Volume 7 | Issue 2 | 2018 July & August | Texas Oklahoma
TEX-O-KEY TEX-O-KEY
"WHATEVER IT TAKES" Integrating the Key Club spirit into everything we do.
SERVICE CHARACTER LEADERSHIP
Working T-Ogether to make the world a better place.
Table of Contents 2) Editor's Note 3) District Updates-Â ICON Recap 5) SUMBO Recap 7) YOF Grant 9) International Trustee's Message 11) Featured Articles 19) Partners and Sponsors 21) District Staff Contact Information 22) Social Media
Riddle I have hands that can move but not clap. What am I? Email me the answer with the email subject line:
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School Division Month Riddle of the Month Ex: Awesome D55 June Riddle of the Month
Connect Email: editor@tokeyclub.com or kyratburke@gmail.com Remind:Â @toeditor to 81010 Facebook: T-O District Key Club Editors
Editor's Note Hello, T-O! I hope everyone is having a fun and restful summer! If you have not yet been notified, I wanted to reiterate that the maximum number of articles clubs can submit each month has been changed from 10 to 5. This change will be implemented immediately after the 5th of August. Additionally, the editor resources on the district website have been updated! Be sure to check them out! As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. I'm happy to help! Yours in service, Kyra Burke
Letter to the Editor: July/August Edition From: Jocelyn Reyes, Cy-Springs High School- I know that there are specific colors and fonts, but if my app doesn't contain those specific ones, will you take off points? If your app does not contain the specified colors and fonts, use ones that most closely resemble those outlined in the brand guide. When using the free version of Canva, Arimo, Glacial Indifference, and Abhaya Libre Regular can be used to replace Myriad Pro, Century Gothic, and Garamond Premier Pro.
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DISTRICT UPDATES
ICON RECAP
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Having never been to a district convention until this year, I can say with complete certainty that my week at the international convention in Chicago was one I will never forgot. I had the honor of competing in oratory against kids from all over the world. I received third place, but I think my favorite part was talking with everyone who was competing and getting to know people from Jamaica to Canada. This year, the house of delegates had a very controversial amendment to the bylaws on the table, and watching parliamentary procedure in a full out clash between hundreds of Key clubbers lent itself to quite a debate. Finally, getting to help and watch Foster make it onto the International Board as a Trustee and exploring Chicago with my district are memories I will cherish forever. -Lauren Ross, Division 40W Lieutenant Governor
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DISTRICT UPDATES
SUMBO RECAP
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Hey, T-O! Your District Board just returned home from Summer Board Meeting, and I can honestly say that it was one of the most exhausting experiences of my entire life! We discussed some of the most pressing issues concerning our District, and it was a very productive weekend. We heard reports from our nine committees, updates from Staff and special events like Fall Rally and Key Leader, and decided on a DCON theme (but it’s still a secret)! As we near the end of our summer, we enter the best time to recruit members! Our membership goal is 21,000 members, and I personally challenge each of you to grow your club’s membership by 10%. Let’s get out there and spread the message of Key Club even further within our homes, schools, and communities! T-Ogether in Service, Addi Duerksen, District Governor 580-660-6192 | governor@tokeyclub.com
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DISTRICT UPDATES
YOF Grant The Youth Opportunities Fund provides an amazing opportunity for members and clubs to serve the world by providing grants for service projects. Whether you apply as a club or as an individual member, Key Clubbers have the chance to receive funding for projects and make a difference in one’s community. The YOF is not a competition, but it is received if the International board acknowledges your club’s dedication and passion to help your community. That being said, don’t feel intimidated and apply now! The application can be found on keyclub.org/yof and is due October 15th at 11:59 PM EST with the chance to receive up to $2,000 in funding. If you have any questions or would like advice, don’t be shy and please contact me by email, call, or text. Helping things make cents, Addie Flores
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"There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up." -Bernard Meltzer 8
International Trustee's Message
MEET YOUR
INTERNATIONAL TRUSTEE
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 Hello, Texas-Oklahoma! My name is Leslie Truong and I'm honored to have the opportunity to serve as the International Trustee for the districts of Texas-Oklahoma, Missouri-Arkansas, and the Bahamas. As a Trustee our job is to serve as a resource for you and your districts. This responsibility also extends to us serving on International Committees. I currently chair the International Committee on Leadership, our committee is tasked with renovating training resources for club and district officers. I also serve on the International Committee for Membership Experience, this committee focuses on creating a meaningful and consistent experience for the members of Key Club International. If you have any questions about current happenings at the international level feel free to reach out to me at (910) 750-9038 or email me at leslietruong.kci@gmail.com! With an Undying Passion, Leslie Truong
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HUMANS OF TEXAS OKLAHOMA Christina Wang, Cinco Ranch High School Going into my fourth year as a Key Club member and my second year as an officer, this club has impacted my role as an individual. At first, I didn’t see the impact a volunteering club had on the community because when I lived in California, there wasn’t a sense of connection with the community but moving to Katy has changed my viewpoint. Clubs like Key Club don’t just help the community, they shape the liveliness of the community as a whole. After being a part of Key Club for so long, the club itself holds so much meaning to me. Not only is it a place to connect with others, Key Club is a home within itself, to those that need it.
Help others. //Mansfield Summit
//Cinco Ranch
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Give back. //Mansfield
There are those who don’t really consider the passion that happens behind the scenes but putting effort and hard work into something you love will definitely show fruitful achievements in the end. This can be said about volunteering. Many people appreciate the help that is given and most work even harder to continue this amazing line of work. Whenever someone volunteers from Key Club, I hope they hold a sense of pride in what they do, having compassion to help and put forth effort towards something that isn’t always easy, and those who step up to the occasion are truly remarkable. A home that encompasses compassion, responsibility, as well as bonds, is truly what I believe the Cinco Ranch Key Club is like. We understand one another, and each of us hold each other accountable for our jobs as officers and as members of the club. It's as they say, “teamwork, makes dreamwork.” From the time I first joined Key Club, I really can’t express how much it would impact me as a person. As cliché as it sounds, Key Club has really changed my life, and given me a different outlook on life and individual strengths and weaknesses. To be quite honest, I was never the sociable person, I was shy, and I didn’t quite know how to express myself properly. But over the course of a couple years in Key Club, I learned how to make new friends, reach out to people at events, and just become a better me. Having an older brother to guide me through the first year was amazing and having his friends to help as well was wonderful. But when they left, I didn’t feel confused about my role anymore, nor did I feel lonely. I had a clear goal, and it is to leave a legacy behind for others to follow just like how my brother left one for me. Key Club is a home- a community that’s filled with compassion and bonds- and this is what it means to me.
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SERVICE IN LIFE Christina Nguyen, Mansfield High School
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It can be said that life is best spent serving others. Since I have joined Key Club, volunteering has come to be a very important aspect in my everyday life. One way that Key Club affects my everyday life is how I view service. Volunteering is an activity that demonstrates kindness and compassion towards other people. One of the most important lessons that Key Club taught me //Mansfield is that service can be anywhere, especially where you least think about it. This appears to me most often in my home. Daily, I wash the dishes, clean the house, and take care of the cat in order for my family to be more comfortable and have more time when they come home from a long day of work. Other times, I serve the community from playing bingo with the elderly to making food packs. The concept of service is very basic: help others. Even if the task seems small, whether it is volunteering in the community or doing small everyday chores, assisting others is what matters most. Another way in which Key Club shapes my everyday life is my weekly routine of volunteering. Key Club is a unique club that gives many opportunities in which the students in my school can choose to participate in, even in the summer. //MansfieldÂ
My favorite service activity to participate in is called Backpack Ministries: Feed the Kids, in which I go every week to a warehouse and make food packs for families in need. Though there are other volunteer activities scattered throughout the summer, I would say that this event is most impactful to my daily life as I continually witness kind acts through this program. The final way in which Key Club has influenced my daily life is by introducing me to new people. Through countless hours of volunteer service and increased time with my fellow officers, I can easily say that I have made very unique and special friends through Key Club. Mansfield High School Key Club gives a lot of opportunities to become closer with other members through socials and general club meetings. The people I met in Key Club continue to impact my life as a motivation and inspiration to serve others in my community. Without them, I do not think my perception of volunteering would be the same. Though I have only been an official member of Key Club for about a year, I definitely look forward to a brand new chapter with new members and new experiences. As an individual and as a member of the officer board, I have most certainly matured in both aspects and I hope I can use that knowledge to better serve my community.Â
Live a life of service.
Help others in need.
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BECOMING A LEADER Ella Wagley, Cypress Woods High School Kallam Anji Reddy said, “Everyone has a purpose in life and a unique talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.” The reason why Key Club exists is to help and serve others. However, by serving others, you create a purpose for yourself, and it becomes part of who you are. I have experiences this in my life. Throughout my years of being in Key club, I have advanced from a just a Key Club member to a Key Club representative, and finally, the Vice President of the Cypress Woods Key Club. In doing so, Key Club has gradually become a larger and larger part of my life. The role I play in Key Club has brought me to take on more responsibility in my everyday life. I have more motivation and more passion in everything I do. As not only a member, but a leader of Key Club, I feel responsibility to set an example of what it means to serve. I have come to realize that there is never a moment where a little help would not be welcomed by someone. Key Club has opened my eyes and has given me an outlet to serve as much as I possibly can. By doing this, I feel as if I am setting an example to those in my community.
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//Mansfield
Additionally, Key Club has brought me to a state of constant vigilance. As Vice President, I have tasks to attend to almost daily in order to keep everything running smoothly. This has definitely taught me it is very important to be flexible and ready to spring into action in an instant. Every day I read emails from multitudes of students with issues or concerns that need to be attended to, as well as from community members needing volunteers. Although it can sometimes be a lot of work, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Being a part of Key Club has taught me so many valuable life lessons that I may have missed out on learning otherwise. Having tasks to take care of every day constantly reminds me to be the best leader and community member I can be. Lastly, we cannot forget the meetings. At each Key Club meeting, seeing all those members there reminds me that I am a part of something that is bigger than myself. Assisting in these meetings a few times each month is a responsibility that I take seriously with preparation and diligence. In short, the role I play in Key Club has not only made me a better leader and student, but a better person in my day to day life.
//Cypress Woods
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KIWANIS-KEY CLUB MEETING //Cypress Fair
Angeline Pham, Cypress Fair High School
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It’s a rare occasion to see the young and old share the same mindset and passion. However, the spirit of volunteerism brings together individuals from all ages and walks of life. On June 5th, executive high school Key Club officers from District 3N joined with Kiwanis members to discuss and share experience with giving back to the community. Divya, Anaga, and I represented Cy-Fair Key Club along with our sponsor Mrs. Cordts. We were exposed to different volunteering opportunities that we had never tried before, which made us excited and enthusiastic to try for the upcoming school year. The events we discovered seem promising and fun for everyone. Jersey Village High School introduced their “Undies for Everyone” drive, where students donate new, clean underwear to be distributed to children living in low income families in need of clean undergarments. This drive allows students to give back their immediate community by helping out fellow peers. JVHS was also very proud of their Dance Marathon, where the school hosts a charity with games and food for a child from the Children’s Miracle Network.
It was an event that brought joy to both the volunteers and the miracle child. On the other hand, schools like Tompkins, Cinco Ranch, and Cy-Ranch took a different volunteering route; they focused on environment-based events. Tompkins hosted an environmental awareness event, where student volunteers clean up around their neighborhoods and school in order to make their communities a cleaner, greener place. Cinco Ranch Key Club hosted a joint event with FBLA, NHS, and EAC to do a similar event. Cy-Ranch NHS and Key Club had a representative from the THIRST Project (a project to help construct wells in Africa) come and share their mission. These environmental type of volunteering allows student volunteers to impact both their immediate and global community, from educating others about the environment to helping others around the world gain access to clean water. The Kiwanis members share volunteering opportunities of their own. One member extended a project management workshop to Key Club officers. The workshop would help those who want to create and organize a large scale volunteering project. Another member shared a July 4th festival that would be held at a church. There, volunteers would help out with games, rides, and food. It is an opportunity for volunteers to serve and enjoy a festive day! Seeing the young and old collaborate on a mission is something worth witnessing. We shared our stories and experiences. We also bonded over a strong mission: to serve our community.Â
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SUPPORTED CHARITIES
Co-Sponsors:
SERVICE PARTNER
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CONTACT US
DISTRICT STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION GOVERNOR: Addi Duerksen governor@tokeyclub.com SECRETARY: Bunsri Patel secretary@tokeyclub.com TREASURER: Addie Flores treasurer@tokeyclub.com EDITOR: Kyra Burke editor@tokeyclub.com TECHNOLOGY PRODUCER: Aina Sebastian techassistant@tokeyclub.com CONVENTION LIAISON: Nadia Rodriguez CL@tokeyclub.com
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ASK US ANYTHING
CONNECT WITH US
SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE: tokeyclub.com
FACEBOOK: Texas-Oklahoma Key Club District
INSTAGRAM: @todistrictkeyclub
TWITTER: @TOKEYCLUB
SNAPCHAT: tokeyclub
STAY UPDATED
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-Thank you for reading-