January, 2021 Newsletter by Matthew Friedman

New York District Division 7 w elcomes you to…

Newsletter January 2020

Table of Contents 1

Cover

Table of Contents

Lieutenant Governor's Greeting

Governor's Bulletin

Empire Key

Service Spotlight

Member of the Month

Dues

LtG Election

Strategic Plan

Service and Fundraising Goals

Service Ideas

Fundraising Ideas

NYDKC Projects

New York Kiwanis

International Partners

Social Media

Paperwork Tracker

19-20

Contacts

Lieutenant Governor’s Greeting:

Hi Division 7, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great holiday season and were able to safely celebrate with your family. For all of my fellow seniors, good luck on your college apps. Early Decision and Early Action decisions are coming out now, and I’ll give anyone who tells me where they are committing a shoutout in the next weekly update and newsletter. To start out, congratulations to our past Lt. Governor, Max, on committing to Vanderbilt and one of my Executive Assistants, Katrina, on committing to BU! As we progress throughout January, it is important to note that Key Club activity is picking up again. Make sure to keep up with the amazing paperwork submission you have been displaying so far. As always, keep hosting club meetings and service projects to engage members and help the community. Read through the newsletter for some project ideas. In addition to increased club activity, there will also be more activity on the division to international scale. This newsletter will go over the rapidly approaching deadline for dues submission, and it also touches upon our upcoming Lt. Governor election (I promise there will be a peaceful transition of power following a free and fair election). LTC promotion will also gain traction throughout the month. Before I close my greeting, I just wanted to acknowledge that it’s been a crazy week, and you can always reach out to me if you need to talk. I’m here to support all of you, both in Key Club and life in general. Best, Matt Friedman

Governor’s Bulletin:

Empire Key:

Access the latest edition of the Empire Key here: https://bit.ly/2K3TxEZ Submit articles for the next edition h ere: https://forms.gle/KBDJKcWqD6JPWstx6 5

Service Spotlight:

Lynbrook Key Club

Now more than ever before, there is a chronic blood deficit between what is needed by hospitals and what is collected at blood donation centers. A major source of donations is high school blood drives, but few schools are holding them this year. [Lynbrook High School is] one of the few organizations that was able to think outside of the box. To combat the crisis, the LHS Key Club teamed up with the New York Blood Center to hold its annual blood drive, despite obstacles posed by the pandemic. It took place on Saturday, Dec. 19 at the Lynbrook Knights of Columbus located at 78 Hempstead Ave. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., more than 65 students, staff, alumni, and community members dropped by to donate, and more than 80 pints of blood were collected, saving around 240 lives. Co-presidents of the Key Club, seniors Carly Tucker and Marti Candel, were very pleased with how the event turned out. Tucker said, “Even though this year is not what we planned, we’re still so thankful that so many people came and donated. We love our Key Club family!” Candel added, “We look forward to our next drive in April and continuing all of our work throughout the year [in order] to do what we can during these difficult times.” Excerpt from article written by Julia Swerdin (Lynbrook High School), see the full piece here: https://lhshorizon.com/6177/news/key-club-hosts-blood-drive/#photo

Member of the Month:

--Nominate Someone You Know--

Know someone that has been going above and beyond with their Key Club duties? Nominate them by filling out the form! Selected nominees will be featured in The Empire Key and/or NYDKC social media. 7

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWYtBOBUZxzWbKhlV8 mphht_zpvX6NlDi0rotnDqwD-k08Vw/viewform

Dues:

The Early Bird deadline for dues has passed. Let’s try to get all of our dues in soon though, so we can meet the regular deadline. If your club is facing difficulties with paying dues this year, please reach out to me individually. With that said, here are some important facts about dues: ＄ Minimum dues cost (KCI and NYDKC dues) is $13 but clubs can charge up to $ 20 to raise money for their own purposes ＄ Dues can be collected however works best for you and your club (cash, online transactions, checks, etc.) ＄ Update your club roster through the Membership Update Center before paying dues to the Key Club organization ＄ Both club advisors and secretaries have access to the MUC ＄ The regular deadline for dues is February 1

Paying dues is extremely important because they facilitate District and International level Key Club events. For example, revenue from dues enabled a free Fall District Conference with amazing Keynote Speakers to be held. Additionally, only dues-paying members in your club are officially members in the Key Club organization. This means that only members who pay dues can put Key Club on their resume/college apps, run for higher offices, or apply for Kiwanis scholarships. 8

LtG Election:

Division Seven will be holding an election for the 2021-2022 Lieutenant Governor this month! It will take place on Friday, January 15 at 7 PM. Candidates will deliver a two minute speech, and then all officers present will have the opportunity to ask questions. Keep in mind that questions must remain appropriate and focused on a candidate’s ability to act as an LtG. No personal questions will be allowed. The questioning period will last five minutes (only the candidate’s speaking time counts), so come prepared with ideas for questions. After both candidates have spoken, the vote will take place with each school possessing equal representation (two votes). I promise to peacefully give up power to whoever wins. Good luck to all candidates!

Strategic Plan Committee: Are you ready to help the New York District create a strategic plan for navigating the next 3 to 5 years? In order to help the District adopt long-term changes and ensure its growth, the Strategic Plan Committee was formed, and it’s chaired by our former Lieutenant Governor, Max! However, he needs your help to develop this plan. Make sure your opinions are heard by filling out the Google Form linked below. The views of all members, regardless of their position in Key Club (district board, club officers, or general members) or grade, are valued. Once you complete the survey for yourself, share it with your members so they can voice their thoughts as well. Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmYY8jrn1A6chcsSTta-cmj9v NXw_oxtP2Q14EwS3fVn2d8w/viewform

Service and Fundraising Goals: This is our progress as of January 10, 2021. Let’s keep working on those goals by filling out MRFs and FRFs!

Service Ideas: Rather than going into detail on a small number of projects, this edition of our Division 7 Newsletter will list a large number of ideas with few descriptions. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the ideas! ● It’s midterm time! You can help out your fellow students and t utor them as they prepare for midterm exams ● Help out doctors and medical practitioners across the world by volunteering for Translators Without Borders to share healthcare texts

● Volunteer for B ookshare to scan and edit books for those with disabilities

● Host a Color-A-Smile e vent

● Write cards thanking healthcare professionals for their efforts ● Help out local children through t utoring or publishing instructional videos ● Work with a local c risis hotline t o help members of your community

Fundraising Ideas: As with service projects, this newsletter edition will contain many ideas, but there will not be deep elaboration. ● Use the s earchscene or e cosia search engines to fundraise for environmental projects

● Go for a run with C harity Miles a ctivated to support a charity

● Show off your knowledge through the UNICEF Math for Good platform to support education across the world 13

● Host a Movie Night o r Video Game Tournament fundraiser event to collect money for a charity of your choice ● Sell some popcorn on the D ouble Good Popcorn f undraiser platform

NYDKC Projects:

District Project: We selected Project Hope to be our District Project this year. This organization “addresses the world’s greatest public health challenges, transform[s] lives and uplift[s] communities.” In the recent months, Project Hope has worked to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic. It also provides general medical aid to resolve health challenges around the world caused by a lack of access to care. By partnering with local healthcare practices and local officials, Project Hope ensures that adequate care is provided, and it also respects national sovereignty along with local customs and culture. If you are thinking of an organization to support with a service project, consider Project Hope. It’s a great organization that helps people both in the US and around the world. You can help by holding fundraisers or holding a service event with a member of the Project Hope Speakers Bureau to raise awareness. You can find more info here: https://www.projecthope.org/ways-to-help/get-involved/

Governor’s Project: C anines for Disabled Kids (CDK) is this service year’s Governor’s Project, meaning it is endorsed by the New York District. This organization’s mission is to increase “independence for children with disabilities and their families by promoting service dog partnerships, understanding and awareness throughout the community.” It provides service dogs to disabled children- at no cost to families- in order to boost their quality of life Supporting 14

CDK through fundraisers or service projects will help provide a priceless gift to a disabled child: his or her own service dog. Find out more here: h ttps://caninesforkids.org/

New York Kiwanis:

In addition to the Governor’s Project and District Project, numerous other groups are endorsed for Key Clubs in New York by Kiwanis. The New York District of Kiwanis runs three main charities: P ediatric Lyme Disease Foundation, Kamp Kiwanis, and P ediatric Trauma Center. ● While Kamp Kiwanis did not hold sessions this summer due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is hoping to restart activity for the 2020-2021 summer. You can still help the organization prepare for this and make it extra special for those who missed out on camp this year by fundraising or hosting a service project to lend a hand. ● Insurance does not generally cover Lyme Disease, so the Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation was created to help families pay for the treatment of children with it. The prevalence of ticks in New York leads to elevated Lyme Disease rates, so this program is especially important in our state. ● Kiwanis also sponsors multiple trauma centers to help provide medical care for children throughout New York State. These help provide low cost, high quality care to families across the state. You

can help a local center out through a joint service project raising awareness or a fundraiser.

International Partners:

Nickelodeon is one Key Club’s international partners. Key Club partnered with Nickelodeon because of its major campaigns regarding children’s health. Its Worldwide Day of Play program reinforces the idea that the world should be more active, and the company hosts numerous events across the world to get kids active on this day. Nickelodeon also initiated the Get Dirty Campaign to educate kids, families, and teachers about ways to protect the planet. Facilitating these projects with Key Club service projects will help many people become more active and teach people the importance of caring for the Earth. Another one of Key Club International’s Cause Partners is UNICEF. This is the only branch of the United Nations dedicated exclusively to helping children. It cooperates with other UN 16

branches, governments, and NGOs to provide for children’s needs in more than 150 developing countries. This is accomplished through community-based services in primary health care, basic education and safe water and sanitation. You can help raise awareness for the organization through service projects and host fundraisers to support its events.

Social Media:

District: @NYDKC Division: @NYDivision7 International: @kci2021

District: @NYDKC Division: @NYDivision7

International: @KeyClub

Paperwork Tracker:

Updated 1/9/21

Contact Information: Division 7 Lieutenant Governor Matthew Friedman, division7@nydkc.org

Division 7 Internal Executive Assistant Alex Eckstein, alexeckstein5100@gmail.com

Division 7 External Executive Assistant Katrina Tronco, katrinatroncooo@gmail.com

Division 7 Secretary

Chloe Moskowitz, chloe.moskowitz@lynbrookschools.org

Division 7 Editor Wren Allegra, wren.allegra123@gmail.com

Circle-K Lieutenant Governor

Omar Gabr, omar.gabr@nycirclek.org Kiwanis Lieutenant Governor Ralph DeSena, rdesena@aol.com

Kiwanis Committee Representative Rebecca Ovadia, woodsidekiwanis@gmail.com

District Governor

Mariam Makar, governor@nydkc.org

District Secretary Jason Xiong, secretary.nydkc@gmail.com 19

District Treasurer Winnie Huang, nydkctreasurer@gmail.com

District Editor Rachel Joh, editor@nydkc.org

District Webmaster Kristen Lew, webmaster@nydkc.org

District External Executive Assistant Anthony Lim, anthonylim.ea@nydkc.org

District Internal Executive Assistant Tatiana Solodova, tatianasolodova.ea@nydkc.org

District Administrator Mr. Goldstein, nydkca@frontier.com

Assistant Administrators Michael Berthel, mjberthel@gmail.com Jason Stenier, ianjs@aol.com