2015 November Club Newsletter

NOVEMBER EDITON - TEXAS-OKLAHOMA DISTRICT

NOVEMBER EDITON

Photo Credit: Cypress Woods

NOVEMBER EDITON - TEXAS-OKLAHOMA DISTRICT

T-O DISTRICT CLUB NEWSLETTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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GOVERNOR’S UPDATE

FROM RACHEL ISELIN Hello, Texas-Oklahoma!

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Thanksgiving is only a few days away and 2015 is coming to a close. It's bittersweet to think that my final year in high school and my final year of service to Key Club is starting to come to a close, but getting to experience it all with YOU has been a dream come true. As we start the holiday season, please keep the heart of service alive and work with your clubs to giving back to those who are less fortunate. There are many that do not have the opportunities that we have and we can do so much to improve the qualities of their lives.

This past weekend, Brendon Nguyen, Vanessa Castaneda, Nolan Ford, and I had the opportunity to attend an AMAZING Key Leader. It was an incredible experience and we got to meet so many amazing people. We will be posting a recap on the website, so stay tuned!

Are you interested in being a Staff member next year or being a Lt. Governor? The Candidacy forms are now available online at tokeyclub.com. Please check these out and consider the positions very carefully. They require a lot of time and dedication, but are definitely very rewarding experiences. More information on each position can be found within our District Bylaws which are uploaded on our District Website.

Please use the new Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF certificate to recognize club members’ contribution to eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus. And, most importantly, send in their hard-earned funds to receive recognition for their work by December 31st. Funds should be mailed to:

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The Eliminate Project: Campaign Office Kiwanis International Foundation P.O. Box 6457 - Dept. #286 Indianapolis, IN 46206 ATTN: Trick-or-Treat

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Please write the club name and club number on the memo line of the check-so we can make certain that clubs receive the recognition and credit they deserve. Thanks again for being a part of our worldwide effort to change history and save lives. You are truly making a difference!

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Yours in Service, Rachel Iselin

SECRETARY UPDATE FROM LILY NGUYEN Hey T-O Key Clubbers!

I hope you all had a fantastic Key Club Week, celebrating service and spreading your Key Club passion everywhere. If you didn't already know, I've been appointed to serve as your District Secretary for the remainder of the Key Club year. I want to stress that I am YOUR District Secretary, and I am always here for you if you need any help, Key Club related or otherwise. I can't wait to see the cool and innovative service projects and fundraisers your clubs come up with in your monthly reports.

CLUB SECRETARIES SIGN UP FOR THE…

CLUB SECRETARY REMIND101 TEXT “@tosecr” to 81010

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Speaking of monthly reports, continue to submit your monthly reports by the 5th of the month. Make sure to send them to my home address under Secretary Resources, not to the District office or to the former District Secretary's address. As the holiday season approaches, this is the perfect time of year to give back to your friends, family, and community.

As such, I expect great service projects in your Activity Sheets in the upcoming months! Also, the Task of the Month of November is up on the district website (http://tokeyclub.com), so check that out if you haven't already. It's a fun and easy way to gain up to 10 extra points for your club. For this Task of the Month, you must CC me in your email as proof.

Remember that you can also still send in past reports, too. As the saying goes, it's better late than never.

I'm working diligently to write and send feedback from July-October as quickly as I can. I know it can be frustrating to go months without communication, but please bear with me in this time of transition. I plan to send out these feedback soon, so check your emails regularly for that!

At that point, I'll be all caught up and ready to serve you more fully. If you're ever unsure about reporting, remember that there are plenty of sample reports on the district website under Secretary Resources. The Jolly Book of Wisdom is a great go-to resource for all things monthly reporting. If you still feel completely lost about reporting after viewing these documents, please contact me. We'll work it out, whatever it takes!

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SECRETARY UPDATE FROM LILY NGUYEN

Speaking of contact, it's never too late to update your Club Officer Contact Information (COCI) on the District Website! This information is imperative to get in contact with you. If you haven't already, simply go to the district website, log in with your school's username and password, and click Update Member Information under the Members Only tab. If you don't know your username and password, contact your faculty advisor first. If that proves fruitless, contact our District Administrator at administrator@tokeyclub.com with the name of your high school. Also, if you ever have any officer changes throughout the year, remember to update the COCI accordingly. Afterwards, fill in the box at the bottom of the Main Page of your monthly report labeled COCI and include a screenshot of the end screen as proof in your monthly report.

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Unfortunately, October has ended, which means Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is over. If your club participated in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, you should be collecting and turning in your funds to Kiwanis International for the Eliminate Project. All information regarding submitting club donations can be found on the Kiwanis website here: http://goo.gl/chvlwK. Don't forget to include your donation in the Activity Sheet of your monthly report. As always, proof is required for over $500 donated. A receipt or signed note from your faculty advisor will suffice.

As you all know, the Early Bird deadline for dues has past, and the regular deadline is November 30th. If you have not submitted your club dues yet, your club treasurer should be working with the Member Update Center (MUC) to get those in as soon as possible. Remember to communicate with your club treasurer so that you can record the date of dues paid and the amount of paid members in the top right box of your monthly report. Also in that top right box, remember to update your club category based on the amount of members you have. As a reminder, the club categories are as follows: Bronze (35 members or less) | Silver (36-60 members) | Gold (61-85 members) | Platinum (86 or more members) Proof of payment of dues must be included in your monthly report in order to receive credit. This proof may be a photocopy of the dues check or a copy of the credit transaction to Kiwanis International. If you're ever unsure if your proof is sufficient, contact me and I'll gladly let you know.

I look forward to be working with all of you, and I know we can finish this Key Club year on a good note!

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Yours in Service, Lily Nguyen

TREASURER’S UPDATE FROM EMILY ZHAO Hi TO Key Clubbers!

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I hope that the beginning conundrum of school has settled out. The cool weather for fall is coming in too, so be sure to stay warm and happy!

Dues: Remember, dues are DUE November 30th. That’s super soon! Please get your dues in ASAP. It is imperative that cubs submit their dues in order to receive their Key Club benefits.

MUC: If your club is having trouble with accessing or using the Membership Update Center, please don’t hesitate to contact me! I know there has been some confusion over the MUC, so I will try my best to help you.

CLUB TREASURERS SIGN UP FOR THE…

CLUB TREASURER REMIND101 TEXT “@TOClubT” to 81010

Questions: As always, please let me know if you ever have any question, comments, or concerns! I would love to help you out in any way that I can. Best of luck in school!

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Yours in Service, Emily Zhao

EDITOR’S UPDATE FROM MATTHEW RILEY

NOVEMBER ARTICLE PROMPTS 1. Describe in full detail your experience Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF! If you did not participate in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, describe in full detail the latest service project or fundraiser you have done in support of UNICEF. 2. What are some tips you would offer clubs who are trying to get into T-O’s top 25 clubs?

3. How have you participated in this years Governor’s/ District Project? Describe your service project or fundraiser in full detail.

4. What are some club fundraisers your club plans to do to get into the holiday spirit this December?

CLUB EDITOR REMIND101 TEXT “@1516EDITOR” to 81010

Hey T-O District!

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I hope you guys have had a fabulous November thus far and an even better school year! Oh my how the time has flown by! This month, I highly encourage you guys to have your clubs participate in this months Task of the Month. For this months task of the month, I have teamed up with our new District Secretary, Lily Nyguen, in hopes of making a project booklet that can be used across this district by new clubs or clubs that need project ideas!

If you wish to help create the project booklet that can be useful to many clubs across the district please do the following: Email me a service project or fundraiser that your club has done in the past. Include a brief description of the project, cost (if any), planning time required, and difficulty level ranging from easy, medium to hard. CC the District Secretary in the email as proof. If we get a lot of people to participate this project booklet can be killer! I hope to have the booklet sent out sometime in December!

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Yours in Service, Matthew Riley

CL UPDATE

FROM MEGAN REYNOSA Happy November T-O Key Clubbers!

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I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving! Don’t be afraid to eat all you can because that food coma is always worth it! November is all about giving and I hope you all volunteering to help the less fortunate. Volunteer at your local food bank or homeless shelter and get involved with your community to help those in need. I’m so thankful to serve as your Convention Liaison as you guys are all amazing and are so dedicated to help your communities.

DCON 2016 Theme Announced - Service: Mission Accepted!

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On October 3rd, at Fall Rally, the 2016 DCON theme was released - Service: Mission Accepted! The idea of this theme was based on Mission Impossible. The theme will invoke a sense of adventure and espionage, as service will become thrilling for all attendees.

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For those who have yet to attend DCON, it is a multi-day convention (this year, beginning on April 21, 2016) at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas, Texas. It is a time for Texas-Oklahoma Key Clubbers to unite, celebrate a year of service, learn new ways to benefit the community, and make memories that last. Interesting aspects of the event include forums, district staff elections, the welcoming activity, service fair, contests and awards, and so much more.

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I hope to see all of you at DCON as it truly is a great experience and it’s a great way to get to know those around the Texas-Oklahoma District!

DCON 2016 Club Forum Applications

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Ever wondered what it would be like to teach a forum? Now is your chance! As in the past, we have always invited clubs to apply for their convention attendees to share their unique knowledge and perspective by teaching a forum at district convention. This year is no different, your club could potentially teach a forum at DCON 2016. They are due to me on the 6th of December, no later than that so please send all applications earlier than the 6th to make the deadline!

More Information & Application: http://tokeyclub.com/dcon-2016-club-forumapplication/

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Have Questions?

Email Me: CL@tokeyclub.com Message Me: (512) 470-0378

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Yours in Service, Megan Reynosa

District Governor Rachel Iselin

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Email: governor@tokeyclub.com

District Treasurer Emily Zhao

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Email: treasurer@tokeyclub.com

District Secretary Lily Nguyen

Email: secretary@tokeyclub.com

District Editor Matthew Riley

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Email: editor@tokeyclub.com

Convention Liaison Megan Reynosa

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Email: cl@tokeyclub.com

District Administrator Walt Roetter Email: administrator@tokey club.com

Photo Credit: North Crowley

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THANKS FOR READING

CLUB NEWSLETTER

Photo Credit: North Garland