October 30 2015 | VOLUME I | ISSUE VII “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.” - Maya Angelou
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…….. Division 14 Memo Page 4…….. Mid Year Governor Blog Post Page 5…….. District Secretary Blog Update Page 6…….. Club Feature Page 7…….. General Member Feature ( Alan Fang—Westfield Key Club ) Page 8 ….... Divisional Website is LIVE! Page 9 …... DCM/OTC Schedule & Divisional Project Recap Page 10 …. Fall Rally Recap & Host Club Recognition ( JP Stevens High School ) Page 11 …. Outside Organizations ( Alex’s Lemonade Stand ) Page 12 …. March Of Dimes Awareness Day ( November 17th ) Page 13 …. ELIMINATE Project Update Page 14 …. Outside Organizations (Habitat For Humanity) Page 15 .... Trick or Treat for UNICEF Page 16 .... NJ District Project ( NJ Federation of Foodbanks ) Page 17 .... “Spike Out Hunger” Bi-Divisional Volleyball Tournament Page 18 .... Board Contact Information Page 19 .... Edition Summary
Division 14 Hello Division 14, We have reached the mid year mark for the 2015-2016
service year! I could not be any more proud of the amazing things that you all have done for our communities. If you or someone amazing Key Clubber you know is interested in running for Lieutenant Governor for the 2016-2017 Service Year please make sure to fill out the survey that has been emailed out to you.
We have a great deal of things in store for the next couple of months! Our Spike Out Hunger Bi-Divisional Volleyball Tournament is next month and District Convention is only a few short months away. As always please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Yours in Caring and Service,
Stephania Gonzalez Mena STEPHANIA GONZALEZ MENA 2015-2016 Division 14 Lieutenant Governor
Arthur L. Johnson High School Edison High School Elizabeth High School JFK Memorial High School JP Stevens High School Rahway High School Westfield High School
Midyear Governor Blog Post NJ District Governor Josie Suddeth
Hello New Jersey District! I cannot believe we are already halfway through the service year! It is crazy to think that it’s already been six months since I set out my goals as governor.
When I ran I set out to do the following: •
Maintain communication with members of all branches of the K-Family.
•
Run a monthly blog on the district website to help bridge the gap between club and district.
•
Help clubs grow through aiding lieutenant governors.
•
Improve district events with new information and fun elements to increase district participation.
•
Oversee a large scale project for our new District Project.
•
Make the New Jersey District the best of all the rest!
I am very happy to say that since I created these goals, they are all in progress and are looking good! I have tried to attend as many K-Family events as I can, especially since that is part of my Governor’s Project. I have attended Circle-K and Kiwanis events, board meetings and conventions. I have also remained in contact with each organization’s respective governor. I have and plan on posting on my blog monthly. I have remained in constant contact with all LTGs. I made them create newsletter and DCM schedules to ensure that they were getting out information at good intervals. I also give them individualized feedback every month, answer all their questions and help them whenever and however I can. This has helped them become better LTGs and helped many clubs grow. RTCs and Fall Rally plans are proof of my fourth goal, but it nowhere near being accomplished. This year at RTCs, we brought in an outside speaker, started new workshops and overall improved their functionality. There are lots of plans for Fall Rally to make it exciting but be prepared to be blown away! I plan to refresh DCON this year as well. For my second to last goal, we are currently in the planning stages of our Spike Out Hunger volleyball tournaments! These will be a bi-divisional volleyball tournaments and anyone in your school can participate! The winner from each tournament will move on to the district tournament! All proceeds and donations will go to our district project. One will be held at a school near you sometime in late October or November! We are definitely on our way for goal number 6! Your dedication to Key Club makes our district so spectacular! Some upcoming things before I sign off: Fall Rally: If you don’t want to go, do you even Key Club? Fall Rally is the largest gathering of Key Clubbers where the district board hosts a session to update you all with Key Club happenings then you have the rest of the day to adventure in the park! Admission also includes Fright Fest! The early registration deadline passed, but it only costs $42 to attend! Your club may collect this registration ahead of time, but if not you just bring your money the day of. Please contact me or your LTG with any questions! Fall Rally Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwEpFrEg4Mk
RTCs: RTCs were extremely successful and all attendees certainly “Pumped Up the Volume of Service”! All attendees learned a lot and will be able to help grow their clubs! Missed this year’s RTCs? Don’t worry! There will be 2 RTCs in spring 2016 and 3 in the fall of 2016. District Project Updates: Please look out for news about your division’s Spike Out Hunger volleyball tournaments! It will be sometime in your area in November. Start planning your team now! Also, Hunger Awareness Week information will be sent to your club very soon! Be on the lookout for this and get ready to spread awareness about the extent of hunger in NJ. Finally, we are running a fundraiser for the district project! Your LTG has orange pens that say “Hunger Isn’t Write”. Be indePENdent of your teacher’s writing utensils and buy a pen for $1! All proceeds will benefit our district project. Something to keep in mind is tomorrow (October 1st) is the official start of the 2015-2016 service year for Kiwanis. Be sure to talk to your Kiwanis club’s new officers!
Please contact me with any questions and I look forward to seeing you at Fall Rally! Yours in Caring and Service, Josie Suddeth New Jersey District Governor
District Secretary Blog Post NJ District Secretary Farwa Shakeel Salutations, New Jersey District! It may be hard to believe, but we are almost halfway through the service year! There are some things you must keep in mind as the service year winds down.
There is still time to hand in your CMRFs! Even if some CMRFs are late (even by a few months,) your club will still be eligible for the 100% CMRF Award at DCON. The deadline to send in all CMRFs for the 100% CMRF award is November 10th. (This is also, conveniently, the deadline for the October CMRF!) Please continue sending all CMRFs, including all the ones you may have missed, to njkeyclubcmrf@gmail.com. This email will also be in effect for the next service year and moving forward, so please continue to send CMRFs there. If you have not already done so, make a folder- either physical or electronic- containing just your CMRFs. This will come in handy when filling out the Annual Achievement Report Form (AARF). Remember, you MUST submit the AARF to qualify for any contests at District Convention. A physical copy of the AARF will be in the December District Mailing and an electronic version will be sent by then as well. Work with your president, advisor, and club treasurer to make sure all records from fundraising and service projects are accurate. Again, this will make filling out the AARF much easier!
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! Yours in Caring and Service, Farwa Shakeel
Club Feature “ Melanoma Walk “ John F. Kennedy High School JFK Memorial High School Key Club hosted its first walk on October 18th. The walk was dedicated to research for melanoma. One of the teachers in the school has suffered through Melanoma and she lives to tell the tale. Ms. Sandra Depaulo inspires the students and teachers at JFK Memorial High School to make a difference. The walk had a great turnout. Around thirty people came to support the cause and each of them donated at least five dollars. A majority of them were members of the Key Club but a handful were parents and other children from the school. The walk took place of the school track. Since the distance goal was a 5K, the participants walked around the track 12.5 times. Not only was it a good opportunity to help the community, but it was also an enjoyable event. Snacks such as chips and cupcakes were being sold to the participants. Everyone was able to walk, enjoy tasty snacks, and give back to their community. All the money made during the event will go to the Melanoma Research foundation to help treat anyone that is suffering with Melanoma. Even the smallest good deed can make an enormous difference and that’s what the John F. Kennedy Memorial High School Key Club plans to do. Written By: Priya Agarwal JFK Memorial High School Key Club Editor
General Member Feature Alan Fang Westfield High School
"Key club is a wonderful
organization and community and I'm proud to be a part of it" - Alan Fang Among the madness of being a first semester senior, Alan Fang, still makes time
to be a dedicated member of Key Club. Alan joined Key Club as a sophomore at Westfield High School after he heard about the club through friends that were already members. Alan is a great artist and always helps the club out by making great posters for all of the Key Club events. In addition to Key Club, Alan finds to time to be in the school theatre productions, school choir, and Youth and Government. Westfield Key Club has been grateful to have him as a member! - Written By : Westfield President Sarah Morton
Division 14 Website is LIVE! http://njkcdiv14.wix.com/div14
Divisional Council Meetings & Officer Training Conference Meeting Date
Location
Rain Date
Sun. Nov. 22nd, 2015
ALJ High School ( 2:00 pm )
Sun. November 29th, 2015
Sun. Dec. 20th , 2015
Panera Bread ( Woodbridge )
Sun. December 27th , 2015
Sun. January 17th, 2016
Panera Bread ( Woodbridge )
Sun. January 24th, 2016
Sun. Feb. 21st, 2016
Panera Bread ( Woodbridge )
Sun. February 28th 2016
Sun. March 20th, 2016
Panera Bread ( Woodbridge )
Sun. March 27th, 2016
Divisional Project Through the whole 2015-2016 Service year Division 14 will be raising funds for the March of Dimes Foundation for Premature Child Birth Research. Please Remember to Bring Change To “Spark Change- Sarah Park
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
Total $72.88
Fall Rally Recap On October 11th, nearly thousands of NJ Key Club Members gathered at Six Flag’s Great Adventure for our annual Fall Rally, a day of fun and service. We collected 1,710 pounds of food which translates to 1,425 meals that the New Jersey Federation of Foodbanks will be able to provide. Thank You JP Stevens Key Club for hosting such an amazing event, you all did a great job with the decorations! Thank you all for attending it was great to see everyone you all did an
amazing job in representing our division!
“Fall Rally was an amazing experience that I got to be a part of and enjoy. It began with a gathering of all the Key Club districts of New Jersey in the park united to speak of the impact Key Club has made in our lives. We all learned that we can all make a difference in our community and that being a Key club member can help you accomplish this. It was
a unique experience that taught me that through unity and purpose we can go very far. The most fun part would have to be when we were all cheering for our district to see which district was the loudest and would be the one to earn a price. It was also very nice to see that the event was nicely organized and themed as almost every child's favorite book characters in Dr. Seuss's books. Overall, it was a unique experience that taught me about the importance it is to give back to the community while at the same time allowed me to interact with other people like me, who take a part in Key Club and wish to serve and lead those around us.” Brithni Andrade Elizabeth High School : Upper Academy
Outside Organizations Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation For Childhood Cancer
The Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation founded in 2005, is “curing childhood cancer, one cup at a time.” Alexandra Scott was diagnosed with childhood cancer right before her 4th birthday. This determined and young girl wanted to raise money for the doctors trying to find a cure. In just one day, Alexandra was able to raise over $2,000. The mission of this organization is to raise money and awareness of childhood cancer causes, primarily research into new treatments and cures. Along with this their second mission is to encourage and empower others, especially children, to get involved and make a difference for children with cancer. Since the start of the foundation over $100 million have been raised. This has helped fund more than 500 cutting-edge research projects , create a travel program to help support families of children receiving treatment , and develop resources to help people everywhere affected by childhood cancer. People from all over have become encouraged to help with this organization just like one of their missions. Many Key Clubs have taken part in creating their own Alex’s Lemonade Stands across New Jersey. To get involved go to http://www.alexslemonade.org/getinvolved. At this past DCON, you could even find an Alex’s Lemonade representative sharing their story and how to get involved with the organization. You can even attend an ALSF event such as Alex’s Million Mile or The Lemon Run. There are many more ways to help Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation so check out their website and get involved!!
Outside Organizations Habitat for Humanity
Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International in 1976, and today, Habitat for Humanity is a global leader in addressing the issues of poverty housing. The motive behind Habitat for Humanity began in 1942 at Koinonia Farm, which is a small, interracial, Christian community outside of Americus, Georgia. Koinonia Farm was founded in 1942 by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan. Once the Fullers saw the concept in 1965, they were inspired to create shelter for those in need, while working side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses. Habitat for Humanity decided that the houses they would create would be built at no profit and interest would not be charged on loans. To be involved with Habitat for Humanity, go to www.habitat.org/local to find the Habitat for Humanity closest to you. Once you find the website for the closest Habitat, you can donate or learn more about volunteering. On most local websites, there can be event calendars to see when there are available shifts. Follow the instructions that the website provides, as you will probably have to fill out a volunteer registration paper. Anyone who can hold a hammer or paintbrush is welcome to work with the Habitat for Humanity. These volunteers allow for the building of homes at low costs, because the Habitat doesn’t have to pay construction workers. As you already know, volunteering is not just about helping the creation of the house. Those who volunteer also benefit from being able to see others break the cycle of poverty, which is a great feeling to see. Even as a high schooler, there are things you can do to help individuals recover from the effects of poverty, and Habitat for Humanity is a great way to go about that. Although your age may restrict some of the things you can do for the Habitat, volunteers are always needed, and welcomed. So please, grab a few Key Clubbers, pick up your hammer and go build some shelter!
2015– 2016 NJ District Project NJ Federation of Food Banks
This year, the New Jersey District of Key Club International Service Project is the New Jersey Federation of Food Banks. With 1 in 8 people in NJ struggling with hunger and
1.1 million people wondering where their next meal is coming from, it is our job to offer our help. There are a plethora of ways in which we can serve this cause and make a difference in our community. Through fundraising and volunteering, we
can make a difference. At this years Fall Rally, Key Clubbers from all over the state of New Jersey got together for a day of fun and service. Together we collected which translates into 1,425
1,710 pounds of food,
meals the food bank will be able to provide. District Goals
Fundraising: $90,077.85 Service Goal: 18,630
365 WESTFIELD AVE. CLARK NJ, NJ 07066
November 22nd 2015 3:00pm
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
Key Leader: December 2015……………..Camp Lebanon, Lebanon NJ
DCON: April 1-3, 2016……………….………………..Ocean Place, Long Branch
Upcoming Divisional Event “Spike out Hunger” Bi-Divisional Volleyball Tournament October 22nd. 2015
Location : Arthur L. Johnson High School Address: 365 Westfield Ave, Clark, NJ 07066 Ticket Price $5.00
Divisional Council Meeting November 22nd, 2015 ALJ High School ( Before the Spike Out Hunger Tournament ) 365 Westfield Ave. Clark NJ, NJ 07066 2:00 pm.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES!
All profits go to our District Project
CMRF: 7th of Every Month
The New Jersey Federation of Foodbanks
Key Leader Registration is OPEN Make sure to stay updated with the NJ District on Social Media with…
Twitter: @njkeyclub Instagram: @njkeyclub
Please email me pictures and anything else you would like to post on the Division News Letter to the email listed below. I would love to feature your clubs on any of the Divisional social media cites!
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