERA SOLOMON SHARON LIN 14—VACANT 15—LOGAN GRAHAM 16—HANNA NICHOLS 17—HAILEY ETHERTON 18—LEEANN OWENS 19—TAYLOR BARONE 20—VACANT 21—KENNETH VREELAND 22—BRYANA SNYDER 23—VICTORIA SYRACUSA 24—REBECCA MONROE 25—JULIA DRESSLER 26—VACANT 27—VACANT
H Y C
How YOU Can get Involved!
The Empire Key __________________
The Official Publication of the New York District of Key Club International Issue 2
IN THIS ISSUE 1 BOARD MESSAGES 9 DISTRICT UPDATES 11 MEET THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD 17 DISTRICT PROJECTS 19 THE ELIMINATE PROJECT 21 SERVICE SPOTLIGHTS 27 SERVICE PARTNERS 31 KEY CLUB 101 33 YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND WHAT DOES KEY CLUB STAND FOR? Mission statement Key Club is an international student-led organization which provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership. Vision We are caring and competent servant leaders transforming communities worldwide. Core values The core values of Key Club International are leadership, character building, caring and inclusiveness. Pledge I pledge, on my honor, to uphold the Objects of Key Club International; to build my home, school and community; to serve my nation and God; and combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions. Motto Caring–Our Way of Life
Visit us at nydkc.org
Executive Board Updates
Hello Mighty New York District! These past two months have been a fantastic storm of service projects, volunteering in various locations across the state, international encounters a la Key Club, and enthusiasm beyond belief. Although I could not attend ICON in Anaheim, California this year due to personal reasons, I nonetheless was extremely proud of all my fellow District Board members and Key Clubbers who were able to represent the Mighty New York District and bring it to its best light. In addition, I wanted to congratulate Laken Kelly, our IP Division 24 Lieutenant Governor, for being elected to the position of International Trustee! I am certain that she will do a great job serving the Florida, MissouriArkansas, and West Virginia Districts this coming service year. In addition, I would like to welcome Shane Meyers as our next representative International Trustee! Shane will be playing a major role in international-district communications and with his amiable personality and leadership skills, we can all rest assured that our district has been placed in the best hands possible. As Bulletin Editor, I am also the committee head for the Public Relations committee. This year we are planning an onslaught of various packets, flyers, and PSA templates for your clubs to use throughout the year as you continue to serve your community to your greatest ability! Keep up the good work!
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Yours in service, Sharon Lin District Bulletin Editor sharonlin.editor@nydkc.org
Hello All Mighty New York District! I first want to congratulate you on your fundraising efforts so far this year. $20,861.42 is a remarkable achievement and I can’t tell you how much of an impact you are making in your homes, schools, and communities. I want to talk to you a little about membership. How do you get more members to attend your meetings and become active parts of your Key Club? You connect with them on a personal level. I believe that the best way to get members involved in Key Club is to share your story on how you joined and mention the role model that brought you to your Key Club. I looked up to my club president my freshman year of high school and she invited me to the first Key Club meeting of the year. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be in Key Club. We need to connect with our friends and the underclassmen in our high schools. We need to convince them that if they attend this one meeting, their lives will be changed forever. Explain to them what Key Club has done for you; they will listen. Increasing membership isn't rocket science! People who go out of their way to show underclassmen this tremendous organization is how we will increase our membership and reach that goal of 13,000 dues paying members by LTC 2015. Thank you for your continued dedication to the mission of Key Club and service. I will see you all soon! "I sincerely thank you for your service to your homes, schools, and communities. It is because of people like you that make our organization great." Yours in service, Jacob Spencer District Governor jacobspencer.gov@nydkc.org
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Executive Board Updates Hey Mighty New York District!
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First off, I hope you all had an amazing summer filled with tons of fun and memories! For those of you who don't know, my name is Anusha Syed and this year I have the honor of serving as your NY District Key Club District Treasurer for the 2014-2015 service year! I am so honored to have been elected to this position and I am so excited to work with you all. I am currently a senior at East Meadow High School in Long Island, so I will be a senior for the rest of my term in office. This means I'll have plenty of time to work with you all and dedicate my senior year to my last year in Key Club! Last year I served as Lieutenant Governor of Division 6 and learned so much about dues collections, treasurer responsibilities, and fundraising report forms, which is why I chose to run for this position. I know school has already began for most of you and I hope you are all excited to get back on track with Key Club. There are tons of fundraisers to be done and along with fundraisers come Fundraising Report Forms! I am pleased to say I received a great number of FRF's throughout the summer, since I know some key clubs tend to get less active throughout the summer. Please remember to keep submitting FRF's after every fundraiser in order for me to record our progress towards our fundraising goal of $75,000.00. So far
we have raised almost $22,000 which is amazing! Remember, our District Projects for this year are the Make-A-Wish Foundation and St. Jude Children's Hospital. We also have our Kiwanis District Charities that are: The Eliminate Project, The Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center, Kiwanis Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation, and Kamp Kiwanis. And don't forget our Governor Jacobs Project, Water: The Key to Life; These are all great charities to donate to and fundraise for but keep in mind you can also choose to help out local charities/causes. If you have any questions or concerns please email me at AnushaSyed.treas@nydkc.org or give me a call at 516-655-9690! I hope you all have a great year, filled with lots of service and of course fun! Yours in service, Anusha Syed District Treasurer Anushasyed.treas@nydkc.org
Hey Mighty New York District! The start of the school year means many things such as the end of summer vacation. Although that may be a bit disappointing, it does mean that we as Key Clubbers are getting back into service! And for those who have been continuing to serve your communities over the summer, keep up the great work! Over the summer, I have been working on the New York District website and improving it in various ways. If you check out the website,http:// nydkc.org, you may notice that it looks different from before. The website has been redesigned and the information has reorganized to make it easier to find. I plan on implementing new features to the website and adding more content, but it would be great if you can all offer some input! The homepage has suggestions box in which you can anonymously submit suggestions. I can't wait to hear your thoughts! The website also has more resources than ever before on the resources page, so check it out! You can find resources that can assist in club recruitment, member engagement, officer resources, and others! There will be more resources being released soon, so it would be a good idea to
check back frequently for them. There's another important thing to the website that I haven't mentioned yet–service spotlights. If you go to this section on the website, you will find that a few clubs throughout the district have already submitted articles and photos for events that they have done. I highly encourage you all to submit articles and photos as well! It is a great way to share your stories and experiences at events with members across the New York district as well as with members in other districts! If would like to be featured in the service spotlights section, please email me. I know that this will be a strong year for the New York district and I look forward to an amazing year of service with you all! Yours in service, Danny Qiu District Webmaster dannyqiu.tech@nydkc.org
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Executive Board Updates
Hello Mighty New York District Key Club! My name is Kiera Solomon and I am one of the Executive Assistants for the New York District Key Club. I am a junior from Westhampton Beach High School in Division One. I have been a part of Key Club since I was a freshman in high school. I became very involved in this club, after I was able to hold my own fundraiser for a local cause that was very close to my heart. The more I became involved in this organization, the more I realized how truly incredible it is. We are a huge force of great people, who all have the same love for community service and helping others. That is why I am so excited to work with you all this year. I want to be able to lend a hand to the entire district whenever it is needed. I want to make sure that all clubs are able to flourish even more, so that we are able to have the most successful year yet! A major asset for clubs to flourish is their Lt. Governors. I will be doing a lot of work with all of the Lt. Governors to make sure they are doing all of their duties accordingly. If you are ever having any problems with a Lt. Governor, questions or concerns, please contact me. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication! Yours in service, Kiera Solomon District Executive Assistant kierasolomon.ea@nydkc.org
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Hello Mighty New York District Key Club! I hope you all have enjoyed your summers and are ready for a new school year! This past July, I was able to attend the 2014 International Convention (ICON), where I went to many workshops and built on my teamwork abilities as well as my leadership skills. ICON was also a great way to meet many friends and many other Key Clubbers and experience their passion for service as well as the different ways each of the districts worked. I am also honored that I got to participate in the international workings of Key Club, and especially grateful to the Kiwanians who sponsored me. Without their gracious support, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to attend ICON. I'd like to congratulate Laken and Shane for becoming a part of the International Board. I'm sure they will do a great job! Aside from ICON, I have also been working with the district committees. I hope to continue working closely with the committee chairs and with the board as well. I look forward to the new school year and hope to see an increase in membership!
Yours in service, Theresa Lin District Executive Assistant theresalin.ea@nydkc.org
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Executive Board Updates Hello New York District Beavers!
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School is beginning soon, do you know what that means? Regular Key Club meetings again! The beginning of the school year is a great way to recruit new members as everybody is excited and ready to go. A great way to recruit new members is to hang up posters as early in the year as possible, letting students know about when and where Key Club meetings are held. When making these posters, it’s important to make them appealing and informative. The Key Club store online offers a bunch of super cool items that could help with your recruitment process, such as free-yes, free!recruitment postcards. You’ll find recruitment postcards and other cool free stuff at the Key Club Store online. As you begin to recruit members, it’s important to stay organized. You will retain members if they can see they your board members are professional and upkeep an organized club. Secretaries hold a massive responsibility in keeping the club organized. Secretaries should be taking care of all the club paperwork, such as the Monthly Report Form and the Election Report Form. The Monthly Report Form is due on the tenth of every month, while the Election Report Form is due once a year- the due date beingSeptember 28th. Both of these Report Forms can be found on nydkc.org, under resources>club resources> Monthly Report Form/ Election Report Form. Check it out! The website has also just been updated, so that’s another reason to visit nydkc.org. After collecting Election Report Forms, I
will construct a Directory of all the clubs board members in the New York District. Using the information you provide me, I will also begin to email secretaries monthly about reminders, and general updates. I've received a ton of Election Report Forms and Monthly Report forms this summer, so thank you for that! Throughout the summer, I've worked on multiple projects and paperwork, as well as attending ICON. ICON truly was a changing experience that educated me immensely on the position of District Secretary and on Key Club International as a whole. If you are thinking about possibly attending ICON next year, I strongly suggest it! At ICON, the New York District Board conducted a board meeting in which I took minutes for. These minutes will be available soon as they are waiting approval at the Fall Board meeting, so keep an eye out! I’m extremely excited for this school year to start so that I can continue to see the amazing amount of work you all do! I wish you all the best of luck in recruiting new members and beginning new service projects. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact me at heatherfarley.sec@nydkc.org. Yours in service, Heather Farley District Secretary heatherfarley.sec@nydkc.org
Hey There, Mighty New York District Beavers! I’m Shane Meyers and I’m ecstatic to serve as your International Trustee this Key Club year! I can’t wait to work alongside all of you in order to improve your homes, schools, and communities. Don’t let my officer position intimidate you. I’m just like any other high school student in Key Club: I love naps, binge watching Netflix, and serving my community. I currently attend Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida where I major in communications. The job of an International Trustee is ultimately to link the districts to Key Club International, but during my term, I’d like to go one step further and work alongside all of my assigned districts in order to facilitate as much community service as possible. When it really comes down to it, our organization revolves around service and if I’m not encouraging this service in some way, shape, or form, then I don’t deserve the position of International Trustee. For this reason, I’m completely open to communicating with anyone in Key Club. If you ever need to talk to someone about anything Key Club, don’t hesitate to send me an email, a Facebook message, or even a text. By reaching out to me, you allow me to aid your district to the best of my ability!
better time to start than right now in this article? My favorite service project that I’ve ever planned was called St. Baldrick’s Day. This was a division wide event during which hundreds of students from four schools united and shaved their heads in honor of children with cancer. We held a small carnival for the head shavings and invited local media, the mayor, and minor celebrities to our event in order to maximize donations and get the Kiwanis Family name out there. After all was said and done, we raised over $75,000 for pediatric cancer research. It took more than six months of planning, but after seeing the difference a motivated group of teenagers could make, it was all worth it. If you have any questions about the organization, visit http:// www.stbaldricks.org/. Even though I won’t get to meet a lot of you in person this year, you should know that the difference you make in your communities inspires me every day. Thank you for all you do! Here’s to a productive, service-filled year!
With Thanks, Shane Meyers One of the ways that I hope to facilitate 2014-15 Key Club International Trustee to community service throughout the year is the New York, Illinois-Eastern Iowa, and Bahamas Districts by communicating with members about
different service project ideas. What’s a
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District Updates Past Lieutenant Governor of District 24 Laken Kelly has recently been elected to the office of International Trustee! The New York District Key Club is very proud of her for this amazing accomplishment. She will now be in charge of overseeing the international-district relations of the Missouri-Arkansas, Florida, and West Virginia Districts. Way to go, Laken!
The New York District Executive Board and Lieutenant Governors recently travelled to Anaheim, California to meet for their annual International Convention (ICON) District Board meeting. Currently, there are 13,000-14,000 members in NYDKC and the Board has been looking to cut spending in order to maximize its existing funds.
The New York District is currently trying to raise $25,000 for the Eliminate Project by the end of this service year. We are currently at approximately $3,000 and working towards our goal. Keep up the good work!
Governor Jacob Spencer will begin to send out monthly State of the District emails starting in September. Make sure to subscribe to his mailing list to receive these important updates!
Webmaster Danny Qiu has been busy updating the District Website, as well as adding Service Spotlights. If you or anyone from your club has recently participated in a service event, please make sure to take pictures and to write a short article to submit! Please send all submissions to dannyqiu.tech@nydkc.org and 9 Â
sharonlin.editor@nydkc.org!
District 8 Lieutenant Governor Henry Wang has recently started Humans of Key Club, a project to showcase the many different faces that make up our organization. He encourages all members to submit content for the website. Send your photographs and captions to humansofkeyclub@gmail.com to be considered for publication!
At the Key Club International Convention, the new International Board was chosen. Congratulations to Shane Meyers of the Florida District for being elected to serve as the International Trustee to the New York, Bahamas, and Illinois-Eastern Iowa Districts!
One important decision made during the House of Delegates at ICON was to increase dues to $7.00 to cover Key Club International’s current budgetary deficit. As of now, there is no word on what the dues are to be used on, however the International Board has discussed ideas. In addition, there will no longer be $0.50 taken out to cover the Youth Opportunities Fund, as it has been determined that the current budget pool is selfsustaining. This change will not impact any clubs’ chances of receiving a YOF grant.
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International Updates Meet the International Board 2014-2015 At the Key Club International Convention, delegates chosen from each District were given the task of electing the student leaders who would be representing Key Club on the international level for the next year. The votes have been counted, and the new board has been chosen. These students will be travelling across the globe to ensure that Key Club International runs smoothly,, so take a look at what they have in mind for us this coming service year!
Maria Palazzolo President
Email: ipmariapalazzolo@gmail.com
What I hope to accomplish: I have three goals for this upcoming year: I hope to make Key Club a household name. I also want to work with Kiwanis International to ensure that all Key Clubs have sponsoring Kiwanis Clubs, because that relationship is vital to the success of both organizations. My last goal is to reach the Eliminate Project Goal as it nears completion in 2015. I believe that these goals will move our amazing organization forward.
Kevin Zhang Vice President Email: zhangkevin2015@gmail.com
What I hope to accomplish: I believe that I can help continue to maintain an organization that will flourish for many generations to come. Member retention is a key component to this goal. We must ensure that the freshmen in our clubs are aware of all the future service, social, and leadership opportunities ahead of them while our seniors should be made aware of all the opportunities that lie ahead of them in Circle K. With Kiwanis membership declining, I believe that we can play an active role in helping solve this issue.
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Jenalee Beazley Trustee
Districts: California-Nevada-Hawaii,Ohio, Rocky Mountain Email: trustee.jenalee@gmail.com What I hope to accomplish: I want to spread the values and the genuine love of service for others to more students everyday. I want to help this organization affect more lives in a positive way.
Gary Cheng Trustee
Districts: Capital, Caribbean-Atlantic, Eastern Canada Email: gcheng.kci@gmail.com What I hope to accomplish: I want to end the Eliminate Project with a bang. I think it's important to utilize social media and internet resources to accomplish huge goals which at one point were thought unachievable. By creating an online service fair during Eliminate Week, I think Key Clubbers around the world will develop new ideas to share with their communities. In doing so, we can eliminate MNT even sooner!
Renisha Daley Trustee
Districts: Montana, Nebraska-Iowa, Southwest Email: rdaley.jamd@gmail.com What I hope to accomplish: To stress the importance of service, more awareness and promotion of the Eliminate Project and cohesiveness between the organizations as a whole.
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International Updates Tashrima Hossain Trustee
Districts: California-Nevada-Hawaii KIWINs, Georgia, Pacific Northwest Email: tashrima.hossain.kc@gmail.com What I hope to accomplish: As International Trustee, I hope to augment communication, cooperation, and contribution. My term as District Editor has taught me the power of publications, social media, and websites in uniting distinct individuals. I will regularly pair such tools with video/e-mail updates and Board meeting minutes/agendas, thereby making such an expansive organization just a little bit smaller. In terms of cooperation, I will showcase model clubs, foster relations within Kiwanis, and inspire members through the use of promotional materials. Finally, my primary contribution, I hope, will be via the Communications or Education and Development committees. Since the primary goals of both committees resonate deeply with me, I would like to continue the use of publications as well as other social networks as a means to both effectively communicate and educate.
Laken Kelly Trustee
Districts: Florida, Missouri-Arkansas, West Virginia Email: lakenkelly@nydkc.org What I hope to accomplish: I hope to help make the Key Club experience equally as amazing for club members, club officers, and district officers. As someone who has served as a general member, club officer, and district officer, I understand the concerns of members in each of these positions. I plan to use my experience as a tool to connect with these members and establish personal relationships with officers serving on my assigned district boards, and members within those districts. Communicating with members on all different levels of the organization, providing them with the information they need to better understand Key Club International, and being personable and approachable are all factors that I hope to implement as a part of my plan to increase member involvement and understanding regarding the International level.
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Nicole Lema Trustee
Districts: Alabama, Kansas, Michigan Email: trusteenicole@gmail.com What I hope to accomplish: Key Club is so enormous and internationally known for the love and service we perform for others. The simple fact that we have Key Clubbers from all over the world come together for the same causes, making an impact and changing the world in great numbers is truly amazing. In my role serving as International Trustee, I hope to build and grow the existing districts that I am assigned to, build a bridge of communication between the International Board and the members, and make Key Club a household name around the world.
Rip Livingston Trustee
Districts: Carolinas, Indiana, Kentucky-Tennessee Email: rlivingston@alabamakeyclub.org What I hope to accomplish: I hope to see Key Club harness its growth potential in every way possible by publicizing who we are and what we do. As a trustee, I hope to be a bridge that closes the geographical gap between Key Club members, clubs, divisions, and districts, promoting a sense of organizational unity and camaraderie. No matter what the goal, I simply believe that there is much an organization of 260,000 passionate teenagers can accomplish.
Robbie Mathis Trustee
Districts: Jamaica, Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee, Pennsylvania Email: robbiemathis@hotmail.com What I hope to accomplish: I hope to build education, unification, and communication through service to others.
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International Updates Shane Meyers Trustee
Districts: Bahamas, Illinois-Eastern Iowa, New York Email: trusteeshane@gmail.com What I hope to accomplish: I hope to inspire the same passion that I have for service within members in each of my districts.
Liz Moore Trustee
Districts: Minnesota-Dakotas, New England, Utah-Idaho Email: lizmoore11@comcast.net What I hope to accomplish: I hope to increase communication between all levels of Key Club, assist each District Board in making positive decisions to reach every member, and increase overall service hours and community impact.
Barry Seng Trustee
Districts: New Jersey, Texas-Oklahoma, Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Email: barry.seng@gmail.com What I hope to accomplish: I hope to spread community service and the message of caring around the world for Key Club International. Through Key Club, I want to bring the opportunity of service to others so they can change the world.
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District Projects Governor’s Project | Water: The Key to Life
Water is so essential to every form of life. Humans can live for a couple days without food, but without water, chances for survival are slim to none. In many areas, water is taken for granted—water to wash the dishes, water to flush the toilet, water to take a shower—but in many areas, clean water is hard to find. Many families drink water that is contaminated by deadly bacteria. Our mission is to provide clean, uncontaminated drinking water to those who need it!
Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation www.kiwanis-ny.org/lyme/
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Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center (North Shore, Albany, Buffalo) www.kiwanispediatrictraumacenter.org www.kiwanis-ny.org/kptc.htm
The Eliminate Project http://theeliminateproject.org/
Make-A-Wish Foundation http://wish.org/
Kamp Kiwanis www.kampkiwanis.org
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org/ 18
The Eliminate Project What is...
MNT stands for Maternal Neonatal Tetanus. In 24 countries around the world, MNT affect mothers and their newborns, killing one baby every nine minutes. It causes excruciating pain for the newborns, making their skins incredibly sensitive to light and touch, and giving them powerful convulsions. The survival rate is incredibly low.
Can MNT Be stopped? Yes! MNT is highly preventable. Just three doses of a $0.60 immuniza on protect mothers, who then pass on the immunity to their future babies. UNICEF and Kiwanis have partnered to eliminate MNT in many countries already. However, in 24 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, it s ll strikes babies and mothers who have li le or no access to health care — either because they are poor, live in remote areas or are caught in humanitarian emergencies. More funds and resources are needed to reach all babies and mothers at risk. In order to fully eliminate this disease, more than 100 million mothers and their future babies must be immunized. This requires vaccines, syringes, safe storage, transporta on, thousands of skilled staff and more. It will take US$110 million — and the dedicated work of UNICEF and every member of the Kiwanis family.
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Service Spotlights
Veteran’s Picnic On July 26th, I attended the Veterans’ Picnic at St. Albans Veterans’ Home with my home club, Cardozo Key Club, of Division 8, and Kiwanians from the Queens East Division. It was one of my favorite events, not just because we got food in the end for our hard work, but it was one of the events where we were interactive and actually got to physically help others. I really love attending walks to fight against causes, but events like the Veterans’ Picnic makes me feel even more satisfied on the inside knowing that I really helped someone. Once we got to the hospital, we wiped the tables and placed tablecloths on the tables outside. Then, we eventually went inside the building to escort the veterans downstairs. At first, I was really nervous about escorting the veterans because I didn’t want to do anything unintentional that would offend them and I was really afraid to talk to them because I know that they have done so much for our country and have went through a lot of experiences. However, I eventually got more comfortable because they were so friendly. After escorting many veterans outside, we eventually all grouped up and brought food and drinks upstairs to the veterans who preferred to stay inside. Although the event was tiring, I really enjoyed the event, being able to interact with others and giving back to those who served our country. I hope that there can be another event like this in the future, because I would really love to relive this experience. I truly do recommend Key Clubbers to attend an event like this because you can truly feel that satisfaction of giving back to others and it can increase your passion of doing service.
Michelle Tam Benjamin N. Cardozo Key Club Key Club President
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Meals on Heels On July 5th, 2014 Cardozo Key Club and Bronx Science Key Club went to The Carter Burden Center for the Aging to help out in the Meals on Heels project. Every week they send out food to the elderly who need them the most. As volunteers we get to deliver food to several people. There were three types of meals that was sent out, spaghetti with meatball (beef), ham and cheese (pork), and vegetarian burger for those who cannot eat pork and/or beef. They were also provided a cold pack, which included milk, oranges and other cold products. After we were given our respective assignments, with our partners (mine being BNCHS Treasurer Samantha Chan), we proceeded to deliver the food. Our deliveries went pretty well. The elders were so nice to us, and took their time to talk about our day and ask for our names. We got to go inside the buildings and see the amazing things that the Upper East Side had to offer. The walking also wasn’t too bad especially because we had a cart to carry our things. We had interesting people to deliver to like Mr. Rainbow, who asked for our names and asked us about our weekend. It was so nice to get to talk to the people we were helping because we usually worked behind the scenes and rarely get to personally work with the people we volunteer for. This event was so much fun, especially cause I got to do something different from our regular service events. It really felt like community service, it was also very fun walking around the city on a nice summer day. I really wish we could get to do this event again, because it’s definitely in my top five favorite volunteer events. I would like to thank The Carter Burden Center for all the work they do, and I really hope we get to work with them again! Joelle Chaves 2014-2015 Key Club Bulletin Editor Benjamin N. Cardozo High School
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Service Spotlights
Relay for Life Relay For Life has always been my favorite event. My freshman year Relay For Life was when I met my good friend Bonnie Yam, and this year was our 2 year anniversary! I know it sounds funny but milestones like that are important. It also makes it very special since it was during an event where we celebrate survivors. Survivors at this event, give you so much hope. They give you so many stories and inspiring moments. They tell you how their whole family felt about their diagnoses, how they felt, and how they feel now about being a survivor. It makes you realize that you really can’t take anything for granted. One moment you might be sitting at home having fun with your family, and then the next you’re sitting in a doctor’s office getting one of the worst news you could ever get in your entire life. Being surrounded by survivors give you a sense of self, you aren’t here for long so make everything you do worthwhile. The event started out a little rainy, I was very disappointed, although it did clear our after a few moments which made me much happier. The bus ride was pretty much like any bus ride you can expect. Once we got there I had to sign us in, along with our treasurer Samantha Chan, after some bickering we got everything settled. The other members had already set-up the blankets and were either lying down or playing ultimate Frisbee. The rest of the day went pretty well. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Ultimate Frisbee takes a lot of you apparently; I wouldn’t know I hate moving. The rest of the day was just hanging out with each other. You get to learn about each other during events like this, where you’re just allowed to sit around and relax with each other. Sometimes you hear people’s stories that you wouldn’t think you’d ever hear. Relay For Life has always been an amazing event for me. The entertainment, like the dancers and instructors, the food, pasta and fried rice and wraps, and of course the survivors, are so amazing. The coordinators of the event give so much to the people that are there. They never come short. We all had so much fun, and next year will definitely be better, since we plan on staying overnight. Thank you to everyone who came to this event, and made it amazing. You are all so great for spending a Saturday night for survivors. Joelle Chaves 2014-2015 Key Club Bulletin Editor Benjamin N. Cardozo High School
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Service Spotlights
Egg Rolls and Egg Cream Festival On June 8th of 2014, there was an event in Key Club called the Egg Rolls and Egg Cream Festival that took place at the Museum at the Eldridge Street synagogue. The event started at around 10AM when all the volunteers arrived at the synagogue to receive their breakfast and their jobs for the day. There were many different advisors that were in charge of the groups of volunteers at the different stations. The different stations included the stalls selling egg rolls and egg creams, the gift shop, the fan-making stall, and a kippah-making stall. The volunteer job that I had, was working at the gift shop and trying to sell the different items that were supplied to us by the Museum. All of the money raised from each of the stalls was for the synagogue. While volunteering at the gift shop, we tried selling all the items by advertising them and showing the kids how to use certain items that we were selling, such as the Jacob’s Ladder or the Chinese yo-yo. It was pretty fun demonstrating all of the merchandise and meeting a lot of new people while trying to sell them the objects to raise funds for the Museum. By Janelle Coccorpus 25
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Raiderfest Members of the Colonie Central High School Key Club helped bring the whole community together for a day-long event to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society. On May 31, 2014, Key Clubbers helped volunteer at the Carnival Game station at our school’s first Raiderfest. Various children happily participated in the games; thanks to the contribution of the Key Club members, the event was very enjoyable. Other events that occurred at Raiderfest included face painting, a rock-wall, informational “wellness” tables, vendors of crafts, jewelry, and food, performances by local bands, a pie toss in teachers’ faces, a dodgeball tournament, and a 5K run. Key Clubbers also helped set up hundreds of Luminaria bags dedicated to loved ones around the high school track. We helped our high school and community raise over $10,000 for the American Cancer Society in just one day. It was amazing to see how people of all ages could come together and help others on such a large-scale level. Next year, we hope to help out at Raiderfest again and accomplish even more.
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Service Partners Preferred Charities
Hospitalized infants and children need special pharmaceuticals and equipment engineered to work with their small stature. From the tiniest tube or milliliter of medication to ECMO, a formidable device that acts as an artificial lung outside the body, medicines and machines that help sick kids get well are specialized and high priced. Skilled pediatric professionals armed with evolving treatments and expensive tools work to save more than 14 million children annually from life-threatening injuries, birth defects, cancer, and numerous other ailments. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) is a nonprofit organization that raises money to benefit hospitalized kids while increasing awareness of its member hospitals. All CMN Hospitals contributions directly benefit hospitals, helping to purchase up-to-date equipment, train staff, conduct life-saving research, implement outreach programs and provide health care for children whose parents can’t afford to pay.
How YOU Can Help Host a coin collection Have a dance-a-thon Penny Wars Raffle away prizes “Guess the number of jellybeans in this jar” game Fashion Show
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Cook-off Eating Competition 5k Walk/Run Spaghetti Dinner Movie Night Talent Show Officer Auction
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. March of Dimes was founded by our 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the fight against polio. After the discovery of the polio vaccine, March of Dimes focused their efforts to improve the health of babies and has been successful with the help and enthusiasm of many grassroots volunteers. Since 1978, Key Clubs have hosted fundraising and awareness programs to support the March of Dimes, raising over $116,000 through fundraisers in 2011 alone! Key Club members, like you, can support the March of Dimes each semester: in the fall, raise awareness by hosting programs throughout November for Prematurity Awareness Month and in the spring, raise funds by participating in March for Babies, the March of Dimes largest annual fundraiser.
UNICEF, the only organization of the United Nations dedicated exclusively to children,works with other United Nations bodies, governments and non-governmental organizations to assist in children’s needs through community-based services in primary health care, basic education, and safe water and sanitation in more than 150 developing countries. UNICEF shares the Kiwanis family’s global commitment to children and has provided its extensive resources and leadership to assist in the Worldwide Service Project to virtually eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) from the globe. Since 1994, Key Club has been Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF and over the years has raised nearly US$5 million for iodine deficiency programs worldwide and HIV and AIDS programs in Kenya and Swaziland. Now it’s helping The Eliminate Project. The Kiwanis family, in partnership with UNICEF, is working to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus through The Eliminate Project. How? By raising US$110 million by 2015. Find out how you and your club can help save or protect millions of women and babies. Learn how to take part in fundraising and advocacy efforts. Keep up with the elimination of MNT and get inspiration from others. Go to www.TheEliminateProject.org.
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Service Partners Vision Partner
Vision Partner Nickelodeon inspires kids to take action and make a difference in the world. Through the Big Help and Worldwide Day of Play initiatives, kids and adults work together to plan events and activities in the following areas: health & wellness, education, service and the environment.
Co-Sponsors
For more than 100 years, the Hershey Company has been a leader in making a positive difference in the communities where its employees live, work and do business. Corporate social responsibility is an integral part of the company’s global business strategy. Learn more about how the Hershey Company is making a difference.
Key Club Co-Sponsor Rustic Pathways has 30 years of experience leading exceptional international education and service programs for students. With over 130 programs in 20 countries, Rustic Pathways is the global leader in its field. Recognizing our shared values, Rustic Pathways has partnered with Key Club to provide its members with the opportunity to broaden their global perspective while performing meaningful service projects in communities around the world.
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Key Club 101 What is a Key Club Service Partner? Vision Partner The Vision Partner package is our highest-level, year-round package. As a Vision Partner, you’ll have a unique set of opportunities: A toolkit of promotional rights and benefits that will drive business and awareness for your company Access to Key Club members A Key Club-related message for the general public A showcase for your company’s involvement with, and support of, Key Club’s mission Exclusive differentiation opportunities
Co-Sponsors The Co-Sponsor package is a year-round partnership. It’s ideal for companies seeking a specific demographic audience. As our Service Leadership Program for high school students age 14–18, Key Club presents a great opportunity. Co-Sponsors align themselves with an inspired and energetic teen demographic, and they receive: High-level, year-round recognition The opportunity to build awareness and relevance Access to the Key Club audience
Preferred Charities As a Preferred Charity, partnering organizations commit to providing various in-kind promotion and access benefits. In exchange, your organization will be recognized as a Preferred Charity, and Key Club International will encourage local club support via fundraising and service projects.
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Key Club 101 What is the Key Club “hierarchy”? Key Club doesn’t exactly have a hierarchy. Rather, it has a system of levels of organization that allows for a streamlined process of leadership. From individual members to divisional lieutenant governors and district officers, let’s take a look at the various positions!
Club
At the Club Level, you work with your high school or community-based Key Club to run fundraisers, projects, volunteer efforts, and local community service projects. The club is headed by a PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, TREASURER, EDITOR, and COMMITTEE CHAIR HEADS, along with other leaders as deemed necessary.
Division
Divisions are the territories into which districts are divided. They themselves are either subdivided into regions (for larger districts) or clubs, based on the population of Key Clubbers in the particular division. The New York District has 27 Divisions. LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS (LTGs) carry out the policies of the district and lead the Division. They can be assisted by divisional executive officers such as an EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, EDITOR, WEBMASTER, SECRETARY, or COMMITTEE HEADS.
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District
Districts are often divided based on states or nations, and usually align with the division of Kiwanis districts. Based on population or location, sometimes multiple states may be combined to form a distinct district. Each district is chaired by a GOVERNOR, elected by delegates at the annual district convention. In addition, a SECRETARY and TREASURER are elected. Some districts may decide to have appointed positions, such as BULLETIN EDITOR, WEBMASTER, and EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS.
Interna onal
Key Club International is made up of all clubs within its 33 districts, including foreign countries that may not be included in any district due to logistical issues. They are headed by the International Board, comprised of the INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, and eleven INTENATIONAL TRUSTEES, all of whom are elected at the annual International Convention (ICON). All elected officers are students and active Key Club members.
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Youth Opportunities Fund What is the Youth Opportunities Fund? Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) grants are given to Key Clubs and/or members on an annual basis. The fund provides funding assistance for various service projects, offering from $100-$2,000. The application process requires approval from the Key Club International Board, and applications must be received by October 15! The new YOF application is available on the Key Club website. Applications can be submitted via snail mail to the Kiwanis International Office at: 3636 Woodview Trace Indianapolis, IN 46268-3196, USA Attn: YOF Application Or you can fax your application to the Kiwanis International Office at 1-317-879-0204 0r email the application to yof@kiwanis.org.
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Try looking around your community for local opportunities to help out!
Ask around and see if there’s a common problem that people would like to see solved in the near future.
Conduct polls and talk to members of your community centers or other gathering places for people to see if there’s any complaints.
See if there’s a cause that needs help and ask if they could use some fundraising.
Start volunteering until you get a feel for how the work is, and then start to branch out to see what other volunteer efforts you can spearhead.
Ideas
See if any local children are having difficulty with schoolwork.
Gain connections within charities and hospitals and find out if they need extra hands around during the weekends.
Give your time to deliver gifts to lower income families.
Find out ways to improve and streamline the work being currently done at a community center near you.
Partner with the local CKI or Kiwanis clubs to see if there is any project you can tackle alongside them. 34
Contact Us
The Beaver Tree
Jacob Spencer | District Governor
Sharon Lin | District Bulletin Editor
jacobspencer.gov@nydkc.org
sharonlin.editor@nydkc.org
Kiera Solomon| District EA
Anusha Syed | District Treasurer
kierasolomon.ea@nydkc.org
anushasyed.treas@nydkc.org
Theresa Lin | District EA
Danny Qiu | District Webmaster
theresalin.ea@nydkc.org
Heather Farley| District Secretary heatherfarley.sec@nydkc.org
dannyqiu.tech@nydkc.org
John Goldstein | District Administrator nydkca@frontier.com
MAJOR EMPHASIS: “Children: Their Future, Our Focus” At Key Club International’s first convention in 1946, the organization was challenged to create a program to bring together every Key Club members to focus on making a global impact. That challenge resulted in the creation of the Major Emphasis Program (MEP), aimed at to helping “Children: Their Future, Our Focus.” The program is currently referred to as Major Emphasis (ME) based on a change of name by the 2010-2011 International Board. To fulfill the ME, Key Club International serves children in many ways. By working with Key Club International’s preferred charities, Key Clubs serve children by aiding other organizations committed to serving children. A Key Club’s participation in the ME is not limited to only serving our preferred charities. Participation in the program can be fulfilled when serving children by any means. Realizing the need and interest in supporting the ME through hands-on service, a new service initiative was created on a two-year basis. All of the hands-on service provided to children by Key Club International members can be directed to a single area of need to make a substantial impact. This service initiative directs and focuses the attention of Key Club members to serve children in a specific hands-on approach. Key Club members currently will focus their time and talents on The Eliminate Project, which is Kiwanis International and UNICEF joining forces to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. This program not
Key Club Fun Facts Did you know… The New York District has an official song! New York District Song I’m a New Yorker Born and a New Yorker bred, And when I die, I’ll be a New Yorker dead. Rah! Rah! New York, New York! Rah! Rah! New York, New York! Rah! Rah! New York, New York District GO WILD!
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Share Your Service If your club participated in a service event, send your high resolution photos and articles to sharonlin.editor@nydkc.org to be considered for publication in a future issue of The Empire Key.
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