EHTHS Key Club Newsletter Volume XVII Issue 5 by Pak Chau

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

THE KEY CHAIN The Official Newsletter of the Egg Harbor Township High School Key Club

It’s No Yawn, Cause It’s ICON!

Key Clubbers go to Walt Disney World for ICON Page 8

https://Keyclubehths.com

T H E K E Y C H AI N

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

KEY CHAIN CONTENTS Ar t i c l e s

Featured Article

On the Cover: Key Clubbers from the New Jersey District go to Orlando, Florida for this year’s Key Club International Convention featuring the internationally -known Disney World.

“ Time to ‘Relay’ the Tents! ” - The annual Relay for life event ended up on the day of a ferocious storm! All the relayers seek refuge inside. Read more - Page 7

, Editors Letter Dear Key Clubbers, I hope everyone is enjoying there summer as much as I am. Even though the weather’s been crazy lately, it’s still nice to get a nice tan at the beach; just remember to put on some sun block on. Anyway, There’s still a lot of events coming along the summer so pay close attention to the Facebook page for further reminders. Enjoy the rest of your summer and remember to continue attending summer events — these hours count towards the 2012-2013 year Yours in Caring and Service, Pak Chau EHTHS Key Club Bulletin Editor

https://Keyclubehths.com

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

MESSAGES & ELIMINATE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Hello my beautiful Key Cubs! I hope you all are doing well and having an amazing summer! Don’t forget about that summer homework that you have! Also remember that we still have summer projects and that you’re keeping up with our Facebook page because we occasionally receive projects. Just because the school year’s over doesn’t mean that the world stops needing our help! As August approaches, that means the 4H Fair and the Kick-Off Party is as well. Make sure to stay updated about when these events are so you can get a head start in your service hours for this school year. The 4H Fair can give you up to 40 service hours! Isn’t that great?! Also, this summer, our Division 1B Lieutenant Governor Kelly Tran, Preferred Charities Committee Chair Ahsan Ikram, and I had the pleasure of attending the 69th International Convention in Orlando, Florida. I spent a week with some of the most amazing Key Clubbers from around the world. I met people from Cali-Nev-Ha, Pacific Northwest, Nebraska, and even Jamaica. It’s so spectacular to see that so many Key Clubbers from around the world share the same passion for service as I do. International Convention helps you form lifelong friendships, new ideas for the upcoming school year, and it gives you a completely revamped view on Key Club as a whole. I encourage everyone to attend International Convention next year as it will be in Washington D.C. which is homed in the Capitol District. KCDC! Have fun during the rest of your summer and remember to KEEP CALM AND CARE ON! Love you all, Key Cubs! Yours in Caring, Friendship, Love, and Service, Valerie Wong EHTHS Key Club President

KEY CLUBBER. I MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION. BY PAK CHAU AND CYNTHIA THURAIRAJAH Bulletin Editor and Recording Secretary Question: Who are you and what is your position? Answer: I am Cynthia Thurairajah and I am the Recording Secretary of the EHTHS Key Club. Question: Why did you join Key Club? Answer: I joined Key Club because our Corresponding Secretary from two years ago said it was fun. I had no clue what it was but I joined anyway.

https://Keyclubehths.com

Question: Do you like Key Club? Answer: Yeah! It’s a family full of caring people! Question: Would you recommend it to others? Answer: I think Key Club is a great way to expose yourself to the rest of the world and still have fun. Question: How has Key Club impacted your life? Answer: I got to make a lot of new friends and help people all over the world.

3 3

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

THE ELIMINATE PROJECT

OFFICIALWEBSITE

Fundraising Results 2012. TheEliminateProject.org. The New Jersey District Key Club attended the annual Key Club International Convention which took place on July 4-8 in Orlando, Florida. During the event, New Jersey was proudly recognized as the district to raise the most money for the ELIMINATE Project during the 2011-2012 service year. The total amount raised by the New Jersey District was approximately $100,000 altogether. The New Jersey District surpassed the fundraising goal by over $20,000 (original goal of $79,180.38). This year, the goal has been set for $100,602.23 which represents the approximate 100 million mothers still in need of vaccinations, the 60 thousand mothers that die each year from Maternal Neo-Natal Tetanus (MNT), 2 powerful organizations (Kiwanis and UNICEF) working to eliminate (MNT), and 23 divisions that make up the New Jersey District Key Clubs.ď ś

OFFICIALWEBSITE

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

MAJOR EVENTS EVENTS

Project Graduation

BY PAK CHAU Bulletin Editor

Every year, EHTHS hosts an event called Project Graduation which is basically a party for all the seniors that are graduating. Seniors and one guest of their choice stay at school the night after graduation and enjoy a whole night of fun and partying. The school is transformed into a wonderland for the occasion. However, redressing the whole school in decorations is not an easy task. As usual, Key Clubbers were there to help with the school to set up the event. Key Clubbers helped create and hang the decorations throughout the school to turn a building that they go to everyday to learn into a paradise for seniors enjoying their last day. Decoration themes ranged from Candy-Land, to superhero cutouts outs, to Alice and Wonderland décor and many more. Afterwards some Key Clubbers even got stay and enjoy the party as invited guests. The night was a huge success and the seniors got to have one more night together before heading out to their life beyond high school. 

Getting Dirty with Kiwanis

Social Committee Chair Hai Le (left) and VBAT Committee Chair Alan Hyunh (right) help set up the Candy Land themed decorations in the cafeteria.

BY PAK CHAU Bulletin Editor

Kiwanis is teaming the EHTHS Key Club to clean up the streets of EHT once again in the near future for another road clean-up. Much like the annual Community Pride Day clean-up, volunteers start from the Shore Mall, grabbing all trash within the one and a half mile section of the street, and end at Spruce Avenue. The collected waste, assorted into trash and recyclables, are collected by garbage trucks. A lot of Key Clubbers might think this is just a boring event that involves picking litter off the ground; however that assumption isn’t true at all. Yeah, it does involve picking up trash but it is not a boring event at all. The fun comes it what you find in the street. Ranging from coconuts to a pair of high heels to bikini bottoms, this project is the definition of interesting. Even though the trash is a really interesting part of the project, the most interesting part is undoubtedly working with the Kiwanis members. Although it might sound boring hanging out with people triple your age; it’s the fact that you’re working with older people but still share the same passion to serve your home, school, and community that makes this project, so enjoyable and rewarding.

EHT Kiwanis President Paul Hodson (left) teams up with the EHT Key Club, including Bulletin Editor Pak Chau (right) to clean up one the busiest roads in EHT during the annual Community Pride day.

Other Branches of the Kiwanis Family OFFICIALWEBSITE

Elementary School

High School OFFICIALWEBSITE

Middle School OFFICIALWEBSITE

Adults OFFICIALWEBSITE

College & Univeristy OFFICIALWEBSITE

Adults with Disabilities OFFICIALWEBSITE

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

EVENTS

Kicking Off with a Kick Off Party!

Key Clubbers introduce themselves, their positions, as well as Key Club to the incoming eighth graders from middle school that areinterested in joining Key Club.

Key Clubbers explain each of the committees in the EHTHS Key Club to the incoming members so that they have an idea of what committee they would like join.

BY HAI LE General Member

Immediate Past President Jessica Fung (left) and Immediate Past VBAT Committee Chair George Haddad hold the spirit stick from Fall Rally to spread some Key Club Spirit.

Happy summer Key Clubbers! As days pass, we are getting closer and closer to the beginning of school. But we are also getting closer to one of Key Club’s annual traditions, a kick off party. Every year the Social Committee plans a party to “kick off” the new service year with the assistant of the rest of the OCC Board. Although it is called a “party”, it is really more of a hang out with Key Club’s members to welcome in the new members and just hang out with the Key Club alumni and current members. The kick off party will most likely be held at Tony Canale Park. We are going to utilize the park in almost every way possible to ensure there are activities for all. Some of the activities we are planning to incorporate are tug-a-war, volleyball tournament, tennis ball tournament, balloon fights, etc. It is not certain that we will have everything listed, but hopefully most of the activities named can be a part of the kick off party. As a member of the OCC board I can guarantee that we will do our best to make this year kick off party be a great experience for all. 

4h - Head, Heart, Hands, and Health!

BY BRYAN WILLIAMSON Key Club Alumni

What does the 4-H Fair stand for? There are some things in life that are better left unanswered, (even though I’m sure you could find it out if you just Googled it), and this is one of them. The 4-H fair is all about serving food to help out our local Kiwanis. Who are the Kiwanis, you ask? Well, we’re part of the Kiwanis Family, and they basically preside over us and help us. So, during the 4-H fair, we help out to return the favor. We help by serving the delicious, fatty, greasy, and yummy food that they concoct in a freshly painted shack that is used three days a year. The 4-H fair is easily my favorite Key Club project, and one that I will never forget. There are tons of fun to be had in that 115 degree kitchen during those days in early August. You can choose to either battle your fellow Key Clubbers by serving food to anxious customers, take it easy by fetching the beverages (and telling people to have “a watery day”), or you might have some fun by high fiving our beloved, wonderful, and amazing vice-president-with nacho cheese sauce all over your hand. The 4-H fair is by far the best Key Club project EVER (to me anyways) and I encourage you to take chances, go a little crazy, and help out our Kiwanis by serving Americans what they love best: hamburgers loaded with cheese with a side of French fries loaded Key Club Alumni Dyaln Freas serve food to the seemwith more cheese. Oh, and don’t forget those eight Pepsis. Can’t wait for this year’s! ingly endless line of customers at the 4H Fair.

https://Keyclubehths.com

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

EVENTS

Time to “Relay” the Tents!

It was the first time going to the Relay for Life event and I had anticipated it being the highlight of the summer even many months before school ended I expected it to be one of the best events ever but when I got there, it was a let down. The event seemed ruined as it started drizzling and I had forgotten to bring a tent. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, I also didn’t pack a suffice amount of food. I then headed towards the nearby boardwalk which I knew would put a hole into my wallet and searched for food. My luck changed after a few friends and I found a McDonalds. We had a decent dinner and when we walked back to the track for Relay for Life, the skies cleared and everyone worked together to set up tents. Key Clubbers enjoyed a good hour just having the time of there lives until another storm approached . We grabbed our tents and rushed inside a nearby school gym as lightning thundered over us and forty-five

BY PAK CHAU Bulletin Editor

mile per hour winds blew us side to side. Once inside the gym, the event proceeded. There was a band playing and everyone was enjoying the event. Afterwards, the people running the event put on a video which showed all the cancer survivors and their families. Then they laid out paper bags with the names of the survivors with supportive messages and wishes. After reading some of them, my inner little girl that lived deep within me shed a tear and I realized that although Relay for Life was not only an event to support finding a cure for cancer but also a reminder to make the times last with family and friends. After a moment of silence, the event was scheduled to end at an earlier time. Although Relay for Life didn’t end up as the fun, overnight hangout I thought it would have been, I still look forward to going again next year. I still had a life changing experience that I am sure I will never forget.

Mood Chart at Relay for Life. RelayforLife.org. 1.) Relay for Life starts and I am extremely excited for the event. I’d been counting down the days before school had even ended.

2.) Starts to drizzle and everything goes wrong.

3.) The rain stops and all my problems are solved.

5.) A video featuring cancer and survivors starts playing and my mood drops.

4.) A storm approaches but the rush to bring everything inside while the fighting the forces of nature was strangely fun. While inside, everyone was enjoying the dry environment while listening to a live band perform inside.

7.) I left, but with a life lesson: to enjoy all the time you have with your friends and family.

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

INTERNATIONAL/DISTRICT

“ICON” Never Forget about ICON BY KELLY TRAN Division 1b Lieutenant Governor

EHTHS President Valerie Wong (left), Lieutenant Governor Division 1b Kelly Tran (mid left), Parsippany Hills general member Angela Arcinas (middle), Tenafly Treasurer Hayley Austin (mid right) and Tenafly Secretary Marisa Wong (right) enjoy their trip to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, one of the three parks Key Clubbers got to enjoy during the Key Club International Convention hosted in Orlando, Florida.

Although Key Club International Convention didn’t commence until July 4th, many districts had the pleasure of unlocking the magic of service by browsing through the wonders of Orlando, Florida prior to convention. Namely, the wonderful world of Disney! For me, the best part of browsing the Disney parks weren’t the attractions, although they were magical, but it was being able to run into Key Clubbers from other districts. With each new encounter, the excitement for convention grew and grew. Waking up every day before convention meant being one day closer to being surrounded by thousands of Key Clubbers who shared the same passion for service. By the time convention rolled around, shrieks could be heard throughout the Hilton Buena Vista Hotel as old friends reunited and new friendships were formed.

Though we sincerely apologized in response to all of the noise complaints, the enthusiasm in those short four days was simply uncontainable. At convention, our mighty New Jersey District was recognized for having raised the most money for the ELIMINATE Project as a whole district as well as raising the most money per member. Having a personal soft spot for the ELIMINATE Project, I couldn’t have been more proud in that moment. In an attempt to keep this short, Key Club International Convention 2012 was an unforgettable experience. The Florida District did an outstanding job as host-district and I’m sure the Capital District will make next year’s convention just as memorable! 

Key Club International Board Elected. KeyClub.org During the Key Club International Convention, the new international board was elected for the 2012-2013 service year. The international board this year is composed of International President Rebecca Riley, International Vice President Caitlin Stroup, as well as International Trustees Marc Chen, Cecelia Ferguson, Yein Ha, Calvin Leung, Ratan Manohar, Betty Stearns, Jack Vielhauer, Mary Alice Peng, Joel Nomdarkham, Kayla Lash, and Colten Meisnerv.  Key Club International President and Vice President Rebecca Riley (left ) and Caitlin Stroup (right) were elected by delegates around the world..

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

INTERNATIONAL/DISTRICT

Say Hi to Tenafly! The end of the school year always comes with goodbyes. Everyone says goodbye to their graduating classes and go on their separate ways for summer vacation. For Tenafly it is always bittersweet to see our senior friends graduate but the end of classes by no means translates to an end in Key Club service. The Key Clubbers of Tenafly were working furiously on projects before, during, and after the end of the school year. Around the few finals weeks of school we held an annual Key Club barbeque in which we celebrated the transition of our immediate past officers to our new ones. The event is always a fun tradition open to all our members who want to come. This single event alone required a lot of organization and planning, as we are a fairly large club. Luckily everyone pulled together and the event went off spectacularly. By the time graduation rolled around, Key Club had stopped meeting for about a week due to final exams and half days, but that didn’t stop us for helping out with our class of 2012’s graduation ceremony. The Key Club was there at the football field to help out with setting up, handing out programs, seating people, and most importantly handing out ice cold water in the

https://Keyclubehths.com

BY ROHAN KINGAN President (Tenafly)

historical heat. Our graduation ceremony turned out to be an amazing one, thanks in part to everyone in the Key Club who came to lend a hand. Finally during our final days of school we worked hard to help organize a summer event put on by the charity organization Giants of Generosity. The event itself was held during the summer vacation. Once again, the Tenafly Key Club showed that it could rally its forces and brought a sizeable number of members to do anything from serve food to help guests to their seats. I was pleasantly surprised at how well things went even though we had not been officially meeting, as we did every Thursday during the school year. Key Club events in Tenafly do not end there either! This year five of Tenafly’s members attended the Key Club’s international convention in Florida. We hope to hear all about the fun they had, as well as the things they learned and the ideas that were inspired there. We are currently planning on an officers meeting during august to discuss ICON and the future plans for Key Club, as well as another event for anyone who wants to come and hang out. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, service never stops in the Tenafly Key Club! 

Having a Blast at MAST!

BY ALI PHAM Bulletin Editor (MAST)

During the summer, everyone is always so busy with summer camps, vacations, and even SAT Prep Courses. It’s hard to synchronize schedules when summer time is so hectic! At the MAST Key Club, trying to fit in service hours can sometimes be hard to do. However, staying active is definitely still a priority, especially over the summer. One of our summer service projects is a community garden in Middletown, New Jersey. Volunteers help with weeding, watering, and harvesting vegetables in the garden to donate to our local pantry. Local projects make for great volunteer activities because we’re able to see the immediate difference that we make for our neighbors and communities. To stay active, many club members dedicate to a single service project weekly. Whether it be the ASPCA, the local library, or even candy striping at hospitals, making service a routine activity in our week can make a huge difference in service hours. And for those members who have tons of free time during the summer, volunteering with different organizations keeps them productive and busy. Making the time to help others is important to our communities and our commitment to Key Club.  Tenafly High School Key Club (left0 plays a game of “ninja” as an icebreaker to get members and non members to get to know each other. MAST (right) helps create a garden at a nearby park.

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

KEY CLUB PHOTO WALL PHOTO WALL

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

KEY CLUB FUN PAGE FUN PAGE I will now be taking nominations for Key Clubber of the Week. All you have to do is fill out the nomination form below and put it into the “Editor’s Mailbox” out side Mr. Stevenson’s room and the nominee might have a chance to be featured on this page! They might even be featured in one of the games below! Nominee’s Name: Nominee’s Grade: Three Facts About the Nominee:

Comments:

KEY CLUBBER OF THE WEEK: Ahsan Ikram ABOUT: He currently holds the most hours of all Key Club members in the EHTHS Key Club and he attended this year’s Key Club International Convention in Orlando, Florida. - CONGRATULATIONS AHSAN

Caption this:

You are drawing SUMMER SERVICE For Pak C.

THE SILENT ONE

THE EXPLOSIVE ONE

THE BROWN ONE

THE ONE THAT CAN SHUT EVERYONE UP

THE ONE THAT’S EVERYWHERE THE DICTATOR

THE PHYSICS MASTER

Can you match each of the board members with an angry bird that resembles them? Hint: The board members are Valerie, Parth, Vi, Cynthia, Selina, Pak, Michael, Tiffany, and Kelly. Answer: Michael (Silent), Valeria (Dictator), Cynthia (Brown), Vi (Happy), Pak (Everywhere), Kelly (Explosive), Selina (Pretty), Tiffany (Shut Up), Parth (Physics

Return to Pak to consider publishing in letter.

THE ONE THAT’S ALWAYS HAPPY

THE UBER COOL/ PRETTY ONE

Volume XVII, Issue 5| July 21, 2012

T H E K E Y C H AI N

CONTACT YOUR OFFICERS

REMINDERS...

Valerie Wong President (609) 742-3868, president.valerie@gmail.com



Join the Facebook group if not already part of it and check for updates and projects!

Parth Parikh Vice President (609) 576-9885, prparikh02@gmail.com



Be sure to get the word out to all your friends who are incoming freshmen to join Key Club and attend the kick-off party! Date to be determined.



School is about to start soon. Get all your summer work done soon!



Start saving up for your membership dues as well as for the annual Fall Rally event that takes place at Six Flags: Great Adventure in the fall.

Vi Nguyen Corresponding Secretary (609) 742-3455, KC.NguyenThVi@gmail.com Cynthia Thurairajah Recording Secretary (609) 440-3366, recording.cynthia@gmail.com Selina Su Treasurer (609) 442-5975, Shongsu95@gmail.com Pak Chau Bulletin Editor (609) 553-3366, pakwachau@gmail.com Michael Tran Webmaster (609) 788-4845, michdaotran@gmail.com

Next General Meeting

Tiffany Luong Sergeant-at-Arms (609) 969-3333, saa.tiffanyluong@gmail.com

Check Facebook! Next OCC Meeting

Kelly Tran Division 1B Lieutenant Governor (609) 432-9204, ltg1btrank @gmail.com

Check Facebook!

“Caring - Our Way of Life”

www.keyclub.org 3636 WOODVIEW TRACE INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46268 • 317.875.8755 • US AND CANADA: 800-KIWANIS