The Official Alameda High Key Club Newsletter VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 7, 2013
Alameda High - Division 2 - Region 9 Cali-Nev-Ha 1
Inside This Issue Historian Says What? ………..…….….………. page 3 A Word From Our Officers ………………....….……. 4 North Face Challenge ………………..…...……….. 7 Ornament Making ……..………..……....…..…….... 9 December DCM ………..………………....…...…..… 10 SA Christmas Luncheon ……..…...………………... 12 MOCHA Winter Camp ……….……..…...….…….... 14 The Structure of Key Club .…….………………….... 16 Club Office Positions ……..……...………..……….... 17 Credits ……..……...………….……………….….….... 24
CLUB MEETINGS: RANDOM PICTURES
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Historian Says What? Hey, everyone! Welcome back from break — hope you guys had a good Christmas and a merry new year. For those of you who took time off of your break to volunteer: Wasn’t it fun?! Those SA Christmas meals were delicious. And those adorable hats. Speaking of adorable, how about those kids at MOCHA? I miss them already! I guess the theme of this issue of the Don’t ask me why I’m making this newsletter is inspire. I hope to inspire and enface. Because I don’t know. courage all members who are not seniors, to take the initiative to become an officer. I’ve put this issue together with this goal in mind. I’m not going to lie — it’s not going to be easiest road, but I can reassure you that there will be fun times, too. And if you haven’t read Michelle’s story, I want you to read it right now. I want her story to inspire you to achieve greater things in Key Club, and to inspire you to achieve greater things in the world through Key Club. With the end of the term, it’s also time to start thinking about DCON (District Convention). Three days at Anaheim to attend workshops, meet Keyclubbers from all around California, Nevada, and Hawaii, and celebrate the achievements that our club has accomplished this term! Well that’s it for now, Kiwis! Enjoy this issue (I think this may be one of my favorite issues I have done so far). I hope to see all of your lovely faces at the meetings. :) - Danica Liang, historian
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A Word From Our Officers The past three years that I’ve been with Key Club has affected my life quite significantly. I’ve met new friends and reunited and caught up with old ones. I learned what the Kiwanis Family is all about, and how I can play a great role in other’s lives through it. I hold the position of Sergeant-at-Arms of my club, and it’s a fun job! I have to be at the meeting on time, every time, to start the meetings, as well as end the meetings. I also have the job of keeping the meeting going in an orderly fashion. It’s been a great three years with you all, and I hope to serve you guys again in the board for one last year! Kiwis! Tweet Tweet! - Danny Wong, Sergeant-at-arms
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Past
A Word From Our Officers Michelle Wan graduated from Alameda High in 2012 and is currently a student at Cornell University. At Alameda High, she held club office positions and was the president of Key Club in 20112012. Here are her thoughts on Key Club and Circle K*!
Have you all seen the Hobbit yet? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. The movie begins with the scene of the hobbit Bilbo writing down the full story of the adventure he took 60 years ago, for his nephew Frodo. Then the movie goes on with many epic action scenes. It is awesome! Although my story is not as heroic or grand as Bilbo’s, I want to take the chance here to write down my story: being a first year college student. During winter break, I’ve been asked many times of my college experience. In short, my response goes like the following: I’m in the Cornell School of Engineering, studying computer science; I’m also involved in the University Chorus and economics research. Believe it or not, I actually do have something Key Club related to tell you. Despite everything that I’ve mentioned before, the first group I joined in college was Circle K. In the first general meeting, I was very excited when I saw a member wearing the same DCON shirt that I also owned. As I talked to her, I found out that she was from Sacramento, and we were at the same DCON two years ago. She is now one of my closest friends in college! I soon found out that many of the members were also in Key Club in high school. Immediately, we started sharing our Key Club stories. * Circle K is basically the college version of Key Club. 5
Past
A Word From Our Officers It was then I realized how cool I was as a CNH Key Clubber; by far, CNH Key Clubbers are the most spirited and dedicated! As the semester went by, I became the Service Committee Chair and volunteered at different service events. Of all the groups I join in college, I am definitely closest to Circle-Kers! The joy and support I get from them are precious. During my senior year as Key Club President, I advised many of my peers to join Key Club in high school and Circle K in college. No matter where you go, what you do, Kiwanis Family members are always around for support. After a semester of college, I’ve never believed that more. I'd like to end by saying congratulations to all of you. Alameda Key Clubbers, not only you survive the end of the world, you are also part of the Kiwanis Family, a place to call home. You can all continue to serve the community, do great things and be a proud member of the Kiwanis Family! Thank you for being a great club! - Michelle Wan
Thanks for visiting us at our December DCM and club meeting, Michelle! :)
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North Face Challenge By Wong By Stella Danica Liang
Dec 1
For the past couple of years, I have attended many community service events, but volunteering at the North Face Endurance Challenge was especially unique to me. My sister Tiffany and I were there from 9AM-7PM, the longest we have ever volunteered for a specific event standing outdoors in the rain. It was a cold, windy and wet day up in the hills of Fort Barry. I arrived with a water-resistant jacket and an umbrella, assuming that I would be helping out in the booths under the tents. However, when my sister and I got there, the volunteer coordinator asked us to fill in for the other volunteers who did not show up at the aid station up in the trails. Once we arrived up in the mountain trails, a volunteer handed us emergency ponchos. My sister and I didn’t want to wear them, so we told him that we didn’t want the ponchos. He gave us a look and said, “You’re gonna need it…like seriously, here, hold on to it.”
(continued on page 8)
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North Face Challenge By Stella Wong
Dec 1
(continued from page 7)
At the station, we made PB&J sandwiches and warm chicken broth. The table was also filled with snacks and drinks for the runners. Every once in a while, a strong gust of wind blew the stuff off of the table and we had to hold the tent down. As it was getting dark, the rain poured harder and most of the volunteers at the station were leaving since their shift ended at five. Because our ride wasn’t here yet, my sister and I stayed to help clean up while waiting for the last runner. Although I went home with muddy shoes and soaked socks, it was an unforgettable experience and we also got a free North Face t-shirt.
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Ornament Making By Qiqi Wu
Dec 3
Ornament making was a fun, creative event. Each of us was creative in designing the ornaments. The process seemed hard in the beginning, but once we got the hang of it, the steps were quite simple. We made two different types of ornament. The first ones were the traditional ornaments, made with acrylic paint added to the insides of the glass bulbs. When we added enough paint, we covered the ornaments’ openings with our thumb and began swirling to allow the paint to cover up the whole ornament. Coloring these ornaments was my favorite part; I loved trying out different combinations of colors. After making these ornaments, my hands were a complete mess. They were covered in rainbow colors of paint that took me forever to wash off. The second types of ornaments were made with bright ribbons and colorful beads. We left these ornaments clear and added stripes of ribbons and beads to give it an aesthetic appearance. The ornaments turned out really cool, and I liked them so much that I even sold two to myself. 9
December DCM By Faith Chau I have been in Key Club for over a year now and the recent DCM was the first time I attended one. I have never thought of going to DCM before because I thought there was no point of going. But Tina, one of our officers, asked me what DCM stands for and I felt bad for not knowing what it stands for. (since I have been in the club for quite a while. Google tells me DCM stands for Divisional Council Meeting. Because of this, I thought I would try going after all. The moment I arrived at the Oakland Main Library, Charles, our Lieutenant Governor, greeted me. Other Key Club people from not only our school but other schools, like Oakland Tech, San Leandro High, Encinal High, Castro Valley High, arrived. They were very welcoming, energetic, and full of Key Club spirit. We started the meeting by reciting our Key Club Pledge. Different schools shared their updates on their club. Then we started to make holiday cards for Oakland Children’s Hospital. While making the cards, Charles read 'love notes' that people wrote, creating a very casual and entertaining atmosphere. We ended our meeting with a
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Dec 16
December DCM By Faith Chau
Dec 16 a game related to Key Club. After the meeting, I realize that Key Club is a very well organized club that is all based on teamwork. I was very impressed with how some people are very devoted to Key Club. I enjoyed the meeting, where I met new friends from different schools and got to know more about Key Club — not only as our school club, but as an international club! I really recommend going.
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SA Christmas Luncheon By Ryan Lee
Dec 25
The Salvation Army Christmas tainly a heartwarming, satisfying, rewardLuncheon was a fun way to earn commu- ing, enjoyable, and pleasing one. nity service hours. We volunteered from 9 AM to 2 PM, but it passed by really quickly. In the beginning we sat in the church area of the building and talked for a while, and then we all started singing a Christmas song which I didn’t know the words to. After that we went to wrap soap, a weird job that I didn’t really understand, but the room smelled nice and the soap was given out to people as presents. Then we went downstairs and split up the jobs for the luncheon. There was food serving, trash duty, clean up, tea serving, and passing out of food. It was nice to see all the people there and gratifying when they said thank you to you. Even though this event was on Christmas Day there were plenty of volunteers there helping out and it felt good to volunteer and see all the happy faces of the people who showed up for the free meals. The experience was cer12
SA Christmas Luncheon PICTURES
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MOCHA Winter Camp By Melissa Yip
Dec 26, 27, 28 and Jan 2, 3, 4
This was my first time volunteering for MOCHA because Key Club started this collaboration this year. In the beginning, it was kind of awkward talking to the little kids. Some of them were quiet and didn’t talk much, but after an hour or so we began to talk. I helped some of the kids make name tags and assisted them when they needed help in general. I helped the instructors make sure that the kids were paying at“Peace UP!” tention and not goofing off. Whenever they were done with their projects, I cleaned the table, washed the brushes, and then put everything back in the right place. It was really fun helping the little kids and at the same time, I got to do some arts and crafts. I also helped the MOCHA staff by taking pictures during the camp. My favorite part of the camp was preparing snacks for the kids and playing games with them during their break and their lunchtime.
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MOCHA Winter Camp By Melissa Yip
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Dec 26, 27, 28 and Jan 2, 3, 4
The Structure of Key Club International level— president, vice president, 11 trustees * LTGs serve at the divisional and district levels.
District Level— governor, secretary, treasurer, editor, LTGs*
Divisional Level—LTG (lieutenant governor)*, secretary, treasurer, editor
Club Level— president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, historian, etc. (club level positions vary with ea. club )
WHY RUN FOR A POSITION?
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Become more involved in Key Club
Develop skills in leadership and teamwork
Build relationships and meet new people
Allows you to grow as a person
It’s fun!
It looks good on your resume
Club Office Positions Elections are coming up! Thinking of becoming an officer? Here are some wise words from our current officers.
1. What do you do as an officer? 2. What kind of person should run for this position? 3. What are some things you wish you had done/knew before taking on this position? 4. (optional) Is there anything else you would like to add? Shirley Lau, co-president 1. Being a co-president requires much cooperation and teamwork with board members in holding weekly meetings, organizing events, brainstorming/planning fundraisers, as well as assisting the other officers with their jobs and duties. Communication is essential in maintaining a successful club. 2. The best person to take on this position would be one who is organized, prompt, reliable, and hardworking. 3. Looking back, I believe that if there had been greater opportunities to prepare and gain experiences for this position, the club may be even more successful than it is now. That is why we are planning to elect the new board earlier this year in hopes of better preparing them for their positions in the next term. 4. Good luck to all future Key Club candidates! 17
Club Office Positions Scarlett Wu, co-president 1. I organize the weekly meetings and large scale service events or divisional events such as the Division Council Meetings, Fall Rally North, and District Convention. I also communicate with Kiwanis Club, the Lieutenant Governor of our division, and with presidents of other Key Clubs. Personally, I like to try and interact with members of the club to encourage everyone to attend events, especially the divisional ones (that are super fun!). And of course, as president, you delegate tasks to your officers, and that’s the part of the job that makes you feel empowered. 2. A person who is responsible and dedicated to his/her work. Someone who is flexible and unafraid to take chances or to be loud. But most importantly, someone who likes to have fun and enjoys the club for its spirit and events. (: 3. I wish I had taken the time to get to know the Key Clubbers from different schools within our division. There are really great people in Key Club that you can really get to know if you take the initiative to meet them! 4. It’s a very rewarding experience to be president! You definitely learn a lot about leadership and responsibility. And you get to interact with a lot of people, mainly the members of the club and the division, but also people of other states and even other countries! I certainly expanded my horizons after becoming president and made a lot of new friends. Being president was a position I am glad to have run for, and I am grateful that I am a part of something so great, that I can work alongside so many awesome people like you Key Clubbers. (: 18
Club Office Positions Melissa Yip, vice president 1. I help out the president with her work such as preparing the agenda for meetings, running the meetings, and discussing fundraisers. Vice presidents, in general, also help other officers whenever they need help. 2. Someone who has good time management, knows Key Club in general and attends many events, especially the major ones (AIDS Walk, Relay For Life) and someone who goes to many DCMs. If he or she has been in key club for 2 years, they should have already attended DCON. If he or she has only been in the club for a year, then he or she should at least have gone to many of the DCMs, events and meetings. 3. I wish I had created more fundraisers. 4. The vice president and president should be on good terms in order to efficiently run the club.
Tina Chung, co-projects chair 1. I look for events. 2. The kind of person that should run for it should be a persistent one. You need to be patient. 3. I wish I knew how hard finding events was.
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Club Office Positions Jio Calderon, co-events chair 1. As co projects chair, we look for community organizations and events where Key Club may be able to volunteer in, and also help plan on what we do there. 2. People that run for this position should be those who know something about the community, and even if not, they should be be people who are diligent and organized enough to keep track for the weeks and plan accordingly. 3. Something I wish that I did before taking on this position would be actual planning even before school started, on what I should do, and what events are there. It is difficult to find events with only a few weeks in advance, you know. 4. This position is a big responsibility, as it plans out what your other key clubbers will do, so it should not be taken easily. However, it is a very rewarding experience to see the events work out well, so I recommend people to run for it for that reason.
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Club Office Positions Lauren Losande, secretary 1. Basically as secretary I make lists. I make lists of members, of events and of money. I'm the head hancho of all the background work. 2. Any dedicated key clubber should run for an office position, but for secretary they need to be organized, punctual, and ready to ask for favors. 3. I wish I knew how much work it takes to fill out all the forms for Key Club. There’s the form that I have to send in to the school, and the one I have to send in to the LTG, which can take some time. 4. This is a good position for anyone to have that is college bound; it makes you organized and is nice to have on your college applications. They appreciate your hard work.
Jay Zhang, treasurer 1. I control the club's money, I deal with the bank, I maintain financial records, and I handle membership fees. 2. A person who is good at keeping track of money, organized, and responsible. 3. None.
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Club Office Positions Danny Wong, sergeant-at-arms 1. As the SAA of our club, I start and adjourn meetings as well as calming down our SO VERY enthusiastic club members if they get too rowdy. I also occasionally check if people are still attending events a couple days before. 2. They should have a loud voice. They need to be able to speak louder than the all of the club members combined to ensure they are quiet and that the meeting will run smoothly. They also need to have the courage to speak over anyone at any given time. 3. I wish I had gone to many of the Kiwanis events years prior to gain some experience and knowledge of what the job and Key Club/Kiwanis is like, but otherwise no, the job is pretty easy. 4. KEY CLUBBER’S, HOW DOTH THY FEELETH? (yes, do the cheer, right now, in your room).
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Club Office Positions Danica Liang, historian 1. As the historian, I take pictures of the events that I go to, I create monthly newsletters (what you’re looking at right now!) and at the end of each term, I create a yearin-review scrapbook to be entered in the scrapbook contest at DCON. 2. For the job of historian, important qualities include creativity, cooperation, and an eagerness for Key Club. It’s important for the historian to go to as many events as possible to take pictures. This person should be comfortable with socializing as well as be willing to write for the newsletter and not be afraid to put their writing out there for the whole club to see. It helps if you’re artistic, if you enjoy writing, and/ or if you have a good eye for spotting grammar and spelling errors. 3. When I first started the newsletter, I thought everyone would want to participate and write, but that’s not the case. Unless you’re willing to write the whole thing yourself, get ready to ask around and encourage other members. I also wish that I had researched more about my job when I got it because I could have started the newsletter earlier. 4. Future historians: I’ve worked really hard this year to start the newsletter and I would love to see it continue. This job can be both easy or hard — it’s whatever you make of it.
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Credits A big thanks to everyone who helped contribute to make this newsletter happen. :) And thank you for reading this!
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Want to contribute next issue? Contact Danica Liang (Historian) at Danicat_dog@yahoo.com! 24