May/June Tex-O-Key

THE TEX-O-KEY KEY CLUB // MAY-JUNE 2013

TAKE A LOOK INSIDE MEET THE BOARD (Also known as your best friends SERVICE TIPS for the next year) How exactly pg. 22 does one volunteer? pg. 16

VOLUME 2

ISSUE 1

DCON RECAP Reminiscence over one of the best times of our lives pg. 8

TOKEYCLUB.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE

CONTENTS

Greetings, TexasOklahoma Key Clubbers!

It is my honor to present to you the first Tex-O-Key issue for the 2013-2014 Key Club year. As a whole, our district has many expectations for the coming months.

Accomplishment is not p o s s i b l e , h o w e v e r, without dedication.

Remember that you make the Tex-O-Key! On th the 5 of every month, e-mail a maximum of 20 quality articles to both editor@tokeyclub.com and secretary@tokeyclub.com. Writing articles alone can help you earn points, but you can earn even more if your article is published. Similarly, submit photos for the same benefit. (Also, though it won’t be published in the Tex-O-Key, try to submit a monthly newsletter to the same e-mails on the same date.)

Two other changes are being instituted this year, both of which will count as bulletins. The first is a 5-point Letter to the Editor– e-mail me your questions or comments, and I’ll respond in the Tex-O-Key (see page 25). In addition, each issue will include a riddle (see bottom right of page 2). If you e-mail me the correct answer, you’ll earn 5 points.

This year, communication will be emphasized more than ever before. Visit www.tokeyclub.com regularly, and feel free to e-mail me or call 713-505-2252 with any questions, comments, or concerns. All editors should also join the T-O District Editors Key Club page. It is designed to serve as a resource and forum for anyone who may need it.

Finally, each new beginning should be accompanied with even newer goals. Make it your mission to learn the graphic standards, become more involved with Circle K, and stay true to the real reason for service– that is, making an impact on your community.

Yours in service, Tashrima Hossain

03 Contributions

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05 Governor’s Report 06 Message from Int’l 08 DCON Recap 13 How to Look Fierce in Key Club Pictures 14 Service in the Sun 16 Top 5 Projects Service Tips 22 Meet the Board 25 Letter to the Editor

RIDDLE OF THE MONTH You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?

(E-mail me the correct answer for five monthly report points!)

CONTRIBUTIONS Cover Photo Maya Iyer

Fall Rally Ad Grace Liu

Governor’s Report Luke Broussard

Message from International Rebecca Riley Each Tex-O-Key needs photos that tell a story. E-mail any good-resolution, diverse, and compassionate Key Club photos to editor@tokeyclub.com, and they just might end up on the cover of this magazine. Need some tips on how to look fierce in Key Club photos? Read on.

Articles Nikki Carter Kaylee Chuor Dang Dinh Rebekah Drennon Tien Huynh Maya Iyer Yeonsoo Koo Jenny Li Melanie Louv Hannah Norem Vivian Young

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Governor’s Report FROMLuke Broussard Hey T-O Key Clubbers!

I hope that you are as excited about this year of service as I am!

The District Board has been working tirelessly to kick off the year and get it heading in the right direction.

One of the most exciting things that I would like to announce on behalf of the District Board is that we are having Fall Rally again this year. Fall Rally is an excellent opportunity for the District to come together, not to mention you can win monthly reporting points. You also get to be among the first people to know the DCON theme for this year.

We all hope to see you there!

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Last year, our District was the top fundraising District, raising over 66,000 dollars! This year, we have set the goal of 90,000 dollars. I know you are probably thinking, "How are we going to do this?” We can do it TOgether. The Eliminate Project needs to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, focus of our year, so get ready and fundraise. I cannot wait to see all of the amazing things that we accomplish together as a District!

MESSAGE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

Rebecca Riley

Yes, it's time. Time for what? Why, Key Club International Convention, of course! ICON, as International Convention is affectionately termed, is my favorite weekend of the entire year. It's a time for members from 5,000 clubs and 30 countries to come together to celebrate their service and the lasting impact that they've had on the world and have a blast while doing it!

This year's International Convention will be hosted by the Capital District July 3-7 in our very own nation's capital: Washington, D.C. Convention attendees will have the opportunity to hear from keynote speaker Elizabeth Smart in a general session, learn service ideas and strategies to take back to their home clubs in workshops, dance the night away at the Eliminate Project charity dance, and elect the 2013-2014 Key Club International Board, and more, not to mention make friends to keep for a lifetime.

I don't exaggerate when I say that International Convention will be one of the most fun experiences of your high school career, but you have to be willing to give it a shot. Check with your lieutenant governor for more information about registration and the cost of attending, and I'll look forward to seeing you in D.C. this July 3-7 for Key Club International Convention!

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ARE YOU GOING TO

JULY 3-7

?

A Convention to Remember My best friend has gone to DCON every year since 2011. Ever since our freshman year, I have had to hear her rave about the magic that occurs at the District Convention without being able to experience it myself. Conflicts have always arisen, and I have been left to sift through her photos on Facebook in the days following the convention, asking myself the burning question I have been wondering for the past two years: What makes DCON so great?

This April, I found the answer.

After years of hearing of its wonders, I was finally able to attend. For the weeks leading up to it, I was bursting with excitement, but I still had no idea how phenomenal and life-altering my experience would be.

The first afternoon, my club went to the Project Fair. This sounded a bit boring to me at first, but I was wrong.

Just in a few hours, I met dozens of people from across the district, watched my home club members get married, and got my first impression of our (now) District Governor—wearing a hot dog

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suit. Little did I know, the weekend was only going to get better from there.

The next morning, the forums began. One of my club members and I went to the Editor forum, since I was to be officially named Editor for CyWoods at the end of the convention.

Both girls were very sweet and welcoming and helped me get a better grasp of what my job actually was.

After that, I went to the Project Planning forum, which was also very informative and encouraging. After the helpful advice, warm welcomes, and icebreakers that did much more than "break the ice,” I had already made plenty of new friends, and I finally felt like more than just another club member.

Later in the morning were the caucuses which, surprisingly, were very exciting. I got to hear speeches from so many fantastic Key Clubbers, including two from my home club—Dang Dinh, who ran for District Secretary, and Drishti Wadhwa, who ran for District Editor. Though they did not win, they both advanced to the final two for their positions, and I know they both enjoyed the experience of being a candidate.

The Leadership Luncheon after the caucuses was much appreciated; as interesting as the caucuses were, we were hungry. The highlight, of course, was the Quiz Bowl. Luckily, the Lone Star State came out on top by a sizeable margin, taking back the title of champion as "Texas Our Texas" blasted through the room. And, yes, we're still excited about that.

After roaming the nearby streets of Dallas with my club, we came back and got dressed for the Awards Ceremony— what everyone had been waiting for. Our president was noticeably nervous; our club was ranked first last year, so she knew when she became the president that she would have a lot to live up to. None of us were sure where we ranked—top 25 for sure, but beyond that, it was a mystery. The whole night was fantastic.

The orator y speakers were entertaining and clearly well-practiced, the participants in the talent competition were phenomenal, and the awards themselves were very exciting. My club was nominated for Best Newsletter, won an award for our digital poster, got first place for Best T-Shirt, and when it finally came time for the top 25, we came in ninth. We couldn't believe we ranked as highly as we did; we were elated.

The Governor’s Ball was fun as well—we all got to shed our fancy, professional clothes and actually wear tshirts for the first time that weekend.

With Sunday morning came the worst part of the convention: leaving.

We met for the breakfast, where we learned that our new District Governor was to be Luke Broussard, and we congratulated him on a race well run.

We said our goodbyes to our far-awayfriends, old and new, and loaded up our charter bus with Cy-Falls to head home.

Of all of my experiences these past three years, DCON has been one of the best. All of the memories and friends that I made this April will be cherished forever, and I can’t wait for the Cy-Woods Key Club to rise even higher in 2014.

--Nikki Carter, Cypress Woods

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Quiz Bowl Champs

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“Quiz bowl. Before DCON, I hadn’t the faintest idea of what a Quiz Bowl was. Do you eat cereal in it? Is it a haircut? Those questions and more ran through my head as Blake Jones, my childhood friend, ran down the events of District Convention. Little did we know that we would later make up a minority share of Texas’ Quiz Bowl Team.” said Hannah. "Popularity fades, but friendship is eternal, and that was the beauty of DCON because I was able to see both ends of the spectrum," says Blake. "With us being a part of the winning quiz bowl team, we were approached by numerous people all the time af ter the competition. I t was ver y disorienting, but the really cool thing is that we both grew closer during and after all this was over," Blake continues.

This whole process started when Cypress Falls Key Club President Gabi Bradshaw signed everyone up for Quiz Bowl team tryouts. Everyone who went to DCON from Cypress Falls went to DCON moaning and groaning about having to waste precious DCON time to go and answer exceedingly difficult questions, but we went anyways just for giggles. After the exam, everyone began asking around about what certain answers to questions were. One of the more popular complaints was on the question of what the German word for the Spanish word usted was. (It’s sie.)

“I’ve always been told that I’ve known strange and obscure things, but I’ve never been able to use that ability for good. When I saw all those strange and obscure questions on the initial quiz bowl questionnaire, I knew I had found my calling,” Hannah figured. It seems as if everyone who had taken the quiz accepted defeat and just wanted it to be official that no one from our school had made the quiz bowl team. So we went out to eat as a school and then came back for the shock of a lifetime. "I was literally saying 5 minutes before us seeing the results that all I wanted was for it to be official that I had not made the team, and then I can go on with

my life," recalls Blake.

“When I learned that I had made the quiz bowl team, I was not only shocked, but I was ready to compete!” said Hannah.

Surprisingly, our whole school was shocked and awed that Cypress Falls claimed not one, but TWO quiz bowl team spots.

“When the Quiz Bowl team met for the first time, Blake and I both knew that we were in the presence of geniuses,” said Hannah. Eighty percent of the team, including ourselves, were from the mighty, mighty Houston area, so we had quite the dominating position on the team. When we got together, it was all business from the getgo. We began reviewing quiz bowl questions and divided up knowledge bases so we could be completely well-rounded when the competition came.

Imagine a crowd of around 1000 energetic Key Clubbers from all over Texas and Oklahoma cheering madly as you get up on the stage. Many people dream about this type of accolade being showered upon them, but actually living this dream is AWESOME. Texas ended up absolutely dominating the competition, and Hannah had to pull all sorts of facts from The Sound of Music to Thornton Wilder to constellations, (and Blake totally got the Bridezilla question.

Can you say epitome of knowledge?!) It was totally worth the adrenaline and the friendships that we know will last a lifetime. #teamtexasquizbowl2013 -Blake Jones//Hannah Norem, Cypress Falls

All we do is win, win, win

And the 2012-2013 T-O District Convention winners were…

Service Fair 1st Cypress Ranch, 2nd Bellaire Convention Theme 1st Mansfield, 2nd Kingwood Park

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words 1st Mayde Creek, 2nd Cypress Ranch, 3rd Allen Club Newsletter 1st Cypress Falls, 2nd Randall

Most Improved Club M.B. Lamar District Project Cypress Falls Tex-O-Key Reporting Bellaire

Video Game 1st Kaitlyn Bearden, 2nd Michaela Clark

Club Video 1st Cypress Falls, 2nd San Angelo

Major Emphasis Program 1st MacArthur, 2nd Venus

Quiz Bowl Texas

Traditional Scrapbook 1st Cypress Ranch, 2nd San Angelo

Governor’s Project Cypress Ranch

Leader of Leaders Daeh Quachensbush, Rebecca Bingham, Bailey Lee, Robin Mallory, Carolanne Anderson, Maria Nadeem, Rahul Matthew, Maha Aziz Outstanding Faculty Adv. Beth Franklin Outstanding Kiwanis Adv. Rafael Santos Outstanding President Jennifer Roca Outstanding Vice President Lexi Rocco

Non-Traditional Scrapbook 1st R.L. Paschal, 2nd North Garland Club Poster (Non-Digital) 1st James Taylor, 2nd Jenks Club Poster (Digital) 1st Allen, 2nd Cypress Woods T-Shirt 1st Cypress Woods, 2nd Mansfield Summit, 3rd San Angelo

Oratory 1st Thomas Franco, 2nd Jennifer Li, 3rd Tashrima Hossain Talent 1st Thomas Franco, 2nd Kyle Warden, 3rd Cinco Ranch Impromptu Essay 1st Jessica Gambreau, 2nd Nina Hebel, 3rd Emily Dickinson Top 3 Websites North Garland, Sam Rayburn, San Angelo

Cypress Ranch Key Club poses with their first place trophy.

Outstanding Secretary Mita Crocker Outstanding Treasurer McKenna Skeeters Outstanding Editor Jordan Palmer Platinum Single Service MacArthur Silver Single Service Mansfield Summit

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MEMORY in

Fugues I take a step into complete and utter darkness.

Well not quite.

It’s a massive ballroom with spindly chandeliers that echo with the resonance of one of Bach’s fugues. My fingers itch as I recall a memory of a piano recital long past. Swishing velveteen skirts, polished ebony and ivory keys in crisp and clean rows.

But my purpose here today is not to bow to the audience and present my efforts of three weeks of continuous toil and labor in front of a cruelly upright piano. In this moment crossing the threshold into this enormous chamber, I’m here simply to savor the complete perfection, the utter enormity and significance that a thousand other living, breathing forms have also gathered to witness.

The opening of Texas Oklahoma District Convention 2013.

From a frighteningly fun opening ceremony to scrumptious berry tarts, DCON 2013 truly did not disappoint. Whether attendees were witnessing their last DCON or their very first, all left the event with a bittersweet sense of having found best friends, new stocks of lame jokes, new groups that would laugh and cry and dance like in that moment the entire world was watching.

And then having to leave it all behind.

Key Clubbers ranging from geographic coordinates as disparate as urbanized Houston, Texas, to the charmingly rural central Oklahoma all felt a sense of connection, a sense that this gathering of 1,100 people was larger than just service, food, or fun.

Key Clubbers felt a sense of belonging, a sense of endless passion and dedication, a sense of the bigger picture that was each and every person’s goal: To combat all forces which threatened to undermine

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fundamental institutions of their lives.

I arrived at the doors of the Sheraton on the day of registration more than a little wobbly-legged and dazed, entirely uncertain of whether I would be spending the next few days in complete and utter social awkwardness or drowning in newfound friends and memories that would last a lifetime. I arrived at those shining doors with the faintest sense of comprehension of the Oratorical speaking competition, the incredible talent in all four corners of the district, the spirit contained in the applause and cheers during the Quiz Bowl Tournament.

I arrived at the doors of the Sheraton unsure of whether I would have a good time and left while desperately attempting to convince myself that a year really couldn’t be that far away…could it?

When I fondly reminisce about the Haunted Mansion that the Sheraton transformed into during those days chuck-full of laughter and quirky jokes back in that lovely week of April, I don’t think of any one event. I don’t specifically recall the details of the pattern of the tie worn

by Luke Broussard as he was sworn into a new world of governance and responsibility. I don’t specifically recall the number of tears that were shed as I hugged my immediatepast lieutenant governor or even the number of times I attempted to convince myself that running away from the dreaded oratory performance in front of a thousand shining faces was a good idea.

I don’t recall the specifics simply because District Convention was bigger than all of those disparate events.

District Convention was a coming together of all things shining and marvelous and brilliant that make Key Club the most unique organization that I have ever had the honor to take part in.

And I know for a fact that 2014 can only sparkle just as brilliantly as the fugues of DCON 2013 in my memory.

--Jenny Li, Division 3S LTG

How to Look Fierce in

Key Club Photos

Click. Snap. Shoot. Are you Key Clubbers having a hard time trying to take an amazing picture?

Well, here are some simple tips to giving you a great photo. Cameras can be tricky to deal with, and reading the manual sometimes can be a bit of a hassle. If you have a simple background, then it doesn’t matter if you read the manual. Having the main focus as the big picture keeps people looking at what is important. Make sure that the light is hitting the main focus. If the light does not hit their face, then some things will look overshadowed compared to the main picture.

Another key point is to understand perspectives. When you take a picture looking up at an item or person, they tend to look larger. The closer a body part is to the camera the larger it’ll appear.

Pictures are sometimes illusions to trick the viewer. It’s an art, and you want your photo to look like a piece of art every single time. It should bring out the true beauty of every character.

If you decide to use editing or camera effects, keep in mind that changing color can really change the whole photo. Sometimes adding light is key, but in the end if you change the tint it can make it a hard color to look at. It can ruin the true effect of the picture and your goal is to help everyone be on their model status. For Key Club, it is amazing to have group photos as well as fun photos. Just don’t overdo it. Remember, Key Club is fun, but it is also a volunteering organization, and we’d love to see you serving.

Make sure that the person in your photo wants to be a part of the photo. If you have a forced photo, it is sometimes visible and looks rather uncomfortable. Key Club is about helping out for nothing in return. It’s okay to gain recognition, but if people would rather not be in the photo and receive recognition, it can upset them to be photographed anyway. Make sure the people that want to be in the photo are having their pictures taken instead.

If your photos are coming out blurry, double check everything. The macro on your camera can sometimes cause photos to be blurry. It is best to take more photos than needed rather than to take too free photos. That tip truly helps when you’re in the need for scrapbook photos.

Hopefully, these tips will help you keep a fierce model status face in your photos! Be fierce.

--Tien Huynh, North Garland

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Service in the Sun In division 3S, we have kicked off the new Key Club year with our first PCM. 3S may be a small division, but over the past year, we have really grown and become more active. With this PCM, our new lieutenant governor, Jenny Li, officially began her term. It was held in the beautiful Oyster Creek Park and was a fun chance to keep up to date with various Key Club members and functions.

The event started off with some icebreakers, as any and every Key Club function does. Even though there were some familiar faces amongst those in attendance, it is always good to start off by getting to know one another a little better. In this case, after brief introductions, we were given the opportunity to share pertinent information (such as our spirit vegetables and talents at animal calls). Of course, any icebreaker would be incomplete without some method of embarrassment. This PCM featured disco dancing and acting like a monkey. This proved to be an excellent method by which to remove the aura of awkwardness that generally accompanies social functions.

PCMs also obviously provide a chance to disseminate important information to a division’s clubs. The agenda for this 3S PCM began with a general congratulations about this year’s district convention. Several of the clubs in this division were honored with awards or patches, which were then properly acknowledged. A shout-out was also given to the Quiz Bowl team at DCON this year. Team members included LTG Jenny Li and Lamar’s own Gregory Ross, both of whom helped bring the Texas team to victory and pride to division 3S. General announcements were also made about Kiwanis events like a luncheon and their annual Kids Triathlon. It is encouraged that clubs get to know their Kiwanis sponsors and either of these events could be excellent opportunities to do so. These are also examples of summer events that could be used to keep clubs active. Finally, LTG Jenny Li elaborated on her plans for the divisional project in the upcoming year. Instead of establishing a new project, it has been proposed that our division undertake the Houston Area Dance Marathon (Part 2). This would be a great chance for the division to begin a tradition and build upon the foundation created in this past year.

The PCM drew to a close with a service project. Cards were written for distribution to children in hospitals throughout the year. A special note was made to past LTG Jennifer Tuggle Hinze, whose work the division hopes to continue in the future. Finally, to bring an end to the event, division 3S enjoyed a beautiful day in the park with a game of Frisbee.

--Maya Iyer, M.B. Lamar

Summer PCM

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Summer is Here Finally, summer vacations have arrived! It is time for us to rejoice over the sleep and unwatched TV shows to catch up with. It is time to go to the pool. For some of us, it is time to explore the unseen places of the world and travel. But for Key Club members, it is time for more Key Club!

As for the Key Club of Cinco Ranch, we are trying to schedule many events during the summer to keep the members active. So far, the most recently coming activity was the Houston Food Bank disaster drill. The official description of this event was, “The Houston Food Bank is getting ready for hurricane season. If a hurricane strikes, they'll need about 1,000 volunteers to help them feed more hungry people.” This event, taking place on the 15th of June, started the summer for Key Club. In addition to the Food Bank, Alex’s Lemonade Stand will also take place. It will last about four days, including the preparation day, and we hope to have it in front of a grocery store. After that, there will be an face painting opportunity at the Fulshear Freedom Festival, as well as an art reach camp in the Fulshear Art Council.

July is not yet clear, but some events that have been suggested were the KCM resale store, Collaborative for Children, car wash fundraiser, Carriage Inn and Grace Care Center. We hope that even though a lot of members will be out of town for the summer, members who are staying will have more time to dedicate to volunteering. We will be planning fun socials for members to hang out once in a while, and we will also invite tentative members to come and experience the life of a Key Clubber. Since it is summer, a swimming pool social would be a really nice choice.

The summer vacation is awfully nice since there is no school, but in August, you might end up thinking that time passed quickly without much being done. That is the way I felt during some of my past summers. This summer will not be like that.

Even with a lot going on and bed covers pulling you back in, I guarantee that there will be no regrets on your choice if you choose to attend Key Club meetings. So, let’s get ready to serve!

--Yeonsoo Koo, Cinco Ranch

2011 – a new student, anxious, confused, and lost, of Bellaire High School zigzags down the parallel and perpendicular hallways. She does not know where she is headed. The paper directed all the Cardinal Campers to meet in the mulGpurpose room.

How am I supposed to know where that is?

She finally found the big red doors with the sign on top of them. She took a general, broad view of the white and spacey room from the liIle windows. There were so many people. So many people wearing red. She looks down at her blue t-­‐ shirt. Was she supposed to wear red, too? Oops.

She crept in slowly and took a seat on the floor in the back. As quiet as she tried to be, eyes were sGll following her and whispers were sGll floaGng around the big room. “Who is that girl?

What school is she from?” She heard everything, but she just looked forward and ignored everything.

ASer the principal made all of his announcements, everyone was dismissed and told to check out all the tables on the second and third floor. What’s at the tables? She slowly walked up the stairs and opened another pair of big, red doors.

She made a small crack between the doors and suddenly a gush of screams and cheers burst the doors wide open.

Returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors had come back to encourage the new freshmen and transfer students to join their clubs. Everyone was jumping up and down, and leS to right. “Join Red Cross! No, join Habitat for Humanity! No, Model UN is so much beIer! Join us! Join Key Club!”

Wait, did he say “Key Club?”

She knew what Key Club was. She was in Key Club last year at her old school in California.

Wait, they have Key Club in Texas? Yes, of course.

Key Club was an huge internaGonal organizaGon. She picked up a pen and signed her name. She made sure to write legibly so that the officers could read her handwriGng when recording her contact informaGon. The officers standing at the table excitedly told her about what Key Club was and did. She already knew all about it, but she did not care. She was just happy and excited to find a group that she could finally connect with in this new large and scary school. Well, not so scary anymore.

-­‐-­‐Kaylee Chuor, Bellaire

Club Jamboree15

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Service Projects

Allen Angel League

Kiwanis Angel League Softball//T-Ball provides a positive recreational opportunity for special needs children who require a modified sports activity. Ages 5 to 18. The league is supported with the help of Angel League parents, the Kiwanis Club of Allen, the Allen High School Key Club, and the Allen Sports Association. Angel League takes place every Monday, and there are two games (or two shifts). When we get there, one or sometimes two of us will be paired with each of the kids, and we try to keep the "buddies"" (this is what we call the Key Club members) consistent with the child so they can get to know one anther. The main purpose of Angel League is to help these kids feel like they are just like everyone else, not have to worry about anything, and just have fun. It makes everything worthwhile when we see their smiles when they hit the ball, when we chant their names, or when we give them high-fives. The children consistently come back every week because they love it as much as we do.

The smiles on those children's faces are not something that you can buy for money, and it warms your heart to be remind of how lucky we are. (written by Eric Yan)

Cypress Fair Heartland Bingo

Members from Cy-Fair played bingo with seniors that whoat a retirement home

Early Tales for Tots/YOF Project

The Tales for Tots project was a project focused on helping children enjoy reading. Members of the club wrote small stories, and the top stories were "published". The stories were copied and laminated and given to kids at a local public library. A few members helped read the various stories to the kids. CDs were also recorded of members reading the stories, and both the CDs and copies of the books were given to the kids who attended the reading at the library. Overall, the project was a success that made a huge impact on our local community. The project has opened doors in the library wanting us to continue to read during the summer. (written by Samuel Kinnin)

Nacogdoches Blue Jeans for Babies

Members went to all the teachers in the area, selling blue jean passes to raise money for March of Dimes

R.L. Turner Hope Park Volunteering

Hope Park was an event where Key Clubbers and Kiwanians helped build a playground for all kids, allowing kids with disabilities to also play on it. (written by Swetha Maddipudi)

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SERVICE HOW-TO 1 Research Choose a cause, and learn about ways in which your service can prevent the issue from escalating.

2 Build a team Key Club is a great starting point to discover committed volunteers. However, also consider branching out even further to the rest of K-Family.

3 Plan, plan, plan Determine the boundaries for your project. What is your goal? Is it achievable? How much money do you need to budget? Think about the nuances of the project.

4 Define the details When will the major event take place? Will you go to the recipients of your aid, or will they come to you? Consider everything pertaining to any “where’s” and “when’s.”

5 Seek permission Be sure to get your project approved by anyone necessary, whether that be a principal , teacher, parent, etc.

6 Share Use flyers, social media, and press releases to spread the word.

7 Consider the results Evaluate your project, and pinpoint where you could’ve improved. Ask yourself what you’ve learned as well as what the emotional impact was.

Your support impacts your community.

Give the gift of childhood.

GET INVOLVED.

SERVICE We Are Family

Relay for Life

Relay for Life was amazing. Everyone that was there had a common goal: to fight back against cancer. Whether it was by participating in the actual relay itself or raising money at our booth, Summit Key Club really worked hard to do their part in fighting back.

When it came to how we were to raise money, our club was not short of fundraising ideas. In the end, we couldn’t decide on just one! The Summit Jags booth offered nail painting, henna, and face painting. Although everything was a huge success, henna was by far the most popular. The girls who applied the henna did an amazing job; they took their time and did beautiful work with each person that came up to the booth. Everyone was pleased with the girls’ handiwork. Annie Ledezma also baked a batch of homemade Oreo truffles, which were a huge hit amongst everyone.

Who doesn’t like truffles?

When it came to who did what, there surely was not a problem. Everyone was willing to do their part. We divided the work according to talent. Everyone had something they were good at, so our booth was a popular success. There were many things to do in order to keep our booth running. From advertising to painting to applying henna, Summit Key Club had it all covered. We all worked well as a team, and the outcome definitely showed.

Our goal this year was to raise at least $100. With our team’s hard work and dedication. we went above and beyond. Summit Key Club ended up raising $154.20. We went on and did so much more than what was expected of us and went 50 dollars over our goal! I’m so proud of the work everyone did; they worked diligently to ensure that we could reach our goal, and we did. Next year, we will be even more successful. I know that this year will definitely become our motivation to improve during the next Relay for Life.

Relay for Life was one of the most moving events I’ve ever attended. All of the ceremonies to remember the people we have lost to cancer were really emotional. It all gave us hope to find a cure so people wouldn’t have to lose loved ones in the battle of cancer again. It’s great knowing that you’re helping out with such an amazing cause just by participating. I definitely can’t wait until next year, so I can make even more of a difference, no matter how small it is.

---Melanie Louv, Mansfield Summit

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It’s that time of year again. The time where a new Key Club year starts and clubs compete to recruit new members. In Key Club’s case, it means adding new members to our K-Family. But who should we add? Should we focus on students or are there others we can look towards?

An idea of who we should look towards was the McFee staff for whom we helped on April 18th. Other Key Clubbers and I volunteered at McFee Madness. McFee Madness is an orientation event held at McFee Elementary in Katy, Texas. Parents are given the opportunity \to fill out paperwork for their children while also receiving their school supplies at the same time. Members focused primarily on alphabetizing demographic forms, filling folders with papers, and handing out cards to parents (which will allow them to meet their child’s teacher in a few days). These tasks gave members insight into what the life of a teacher is like days before we arrive at school. When we watched the families as they came in, it was heartwarming. Each child was so excited to go to school; they were basically jumping up and down as their parents tried to fill out their paperwork. We also socialized with the staff at the various moments where we weren’t flooded with parents with their kids.

We were invited to help out by Mrs. Sharon Whitfield, an assistant principal at the school and parent of one of our Key Club members. She and other members of the staff tried to help make our experience as fun as possible by offering to help if we needed anything. Their enthusiasm was contagious; we couldn’t help but feel excited alongside them. As I witnessed this, I thought about how our club was looking for new members to add to our family. I wondered, “Why not let the McFee staff have a part, they already integrate the concept for K-Family as it is? They possess the smiles, enthusiasm, and support that you would find in the Key Club.” For it didn’t matter if you never went to McFee; they treated you as you were family. They epitomize what I believe is the concept of Key Club and the K-Family: we accept anyone, no matter who they are.

So in the future when you are looking for new members to the K-Family, don’t concentrate exclusively on students. Invite anyone who can help make Key Club a real family because that is what Key Club truly is: We are family.

-- Dang Dinh, Cypress Woods

Hershey’s Track and Field Games

Mineola Jacket

Style

Huge gusts of wind howling around everyone’s ears, temperatures dropping at a constant rate, and 348 elementary and middle school students running, jumping, and throwing describes Friday, May 3, in Mineola, Texas.

The first ever Hershey’s Track Meet proved to be successful for our small town. This new community event made a positive impact for Mineola in several ways. First of all, the track meet inspired students from 9 to 14 years old to work out before, during, and after school all year long. Next, the event forced our young athletes to develop a team spirit as they prepared for the relay races. Third, it sharpened the skills of students in charge of helping coordinate the event. One of the hardest working students was Reece Gilbreath, the KKids student coordinator. In addition, this special day brought families together as grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and even college brothers and sisters attended the event. While K-Kids and Builders Club students participated in the events, Mineola Kiwanians and Key Clubbers ran off the events, sold concession items, and took care of the clean-up.

Following the track meet, 348 participants, teachers, family members, and Key Clubbers enjoyed a picnic lunch together. Upon completion of a satisfying meal, everyone crowded into the elementary gym for a special awards ceremony where first, second, and third place winners in each age category were presented with a special certificate, ribbon, and of course, a Hershey’s candy bar.

Our students continue to stay physically fit in preparation for the Hershey’s State Track and Field Games on June 22, 2013, in Round Rock, Texas, where 98 students will advance to the next level to represent the Mineola Community.

Who said you can’t enjoy chocolate and stay physically fit?!

--Rebekah Drennon, Division 34 LTG

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The

Big Blue

Mat

A smell reminiscent of the old elementary school gym hangs in the air. The padded equipment stacked neatly around us, decorated with red and blue hues, furthers the sense of nostalgia brought about by the K2 Academy of Kids Sports. An approachable-looking yet formidable figure stands at the front, a hand supporting her pregnant stomach, her clear voice instructing the group of teenagers sitting cross-legged on a large blue mat, sporting T-shirts emblazoned with various school names.

She’s detailing the intricacies of the children who are about to arrive, most of whom are affected by some sort of autism spectrum disorder. It’s my first time at such a Key Club event, and my friend sitting next to me, Dorothy, is just as inexperienced.

As Ms. Wendy concludes her talk, one that highlights the plethora of difficulties we may face, Dorothy leans towards me, whispering, “This is the most scared I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

I let out a short titter, but it’s a stilted sort of laugh, one that betrays my calm demeanor. I am just as nervous.

The door opens, and Ms. Wendy turns around, cheerfully greeting the diminutive boy shuffling his way through the opening, gripping his father’s hand. The first pair of volunteers, ones who seem more assured and confident than my friend and me, coax him onto the mat, ready to begin their night of play.

More kids begin to trickle in, and the group of volunteers shrinks in return. Dorothy and I stand back, too uncertain to offer ourselves up.

Eventually, we are the last people standing in the front, walking hesitantly toward a little nonverbal boy with short brown hair.

He looks up at us with a small smile, and Dorothy squeals.

His name’s Wyatt, and he’s absolutely adorable.

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He doesn’t like moving around much, his parents say, and it’s our responsibility to keep him up and active. After a few words, his parents offer us a friendly goodbye, and we head off, guiding Wyatt onto the trampoline.

Like we were warned, Wyatt plops himself down as soon as we let go of his hand, turning his head up at us with innocent eyes.

“Come on, Wyatt,” I say, awkwardly situating my hands under his arms, pulling him up. Dorothy and I look on helplessly as he simply sits himself back down.

After an unsteady pause, we try again, this time jumping up and down on the trampoline as we hold onto his hands. To our relief, he relents, his little legs hopping along with us.

He laughs, and the nervous air between Dorothy and me evaporates as we break out into grins.

“Come on, Wyatt,” Dorothy chirps, her deep drawl imbued with a newfound sense of joy. “Let’s go play.”

-A month passes, and Dorothy and I are back again on the big blue mat, our nerves significantly subdued.

However, we are still not completely confident, a fact evidenced by our reluctance, again, to walk up to the front.

“Let’s take that kid,” one of us would say each time a child is brought up, before quickly changing our mind.

After some time, however, we muster enough confidence to walk to the front, offering a hello to an older-looking girl with glasses propped up on her nose, sitting in a wheelchair. Her name is Taylor.

Taylor swipes her hands on the wheels at her side, rolling her way toward the mat. She then asks us for help bringing her out of her chair, and Dorothy and I oblige.

A calm, casual atmosphere surrounds us three girls as we decide to lazily roll a ball around, simply hanging out and chatting. The idleness is a welcome change from the constant movement of before.

Soon, though, the three of us get bored of the ball and make our way to a room in the back, where we dump out a box of foam letters, picking out the letters of our name while continuing to talk.

With our conversations, Dorothy and I learn that Taylor’s fourteen years old and enjoys playing Draw Something on her iPad. We also learn that she loves taking pictures and is a huge fan of Taylor Swift, once winning concert tickets for one of her shows.

And so, we spend the rest of our day taking pictures of ourselves like stereotypical teenage girls, belting along to “Red” blaring from the speakers of our iPods.

-It’s our third time around, listening to Ms. Wendy talk.

Her stomach is significantly slimmer; she has given birth to her baby since our time with Taylor. We have a new friend, Matthew, sitting next to us on the blue mat.

Our kid this time is a boy named Grant, a precocious little boy who questions why our little trio is following him while he’s running around the academy, blasting at imaginary villains.

We want to play, we reply, and his bright blue eyes light up.

He points to each one of us, assigning each of us a superhero. He’s Captain America, Matthew’s Iron Man, I’m the Incredible Hulk, and Dorothy is Thor. Together, we form the Avengers.

“HULK SMASH!” I yell, fulfilling my role. The four of us scamper around, attacking our enemies with enthusiasm. Within minutes, I’m reduced to boisterous laughter and explosion noises. I feel like I’m back at elementary school, running around the red and blue tiled gym, playing pretend. I’m filled with a childish sense of pure elation, and the constant stress and pressure of schoolwork and AP tests and straight A’s melts away.

This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.

As time passes, it becomes clear that Grant is simply tolerating us girls. He ignores Dorothy and me in favor of Matthew, tugging at his sleeve.

Thank God, I think, as Dorothy and I make my way to the coloring table at snack time, out of breath. While we rest, Grant is still playing excitedly with Matthew, with no indication of stopping. We wave at Matthew, smirking as he struggles to catch up with the energetic little boy.

Soon, with some encouragement by Matthew, however, Grant joins us at the table, a Capri Sun in one hand and a fistful of crayons in the other. He grabs a piece of paper and decides to doodle a picture, one that gradually reveals itself to be a portrait of himself and Matthew, labeled with a G and M.

As he draws, we converse with him and learn that he has a gluten allergy and a brother with autism, traits Matthew also shares. He also declares that he has a girlfriend, whom he will marry when he’s all grown up and has a job.

Matthew laughs. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” he asks.

Grant looks up from his paper and responds, “I wanna be like you.”

--Vivian Young, Cypress Falls

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2013-2014 KEY CLUB District Staff Governor Luke Broussard

I am honored to serve you as District Governor for this upcoming year of service.

The Mighty Texas-Oklahoma District is going to accomplish so much this year! I am currently seventeen and a Junior at Early High School in Early, Texas. I play tennis in my free time to stay in shape and release stress. I also play saxophone in my school band. I work at Chicken Express. It’s not the best job, but hey, who doesn’t like free chicken? My favorite board game is Pictionary Man, and I love Taco Bell, mostly because that is all we have in small town Early, Texas.

Secretary Usman Hyder

I can't say how honored I am to be your next District Secretary for the 2013-2014 year. In the last couple months, we have done a lot of positive things, and I can't wait for what's in store for the rest of the year (especially Fall Rally. Y'all, I cannot wait to see you there!). I would also like to reiterate the importance of staying active this summer by continuing the positive service and monthly reporting throughout the three months. All of your service is highly appreciated, and you guy are the greatest part of this district. If you need help with anything, you know who to call. I hope everyone is having a great Key Club-filled summer! Text/Call: (817) 515-5111 – Email: secretary@tokeyclub.com

Treasurer Isaiah ValleQuinones

I am a currently a Senior at MacArthur High School, where I am the Senior Class President, a member of the 2014 Leadership Class, and a swimmer on my high school's swim team. Other than Key Club and extracurricular activities, I enjoy sleeping and eating. I am a big fan of Rihanna, Maroon 5, and a television series called American Horror Story. If there is anything you guys need help with, let me know. Text/Call: (580) 458-1432 – Email: treasurer@tokeyclub.com

Editor Tashrima Hossain

As a student at Cypress Falls High School, I’m a Key Clubber, debater, journalist, and Girl Scout. In my free time, I love to sleep (my record is 16 hours non-stop), bake desserts, belt out Taylor Swift songs, and watch Pretty Little Liars/Once Upon a Time/Glee/any other Netflix show I become addicted to. I consider all Key Clubbers to be my friends, so if you ever have any questions or comments (or if you just want to talk about who you think A is), don’t hesitate to contact me. Text/Call: (713) 505-2252 – Email: editor@tokeyclub.com

Convention Liaison Grace Liu

It’s a pleasure to serve as your Convention Liaison for the 2013-2014 year. I am a senior at Mansfield Summit High School! I hate cheese; I’m sorry to disappoint you guys. (Actually, I probably just disappointed more than 50% of our Key Club population.) If I was an animal, I would be a turtle. My friends like to pick on me because of my slow pace, whether it be walking to a car or taking more than an hour to eat lunch. I enjoy listening to Imagine Dragons, Florence + The Machine, and Lana Del Rey, and my favorite song is “Nice Guys” by the YouTubers Nigahiga, Chester See, and Kevjumba. Text/Call: (817)962-8945 – Email: cl@tokeyclub.com

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2013-2014 KEY CLUB Lieutenant Governors

1N Angelica Ibarra 1S Thuy Tran 2N Kaitlyn Wilson

4/6 Sara Hannon

2C Steffi Lee 3E Ivanna Soto-Medrano 3N Gabi Bradshaw

3S Jennifer Li

5 Hope Carter 7/33 Aaron Shelby 8 Michael King 9E Caitlyn Conway 9W Kimberly Bosquez 10 Connor Brown

11 Paloma Ramirez 12/22 Emily Franchuk 13 Sarah Hickerson 14 Jeffery Smith 17 Angus Martin

18 Karen Chao 20 Steven Baringer

23 Serina Olvares 24N Emily Zhao 24S Edeline Ong 25N Shelby Adams 25S/31 Tommy Kim 25W Brandon Burnett 26 Macy Pollard

28 Jayce Williams 30 Kelsea Long 32 Bailea Branum 34 Rebekah Drennon 35 Alison Beaver 38 Matt Curbow

39N Osman Moneer

39S Jennifer Roca 40W Carrie Harms 40E Sara Groth

Meet this year’s District Board

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For $1.80, YOU DO

you can protect

THE a mother M(N)ATH. and her future

babies.

KEY CLUBBERS ASK:

Dear Tashrima, Answers to your every question about anything Key Club

Q: What was the main reason for the article limit to increase from 5 to 20? What exactly

do you do as District Editor, and how do you manage your time? I expect a district position means double the commitment and amount of work. What expectations do you have for the T-O Key Club district during the 2013-14 year? Do you have any big projects in mind, and how do you plan on implementing them?

--M.B. Lamar Key Club

A: Hey Lamar Key Club! It’s great to hear from you.

The article maximum has increased this year since I am always looking for quality articles to include in the Tex-O-Key. The more articles submitted, the greater the likelihood of discovering truly profound stories. Moreover, the quality of articles will never suffer to quantity due to our district’s genuine commitment to service and also because I assign points to all articles based on a specific rubric.

As District Editor, I grade articles and newsletters, compile staff newsletters, publish the Tex-O-Key, attend district meetings, and perform other duties assigned by the Board. In regards to time management, my passion makes the workload much simpler. I also typically set a timer for each activity I do, whether that be completing a math assignment, publishing the Tex-O-Key, or even watching Pretty Little Liars.

I believe that diligent dedication will enable our district to conform to graphic standards, increase Tex-O-Key readership, work more closely with the rest of K-Fam, and stay true to the true message of service. In addition, I hope we can complete projects that benefit The Eliminate Project and Children’s Miracle Network. I know we can do it TOgether.

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THE TEX-O-KEY KEY CLUB // MAY-JUNE 2013