VIVIAN TANG SECRETARY, 2017-2018 ARROYO HIGH SCHOOL DIVIISON 35 WEST REGION 13
SECRETARY NOMINATION FORM
Nominee Name: Vivian Tang Key Club: Arroyo High School District: California-Nevada-Hawaii Division:
35 West
Nominated By: Club #: H87032 Region: 13
Jefferson Diep
TABLE OF CONTENTS Complete the Table of Contents by listing the different focus areas in each application item, and by adding the page number for which the listed sections begin. This should also help you place the items in the correct order.
ITEM
Cover Page Nomination Form Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 Section 6 Section 7 Section 8 Section 9 Section 10
FOCUS AREAS
Letter(s) of Recommendation Secretary Checklist Proof of Attendance Club Directory Monthly Report Forms Minutes Communication Miscellaneous
START PAGE
1 2 3 6 8 11 17 26 35 40
STATEMENT OF NOMINATION Why should this Secretary be recognized? Word Limit: 1,000
It is the first month of my term. The end of the month is within days and I am checking the Monthly Report Form and other forms that are required to be sent to our division. As I do my check up, the Monthly Report Form, or MRF, is done and has been completed for days without me having to remind my secretary. This outstanding effort of making sure that the form is not only done correctly but also early was not a one and done effort as this secretary has continuously strived to achieve greatness. Vivian Tang, the Arroyo High School secretary, has excelled in not only completing her duties as a Secretary of Key Club but also setting the example of being a role model and leader to the members of the Arroyo Key Club and the officers that serve with her. While ensuring that the information on the Monthly Report Form is inputted properly and efficiently, she also upholds the ideas of helping our community through promoting new ideas for service projects and fundraisers in the club. Her role as a member isn’t diminished by her officer duties, as she has volunteered 150 hours this year alone. Above all, Vivian has even created an attendance system by utilizing the IDs to keep a record of the attendance during meetings to help combat the issues of recording attendance. Vivian Tang is a clear example of what a Key Club secretary should strive to be as she has exemplified the integrity of the being a leader and caring for others. She constantly aims to include every member, push them to enjoy every experience, and build character not only for herself but also for the other members and officers around her. Because of the outstanding effort she has made as a secretary of Arroyo High School Key Club this year for the 2017-2018 term, I, Jefferson Diep, Arroyo High School president, am pleased to nominate Vivian Tang to be recognized as a Distinguished Secretary for 2018.
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
My term serving as Arroyo Key Club’s secretary has truly impacted my life, proving to be one of the greatest learning experiences I’ve had. I’ve learned the importance of collaboration, communication, and respect as the officer board pushed towards our visions and goals of making Arroyo Key Club as captivating as it was when we first joined. This meant more fundraisers, more events, and generally more activity within the club. It excited me every time I filled out a Monthly Report Form and saw how much we’ve done in the past month. My definition of what a being an officer means has changed from just being an authoritative figure to someone who chooses to dedicate energy and earn their respective title through service and character. Thus, it is with great honor that I received recognition in these letters of recommendation from Lieutenant Governor Guy Suankaew and Division Secretary Deanne Banh.
GUY SUANKAEW LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION To whom it may concern, My name is Guy Suankaew and I am writing this letter of recommendation for Arroyo Secretary Vivian Tang, who is applying for the Distinguished Secretary. I have known Vivian as a friend since I was freshman at our high school. Her nature of putting others before her and making sure they are surrounded by love is why I became good friends with her. As a member, she made big efforts to volunteer and provide for the organization in any way possible. Seeing her run for the position of secretary, I knew Arroyo was in good hands. Since the beginning of the term, I have seen Vivian fill out MRFs with extreme accuracy and promptness. She is one of the many that I can count on to correctly fill out the form with dignity to represent her home clubs achievement each month. Each section is detailed with the experiences and journey the club has gone through, showing the growth that Arroyo Key Club has gone through. In the term, Vivian has risen as one of the hardest working officers I see in the officer board. The home club has over 200 members, something that can make the position of secretary hard having to record the service hours of each individual. However, she does it ease. Having a similar job last year as an officer, I commend her for the perseverance she has in handling all the numbers. I believe that because of her hardworking abilities, Arroyo can continue the legacy of a strong service club within the division. During meetings, she does not hesitate to take minutes without complaint. During officer meetings, she contributes a lot of unique ideas and perspectives to enhance the meetings qualities. It is not only in the home club that her communication skills excel, it is also on a division level. Vivian talks to me and Division Secretary Deanne constantly to ensure that her work is up to standard and that she is doing her tasks correctly. Vivian is a prime example of a strong club officer and secretary. She is the role model for all secretaries within the division. Due to her efforts, Arroyo will have a solid foundation for incoming generations of secretaries to come.
Sincerely, Guy Suankaew D35W Lieutenant Governor 2017-2018
DEANNE BANH LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION To whom it may concern:
As Division Secretary of Division 35 West, I Deanne Banh with my utmost commendation write this letter in support of Vivian Tang and her decision to apply for the Distinguished Secretary Award. I believe Vivian is a role model for all current and future secretaries.
Time and time again she always manages to impress me with her MRFs. She has turned in all her monthly report forms on time from the beginning of the term. Her commitment and dedication shines through her consistency of her early monthly report forms. As many secretary’s motivation have deteriorated, I can feel her determination to serve her club. She attends many of her home club’s service event. She is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it. She is doing especially well serving her large home club showing that she is able to keep track of over 200 member’s hours.
Vivian keeps constant communication with the division. She has a strong connection with her home club so she can record hours efficiently. Once she graduates as a senior, I feel she will leave the club in better shape than from the start. I as a mentor, am very proud of her decision to apply for Distinguished Secretary. I, Deanne Banh with content recommend Vivian Tang for the Distinguished Secretary Award. She actively displays the four core values and I believe she will continue to spread the values of Key Club International even when she graduates.
Sincerely, Deanne Banh Sierra Vista Highschool Division Secretary 2017-2018 Key Club International d35w.cnhkc.ds@gmail.com
SECRETARY CHECKLIST
The secretary checklist showed me the importance of my position as an officer. As I went through the Club Standards section, I was relieved that I was able to get Arroyo’s dues turned in on time for all the returning and new members. The Work Accomplishments section gave me flashbacks of the extensive bookkeeping I had to maintain to clean up the club directory. The Attendance section showed me the minimum required attendance of training conventions. I interpreted this checklist as proof that holding an officer position is something that’s highly respected and essential to keeping the flow of our work as Key Club officers.
SECRETARY CHECKLIST
This checklist must be completed in order for you to be recognized as Appreciation, Outstanding, or Distinguished. You will need at least two individuals to verify that you have completed the items on the checklist. These individuals must place their initials or provide you with permission to place their initials in the appropriate column.
NOMINEE INFORMATION Nominee Name: Vivian Tang Key Club: Arroyo District: California-Nevada-Hawaii Division:
Club #: 35 West
H87032 Region:
13
CHECKLIST INITIALS
ITEMS AND REQUIREMENTS
Club Standards CL CL CL
Membership: Paid club membership dues by December 1 Service: Provided a minimum of 50 service hours as per Key Club International Constitution & By-Laws Club Status: Home Club is in good standing and has paid dues
Work Accomplishments Club Directory/Roster: Updated, completed, and distributed the club directory/roster GS Club Monthly Reports: Completed a minimum of eight (8) Monthly Report Forms and submitted forms on time by GS the 5th of the month to the Key Club Lieutenant Governor, sponsoring Kiwanis Club, and home club
GS GS GS
Records: Recorded and filed minutes of club general meetings
GS
Club Officer Information: Completed the online club information form for club officers, Advisors, and meeting information, made available on the CNH CyberKey
Records: Recorded and filed minutes of club board meetings Election Results: Completed the Annual Club Elections Form and submitted the form to the Key Club Lieutenant Governor and sponsoring Kiwanis club
Attendance CL GS GS CL
Club Meetings: Attended eighty-percent (80%) of all club general meetings Board Meetings: Attended eighty-percent (80%) of all club executive board meetings Division Council Meetings: Attended a minimum of six (6) Division Council Meetings Kiwanis Meetings: Attended a minimum of one (1) Kiwanis Division Council Meetings or attended a minimum of three (3) general Kiwanis meetings Training Conference: Attended the Officer Training Conference or Region Training Conference Secretary Workshop: Attended the Secretary Workshop at District Convention, International Convention, Officer Training Conference, or Region Training Conference
CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY This certifies that we, the undersigned, verify the completion of the aforementioned requirements by the individual named on this application. All appropriate criteria have been identified on this form.
Identified requirements must be met in order to be eligible for this recognition. It is also understood that the decisions of the judges are final and no changes, alteration or re-judging will take place after the judges and the Member Recognition Chair have certified the results. NOTE: All names, initials and contact information are ONLY required if used as verification. REMEMBER: There must be at least 2 out of 4 people verifying task completion. Signatures from the school representative and the Kiwanis club representative may not be by the same person.
*You may only include those who are verifying completion of the checklist items.* INITIALS
C.L.
POSITION
Faculty Advisor
E-Signature
PHONE W/ AREA CODE
Cheri Lee
shihwenlee@msn.com
(626) 373-5436
Guy Suankaew
d35w.cnhkc.ltg@gmail.com
(626) 623-0444
Kiwanis Advisor G.S.
Key Club Lt. Governor Kiwanis Lt. Governor
PROOF OF ATTENDANCE
Key club is a student - led service organization in which Arroyo prides itself in volunteering over 6,000 hours in its 20172018 term. I have contributed to this great number through small local events like Emerald Necklace, where we tend to the environment by planting and watering trees, to large events like Aids Walk or Firecracker 2018. Volunteering is mentally rewarding and I believe that it has made me a better person. It feels good to lend a helping hand and give back to the communities around us. It’s always sobering to see Kiwanis meetings in the Hacienda Heights Mary Callender's. It reminds me that the core values of key club—leadership, inclusiveness, character building, and caring—are as important as volunteer service is. In this section is a chronological list of events I attended and volunteered at.
PROOF OF ATTENDANCE Nominee Name: Vivian Tang Key Club: Arroyo High School District: California-Nevada-Hawaii Division:
Club #: Region:
35 West
H87032 13
CERTIFICATION The E-Signer has to be your club President or Faculty/Kiwanis Advisor. Secretaries may not sign off on their own forms.
E-Signature: E-Signer’s Position:
Jefferson Diep President
E-Signer’s E-mail: E-Signer’s Phone Number:
jeffeydiep@gmail.com (626)782-2052
ATTENDANCE Project, Activity, Event 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Say NO Bullying Festival Pasadena Symphony UCLA Bruin Walk Kiwanis Meeting May DCM Pasadena Pops Musique Chalk It Up Back to School Resource Fair Volleyball Game Musique Kiwanis Meeting Kiwanis Adopt A Highway Football game September DCM AIDS Walk Cleminson Carnival Kiwanis Meeting Run of the Dead Light the Night Fall Rally South Emerald Necklace Tiger Run Jinglebell Run Rose Floats Rose Floats Rose Floats Emerald Necklace New Years Race Pasadena Pops
Date 4/22 4/29 4/30 5/3 5/20 6/3 7/22 7/26 8/12 8/25 8/26 9/6 9/9 9/22 9/30 10/15 10/20 10/25 10/28 11/4 11/11 11/25 12/2 12/10 12/26 12/27 12/28 1/6 1/7 1/20
Club X X X
Level of Activity Division District International
Service Hours 6 10.75 5.75 0 1 5.25 12.5 6.5 5.5 3 8 0 2.5 2.5 0 7.25 5.5 0 5.5 5 0 3 5.75 5.75 15.5 7 14.75 4 5 10.5
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Total Service Hours
163.75
Kiwanis Meeting WHERE: Marie Callender’s SNAPSHOT: We introduced ourselves as officers of Arroyo Key Club and experienced their meeting. It gave us insight to how and what Kiwanis does. My favorite part was when we had the chance to put a “sad dollar” or a “happy dollar” and say a short anecdote about why it was happy or sad.
Madrid Community Fair
Cleminson Carnival
Region Picnic
WHERE: Madrid Elementary SNAPSHOT: We dressed up as fruits to advocate eating healthy to the elementary students. We were able to have fun while also providing a learning experience.
WHERE: Cleminson Elementary SNAPSHOT: I’m proud to say that I attended this event for 4 consecutive years. Here, I get to interact with kids as they enjoy the fall festivities.
WHERE: Via Verde Park SNAPSHOT: This event allowed me to get to know Region 13’s LTG’s. It was really eye-opening to see how hard-working and collaborative they were.
Fall Rally 2018 WHERE: Six Flags Magic Mountain SNAPSHOT: The spirit battles were the most memorable part of Fall Rally, aside from being part of a teal sea in the infamous Rally. Being able to have fun at Six Flags while fundraising for PTP showed me that you can have fun while working hard. I think that just being able to be around so many individuals with the same determined mindset really makes the experience so one-of-a-kind.
CLUB DIRECTORY
One of the most time-consuming and tedious jobs of being a secretary was updating the club directory using the Membership Update Center. This year, our club had over 200 members to work with. Sorting through the returning and new members proved to be a difficult task, however I countered it with thorough organization and a lot of double-checking. I gained knowledge in using Google Sheets, specifically its mysterious but helpful formulas and conditional formatting. The most important thing I took from this experience was the importance of being detail-oriented. Sometimes there were typos due to human error and it took a careful eye to insure everything was correct. Attached are pictures of the club directory and organization methods I used to update the Membership Update Center.
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Club Directory
After the initial membership update, there were more members that joined. I added them onto the MRF and highlighted them ORANGE to signal that they were new members. I also highlighted members that left after the MUC was updated in the color RED.
The officer board has a designated Key Club drive that we place all documents into. I’m in charge of making sure everything is in its correct place.
I created a google drive specifically for what documents would be needed to fill out the MRF. This made it easier for me because everything was in one file, from the service record to meetings.
This google drive was from when I was doing the Membership Update Center. I made a google sheet to organize all the members into either a deletion or addition list. The different tabs display my knowledge of using Sheets from basic procedures to utilizing formulas to sort through the members.
MONTHLY REPORT FORMS
One of the responsibilities of secretary is to fill out the Monthly Report Form. I utilize the MRF to relay information such as the service record, attendance, and achievements in the club snapchat. I’ve turned every MRF on time for the early bird deadline because I value and recognize the hard work the members put into volunteering. The importance of the MRF hit me when I sent my first one to the respective people; it represented Arroyo Key Club in one simple document. The MRF constitutes my term’s work, boiled down to an Excel sheet. Upon reflection, I see that I’ve become a better leader, officer, and person in general. I’ve adopted important work ethics such as time-management, integrity, and dependability. The following pages include examples of MRFs from each quarter from the months of April, July, December, and January.
20
April MRF
UCLA Bruin Walk
22
July MRF
Adopt-A-Highway
24
December MRF
Run of the Dead
26
January MRF
MINUTES
Every Monday, a general meeting is held in Arroyo high school’s gym during lunch. Every Thursday, an officer meeting is held in room 13 during lunch. I have the responsibility of recording minutes for these meetings and I do so diligently, taking detailed notes. This work ethic often comes in handy because previous meeting notes are often referred to. From adopting these work ethics, I have become a more organized and detail-oriented individual. This has also affected me outside of the Key Club environment as I find myself writing better notes in the classroom. The following pages include examples of recorded board and general meeting minutes from the 4 quarters of this term.
GENERAL MINUTES April 3rd, 2017 Meeting Date: 4/3/17 Meeting Location: Large Gym Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Call to Order a. Time 12:10PM b. Mr. Yates & “How do you feel?” Old Business a. Past volunteer events i. SGV ii. WASC clean up New Business a. Pin design voting b. DCON meeting in room 13 during lunch tomorrow i. Information c. Future volunteer events i. Santa Anita Derby 5k Adjournment a. Time 12:35PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
BOARD MINUTES June 1st, 2017 Meeting Date: 6/1/17 Meeting Location: Room 13 Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I. II.
Call to Order a. Time 12:18PM Old Business a. Yuda Bands i. Sales done 6/1
III.
New Business
IV.
a. DCM 6/10 b. Bonding day 6/10/17 i. Dinner (BJ’s) with Mrs. Lee and then ice skating 8PM10PM c. OTC 6/17 i. ALL officers required to go ii. @ MVHS 9AM-2PM d. REGION PICNIC 6/24 i. Dance next year (open to all high school students) ii. March 2018 iii. Arroyo and GAWHS host 1. Fundraise more and find venue e. Fundraiser i. Sparkling lemonade f. June events Adjournment a. Time 12:44PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
GENERAL MINUTES September 11th, 2017 Meeting Date: 9/11/17 Meeting Location: Large Gym Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Call to Order a. Time 12:29PM b. Mr. Yates & “How do you feel?” c. 9/11 Moment of Silence Old Business a. Past volunteer events i. Football game vs. TCHS ii. Volleyball game iii. FeedLA – Tina Yap iv. Adopt A Highway v. Last Pasadena Pops New Business a. Signs up available i. Open Arts Festival & Music ii. Industrial Hills Pro Rodeo iii. Volleyball game b. Fundraiser: Hot Cheetos and Cheese @ front of school c. Application due date delayed to next meeting d. New attendance system with IDs e. 2 meetings per month for stole requirement f. September DCM on 9/30 Adjournment a. Time 12:43PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
BOARD MINUTES September 14th, 2017 Meeting Date: September 14, 2017 Meeting Location: Room 13 Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I. II.
III.
IV.
Call to Order a. Time 12:29PM Old Business a. One-on-one meetings between president and board b. Event coordinators i. Art festival 1. Claribel: Early bird-2pm 2. Ryan: 2pm-6pm 3. Jeff: Entire day c. Fundraisers i. Hot Cheetos and cheese 9/20-9/22 ii. Yuda Bands $10 iii. UNICEF coin drive iv. Mana Tea House 10/27 v. Pop Tabs fundraiser New Business a. Division events i. RTC 10am-2pm ii. DCM 9/30 iii. Ice cream social @ Arceo Park b. Fall Rally prices c. Collaboration with NHS and Leo Club to raise money to aid Hurricane Harvey and Irma Adjournment a. Time 12:49PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
GENERAL MEETING October 30th, 2017 Meeting Date: 10/30/2017 Meeting Location: Large Gym Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Call to Order a. Time 11:55PM b. Pledge, Mr. Yates, “How do you feel?” Old Business a. Fall Rally bus b. UNICEF coin drive c. Past volunteer events i. Volleyball game vs Marshall HS ii. Emerald Necklace iii. Pumpkin Run New Business a. Food Booth b. DCM 10/28 c. Poster for Mrs. Gonzalez’s mom d. Future volunteer events i. Run of the Dead ii. Walk to End Alzheimer’s e. Mana Tea Fundraiser 10/27 Adjournment a. Time 12:10PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
BOARD MINUTES November 17th, 2017 Meeting Date: 11/17/17 Meeting Location: Room 13 Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I. II.
III.
IV.
Call to Order a. Time 12:14PM Old Business a. Fall Rally b. UNICEF- count coins New Business a. Find December volunteer events b. Fundraiser i. April “College is in 2-3 months� gram ii. EliMINTnate grams c. DCON tentative pricing i. $170 for 4 person room, per night ii. Bus fee: $60 per person iii. Registration: $175 iv. Total: $260 d. Christmas bonding e. Apparel, tentative to arrive before winter break Adjournment a. Time 12:50PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
GENERAL MINUTES January 8th, 2018 Meeting Date: 1/8/18 Meeting Location: Large Gym Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Call to Order a. Time 12:23PM b. Pledge, Mr. Yates, “How do you feel?” Old Business a. Past volunteer events i. Rose Floats with Band and Division ii. Emerald Necklace iii. New Years Race New Business a. Next term officer board elections b. 1/13: DCM @ Cameron Park c. 1/20: Conclave d. Future volunteer events i. Pasadena Symphony 1/20 ii. Pasadena Half Marathon 1/21 iii. Griffith Park Run 1/27 e. DCON i. 3 days ii. $174 before February 28th Adjournment a. Time 12:43PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
BOARD MINUTES January 8th, 2018 Meeting Date: 1/8/18 Meeting Location: Room 13 Presided By: Jefferson Diep
I. II. III.
IV.
Call to Order a. Time 12:33PM Old Business a. Event coordinators New Business a. DCM 1/13 @ Cameron Park i. Fundraiser: hot Cheetos and cheese, maybe Mana boba b. Apparel: crew neck with seal face c. Elections – sent email regarding dates and requirements i. February 5 th d. Conclave January 20th e. Food Booth March 16th Adjournment a. Time 12:54PM
Minutes Recorded by: Vivian Tang
California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International
COMMUNICATION
As club secretary, it’s mandatory that I submit MRFs to the respective people such as the LTG, division secretary, region advisor, faculty advisor, president, and sponsoring Kiwanian. I developed a habit of checking my email daily and experienced typing up formal emails. Communications with the club and board was done through group chats and posts. A notable custom I did was create group chats with the event chairs and ask for a short summary of what they did at an event. This allowed for more accurate descriptions of the project and also feedback for the kinds of events they liked. However, communication based solely through emails and texts isn’t always ideal. I met with the president and faculty advisor in person many times to address any of concerns. In this section, you will find emails and group chats that involve the MRF and Facebook posts directed to the whole club.
Every month, I send in the monthly report form in an email. This specific thread shows that I was missing part of the service record. I updated the MRF and resent it so that the information would be accurate.
This Facebook post was directed to the entire club. We held our very first banquet and I posted about it. I made sure to capitalize any important information and include a flyer to catch members’ eyes.
Pictured here is a group chat that I created with members and officers that were project chairs. Here, I explained what the MRF was and how they could help me by providing event descriptions.
Shown here are emails between me and event coordinators. Finding events each month is required for all officers in Arroyo Key Club.
Here are screenshots of my conversation with Division Secretary, Deanne Banh. I had questions concerning the MRF in the beginning of my term. I applied her advice to my work and it can be seen in the MRF section.
MISCELLANEOUS
Fall Rally is an event that provides an opportunity for Key Clubbers to support the Pediatric Trauma Program. When it received a weak reaction from the members, the officers and I suggested creating a bonding day to increase morale and promote this great cause. This project turned out to be one of the most memorable events that tested my leadership. Another notable contribution was the attendance system. Before this year, we had trouble with signing people in to check attendance of general meetings. We had over 300 members and couldn’t keep track of the vast amount of them. Before, we collected paper slips with members’ names on them to individually log into a Google sheet. This year, I came up with the idea to create an attendance system, implementing the use of scanning the barcode on our school IDs. With the help of Treasurer and computer genius Michael Nguyen, we were able to get the app out to keep track of attendance this year.
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The Amazing Race
Things began at a standstill because of the officer board’s tug-of-war of ideas on the agenda for the bonding day. Facing a sense of urgency, I found myself taking initiative, actively listening to everyone’s suggestions and putting effort into implementing their proposals. Soon after, I reached a compromise on the final idea, a spin off of The Amazing Race. I appointed co-organizers to create game plans and prizes for the race finishers. A group of myself and two other officers spent sleepless nights preparing the event. However, it soon became clear that our small team wouldn’t suffice. I rallied the support of the other officers, consistently reminding them that only with everyone’s teamwork would this project be completed in time. Peck Park now holds a memory of where Fall Rally attendees raced for a chance to win prizes and a place on the leaderboard. This Key Club project was important to me because it revealed how much of an impact one person can have on a group effort when that person steps up as a leader. Although I was working with a group of exceptional leaders, we needed the initiative to promote positive teamwork. Despite expectations of steady progress for a project, I learned that a strong leader should step up and create an environment that evokes and inspires collaboration. I look forward to continuing to be a part of the achievements that can come from bringing groups together to work towards a common vision and set of goals.
The attendance app system keeps accurate track of members’ attendance by scanning their school distributed ID cards. It was coded and programmed to be used on a phone, implementing the phone’s back camera to scan the barcodes on members’ IDs. The idea for this originated from a simple grocery trip. In the month before school started, my mom and I went to Target on an obligatory trip to pick up groceries and school supplies. For the first time, we went to the self-checkout lane and got to try our hands at the handheld scanner. I was so inspired by the concept of being able to scan your own items and concocted a plan to use this same concept to scan the school IDs to check people in at the general meetings. This would make taking attendance at meetings more accurate, efficient, and easier with our expected 216 members. Michael Nguyen, Key Club Treasurer and renowned computer whiz, and I were able to make this proposal come to life. The code for the app was written and put together, operating off of Michael’s website. It was put into use at our first general meeting and has been in use up to now. Taking attendance has been considerably easier to do; a simple point of the camera and tap on the screen logs the members into an online database. The online database stores all the recorded attendance for meetings along with an original copy of the club directory. However, with all apps comes inevitable debugging. In the early days of our Key Club interface, there were problems that included the app throwing out the scanned IDs without sending it to the online database if the phone’s screen rotation was switched, unexpected crashing of the app,
and scanning of any object that looked like a barcode (it scanned an iron grate in the ground!). I was able to have updates made to fix most of these problems. It gave me a lot of experience in software and the backend coding behind the attendance app. Another recent update we made was regarding the elections for the 2018-2019 officer board. In the past years, there were difficulties in making sure that only paid members attended the election meeting as there were more than 300 members. To prevent this from happening, the update included an automatic pass when a paid member’s ID was scanned and a pop-up message that gives the option to accept or reject that ID when an unknown ID was scanned. However, the attendance system doesn’t stop there. Since its implementation for Key Club, other clubs on campus have gotten interested; Up to four clubs use our app to take attendance at meetings. This was one of the pivotal moments in Arroyo Key Club, even reaching out to the rest of Arroyo High School, as we took the first steps to a greater technological influence within our club. The time poured into creating and perfecting this project make up a large portion of my memories in Key Club. The knowledge gained from this was purely hands-on and I’m grateful that I was able to partake in the development of a system that would have a campus-wide effect, especially in Key Club where control could finally be taken over the 216 members that attended meetings.
Screenshots of online database >>