2015 May/June Tex-O-Key

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FUN STUFF FUN FACTS

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Table of Contents Messages Get to Know Your Staff Key Leader District Convention

What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?

FIND OUT ON PAGE 9

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Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?

FIND OUT ON PAGE 17

RIDDLES

EDITORS CORNER

Summer Service Letters to The Editor Contact Information

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- There’s a town in Texas called Earth and it’s the only place on Earth officially named Earth.

- The famous Windows start up sound was created using a Mac. - More people speak English in China than the United States.

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Check out the suggested article prompts for the month of June on the District Website!

Join the Texas-Oklahoma District Editors Facebook page! Just search “T-O District Key Club Editors” Text “@1516editor” to 81010 to receive reminders of upcoming deadlines from me on Remind!

EDITOR’S ENTRY !

Hey, T-O Key Clubbers!

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I am so grateful to have been appointed to serve as your 2015 - 2016 District Editor! With just recently being appointed I am currently working on grading both April and May’s newsletters and articles, so keep an eye out for feedback because I plan on getting that to you guys ASAP! I would like to continue to create themed Tex-O-Keys begging with the July/ August Issue. The July & August Tex-O-Key’s theme will be summer!

You can submit fun facts, riddles and all that cool stuff to me for a few extra points on your reports! If you have any questions feel free to email me! I’m super excited to see what we will be able to accomplish as a District this year and I look forward to working with you all!

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Yours in Service, Matthew Riley

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GOVERNOR’S GREETING Hey, T-O Key Clubbers!

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I’m crazy excited for this upcoming Key Club year and can’t believe that we’re already two months into the next chapter of our Service Adventure. With over 300 clubs and now over 18,200 members as of 4/15/2015, I know that we’re going to accomplish incredible things together and I’m honored to be sharing in it with you as your District Governor. Each month, make sure to take lots and lots of photos and to send them in to the District Editor so that we can use them in the Tex-O-Key and share in your experiences with you.

This year I’m all about service to your home and really getting back to where Key Club came from. Our organization wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Kiwanians so I’ve chosen my Governor’s Project to focus on that special, unique connection that each branch of the K-Family shares in. From Aktion Clubs to K-Kids, we’re all working together to make the world a better place and creating a better future for the generations to come.

It’s our chance to make a difference, so let’s start right now in our communities. I encourage all of you this year to reach out to the K-Family in your area and to organize events together so that we can keep that connection alive and continue changing the world one child at a time.

Yours in Service, Rachel Iselin

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Rachel Iselin

Hi, my name’s Rachel Iselin and I’m serving as your 2015 - 2016 District Governor!

Here are a few things about me: My middle name is Monique. I was born in Round Rock, Texas. My mom is Vietnamese, but I do not know how to speak Vietnamese. No, r e a l l y, I c a n ’ t speak Vietnamese.

My favorite color is silver and I only wear silver jewelry.

I never been on a roller coaster or been fishing. I really like reading and used to write a lot. Lowkey like watching anime and watching video game play throughs. I use a lot of acronyms and abbreviations when I type and it irritates the rest of staff. I’m going to be a senior at Cypress Ranch High School and I spend 99% of my t i m e d o i n g Ke y Club Things!

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Emi Zha

Crystal Loh

I'm Crystal Loh and I am so excited to be working with each and every one of you guys. My favorite things in the world are the color yellow, traveling, my f a m i l y, a n d o f course, SERVICE! Service is truly the key to my heart and I am so ecstatic to be serving this district, the Mighty T-O District! I hope to make this Key Club year with all of you guys a b s o l u t e l y amazing. I know that it will be a crazy adventure with lots of ups and downs, but I know that we can make it through with our love for Key Club! Don't forget to remain active over the summer and continue reporting to me by the 5th of every month. You guys are the best and I hope you all have safe and fantastic summers!

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Matthew Riley

Megan Reynosa

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My name is Matthew Riley and I am the District Editor for the mighty T- O District! I have been in the KFamily for a total of 5 years now (going on my 6th)! Here are a few things about m e ! I h a ve 1 0 dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses, 3 miniature donkeys and a bird. I’m also extremely involved with my High School band.

This coming year I will be the head drum major which I am super pumped about!

My freshman- and sophomore year I served as a club editor and thats where my love of c r e a t i n g newsletters came from! I’m also a Mac fanboy so pls, pls, pls don’t say that Microsoft is better in front of me; I might just cry.

My name is Megan Reynosa and I am the Convention Liaison for the Te x a s - O k l a h o m a District. I’m honored to have the opportunity to put on the most exciting DCON ever! I grew up as an Army brat and I lived in North Carolina, Italy and now Texas! I have always enjoyed serving other's when I was child so when I joined Key Club my freshman year, I’ve been a fanatic ever since. I’m a bit outgoing and I will hug anyone I meet… I love meeting people, especially Key Clubbers! If you ever have any questions, I am here to answer them. I can’t wait to see what this year holds for our District and I look forward to seeing you all at DCON!

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Key Leader Key Leader is a weekend leadership program for high school students that consists of workshops, campfires, hanging out with friends, and much more interactive and engaging activities!

Contact Rene Ford at tokeyleader@g mail.com if you have any questions or concerns.

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Who? Any student 9th - 12th grade.

When?

November 13th - 15th.

Where?

Pineywoods Babtist Camp, Woodlake, Texas

Key Leader Registration 1.

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Go to keyleader.org/ registragion Filter by city, state, or date to find the event.

Click the “register� button.

your suppor t helps babies Your generous gift to the March of Dimes funds important research and programs that help babies begin healthy lives. Here are some of the ways you’ve already helped:

brain .

eyes

lungs

heel

smile

heart

spine

working together for stronger, healthier babies Š 2013 March of Dimes Foundation

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district Co

09 Sarika Sabnis | 10 Crystal Tira

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onvention

awan | 11 & 12 Timothy Johnson

Photo Cred: Bobby Thakkar

DCON At Its Finest Article submitted by: Sarika Sabnis, Paschal HS

Photo Cred: Bobby Thakkar

Answer: A Stamp

The train for Dallas took off at a routine 5pm on Friday, April 9. It hadn’t quite hit me that it would be my last DCON ever. With my lack of sleep night the before, due to some last minute DCON duties, as well as some revisions on scholarship essays, it was needless to say that I was exhausted beyond belief. I closed my eyes on that train, and thought nostalgically about the person I was just two years ago, when I sat in the same train compartment on my way to my first DCON. I was a little quieter back then, having just been introduced to Key Club a few months prior. When my senior friends raved to me about how much fun DCON was, and even had the courtesy to invite me to attend, I was stoked. I had no idea how wide the scope of Key Club was until I went to my first DCON. It was there that I first began understanding the power of the largest student-run organization in the world. I was beside myself – all this, all organized, lead, and executed by high school students? It was one of the coolest experiences, seeing the dynamic and leadership all these students possessed. I was almost instantly motivated to become more involved.

My last DCON was wonderfully bittersweet. The theme was absolutely fantastic, and the district had clearly spent so much time creating the incredible Jurassic Park backdrop to the stage. I sympathized with all the heads in attendance; the Convention Liaison, the District Board, every LTG, sponsor, and Kiwanis member involved – they must have had to stay up five times as long as I did, for the planning of this whole convention.

The convention was so much fun, from the welcoming session bouncy obstacle course and jail cage, to the keynote speaker, to the fun filled forums – it was all a blast, and a weekend I would never forget.

One such moment was when I played in the talent show at the awards dinner, and returned to my table to find that my lovely and gracious Paschal Key Club was voting vivaciously for me in all kinds of ways. I felt the love from everyone in the club. My favorite moment, however, was when we found out that Paschal made the Top 25 Key Clubs list for 2015. Our whole club stood up and yelled out louder than any other club, and Junsung, our president, knocked his chair over and cried tears of joy – the whole thing was just such a gratifying experience. All of the hard work we had put into the club throughout the year, from our whopping service project count, to the membership retention, to the other things like the monthly newsletter and monthly reports, had finally paid off and in such a huge way.

I grew as a person throughout the year, and nothing kept me more grounded (or sane) than Key Club.

For anyone looking to become more involved in Key Club next year: just go for it, don’t let anything stop you from reaching out and going for the gold! Find other clubs and collaborate with them, enter crazy contests at DCON like the talent show, make a butt-kicking nontraditional scrapbook! Join the Board so you can contribute your ideas to the fundraisers, service projects, newsletter articles, you name it. Use your leadership skills, and never forget that, “If it is to be, it’s up to me.”

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Treasured Memories Article submitted by: Crystal Tirawan, West Brook HS

Photo Cred: Elizabeth Yik Cypress Falls

This year I had a mind changing and possibly life altering experience when I went to DCON 2015.

Before going, I wasn’t quite immersed in Key Club. By that I mean, I was very close-minded and stuck to my clique during meetings and projects. At DCON, I was changed. From Pre-DCON, other members going to DCON started to talk to each other and were slowly becoming a little family. I’m so glad to have been able to get closer to all of them. There were so many great experiences.

The forums such as the DIY Dinosaur really got me out of my comfort zone in a good way.

Everybody was so excited to be there that I shared in the enthusiasm. The simplest things like waiting to go into the dining area was so entertaining. All the different alphabetical line came up with witty comebacks to out due each other such as “B is for Basic” or singing “Under the C”.

After those events, getting on the elevator was hilarious in a way. I would always share in the agony of trying to find an elevator to go up to my floor with other Key Clubbers. During the ceremonies, watching different events was so amazing. Talented people like dancers or the power karate kids were fantastic to watch and made me look forward to next year’s skilled bunch. The Smash tournament was so intense and made me sit on the edge of my chair. The music during transition was so fun to dance to.

My table at these events were always cheering loudly for everybody. We were so into everything and when West Brook won anything we’d stand and fan-girl cry for ourselves. I loved our goofiness though.

All the girls from our school would tend to have bonding time, and the guys would have their bro time. The girls loved to get ready together. I’m not the “girliest” girl in the world so having girl time was so refreshing. Doing each other’s hair and getting each other’s opinions and advice on our outfits of the day was so fun with them.

I was so thankful I went to DCON. I decided to go on impulse without really thinking much, but I don’t regret it in the slightest. Most of the people that went to DCON still talk in our group chat and even hang out together. I’ve already gained so many new favorite memories due to this trip as well as treasured friends. Because of the trip, I wanted to become a part of the Key Club in a bigger way than before hence me running and getting elected as Treasurer for WBHS Key Club 2015-2016.

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Timothy Johnson, North Garland High School

Photo Cred: Bobby Thakkar

An Experience to Remember I remember when the first notion of DCON was brought up, I didn’t know what to expect. I was excited yet anxious at the thought of staying away from home. I’ll never forget my experience at this wonderful convention though, and it has really changed my outlook not only on Key Club, but how I see the world. When I travelled into the convention, I saw several stands, and beautiful service boards filled with pictures of the memories and events which helped involve people in service towards not only their schools, but their communities as well.

The room was filled with lights and sounds which filled my view and tickled my ears. I found the whole Jurassic theme quite appealing, all the activities were laid before me and I had a hard time choosing what to do first!

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My favorite part of the activities must have been the inflatable obstacle course, it was thrilling to see friendly competition between fellow Key Clubbers as they raced to beat their peers. Throughout the training for officer positions and the inspirational speeches to further ourselves as servant leaders, I had learned to appreciate service as a selfless act not for oneself, but to see the smiles upon the faces of people you help, because that is the greatest reward of all.

DCON presented friendly competition and the ability to meet new people who had the same ideals as I did, being able to see their spirit towards Key Club only furthered my own.

Throughout my time at DCON I was able to grow with my other members who had come along on this journey and build bonding relationships with them not only professionally but personally as well. Each of us shared our plans for the future of Key Club as not only members, but as student leaders for this proud organization! When the leadership luncheon rolled around, the meal was fantastic!

My favorite part was the dessert of course. Tensions that day were also heightened to the extreme as there was a Super Smash Bros. tournament held before us! The fighting was intense as cheers echoed around the room with the two

top competitors fighting for supremacy! The two fighters were Olimar and Luigi and after a long battle Olimar took the victory, which led to roaring cheers throughout the crowd.

The awards banquet must have been the most anxious time for me at DCON. Tensions were high as schools from both Texas and Oklahoma awaited their awards from achievements they had accomplished throughout the year. My ears perked to hear the sound of my school being called and my entire club stood and cheered, but one thought that raced through my mind that evening was making our performance for the talent portion the best it could be!

Four other members and I trained every day in preparation for a martial arts act to entertain the audience, and my heart was already beating non-stop and I wasn’t even on stage! Backstage we waited in excitement and anxiousness, saying our cheer to give us the confidence we needed. When we were called to the stage cheers met our ears as our performance began.

A display of years of training and practice were presented through snapping solid wood boards and breaking a thick concrete board with a bare hand! When the results were in for the talent show, names were called, but we were not one of winners. We had heavy hearts, but in the end we knew we gave it our best, and we were just happy we were able to give the Kiwanis and Key

members a memorable experience!

The Farewell Breakfast was the saddest day I had experienced, yet the most inspiring as well. Seeing the previous district governor step down for the new candidate really brought a tear to my eye, to be able to see the passion that they had in serving Key Club and the community, and being able to see how emotional the candidate was to accept the position from the people they had looked up to.

Seeing the appointing of the new district officers has touched my heart and has really inspired me to do a better job towards my club and my own goals. Seeing how emotional they became from leaving their clubs, made me feel even closer my own club which I have already considered family. DCON has been an experience I will cherish for years to come, and I hope others can join next year’s DCON for their own unforgettable memories!

Photo Cred: Bobby Thakkar

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15 - 16 Winnie Lu | 17 Meghan

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na Thota | 18 Lindsey Thomas

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Photo Cred: Cypress Falls

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S

UMMER ERVICE

Summer 2015 has finally arrived and it is the perfect time to serve!!

Don't let the Texas & Oklahoma heat keep you from getting out of the house and helping out locally!

Whether it be helping out at the local Fourth of July festivities, at marathons and runs, or bonding with fellow Key Clubbers over a cool, refreshing bowl of frozen yogurt at a social, the summer offers a myriad of ways for you to help out around town and to have some fun preparing for the upcoming activities regarding incoming members for the new school year. Car washes are a spectacular way to raise funds for your club and/or service project while also having a good time with your friends despite the heat.

Cy-Falls started the summer off early with a Car Wash FUNdraiser for ELIMINATE during ELIMINATE week, so here is a "Car Washes 101" to help your club start banking'.

1) Selecting a prime location is key in

2) Your club can either decide on a car wash price,

ensuring that your car wash is successful.

Make sure the side of the store that has the water supply is by a lot that is not hidden from where the busy crowds of customers are! Also, be sure to call & schedule a time with the store at least 2 weeks in advance.

or y'all can do what we did! Free car washes but donations are accepted! We've found that most people are very willing to help with your cause, but the word free proves to be very persuasive. Plus, regardless of donations, giving out free car washes to those in our community is still an ideal way to give back.

3) ADVERTISE ADVERTISE ADVERTISE! Post about the car wash on your club website, Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, Division Facebook page, & tell all your friends about it! Invite other clubs in the area to also come out to get their cars washed, creating an opportunity to meet & bond with other schools. Also, club members can create posters to wave at the cars passing by!

4) Make sure to have all

5) Apply sun protection!!!! Super 6) HAVE FUN!!

supplies ready, such as sponges, car-wash soaps, a hose, and buckets, and also be sure to have enough supplies for the amount of volunteers who have signed up!!

super important because otherwise, you'll end up with a beautifully apparent farmers' tan like I had for a longer extent than I liked, or you'll be at risk for skin cancer, or (hopefully not) both.

Article submitted by: Winnie Lu, Cypress Falls

Summer Sun, Sand and Service Article Submitted by Meghana Thota, Cy-Fair High School This school year has practically flown by! I cannot believe there is less than two days left before summer starts again! I am most definitely not ready for the upcoming year that is sure to be full of homework, homework, and homework. But, I am excited to start attending key club meetings and attending events with amazing people again!

This year, Key Club inspired me to volunteer and give my time to people less fortunate and help them wherever I can. So, instead of traveling to some exotic place, I spent most of my time last summer volunteering at The Memorial-Hermann Hospital located in the Texas Medical Center. It was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I was exposed to the atmosphere of a hospital and I can’t see myself doing anything in the future other than becoming a doctor. It was amazing to see all of the doctors and staff contributing so much of their time and effort to help others. I absolutely loved all of the people I got to work with in MIMU, Robertson Information Desk, and Gift Cart.

MIMU is a new unit they have developed at Memorial-Hermann. I enjoyed helping the patients and staff to ease some of their stress. I answered phone calls and pages from other doctors and relayed the information to the nurses working in my unit. I also went around talking to patients and striking up conversations to help them forget they were staying in a hospital.

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I slowly became familiar with the supply closet and was allowed to give them ice and water and other basic items.

At the Robertson Information Desk, I generally found myself assisting visitors around the hospital and helping them find their way around.

Memorial-Hermann is a gigantic hospital and it isn’t the only one in the Texas Medical Center!

Sometimes I would find a person walking around Memorial-Hermann looking for a patient located in the Methodist hospital next door! I know I sure got a lot of exercise and lost weight walking around helping people find patients and other amenities located around the hospital!

Every Friday, me and a couple of other girls stocked up the Gift Cart and headed around the hospital and the Medical Plaza to help make the patients and visitors experience at MemorialHermann just a little bit better. Doing Gift Cart, I explored the hospital like never before. We would find a new department almost every time because we would accidentally head to a new floor!

I am hoping to integrate this experience into Cy-Fair Key Club next year and I encourage anyone who has a love to volunteer and help others to look into to volunteering anywhere and at anytime!

I am so glad got to meet amazing new people, doctors, and nurses throughout the entire hospital. It was extremely fun and it was definitely an excellent end to the two months full of volunteering! Hopefully, I can spend this next summer with sun, sand, and service just like this one!

Answer: Incorrectly

Service The Main Factor Article Submitted by Lindsey Thomas, Mansfield Summit High School Service is the main factor when it comes to Key Club. Key Club is nothing without service. During the school year, it is easy to find events to volunteer at in order to rack up those hours. Since everyone is in school, there are plenty of events, such as science nights, carnivals, and even school dances that are available to Key Club members. But what happens during the summer? Unfortunately, members lose passion in the summer. When school is out, Key Club meetings also come to a halt.

Service in the summer is just as important as ever, as that is when people need help the most since it is the time of summer vacation.

While Key Clubbers are on their own summer vacation, they need to remember that they need to volunteer and constantly give back to the community, especially in the summer.

Even though school is out, there are still events available to anyone who is willing to help out and volunteer. Although they may not be spring or fall carnivals, they are still just as beneficial, if not more, to the community. For example, Feed the Kids. In the Mansfield Independent School District, there is a free or reduced lunch program available to those who need it. The school ensures that food is available to everyone at all economic levels.

Sometimes lunch at school is the only lunch that some students get. But when school is out, what happens? Feed the Kids, a program created by the Common Ground Network, helps locals out by feeding those kids who need those free meals provided at school over the summer. They are always in need of volunteers to fill bags of food for the kids, especially since it is a summer-oriented event. They are also working to provide free books for these children alongside the meals.

There is also an event called Alex’s Lemonade Stand. This event can be scheduled by any club. The Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is trying to reach a goal -- to eliminate cancer. By doing Alex’s Lemonade Stand, the cure to cancer could become just a little more within our reach. Alex’s Lemonade Stand is exactly that, a lemonade stand. Students make lemonade to give out in exchange for donations towards the foundation. In the summer, people enjoy cool, refreshing lemonade, making Alex’s Lemonade Stand a great event for the summer.

These are just some service opportunities that can be done in the summer. Always be sure to look for events that are specific to your community! Any event that is available will be surely be a big help.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Q:

We have been having issues on what an editor exactly needs to accomplish. How does the point system work and what exactly is needed in a newsletter? - Sophia Tran, North Garland HS

A:

This year we will be using a different point system for newsletters and articles. These are the following point systems that will be used during the grading process of your newsletters and articles.

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0 - 20 points per newsletter a.

1 newsletter maximum per month b. points based on depth of newsletter, graphic standards and design elements

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0 - unacceptable | 10 - below average | 15 - average | 20 - excellent 2.

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a. b.

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0 - 2 points per article submitted to the Tex-O-Key (20 points maximum) articles must be sent to the District Editor by email additional 5 points if one or more article is published (proof required in your next report) 0 - unacceptable | 1 - average | 2 - above average

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What exactly is needed in a newsletter? Well, newsletters are created to help club members know what is going on. Here is what I expect to be in your newsletters while grading them: quality content, table of contents, numbered pages, upcoming deadlines and events, DCON advertising (after theme is announced), club officer, LTG and District Staff Contact Information.

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Q:

Do articles have to be specifically about this months events?

Could I get Key Clubbers to write about why they love Key Club, or something along those lines that has to do with Key Club? - Brittany Tu, Randall HS

A:

Articles prompts can either be taken from the District Website on the suggested article prompt post that is posted every month, or about any thing else Key Club related!

So, no, articles do not have to be specifically about this months events. It can be about a Key Clubbers favorite project, how you guys plan on staying active over the summer, or what you happen to love about Key Club!

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Q:

Communication ensures cohesion between members and officers and is a vital part of any club. Monthly newsletters are a main mode of communicating with members, so it is important to make sure they are polished and visually pleasing. Do you have any tips for clubs who hope to enhance their newsletter design? What are some good resources for high resolution photos and graphics? - Deepa Muthusamy , James Taylor HS

A:

One way to improve your newsletters is to look at others! By checking out other newsletters created by fellow club editors, it can inspire you and give you new, innovative ideas on how to better improve your newsletter!

The best graphics you can find are the ones the brand guide allows you to use! You can download some graphics off of the international website (KeyClub.org)! But, when it comes to pictures it gets a little tricky. By far the best pictures you can use are the ones taken by you or a fellow club member! But, before using them ask yourself these questions!

1. Is the photo high quality? If the picture has resolution don’t use it.

2. Is it appropriate? does it go along with what you are talking about in your newsletter?

3. Is it relevant to your viewers? Lets be honest, people LOVE seeing pictures of themselves! When you have pictures of club members they get hyped for your next publication. It becomes kind of like a miniature yearbook for them!

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District Governor Rachel Iselin ! !

Email: Governor@tokeyclub.com

District Treasurer Emily Zhao

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Email: Treasurer@tokeyclub.com

District Secretary Crystal Loh ! !

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Email: Secretary@tokeyclub.com

District Editor

Matthew Riley ! !

Email: Editor@tokeyclub.com

Convention Liaison Megan Reynosa

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Email: CL@tokeyclub.com

District Administrator Walt Roetter

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Email: Administrator@tokey club.com

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THANKS FOR READING

THE

TEX-O-KEY !

2015 May / June Issue. Texas-Oklahoma District