January 06 2015 | VOLUME I | ISSUE X “The soul that is within me no man can degrade.” Frederick Douglass
The Gonzalez Times The Official News Letter of the NJ District of Key Club
Division 14
Table of Contents Page 1….... Edition Cover Page 2….... Table of Contents Page 3….... Lieutenant Governor Elect (Rohan Mekala) Page 4….... January Governor Blog Post Page 5….... District Secretary Blog Update Page 6….... January District Board Meeting Recap Page 7….... March of Dimes Divisional Project Update Page 8….... Key Club Senior Scholarships Page 9....... Key Club Senior Scholarships Page 10….. Golden Member Award Page 11 …. DCON Contests & Checklist Page 12 …. Annual Achievement Report Form Page 13 …. DCON Talent Show Page 14 …. Key of Honor Award Page 15 .... District Spike Out Hunger Volley Ball Tournament Page 16 .... March of Dimes Update Page 17 .... Want to be Featured? Page 18 .... NJ District Board Contact Information Page 19 .... Edition Summary
Dear Division 14,
We are only a few months away from the most extravagant event of the year! District Convention is the place where we come together as a district to reminiscence on all of the things that we have accomplished so far. It is a weekend to remember. But before we get to convention, we have the District Spike Out Hunger Tournament! Division 14’s “Gym Class Scrubs” from JP Stevens High School will be competing for the district title! Please pay close attention to the important information contained in this news letter and share the information with your general members to increase your club’s presence at the district level. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions and I will be glad to help. See you all soon!
Stephania Gonzalez 2015-2016 Division 14 Lieutenant Governor
Congratulations Rohan! Lieutenant Governor Elect 2016-2017
On January 30th JP Steven’s Rohan Mekala was elected Lieutenant Governor for the 2016-2017 Service year. Rohan won the voters with his great speech about his dedication and love for the club. Rohan has great plans for the future of our division and I am positive that he will do great things.
Welcome to the NJDB Family Rohan!
Governor Blog Post NJ District Governor Josie Suddeth
Hello New Jersey Key Clubbers! I hope you all are well! DCON is rapidly approaching, no matter how much I hate to say it. DCON this year is going to be a truly remarkable event. DCON 2016 will be from April 1st-3rd at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa in Long Branch. DCON is the celebration of an outstanding year of service and the kickoff to an even greater one. This year’s theme is License to Serve (Mission Impossible/ James Bond). There are a lot of exciting plans we have to incorporate the theme. Use your club’s two votes in the district executive officer elections! Scream for the spirit stick! Have fun at dances! Be inspired by our keynote speaker! Make connections with other service oriented individuals! Attend interactive workshops! All information about DCON is on njkeyclub.org. Read more below about other unique aspects of our convention!!! In order to sign up for this fantabulous event, you have to register. The regular registration deadline is March 12th. But wait! If your registration is postmarked by February 12th, it is $5 less per person. If cost is a concern, I recommend having fundraisers to offset the cost or talk to your Kiwanis Club! Another unique aspect of DCON is the opportunity to enter contests. I highly encourage you all to enter contest!!! All contests winners are announced at DCON. The contests packet was sent to all clubs in the December Mailing. Some contests are due prior to convention so be sure to pay attention to the deadlines. Your club has done so much this year; why not fill out an application and inspire other clubs to change lives? The District Spike Out Hunger Tournament is also soon! It will be at Schor Middle School in Piscataway on February 21st. Registration will begin at 12:45 and the first match will start at 1:15. Come see the winners of the divisional tournaments battle it out! It will be a lot of fun!!! Admission is $5 or 3 pounds of food. All proceeds will benefit our District Project: The NJ Federation of Food Banks! As always, do not hesitate to contact me or your LTG with any questions, especially about DCON. I want to see as many of you there! Yours in Caring and Service, Josie Suddeth New Jersey District Governor
District Secretary Blog Post NJ District Secretary Farwa Shakeel
Salutations, New Jersey District Secretaries! These next few months are an exciting time, but they move quickly. In these next few months, your clubs will likely be busy planning for District Convention, putting together last minute service projects, and supporting potential candidates for the positions of Lieutenant Governor or an Executive position. As a secretary, your role in successfully completing the service year will be vital. Here are some things to keep in mind: The AARF has been released and can be found in the December District Mailing. Completion of the AARF is required in order to receive any formal recognition at both District and International
Convention. If you have been filling out your CMRFs every month, completing the AARF will be much easier. Make sure you work with your club presidents and advisors to ensure the AARF is accurate. Keep a timeline to track entries for any District Convention contests. A Google Sheets Document will be helpful for this. Create a document with the names of the contests your club wishes to enter and the date it is due. (You may also want to include the deadline for the AARF.) Use one color to indicate that the contest has been completed and submitted (if it is a prejudged contest) and another to indicate the contest has been completed (if it is an at-DCON contest.) Continue filling out CMRFs on a monthly basis. Apply for a scholarship, and ensure that the scholarship packet is available to all officers and members that may wish to apply. Please contact me with any questions or concerns! Yours in Caring and Service, Farwa Shakeel
Jan. District Board Meeting Recap January District Board Meeting Summary By: District Secretary Farwa Shakeel Hello, New Jersey District! Your District Board is hard at work preparing for the end of the service year. Believe it or not, there are just over 3 months remaining in this service year! Just like all of you, the District Board has been working hard to make this service year a success, and these last few months are no exception. Here’s what we want you to know: Running for a District Position: If you are interested in running for Lieutenant Governor of your division, please contact your current Lieutenant Governor. Elections are already underwayso make sure to find out about your election as soon as possible, if you are interested! Additionally, you may also run for District Positions, which are District Governor, District Secretary, District Treasurer, District Editor, and District Webmaster (appointed). In order to run for the positions mentioned, you must submit the candidate request form in the district Election Packet and mail it to Elections Chairperson Zierra Dean by February 3rd (received). For more information, please contact your respective Lieutenant Governor. District Spike- Out -Hunger: You watched your divisions’ teams battle it out for their divisional tournaments, and now it’s time to crown a district champion! Come support your teams as they spike out hunger in New Jersey. The details for the tournament are as as follows: Location: Schor Middle School in Piscataway Date: February 21st (Snow date February 28th) Time: 1:2-4 P.M. AARF: Please be sure to fill out the Annual Achievement Report Form (or AARF). It is imperative that clubs fill out the report in order to receive any recognition on both the district and international levels. The AARF is to be received on March 7th. For further information, please contact your respective Lieutenant Governor. DCON: District Convention is almost upon us! Are you ready to begin your training to become a spy of service? Do you want to earn your License to Serve? Come to Convention! DCON is a great time to celebrate a year of service and ring in the new one. You will get to attend various workshops, hear from inspirational keynote speakers, and say goodbye to the 20152016 District Board, as well as welcome the 2016-2017 District Board. We hope to see you all there! Here are all the details: Location: Ocean Place Resort and Spa, Long Branch Dates: April 1st-3rd
Divisional Project Through the whole 2015-2016 Service year Division 14 has been raising funds for the March of Dimes Foundation for Premature Child Birth Research. Approximately 450,000 babies are born premature in the world and out of those 450,000 babies, 1 baby dies every 30 seconds due to premature birth, making prematurity the leading cause of infant mortality. Funds donated to the foundation go towards birth defect prevention research helping to bring the infant mortality rate down.
Event
Event Date
Money Collected
Spring Northern Regional Training Conference
5/9/2015
$13.40
May Divisional Council Meeting / OTC
5/30/2015
$8.53
June Divisional Council Meeting / OTC
6/20/2015
$14.38
August Divisional Council Meeting / OTC
8/22/2015
$8.29
Fall Central Regional Training Conference
9/13/2015
$9.28
Fall Norther Regional Training Conference
9/19/2015
$9.15
September Divisional Council Meeting / OTC
9/26/2015
$3.00
October Divisional Council Meeting / OTC
10/24/2015
$6.85
MOD Bracelet Sale Upper Academy
11/13/2015
$1,040.00
MOD Bracelet Sale Lower Academy
11/13/2015
$382.00
November District Board Meeting
11/14-15/2015 $6.00
January Divisional Council Meeting / OTC
01/30/2016
$5.50
Total
$1,506.38
Senior Scholarships
Hello, New Jersey District Key Clubbers! As hard as it may be to believe, the Key Club service year is quickly ending. For many, this may be your last year and time to say goodbye. However, you have the great opportunity to be rewarded for your dedication to Key Club and your determination to make the world a better place! Each year, the New Jersey District grants different scholarships each ranging from $1,000 - $2,000. This year there are 17 different scholarships. All information regarding these scholarships can be found in the scholarships packet, but here is a brief list of what is required within your application: An essay detailing your favorite Key Club service project (Maximum: Two pages). Two letters of recommendation from adults who are familiar with your service,
Neither of which can be a relative. Advisor verification of your service, particularly if you must estimate your number of
hours/points, in the case that your club does not record hours/points. Brief description of all your service, inside and outside of Key Club, and your greatest
achievement outside of Key Club. All scholarship applications must be postmarked by February 24th, 2016. Any application not postmarked by this date will not be considered. The New Jersey District of Key Club Kiwanis Committee will be reading your applications to determine the winners. The recipients of the scholarships will be announced at District Convention 2016! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or the scholarships chair person Ciara Clarkin (ltg22.clarkin@gmail.com).
DCON Contests Friday, February 26th
Andrew Batsis Outstanding Kiwanis Club Sponsorship Award
Robert J. Mascenik Outstanding Kiwanis Advisor
Club Website
T-Shirt / Sweatshirt Design
Single Service
Traditional scrapbook
Club Bulletin
Nontraditional Scrapbook
Kiwanis Family Relations
Impromptu essay contest
Oratorical contest
Digital poster contest
Non-digital poster contest
(Annual Achievement RF)
Video contest
Application to Judge
Talent contest
Award
Major Emphasis Project Award
Applications to judge Prejudge Contests
Friday, April 1st
Dominico Gatti Faculty Advisor Award
Monday, March 7th
Club Achievement Award
Contests at DCON
Make sure to…
Obtain all required signatures and documents
Turn entries in on time
Note that applications must be received, not postmarked by the assigned date.
Fill out the Annual Achievement Form in order to qualify for all other contests
Feel free to contact Contests Chairperson Stephania Gonzalez Mena at DCON2016contests@gmail.com
Complete nominations and descriptions of Service Projects with other materials that you feel best support your subject. Although it may be hard to depict a single person or a complete project on paper, we urge you to try your best.
Enter as many contests as you can and start planning for contests early!
Non digital poster means: anything that is not processed on a computer!
Key Club’s Got Talent Show off your secret talents at the 70th Annual District Convention!
Whether you’re a singer, dancer, actor, comedian, magician, or any other type of performer, we would love to see your talent in the talent show! If you have any questions reguarding the Talent Show, Please contact LTG Meghan Nevola at LTG19.nevola@gmail.com Sign-up forms can be found at the Registration Table at DCON. The Talent Show will be taking place on Sunday, April 2nd.
PROTOCOL:
Keep all acts under 5 minutes (unless requested)
Provide your own materials (instruments, CDs, props, etc.
If you are a singing act, you must have a CD without lyrics, and you must have a copy of your lyrics to give to the judges
PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL ACTS ARE APPROPRIATE AND NOT OFFENSIVE
THE NEW JERSEY DISTRICT OF Key Club International For years, Key Club International has been proud partners of the March of Dimes Organization. This is an organization that works to change the lives of mothers and their premature infants. This service year, Key Club has worked very hard to advocate the dangerous effects of premature birth. Approximately 450,000 babies are born premature in the world and out of those 450,000 babies, 1 baby dies every 30 seconds due to premature birth, making prematurity the leading cause of infant mortality. In November for Prematurity Awareness month, Key Clubbers from all over the district conducted several fundraisers and service projects for the organization. Some clubs even “painted their school purple” by hanging up post it notes/ribbons in every 1-9 lockers for the 1 in every 9 babies that are born premature in the U.S. every year. Other clubs sold March of Dimes bracelets and pumpkin cutouts in the fall, and other simply wore purple that day to raise
awareness. Many clubs met and surpassed the club fundraising goals established by the district earlier in the year. By coming together like the family we are, Key Club has done an amazing job to give “a fighting chance for every baby” raising nearly $3,000 tripling our district goal!
NJ KCI District Board Contact Information
Executive District Board District Governor Josie Suddeth……………..governor.suddeth@gmail.com District Secretary Farwa Shakeel.……..……...secretary.shakeel@gmail.com District Treasurer Bobbie Bottinger……..treasurer.boettinger@gmail.com District Editor David Guirgis…………………..…..editor.guirgis@gmail.com District Webmaster Shannon Peng……………webmaster.speng@gmail.com Your LTG Division 14 LTG Stephania Gonzalez Mena…....ltg14.gonzalez@gmail.com 908 - 977 - 3049
IMPORTANT
The Gonzalez Times Upcoming District Events
District Spike Out Hunger Tournament……….Shore Middle School
DCON: April 1-3, 2016……………….………………..Ocean Place, Long Branch
IMPORTANT DEADLINES! CMRF: 7th of Every Month DCON Early Registration: February 12th Scholarships: February 24th DCON Regular Registration: March 3rd Prejudged Contests Judging Applications: March 12th
AARF: Annual Achievement Report Forms are due March 7th. All clubs are required to fill it out.
NOTICE: Any physical and or monetary donations for the District Project (The NJ Federation of Foodbanks) must be recorded in the Google Forms that were sent out so that we can track your progress!
70th DCON Registration is OPEN Make sure to stay updated with the NJ District on Social Media with…
Twitter: @njkeyclub Instagram: @njkeyclub Make sure to stay updated with Division 14 with…
Instagram: @NJKCDiv14
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions, or concerns.
Email: Ltg14.gonzalez@gmail.com Website: http://thegonzaleztimes.wix.com/division14 Remind: text ( @njkcdiv14 ) to ( 81010 ) - to receive divisional updates and reminders