July 2014 | Volume I | ISSUE III
The Ali Ledger The official publication of Division 14 of the New Jersey District of Key Club International
In this issue: RTC Recap Messages from District Project Steering Committee Message from International Programs Committee Messages from Public Relations Committee Advocacy Focus Our New International President, VicePresident, and Trustee Jersey Key Art Contest Important Dates Contact Information
Arthur L Johnson Regional * Edison * Elizabeth John F Kennedy Memorial * J.P Stevens * Rahway * Westfield
Spring Regional Traini This year’s Spring Regional Training Conferences were a success. The hard work of the host clubs and the New Jersey District Board members who helped choreograph the events paid off as Key Clubbers from all over New Jersey successfully learned the ins and outs of everything Key Club. The Spring Regional Training Conferences were held in Roxbury for the Northern session on May 4, 2014, and in Cedar Creek (co-hosted by the Cedar Creek and Absegami Key Clubs) for the Southern session on May 10, 2014. Both ran from 9 am to 1 pm, with every minute full of learning and laughter. The RTC theme this service year is Greek/ Roman mythology, as the New Jersey District is trying to climb Mount Service! The host clubs did a spectacular job in decorating their school to fit the theme. Their hard work with decorations helped provide Key Clubbers the ultimate experience at the conferences. Along with theme-related decorations, Key Clubbers attended creative workshops, such as Bringing in the Drachmas: Fundraising and Speaking like Roman Emperor: Public Speaking. The workshops were all split up into three sessions, each one also named to correspond with the theme. The first session, Session Alpha, referred to the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Session Mu, the second session, was named after the twelfth and middle letter of the Greek alphabet. The last session, Session Omega, referred to the last letter of the Greek alphabet. A wide variety of workshops were given during each session, from workshops that taught club officers about their positions to ones that explained how general members can get involved to workshops that addressed the district projects for this service year.
ing Conference Recap The last session, Session Omega, referred to the last letter of the Greek alphabet. A wide variety of workshops were given during each session, from workshops that taught club officers about their positions to ones that explained how general members can get involved to workshops that addressed the district projects for this service year. Many people attended the spring conferences, and each person had their own great and unique experience. Kenneth Ye, President of Egg Harbor Township Key Club in Division 2, said, “The Spring RTC’s were invigorating and eye -opening with the variety of workshops and events for officers and fellow Key Club members! It was truly amazing experience that allowed me to gain further knowledge and skills to help me with my position in Key Club, and it was great to meet everyone around our area.” After such a great spring session, the NJ District Board has high expectations for an even better fall session! The Fall Northern RTCs will be on September 20, 2014; Central RTCs will be on September 14, 2014; and Southern will be on September 13, 2014. While club officers are required to attend a Regional Training Conference in order to be distinguished, all Key Clubbers are encouraged to attend a Fall RTC¾even if they already attended one in the spring! There will be exciting icebreakers, updated information, and new workshops like “You, Your Ltg., and Your Division” and “Get that Olympic Gold: Contests and DCON,” all of which promise a day of useful information and many smiles.
Message from the District Project Steering Committee……. DPS Co-Chairpersons Lieutenant Governor of Division 20 Aleena Kazmi Lieutenant Governor of Division 11 Farwa Shakeel Salutations, New Jersey District! Summer is rapidly approaching! The warmer weather offers time to relax, hang out with friends, and enjoy the beach! Summer, though, is also a great time to host some fundraising projects! The District Project Steering Committee has compiled this list of easy projects to try this summer: Rummage Sale- Team up with your Sponsoring Kiwanis for this one! Find a local park or open space in your area. Make sure to make a reservation for that space if need be. Ask your members to donate anything they don’t want anymore, as long as the items are still in good condition. Ask members of your Sponsoring Kiwanis to donate as well, and invite them to help sell. Make sure to ask around for tables- you can ask members of your club or your Sponsoring Kiwanis, or even your school. Have the donations dropped off at a certain time, date, and location a week before the sale. On the day of, sell everything for a reasonable price If it’s a hot day, it might be a good idea to pick up some drinks and sell those for a profit, too! • Lemonade Stand- This might sound cliche, but it is certainly worth a try! Grab some friends, squeeze some lemons, and set up a stand in your neighborhoodyou’re sure to get some funds! You can even set up a stall at a local carnival or Fourth-of-July Festival! • Book Drive Fundraiser- Have club members donate used books, still in good condition. Set up a time and location for the drop-off. Then, have an outdoor book fundraiser in your local park, with members helping to sell- you should also team up with your Sponsoring Kiwanis Club, if possible. Have some drinks on hand and sell those for a profit too, especially if it’s a hot day. Sell both for reasonable prices. • Bake Sales- You can never go wrong with baked goods! Have members bake some goods or invite a bunch of friends at your house and start baking. You can sell all the baked goods in your neighborhood, local carnival, or Fourth of July Festival! We hope these tips keep your club active and involved this summer! Remember, with every fundraising project, we get closer to our goal of eliminating tetanus from the face of the earth! Enjoy the summer, New Jersey District!
Message from the District Project Steering Committee Again……. Salutations Key Clubbers! At this year’s International Convention in Anaheim, California, there were several workshops presenting progress and fundraising ideas for the Eliminate Project. Here are some amazing statistics: •
So far, with your efforts, Key Club International has raised $856,320 That is a total of over 425,000 lives saved since the campaign started. Congrats, Key Clubbers! Most recently, Madagascar eliminated MNT, meaning there are now 24 countries still afflicted with MNT. The Eliminate Project has set a $1.5 million goal for Key Club International; to reach this goal, every member would need to donate just $2! In total, the Eliminate Project needs to raise $110 million to ultimately rid the world of tetanus. These seem like impossible goals to reach. However, with your efforts, the end of tetanus by 2015 is sure to come. Below are some inventive projects that are sure to bring in big bucks: 18,000: Every day, 18,000 children die of preventable diseases. So what can we do to help? One inventive idea is to take duct tape and write out a big 18,000 on the ground in your local park or courtyard. The objective is to fully cover the duct tape with change. As people walk by, educate them on the Eliminate Project and ask them to donate change. This is a great way to raise awareness and to fundraise. • Give-something-up Day: Encourage fellow Key Clubbers to give up their daily cup of coffee or lunch from Chipotle, and donate the money saved to the Eliminate Project. Carnation/Flower sales: These are always popular. Talk to a local florist and see if you can get some flowers donated for free or discounted price. Sell them for a profit! FOOD!- one of the most effective methods of fundraising is selling food. In the summer, you can try popsicles or lemonade; during the school year, ask your school principal if your Key Club could have a weekly pizza fundraiser. Contact your local pizzeria about discounted pizzas and sell them for a profit.
Let’s help the Eliminate Project reach its ultimate goal. Happy fundraising!
IP Co-Chairpersons Lieutenant Governor of Division 13—Nathaniel Silberman Lieutenant Governor of Division 14—Latifa Ali Hello New Jersey Key Clubbers! International Programs is the focus of Key Club on a global scale. It takes the core values and enthusiasm from Key Clubbers and extends it across the country. From teaching members at Key Leader and ICON to connecting with outside organizations such as UNICEF, the International Programs Committee seeks to spread the message of Key Club to other communities. It combines the service of members with the assistance and dedication of partner organizations to better assist the entire world. The Children's Miracle Network is one of Key Club's three preferred charities. CMN is a non-profit organization that works around the world to raise funds for children's hospitals, medical research, and community awareness. They have given over $5 billion to over 170 hospitals. Key Club works to help these hospitals by volunteering to spend time with patients and raise money through various fundraisers. Currently, the New Jersey District focuses on Children's Specialized Hospital, that has locations in Toms River, Egg Harbor Township, Clifton, Fanwood, Hamilton, Mountainside, New Brunswick, and Roselle Park. Visit https:// giveamiracle.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/ for more information. The International Programs Committee encourages you to visit Children’s Specialized Hospital at least once during the summer time. Not only will volunteering make the day of a patient, it will make yours as well! Yours in Caring and Service, Members of the International Programs Committee
International President Maria Palazzolo(Right) and Vice President Kevin Zhang(Left)
Barry Seng from the Pennsylvania District. He now represents the New Jersey, Texas-Oklahoma, and Wisconsin-Upper Michigan. They are our new sister districts!
Nicole Lema from New Jersey as one of our International Trustees. She represents the Alabama, Kansas, and Michigan Districts
Important Dates to Remember!
Fall CENTRAL RTC– September 14th, 2014
Fall NORTHERN RTC– September 20th, 2014 (Bring cans and boxes of nonperishable food items for a special icebreaker!)
Fall Rally– October 12, 2014
Contact Information Samantha Levisay NJ District Governor Email: NJGovernorLevisay@gmail.com Jacqueline Dragon NJ District Secretary Email: njdsecretarydragon@gmail.com
Daniel McCormack NJ District Treasurer Email: njtreasurermccormack@gmail.com
Patrick Quinn NJ District Editor Email: njeditorpatquinn@gmail.com
Srikar Gudipati NJ District Webmaster Email: njwebmastersrikar@gmail.com Latifa Ali NJ Lieutenant Governor of Division 14 Email: Latifa.ltgdiv14@gmail.com