2015 July/August Tex-O-Key

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FACTS 1. Table of Contents 2. Messages 3. International 7. Conventions 17. K-Family Connections 23. Summer Service 31. Letters to the Editor 33. Contact Information

The Eiffel Tower actually grows around six inches during the summer because higher temperatures cause the iron in the tower to expand.

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With the average American eating around 15 pounds of it, the Watermelon is the Summer’s favorite vegetable.

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A watermelon is actually a vegetable because it is a member of the gourd family.

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Where do sharks go on summer vacation? Find out on page 4!

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Why don’t basketball players go on summer vacation? Find out on page 10!

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Why do golfers carry extra socks? Find out on page 20!

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What do you call a snowman in the middle of July? Find out on page 27!

JOKES

EDITOR’S CORNER Check out the suggested article prompts for the month of August on the District Website! www.tokeyclub.com Be sure to like “Texas-Oklahoma Key Club District” on Facebook to join in on all of the fun!

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Text “@1516editor” to 81010 to receive reminders of upcoming events and deadlines from the District Editor!

EDITOR’S ENTRY EDITOR’S ENTRY !

AY-O T-O KEY CLUBBERS!

Hey, T-O Key Clubbers!

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hope guys have hadbeen a fantastic Summer, because it’s almost II am soyou grateful to have appointed to serve as your 2015 - 2016 over! But with one our life being ending,appointed another part is just District Editor!

Withpart just of recently I am currently working beginning! hopeApril you and guys May’s are ready for school!

Be articles, sure on grading Iboth newsletters and so keep an to start your school year off right by downloading the eye out for feedback because I plan on getting that to you guys ASAP! I newlike brand guide, that newthemed colors and fonts, andbegging with the would to continue to has create Tex-O-Keys use all that information to create posters and flyers to July/ August Issue. The July & August Tex-O-Key’s theme will be summer! encourage your high schoolers to join!

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 Also, if you haven’t already noticed, I have created free to email me! I’m super excited to see what we will be able a new type of club editor recognition. On the 15th of to accomplish asfeature a District this year and I created look forward to every month I will a club newsletter by working with youNot all!only does this recognize club one of you guys!

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editors who are going above and beyond but it also gives new club editors examples of outstanding Yours in Service, Matthew Riley newsletters!

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

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crazyI get excited for upcoming Key Club I’ve year and can’t believe that we’re One of the I’m questions asked a lotthis is: What Every Kiwanian ever met has been a already two months into the next chapter genuine, of our Service Adventure. over IS your Governor’s Project? caring person who hasWith inspired me 300 clubs to remain withinthat the K-Family to give and now over 18,200 members as of 4/15/2015, I know we’re and going to accomplish The 2015-2016 Governor’s Project for Texaseverything I can to in become better incredible things together and I’m honored to be sharing it withayou asleader your District Oklahoma is called “K-Family Konnections”. It better person.

In fact,and I spent pastthem in to Governor. Each month, make sure to takeand lotsaand lots of photos tothis send is a project dedicated to uniting the different weekend at our Kiwanis DCON. The amazing the District Editor so that we can use them in the Tex-O-Key and share in your experiences branches of the K-Family through joint service, service and support our Kiwanians give us and with you. joint fundraising, and interclub meetings. I the PRIDE that they have in each and every

Thison year I’m all aboutKiwanis service to your home and really getting back to where want to focus the bond between one of their Key Clubs is a testament to how Key came from.regions Our organization wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Kiwanians so I’ve and Club Key Club by having create Klucky we are to have them. chosen my Governor’s to focus on that special, unique connection that each family interclub events and Project by challenging Key Clubsoftothe support Kiwanisshares projects as Aktion So when it comes downwe’re to it, my is branch K-Family in.such From Clubs to K-Kids, allproject working the DisastertoRelief Backpacks program. simple: reach a out to yourfuture local Kiwanis together make the world a better placevery and creating better for the Throughout myto journey in Key Clubs, Circle K Clubs, Builder’s Clubs, K-Kids generations come.

Club, my greatest supporters have been the adults who Clubs, so andlet’s Aktion Clubs; Invite them to you It’s our chance to make a difference, start right now in our have advocated for me and worked meetings, try to attend their meetings, communities. I encourage all of you this year to reach out to the K-Family in your alongside me to help me achieve my goals. I schedule fundraising events together, area and to organize events together so that we can keep that connection alive believe that the bonds we create within this volunteer at a food back together, ect. Make and continue changing the world one child at a time. organization are irreplaceable and something unique to the K-Family that should be expanded upon and emphasized.

the most of the opportunities you have to Yours in Service, work with individuals who want to change the world.

Rachel Iselin

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A MESSAGE FROM

INTER

Greetings, Key Club members!

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Just a few weeks ago, our organization convened in Indianapolis for our annual International Convention alongside Circle K and Kiwanis International as we celebrated Kiwanis’ centennial birthday. It was an unforgettable experience for all, and that week, I was fortunate enough to be elected President of Key Club International. As International President, my job is to lead our organization for the next year; to set the vision of what Key Club is, should be, and will be; to supervise and work with your 11 International Trustees, ensuring that they serve and work with your district properly; to unite all 33 districts under our common mission, and to do everything in my power to leave this organization better than I found it when I leave office in 2016. Key Club has an exciting year ahead of it! We’re entering the last decade of our first 100 years. We’re working everyday to make membership larger, stronger, and an experience that leaves all 270,000 satisfied. As a Key Club member, you’ve chosen to be a part of something greater than yourself. Greater than your home club, your division, or even your district; you’ve chosen to be one of the thousands of hands Key Club International unites for the greater good around the word. As the saying goes, “United we stand; Divided we fall”: Let’s unite, Key Club. We’re a global network of smart, inspired, capable servant leaders. Can you imagine what we can do when we come together? It’s an honor to be your leader this year. I wish you the very best in all of your endeavors this school year Key Club and otherwise and thank you sincerely for being a Key Clubber. Let’s have a fantastic year!

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Best regards, Rip Livingston President, Key Club International rlivingston@alabamakeyclub.org

RNATIONAL Hello Key Clubbers!

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My name is Addison Clipfell and I’m the 2015-2016 International Vice President.

I’m so excited to serve alongside Rip and all of the trustees for the upcoming year. This year I will be working on many things including: chairing the Committee for Service and YOF, being a liaison to the Western Canada District, writing a monthly blog, reading governor monthly reports, serving on the executive committee, and much more. if you have any questions about my role this year please ask!

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Some fun facts about me are that I play the violin, I work at Old Navy, I love Sudoku, I have a dog named Roxy, and I absolutely love Key Club! Well, you knew that last one, right? I truly hope I can inspire and aid all of you in sparking an enthusiasm for Key Club in your members.

This is extremely important to create long lasting connections an it is key to keep members in the K-Family. Also, I hope all of your unique clubs continue to do amazing service in the upcoming year and share that with me along the way!

Most importantly, I want you to know that while I hold the office of I.V.P, I am still a regular teenager. I think history is boring, stress about college applications, fan-girl over Fall Out Boy, have a job, and love to serve. I’m just like you! I want to be a supporter, a source of encouragement, and a Vice President all wrapped into one. So, with all that once again feel free to contact me at anytime. My contact information is below. I can’t wait to have an amazing year of service!

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Addison Clipfell VP, Key Club International addie.clipfell@gmail.com

Answer: Finland!

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TRUSTEE UPDATE FROM IAN MCDONALD Hello, my name is Ian MacDonald, and I am excited to be serving you as your International Trustee this year. A Trustee is a type of representative and liaison from the International Board to your District Board. This is very similar to the position of a Lieutenant Governor on the international level. This year I have the opportunity to serve the Caribbean Atlantic, Indiana, and Texas-Oklahoma districts.

This year I will begin my senior year at Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida. Besides being a passionate and driven key club member like all of you, I am a varsity soccer player and mathlete. I serve as the National Honor Society President, and I am a member of the Technology Student Association chapter at my school. Outside of school, I love going to the beach and being outdoors.

I was elected connect you to Key Club International, so please don’t hesitate to contact to me. I cannot wait to serve all of you this year.

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At the 72nd Key Club International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, Key Club International pledged three million dollars to The Eliminate Project. Key Club took the first step to further this project past Kiwanis’ initial five year plan because the Kiwanis family is yet to reach our goal of $110 million dollars to completely eradicate maternal neonatal tetanus off the planet. At the closing of House of Delegates in Indianapolis, your new International President Rip Livingston and International Vice President Addie Clipfell were elected along with eleven other Trustees.

As the beginning of the next school year approaches I urge each and every one of you to apply for the Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF). This is a grant given out by Key Club International that ranges from $100 to $2000 for any service project your club needs assistance with. In order to be granted YOF, your club must fill out a simple application by October 15th. Unlike past years, the grant recipients will receive the money upfront opposed to being reimbursed for the supplies and materials purchased. This is a great program that can help any club preform a much needed service project!

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Yours in service, Ian McDonlad

CONVEN

09 Crystal Tirawan, 10 Shelby Morton, 13 Sara

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Photo Credit: North Crowley

NTIONS

a Al-Midany, 14 Lori Abel, 15 Brendon Nguyen

Treasured Experiences By: Crystal Tirawan, West Brook

On the trip to Key Club’s District Convention in Dallas, I was simply a Key Club member with few expectations as to how the event would turn out to be. I wasn’t an officer, nor did I hope to be one. Ironically, I entered the District Convention as a non-member, and emerged as an individual capable of being worthy of the title of officer for one of the best Key Club’s in the TexasPhoto Credit: West Brook Oklahoma District.

Speaking now as Treasurer of West Brook High School’s Key Club, attending DCON has helped me by supplementing what little knowledge I had about leadership and giving me the drive and passion to fulfill the duties I’ve had so far as an officer.

At DCON, I attended forums that particularly helped me realize my potential as an individual. In the Do-It-Yourself Dinosaur Costume forum, I was able to immerse myself with people I barely knew to achieve one goal: create the best “dinosaur.” I was one of the few who took the initiative to work together as a unit with fellow club members. This idea of teamwork is also what compelled me to run for a position as a Key Club officer. The DIY forum stimulated my creative side, which helped me not only during the contest, but also when faced with real issues as an officer. For example, musical chairs served as the icebreaker for one of our weekly meetings during the school year; however, our speakers were broken.

Thankfully, with the experiences I had gained at DCON by my side, I quickly volunteered to sing the tune of “Pop Goes the Weasel”, a classic musical chair song, as a substitute.

In addition, attending DCON has also helped me to meet my deadlines as an officer. Each day at DCON was filled with different events on a set schedule, some of which were mandatory. This helped me realize the importance of punctuality, which is essential for an officer, especially with tasks such as arriving to projects on time, oftentimes carrying sign-in sheets, or promptly turning in articles and other important documents to my fellow officers.

Unfortunately, my duties as an officer can only go so far during the summer.

Even so, I am excited to utilize the valuable knowledge and skills I’ve gained from DCON in the upcoming year as the Treasurer of the West Brook Key Club.

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Prior to District Convention I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but as the convention continued, I began to learn extraordinary amounts about the real meaning behind Key Club such as community and servant leadership. Before District Convention began I took on the tasks of running for Randall Key Club secretary and was graciously elected into the position. As I began training with the current secretary I became nervous and realized how much work it would be, and was anxious to attempt to better our club rating to the number one spot.

In order to be prepared as I enter into my new position as secretary I attended the secretary forum and learned how fill out, access, and who to ask questions regarding the documents that were to be sent in every month with reports. Even though my former club secretary helped a great deal she was unable to explain the new policies and forms for reports due to her lack of experience with and use of them.

As a board member in general, I wanted to help our club connect with other surrounding club such as Canyon High and Palo Duro Key Clubs. Meeting with the members gave me the resources I needed to be able to contact them and the relationship I wanted to be able to coordinate socials and inter-clubs.

This would also go along with an idea that I heard at convention Photo Credit: Mansfield about pairing a thriving club with a beginner or struggling club.

As a freshmen in Key Club I was unaware of the higher offices that were available to students and became really proud to be a part of a student led organization as successful as Key Club. Along with realizing these positions I got the opportunity to meet and understand the students I was working under, and became excited to hear their goals and aspirations. I have even been debating on running for a higher office such as secretary or governor so that I can better the Key Club and become an even better leader as I prepare for my future.

Therefore, District Convention not only helped me in position as secretary but as a club member in general. I am so excited to attend the convention next year and learn even more about the organization, and have the opportunity to make even more friends. District Convention ultimately set me on fire for Key Club and gave me the boost I would need to take on the challenge of secretary.

A DCON Revolution By: Shelby Morton, Randall

Answer: They’d get called for traveling!

DCON 2015 / making

memories “t-o�gether

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Photo Credit: North Crowley

Reflecting on ICON By: Sara Al-Midany, North Crowley

The international convention of 2015 took place in Indianapolis, Indiana from Wednesday, June 24 – Saturday, June 27. We drove from Texas to Indianapolis instead of flying so we can enter our non-traditional scrapbook (which is huge) in the

competition. We thought we were going there just for that until the first event on the first day; the opening session. Whenever we saw people cheering for their districts, and for their clubs, we realized it's more than just winning a prize and it got us really involved with our own district. We moved to the second event on that day; meet and greet. We met people from all over the states and some from outside the county too!

We took pictures with them, traded some numbers, followed each other on social media, and most importantly traded pins. By the way, our Texas-Oklahoma convention pin was really popular and everyone was asking for it! Indianapolis is a great city; we got to see most of it when we went out for lunches and dinners. They also offered us a free brunch (pancakes) on Thursday and it was really nice seeing everyone come together and eat the same thing, I could really tell that everyone was really happy! Kiwanis also arranged a store that sells stuff related to key club such as: shirts, liners, patches, water bottles and much more interesting things. It was Kiwanis hundred anniversary and as our ‘14-’15 president said, "It is such an amazing felling to be in the same city with thousand servant leaders who love the same organizations and have the same life mission- to make this world a better place." Kiwanis launch to the next 100 year session was really awesome and it made me really proud to be sponsored by such a big and effective organization. They presented to us that our work isn't really going to waste, and that people are really benefiting from our service. ICON is such a great experience that everyone should have on their list. It shows you how huge, amazing and effective organizations you're in. It gets you more excited and passionate about service and changing the world. And it makes you want to join Circle K and Kiwanis in the future so bad. If you get a chance to go next year it's going to be in Atlanta, Georgia please take it and don't say it's not important because it's one of the best experiences you'll ever experience!

An Iconic Experience By: Lori Abel, West Brook

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As a Key Club advisor of thirteen years, I have attended only twelve District Conventions. This year, however, I had the chance to attend the International Convention in Indianapolis with financial assistance from our sponsoring Kiwanis Club.

On June 24th, I departed for Indianapolis. Upon arrival, everyone from our district shared a shuttle, which took us to our hotel. Once we arrived at the hotel, we were told to get prepared to proceed to the opening session. Once the doors opened for the opening session, each Key Club district was waiving their respective district signs in the air. The overzealous enthusiasm within the crowd was truly remarkable and admirable. Shortly after opening session concluded, everyone proceeded to the meet-and-greet session.

This event was probably one of my favorites simply because all of the districts were trading convention pins. Additionally, there were several other fun activities, including an inflatable obstacle course, human bowling, a photo booth, dancing, video games, and a meet-and-greet bingo game.

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The following three days were filled with exciting and informative events. Members and advisors alike attended workshops which offered information as well as suggestions on how to improve meetings, continually retain members throughout the year, improve leadership skills, etc. I also witnessed members also running for honorable positions such as International President, Vice President, and Trustee.

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On Friday, the entire Kiwanis Family at ICON attended a baseball game at Victory Field. The seats were packed with innumerable Kiwanis family members wearing white ICON shirts. It was astounding to witness the AAA Indians win their game, as well as see an amazing fireworks show afterwards.

During the recognition session, awards were announced for various contests. Our T-O district received a number of awards. Members and advisors were applauding and cheekily smiling throughout the entirety of the ceremony. The happiness and the genuine care they expressed were heartwarming. I felt truly blessed to be the advisor and sponsor of the West Brook Key Club and it’s numerous and wonderful members and officers alike. My first International Convention was without a doubt a definite success, and one that I will never forget. I now await next year’s Key Club International Convention, which is scheduled to be held in Atlanta, Georgia!

What do you think of?

By: Brendon Nguyen, Mansfield

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3 years ago, when I started my venture into Key Club, I thought it would be amazing if I could become a club officer for such a noble organization. I thought Key Club would be just another high school organization, something that doesn’t really go beyond me and my school, but as I progressed, I learned that Key Club was something special, something different. Attending District Convention for the first time overwhelmed and excited me about how amazing it was that ordinary souls, like you and me, can come together to make changes, like saving millions of mothers’ and children’s lives through the ELIMINATE Project. A lot of my attention and time was quickly consumed by Key Club and I’ve never looked back. This year, I had the privilege of traveling to Indianapolis, Indiana to celebrate 100 years of Kiwanis and 90 years of Key Club at International Convention 2015 and this experience has given me so much perspective on what it really means to be part of Key Club.

Attending International Convention (ICON) was a big paradigm shift in regards to how I viewed and comprehended Key Club. For the longest time, I viewed Key Club as almost exclusively something that happened on several individual campuses, just like how every school has a student government or an honor society. However, the key difference is that all these schools’ Key Clubs are very closely related. Under the governance of the District and International Boards, we as seemingly “individual” schools can come together to work on projects to improve our communities around the world. It really is incredible that we live in a world where teenagers who may not ordinarily think it possible to leave a legacy can accomplish extraordinary feats by collaborating. While at International Convention, I was able to talk to Key Clubbers from other states, caucus for new International Board members, and meet the current International Board. There’s just something so incredible and empowering about knowing that we’re part of something so grand and so successful and it has really invigorated me to try my hardest to make a change. A lot of people dream of doing something big on their own, but sometimes fail to see that the opportunity to do something big is right in front of them in the form of Key Club. When I think of Key Club, I think of all the wonderful life experiences I’ve been able to share with other amazing people that have committed to creating a long-lasting legacy of making positive changes in their communities; what do you think of?

Photo Credit: North Crowley

K-FAMILY CO

19 Eric Li, 20 Lexi Cepa

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ONNECTIONS

ak, 21 Kennie Merbach

Summer vacation: the boon of every high school student’s existence. We wait months just for this specific break. With it comes summer fun, unforgettable memories, and lots and lots of lazing around. But with summer also come the onerous task of maintaining club spirit, and this is especially true when it comes to K-family relations. So how does one maintain these strong relations? The same as one would make friends: cooperating together and having By: Eric Li, Mansfield fun serving together.

To maintain a strong K-family connection, one key component is without a doubt interaction. It is not only important for officers to interact, but for members and club advisors as well. One of the best ways to do this is through coordinating service opportunities together. By having as many members of your club serve and have fun together for a good cause, you can help your club become more interconnected. Members who serve with each other interact more and can even become friends, which strengthens your club K-family connection as a whole. Not only can your club become more interconnected, but you can also interact with other local high school key clubs and plan even more joint events. This will help any key club become an integral part of the community and more connected than ever before. You should also try to help out with other K-family clubs like your local Kiwanis club or Builders club. By helping other K family clubs such as these, your club and slowly forge a strong long lasting bond with them and become friends. You can do this too by helping out on their projects. One project my club does with other k family clubs is the Feed the Kids program. Every Wednesday at 10am or 6 pm, members and officers alike from my club go and volunteer to help the Feed the Kids program, a local effort to feed the children of Mansfield who struggle to afford food over the summer. Likewise, many Kiwanis members and sometime Builders club members come and help out as well. Together we bag food and deliver it to those who need it. Because we are all working for the same cause, we strengthen our k family connection tremendously through cooperation. It is also smart to do the same thing during the school year, as events like this are not only limited to the summer time.

Perhaps the best part of being in Key Club are the memories you take away from it. Key Club teaches you how to be a better person, leader, and friend. And it’s great to know that no matter what you do, there are always other key clubbers there to help you every step along the way.

Keeping the Konnection

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Photo Credit: North Crowley

Answer: Incase they get a hole in one!

North Crowley Key Club maintains strong K-Family relations throughout the summer and the school year by holding lots of socials. Last year, I met our local Kiwanis Club at a social at Broadway Baptist church. I saw them again throughout the year at various school meetings and events. We even supported them at their Kiwanis Magic show, which was a lot of fun. This summer, our club has maintained even stronger By: Lexi Cepak, North relations with our K-Family. By attending PCMs and DCMs, we've gotten Crowley to know our K-Family really well. My fellow Key Club officers, Jordan Peyton and Sara Al-Midany, attended International Convention with our Kiwanis Advisor and another Key Clubber, Avalon Wolfe. After International Convention, our Key Club held a social with all of the Key Clubs in our area and Kiwanis Club at Camp David. They bonded by playing various games together and socializing while sitting by the campfire. Our Key Club met with neighboring Key Clubs again at our Dairy Queen social. I met a fellow editor named Sue, who I hope to grow closer to as the year goes on.

After socializing at our Dairy Queen social, we all held our summer Key Club meetings, which was really cool. We got to see how each club in our region operated and conducted their meetings, which was a really cool experience that brought us all together. This Saturday, our LTG, Vanessa, is holding a PCM with a pool party social afterwards. I can't wait to see the familiar faces of Key Clubbers from Paschal and Burleson that I just saw at the Dairy Queen social at another event. In addition to socials, PCMs, and DCMs, our K-family maintains strong relations through email. Our LTG is fantastic about sending out updates and responding to emails in a timely manner. Her updates are really thorough, so we have been able to stay really informed throughout the year. She loves teamwork, and truly cares about everyone's opinion, so she often sends us links to polls and surveys where we can vote on things like regional t-shirt designs. Overall, our Key Club maintains strong K-family relations in numerous ways. We stay in touch through email and we see each other often. Our K-family has really grown together over the summer. I'm beginning to feel like my K-family truly is exactly what the name implies: a family.

Crowley Connections

Photo Credit: West Brook Rupert Stanton Wolfrom Jr., 83, of Beaumont passed away on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Stan was many things to many people: a husband, father, grandfather, Longhorn, fellow church By: Kennie Merbach, West Brook goer and greeter, businessman, and, to us, a fellow Kiwanian.

Stan had many passions and lived his life to the fullest serving his community. One of his primary passions was working on behalf of the Beaumont Kiwanis Club. He was a lifetime member of the Beaumont Kiwanis Club and was committed to serving as their President. He proudly served with Kiwanis with over fifty years of perfect attendance. Through the Beaumont Kiwanis Club he became a proud recipient of the George F. Hixon Fellowship Award and was awarded Lieutenant Governor of the Division 10 Kiwanis Texas-Oklahoma Chapter. Stan especially enjoyed his time serving as the advisor of the Key Club Chapters at Kelly, West Brook, and Legacy High School.

As our advisor, Stan attended almost all of our meetings. He enjoyed his time at our meetings by listening to us, talking to our club officers, and sharing his stories of service with us. He always loved to crack jokes and they never failed to make us laugh.

With over fifty years of service and devotion to Kiwanis, Stan’s dedication motivates me to do more for my club and community. I personally remember him for awarding me and many other Key Clubbers the Presidential Service Award. He awarded fourteen Key Clubbers with this award and we all had the pleasure to humbly shake hands with Stan to receive our award. Despite being rather ill that day, he adamantly refused to miss the ceremony.

Through his ups and downs, we always wanted to be there for Stan. When he was sick in the hospital, Key Club was there to support him. When he was unable to attend a meeting, we always sent him our wishes. In death now, we send him our prayers. All Key Clubbers should aspire and endeavor to be as great of an individual as Stan was.

“Known to me as Stan the Man, this beloved Kiwanian always showed up to our meetings with an upbeat spirit. Listening to his jokes at the Kiwanis Luncheons made the lunches all the more enjoyable.

When his health was deteriorating, he still made an attempt to show up to meetings and crack a joke here and there to make us laugh. His kindness and dedication toward West Brook’s Key Club were a wonderful show of his selflessness.” - Kelsey Endari!

Yours in Service, Stan

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SUMMER 25 Kidus Negesse, 26 Sarah Wen, 27 Kidu

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Photo Credit: Bellaire

SERVICE Negesse, 28 Meghan Liu, 29 Hubbul Rizvi

Too Hot to Handle By: Kidus Negesse, North Garland

As their peers were sleeping soundly in bed enjoying the many indulgences of summer vacation, Key Club members faced the challenge of rising in the dead of night to tend to the needs of their community. This time, the classic summer marathon was yet afoot for the assistance of Key Club’s volunteers. The day was hot, the air was humid, and our legs were destroyed, but the hard work of the day gave us a sense of fulfillment we could have never imagined.

The cars of our members roamed the dark empty streets at 3 AM before we boarded the train that took us to White Rock Lake. Although this was the closest station to our event, Norbuck Park, our destination, was still a couple of miles away, forcing us to tackle it head on by organizing our team and walking for more than half an hour to arrive punctually. As soon as we arrived, we were cordially greeted by a supervisor there and several of our members were assigned positions at water stations throughout the course of the marathon. During our long and arduous wait for the marathon to start, many of our members began bonding with the other volunteers at their station by starting conversations and getting to know exactly where they’re coming from. Tension quickly swept the air as the competitive marathon started and volunteers quickly began organizing cups of water on the station’s tables. People scrambled about to make sure that all cups on the edge of the tables were completely full of water to allow the dedicated champions of speed to maintain their position. Although the atmosphere was slightly quiet at first, a few members who had the courage and ambition to support the runners began chanting, and as if it were a wave, the chants quickly began spreading throughout the water stations until the marathon turned into a full-fledged movement of support.

As the marathon came to an end, volunteers were provided with delicious, refreshing ice cream that made up for the rather warm conditions of the day.

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Key Club members then walked the long trek back to the train station with their aching legs and sweating backs, realizing just how fitting a name “Too Hot to Handle” was for this event. Regardless of the conditions, hard work is simply a tenant of Key Club that all our members understand and abide by.

Who doesn't love a little water in the sweltering heat of Houston? Here are a few outdoor activities that I've enjoyed this summer.

First at camp, we played an original version of Sharks and Minnows called Octopus. In the beginning round, the octopus would just run and tag the other players until one person was left. The second round included tagging with water guns, and the last consisted of water guns and water balloons. The goal of the game was to get to the other side of the soccer field without getting tagged/ squirted by the octopi. If tagged, you had to sit down, becoming a seaweed, and has to try to tag others running by.

The following day, we played another messy game that involved water, baby oil, and shaving cream. The soccer field was split into four sections, and a circle in the middle served as the "jail". It was a twist on Capture the Flag called Capture the Ball. Each team had a different colored ball slathered in baby oil that they were to guard. The defenders had loads of shaving cream dumped in their hands to tag the other teams trying to retrieve their ball. The offenders attempting to steal the balls of the opposing teams were armed with water guns to run with. If tagged, you had to go to the "jail" in the center of the field until a member of your team threw you the "get out of jail water balloon" that you had to catch without breaking.

The last game we played was the messiest of the three. It was similar to battleship, except we were the battleships, the water balloons were bullets, and the game field was a beach volleyball court. The players were split into two teams, and a tall divider was put in the middle of the field. Everybody on each team had to lay down somewhere in their side of the court, with the exception of an individual who was the thrower. Without being able to see through the divider to the other side of the court, each team took a turn throwing a water balloon over the divider in hopes of hitting a player on the other team. If hit, you were out and had to sit down on the sidelines. The team with the most players left at the end of the game was the winner.

I think water games would be a great bonding activity for Key Club, but can be anything from a well planned game to a water war while hosting a car wash!

Water You Waiting For? By: Sarah Wen, Bellaire High School

July – it’s an incredibly hot, humid, and drab month of the year once Independence Day passes by. The average Key Club member is suffocating in summer boredom, By: Kidus Negesse, North Garland sleeping in until the afternoon on most days. To truly submerge Key Club in an enjoyable event of fun and water, a club can host a small car wash to ensure that it maintains its goal of helping out the community, and shortly after, a small cookout can be held next to a swimming pool, all while the members have a blast cooling off with one another to end the day.

Water Filled Social

First and foremost, a Key Club social can be transformed into something more than just an event where members get to socialize. Our main mission is to assist the community, and when presented with the idea of a water-filled event, a car wash can fulfill our wishes. A club can first contact an establishment who will be willing to assist it, such as a supermarket or fast-food restaurant with a large parking space and available use of water outlets. Then, the club will use its methods of communicating with its members to inform them of the car wash and the materials required. Hours can be used to incentivize members to bring the necessary supplies for the event, such as hoses, car wash sponges, and soap. Officers, only if not able to find an available location amongst themselves, will then need to ask the entire club who will be willing to invite members to his/her house or neighborhood for the swimming event. The leadership of the club can then organize a way to split the price of purchasing hot dogs and s'mores amongst itself.

On the day of the event, the club will need a few members to advertise the free car wash while the rest set up a convenient area where cars can easily park and access to the water pumps is not an issue. Members will be able to have a great deal of fun while getting soaked in water as they clean the cars with a light-spirited attitude. Our officers can also politely ask the people who get their car washed for a small donation that will be later donated to a charity of our choice. After washing cars for a few hours, members can go to the house or neighborhood that was decided upon and start changing into swimming gear. While they begin relaxing in the pool, the officers can start preparing the hot dogs with their desired method of cooking at the decided upon house (with the owner of the house present, of course). Swimming, being a strenuous and exhaustive activity, will cause members to stampede the hot dog carrying officers. The day will end with a beautiful sunset with Key Club members gorging themselves in glutton as the water on their backs slowly dries off. Officers will start making s'mores while members bask in relaxation as a few of them tell stories. The day will be unforgettable and will be the immediate thought of most members when they later reminisce about the summer of that particular year.

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Answer: a puddle!

Summer is that time of year where many people are busy and volunteering gets put By: Meghan Lu, Bellaire aside. Service is a huge part of Key Club. Key Club is built around service. However, during the summer, people are out and about having fun and often forget there are still people who are less fortunate. But we don’t have to stop giving back in the summer. Even in the summer, there are many great volunteer opportunities open for Key Clubbers.

Service in the Summer

There are various volunteer opportunities, even in the summer when school is out. Just look into it a little and you will see that opportunities are everywhere. As a Key Clubbers, we should always be helping out others, no matter the time of year. One place always open to volunteers is the food bank. Volunteering at the local food bank can be very rewarding. Just because the school year is over doesn’t mean people don’t need food. Food Banks are always looking for more volunteers to organize and pack food and more donations to feed more people. Just donating a few hours of your time to package and sort foods can make a huge difference on someone else’s life. Go volunteer with a friend to make the experience even more fun and you could double the impact.

Service does not have to be a grand act of kindness to help someone out.

Something as simple as a lemonade stand, car wash, or bake sale could make a big difference. Your Key Club could set up a lemonade stand, car wash, or bake sale (or all three) and donate the money to a good cause. During the summer, everyone is fighting the heat. Set up a lemonade stand, maybe even with baked goods, with a couple friends and that money can be used to bring us one step closer to finding the cure for cancer or it can be donated to feed a family for a week. People are often looking to clean their cars and why not have the money from a car wash go to a good cause. Advertise beforehand and tell all your friends and family about it. A successful car wash can make a huge difference.Key Club’s main goal is to give back to the community and help others out. During the summer we can still do just that. Volunteer opportunities are everywhere. Even the smallest thing can make a big difference.

Photo Credit: Bullard

If Not Us, Then Who?

By: Hubbul Rizvi, Cypress Falls School’s right around the corner and the back to school supplies are ruling almost all the stores! School may have ended for a lot of people but service to people by the beloved Key Clubbers didn’t end at all. From the various car wash sessions to Kiwanis club meetings, the Cypress Falls Key Club ensured to establish stronger bonds than before with Key Clubs from other schools. Now that August is here and summer is almost coming to an end, there are some aspects that we need to focus on before the 2015-2016 session starts!

L: Love everyone. Spread the love to not just Key Clubbers, but also to other students in the school, staff, and the entire school. This does not just bring a good environment to the school, but also promotes Key Club as well.

E: Encourage others to join Key Club! Sometimes we get so absorbed in giving to our society that we actually forget to increase awareness of the club to our school and also because of the fact that there are some people who don’t know about the club enough to join. Thus, meetings and fundraising with candy sales can help promote Key Club and the number of members. The more the members/volunteers, the more the community is helped.

A: Aspire to inspire other people. As members of Key Club, we set a premise of what Key Club is really about and no matter where we are, we’re always giving a hint to other people of what Key Club really is about. Another factor is that if we try to be good enough to inspire other people to be in Key Club, it always leads to a betterment.

D- Delete. Delete all the negativities that you have in your heart and don’t let any negativity get to you. In this journey of being a Key Club member, there can be times when things don’t go your way and you feel bad. This is why it is always important to not let anything get to you and always keep your head up. This way, you are not just being a good representation of Key Club, but also you get the opportunity to learn the true value of being a good Key Club member. This is because Key Club is not just about helping other people out and giving back to the society what each of us owes to this world, but it is also about learning through the mistakes and living in the reality by helping other people out and not letting anyone feel bad.

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L-E-A-D. Lead. A true Key Club member is not at all an individual who joins Key Club just because their parents told him or her to do so or just to have something on college applications, but rather, it is because, in the status quo, we need something more than what we have. We need true love and somebody that we can always look up to, not just for service hours, but also increase the number of genuine students who are willing to help out people any way possible. A lot of incoming Key Clubbers solely join Key Club just to knock down volunteer hours but instead we, the current leaders of Key Clubs, should guide the incoming students and inform them of the true meaning and foundation Key Club is built upon. Also, the fact that just because we are not the president or hold an officer position in the club doesn’t mean that we should not contribute to it and build upon it.

DISTR

LETTERS TO THE !

! !Q: Do you have a preference between portrait ! !and landscape photos? !Also, is there any way everyone who chooses to ! !can share their issuu links? I'd love to follow ! !everyone and read their newsletters! - Lexi ! !Cepak, North Crowley HS ! !A: I love portrait and landscape photos ! !equally, but I do tend to use landscape photos ! !more often than the portrait ones because I find ! !more uses for them! But, if you guys started to ! !only send me landscape photos that would put !me in quite a pickle so keep sending me portrait ! !photos! If you’d like to increase the chance of ! !your photos being used in a District Publication ! !just take pictures both ways! Also, if an Editor ! !chooses to do so, they can always copy the URL ! !to their newsletter and share it with friends! ! !Q: So I was looking at the newsletter guidelines ! !again, and I was wondering how do you to state ! !the volume and issue of the newsletter? Like is ! !the issue the number of newsletter I have done? !It sounds like a stupid question (sorry!), but I have ! !no idea how to state it since I never done it ! !before nor has my previous editor put it on her old newsletter. - Melanie Ho, Mustang HS

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RICT EDITOR A: If !!you are the 4th club editor your club has ! would put “volume 4”. This stands for had you ! how many years your club has had a club

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newsletter. After you put the volume you need to put the issue. If the newsletter you are about to publish is your 7th you’d put “issue 7”. See, it’s easy! I hope this helped!

Q: At times, our club has trouble generating prompts for our monthly newsletter and articles. do you have any suggestions on how to improve brainstorming for our article topics? - Tiana Woodard, West Brook HS A: I always love hearing about the service projects your club does! You can also look back a few years at previous District Editor's suggested article prompts for some good ideas and inspiration! Just keep your mind open and be creative!

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Email your questions to EDITOR@tokeyclub.com!

District Governor Rachel Iselin ! !

Email: Governor@tokeyclub.com

District Treasurer Emily Zhao

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Email: Treasurer@tokeyclub.com

District Secretary Crystal Loh ! !

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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