Paschal Key Club Volume 4 | Issue 11 ď ś
Fun Fact: February was named after februum, which means purification
Key Clubbers look after children at MeLean Middle School
February 2016 Newsletter
Division 1S | Texas-Oklahoma District
11
What's Inside:
Upcoming Events!
Page 2
Page 3
The Conversation on Conservation
A Note from Your President and Editor
Page 4
Pages 5-6
DCON 2016
Page 7
Page 8
Meet the Board!
Baking Fees Away
Rounding Up New Fish
Page 9
22
Upcoming Events!
George C. Clark Book Shelving (4-5pm)
National Pancake Day Social (4-5pm)
Boys & Girls Club Mentoring (3:30-5:30pm)
Care Closet (3:45-5:45pm)
BB - Braille Bibles (4-5pm)
Race for the Cure Poster Distribution (TBD)
Recycling Club (3:40pm)
Agendas will be emailed HiKids Finish Strong Event (1:30-5:00pm)
Agape - Agape Feeding the Homeless (5:30pm)
PCM Picnic (TBD)
weekly during summer!
3
A Note from Your 3President and Editor Hey Key Club! I am so proud of what we've accomplished this month! We have been named one of the Top 25 clubs for the 3rd quarter and if we keep up the good work, we will be for the 4th quarter as well (we will find out at DCON). I'm looking forward to the last couple of months of my term as president. We will be continuing to serve our community in any way we can, so make sure to attend some events on the agenda. If you're going to DCON, you need a total a 15 service hours and if you want a graduation stole you need a total of 25 service hours. In addition, if you're interested in a leadership position for our club, don't hesitate to participate in the election, taking place the week after Spring Break. We need a fantastic board for next year to keep our club going strong! Yours in service, Page Trotter Hello, Key Clubbers! I can't believe that my term as editor is already nearing its end. It feels as though just a few weeks ago, I was on the high of being newly elected as your new editor. But we've come a long way since then. Y'all have truly amazed me with your dedication and humble service. Let's keep up the good work and show everyone what it means to be a Key Clubber! Thank you so, so much to everyone who sent pictures and took the time to write articles for this month. Y'all are amazing! Yours truly, Sue Youn Oh
44
2015-2016 DISTRICT PROJECT: The Conversation on Conservation
Conversation on Conservation focuses on maintaining, protecting, and improving our community and environment through conservation of electricity, water, and gas. Key Club will be focusing on three main branches of the environment throughout the year: 1. Water: How can we cut back on our daily usage of water, work to keep our water clean, and provide water to those in need? 2. Deforestation: This topic goes hand in hand with the defense of animals. It is our job to help stop the rapid deforestation happening everywhere, destroying habitats and natural resources. 3. Pollution: How can we keep the air clean, cut back on fossil fuels, and stop daily pollution? information taken from http://tokeyclub.com/2012-2013-district-project-the-eliminate-project/
5
Baking Fees Away Morgan DeHoyos
On February 20th, Paschal High School Key Club held the first fundraiser of the 2015 - 2016 school year. I currently serve as head of the fundraising committee and served as a member of the fundraising committee last year, so I’ve had experience in organizing a fundraiser. This year my goal was to plan a fundraiser that raised a significant amount of money so we could help people pay for DCON and improve our club's financial standing. With the help of fellow Key Clubbers Sujata, Sydney, Diana, and Reid, an idea for a spring fundraiser was hatched: a bake sale. I suggested hosting the fundraiser in my neighborhood, since it's very family oriented and full of generous and benevolent residents. A few of the moms were even Key Club alumni and told us about their trips to Key Club events like DCON. With all this mind, I knew the fundraiser would be successful. First and foremost, I had to spread the word about the upcoming bake sale. So I contacted all the families I babysat for in the neighborhood (close to 15 different families) a week in advance to inform them about the fundraiser. Every family I reached out to replied quickly with “Yes, I would love to help out!” or “I was in Key Club back in high school and would be glad to come out and support!” From the start, the fundraiser looked very promising. However, February 20th rolled around, and only about three people had volunteered to help. But since my address was on the newsletter, I was sure at least a few more people would trickle in. To prepare the fundraising goods, I made a quick trip to Tom Thumb and bought bags of cookie dough, Oreos, and brownie mix. I came home promptly to wait for people to show up.
6
Mary McMillan (left) and Chloe Underwood (right) hanging out at the bake sale
Moni Gunderson (left) and Page Trotter (right) are pumped for the fundraiser!
Although only two people were able to help with baking the actual goods, it all worked out perfectly! As time ticked towards 2 o'clock, the start of the fundraiser, over 8 additional members showed up to help! We had a beautiful poster (made by Page Trotter and Diana Lee) that immediately attracted people to us. When the clock struck 2 pm, neighbors flooded out of their houses to the lawn we were on to grab a sweet treat. Some of our delicacies included brookies (brownie oreo cookies made by the ever talented closet baker Esteban Cortez), chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies (made by the lovely Chloe Underwood), and donut holes (made by our amazing president, Page Trotter). All the donut holes, chocolate chip cookies, and nearly all of the brookies sold out within the first 45 minutes! Due to the rapid sales, Miguel Puga and Rafael Madrigal had to quickly run to the store and buy more bakery items. Business slowed after the first hour, but we still had a few people come by every once in a while. Many people simply donated a large amount of money, telling us to “keep the change”. Because of people like them, our fundraiser was a huge success. At the conclusion of the fundraiser, we had raised $202, which was way more than any of us had anticipated, or even dared hope for. Everyone who came to help with the fundraiser made stellar work of it. All the preparation and hard work we contributed was definitely worth it. I couldn’t wish for a better group of people to be surrounded by while hosting the fundraiser and I couldn’t imagine a more giving and kind neighborhood to host such a fundraiser in. These qualities and characteristics are what made this Paschal Key Club Fundraiser so successful and exciting.
7
Banking at the Only FOUR Food Bank months left!!!!!!
by Inho Kim
“Volunteers are the heart and soul of Tarrant Area Food Bank. Without volunteers, it would not be possible to respond to hundreds of hungry North Texans every day.” – Tarrant Area Food Bank website Paschal Key Club answered the call on June 22nd and helped sort out the charity items given to the Tarrant Area Food Bank. One of the Food Bank polices states that every item must be checked by a person before distribution, so every volunteer, including the regulars and other service groups, took up plastic gloves and went to work. The Food Bank was extremely precise and meticulous, with sections for inedible products (such as shampoo and deodorant), drinks containing
certain ingredients, canned foods, and many more, such as snacks and condiments. Our Key Club volunteers were at first like fish wading into uncharted waters, but there were regular volunteers who had worked for years to help us. As we began to get used to it, others did too, and we were able to quickly and effectively sort items. While working at the food bank, I learned that some products are still edible long after their expiration date. It made me wonder if the expiration date was created with food banks in mind in order to provide meals to the hungry. In one session, volunteers were asked to check the zucchinis stored in the warehouse. These zucchinis were not "fresh from the store" zucchinis, but involved ones which hadnow, been stored for post weeks. Surprisingly, Get and picturesmost from of the vegetables were fine with the exception of a few moldy ones that I the last DCON or Fall with cannot bear to describe in detail. This type of sorting could Rally only be done by volunteers, not machines, and through the process, we were able to provide #todcon2016! more food and satisfy the hunger of those who have fewer blessing than us.
April 21-24, 2016
7
88 Rounding Up New Fish by Claire Shipley
Cole Harper, both Key Clubber and JSA Governor, meets curious 8th graders with a welcoming smile. (Photo taken by Jennifer Andrews-Cox)
The evening of February 13th, Paschal Panthers involved in a club, sport, band, etc... gathered to welcome eighth graders and their parents and introduce them to our school and the various organizations and activities available at Paschal. We stood by our individual booths for two hours and talked with boys and girls from middle schools all over Fort Worth, asking them about what they were searching for and hoping to gain from joining in a club. Many said they were looking for ways to gain community hours for their college resumes, while some said they were simply trying get involved and make new friends, and others were just wanting to fit in somehow and understand the outreach programs that Paschal is involved in.
I spoke with many young, wide-eyed eighth graders about Paschal and effectively answered their questions about what high school has been like for myself. One of the most popular questions I was asked was about finding ways to get involved in Paschal. I immediately told them all about Key Club and how involved it is in helping the community: you can gain satisfaction from the knowledge that you’re helping and serving those who in need. It was really interesting to hear their numerous questions and responses, and see the excitement that brightened their faces when I told them about Key Club and Paschal. One girl in particular, told me all about how excited she was to come to Paschal next year and getting involved, but was having trouble finding a club that wouldn't take up too much of her time since she was also planning on playing tennis. I informed her that with Key Club, you get to choose what days to do community service and for how long, so that even the busiest of students can participate and contribute to their home, school, and community. I also told her about the countless opportunities available for volunteer work around the city for serving others. At the Paschal Eighth Grade Roundup, I was able to both meet incoming freshman and express my enthusiasm and fondness of the clubs and activities I have been involved in at Paschal. There are so many great and interesting organizations, such as Junior States of America, band, and Key Club. I related information about the opportunities available at Paschal to perhaps hundreds of new students, and they seemed reassured in knowing that there are many, many ways to get involved. I look forward to the day Key Club will welcome new members with open arms.
9
10
Meet the Board! Page Trotter, President
Diana Lee, Vice President
paschalkeyclubpresident@gmail.com 817-946-8718
Reid Yanney, Secretary
paschalkeyclubsecretary@gmail.com 682-597-9197
Sue Youn Oh, Editor
paschalkeyclubvp@gmail.com
817-694-5124
Sujata Dalal, Treasurer
paschalkeyclubtreasurer@gmail.com 817-313-0445 Members-at-Large Parliamentarian: Carter Dickson (817-781-5909) Historian: Jillian Daugherty Social Chair: Chloe Underwood Advertising Chair: Moni Gunderson Attendance Manager: Andrea Rios Lieutenant Governor: Vanessa Castaneda <ltg1S@tokeyclub.com> Region 7 Advisor: Ms. Newsham <reg7adv@gmail.com>
paschalkeyeditor@gmail.com
District Officers: Rachel Iselin (Governor), Lily Nguyen (Secretary), Emily Zhao (Treasurer), Matthew Riley (Editor), Megan Reynosa (Convention Liason, CL) <Position@tokeyclub.com>