Capital Key OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF CAPITAL DISTRICT KEY CLUB VOLUME 59, ISSUE 2
IN THIS ISSUE... • One Key Clubber recounts his Fall Rally Experience • Why should I go to Key Leader? • Important information about Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and the Youth Opportunities Fund • Find out why you’re a part of the K-Family • ICON 2015 preview and pictures
Capital Key: Fall Edition Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Want to help raise money for the ELMINATE Project? Looking for another Fall service project? Participate in ToT for UNICEF this year and help your community give back. page 8
Key Leader Kiwanis Key Leader events are available to all high schoolers, in or out of Key Club. These weekends are another chance to grow into a better servant, leader, and person. Read to learn more, and one attendee’s experience! page 13
International Convention 2015 Preview This year’s International Convention, or ICON, is taking place in Indianpolis in July–6. Leaders will be elected, dances will be danced. and fun will be had by all. Read the official preview inside! page 17
ELI MIN ATE
ELIMINATE News Exciting news from the ELIMINATE Project! Read for info on how we are progressing towards completely eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus. page 19
Governor’s Project One of the six branches of the Kiwanis family is Aktion Club, a Kiwanis program for adults with disabilities. This year’s Governor’s Project is to get involved with Aktion or a similar club (like Miracle League or Best Buddies) for members of your community that have special needs. page24
EXECUTIVE BOARD Hello Capital District Crabs! My name is Anastasia Slepukhova and I am truly overjoyed to have the honor of serving as your 2014-15 District Governor. I attend Lake Braddock Secondary where I play Varsity Lacrosse and shoot for my school’s rifle team. Gandhi once said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” So lose yourselves this year in volunteering and raising funds to save precious babies from maternal and neonatal tetanus! Feel free to contact me at slepukhova.anastasia@gmail.com even if you are just stopping by to say “Hi”!
District Governor Anastasia Slepukhova Hello everyone! My name is Hojin and I am stoked to serve as your new 2014-2015 District Secretary. During this year I hope to focus on improving the connection between Lieutenant Governors and club Secretaries through informative online meetings as well as remaining open to any of your questions and opinions. When I’m not in the Key Club mode, I enjoy playing badminton and the saxophone! Feel free to contact me at hojinyoon98@gmail.com with any questions!
District Secretary Hojin Yoon What’s up Capital District? I’m Ruthvik Gali and I’m ecstatic about being your District Treasurer. I’m currently a Junior at Dulaney High School. I also enjoy playing cricket, playing chess and listening to music but most of all, I enjoy to help others! I really look forward to working with you all with your dues this coming year and feel free to contact me anytime about anything at sruthvikkumar@gmail.com!
District Treasurer Ruthvik Gali Hello friends! My name is Jack Morris and I’m super excited for my second year on the Capital District Key Club Board. As your district editor, I produce all of the year’s issues of this publication, the Capital Key. This year I hope to produce awesome editions of the Capital Key and get to know as many club editors as I can! I am working on providing resources to assist the editors of our District as they produce their club newsletters throughout the year. If you have any questions about newsletters or anything Key Club related, please email me at jxmorris12@gmail.com!
District Editor Jack Morris
Hey there! I am Artrell Flonnory and I will be serving you as 2014-2015 Capital District Webmaster. I go to Saint Mark’s High School in Pike Creek, Delaware and I’m in Division 6A. I love singing, acting, and being a part of the music and drama program at my school. I’m really passionate about doing service for others; the world is a much better place when there are people doing service! I’m eager to serve you all this year and connect the Capital District as a whole through all of our media! I’m a pretty outgoing person and always ready to help. So if you need anything at all feel free to contact me at artrellflonnory1@gmail.com!
District Webmaster Artrell Flonnory
KIWANIS FAMILY We all know what Key Club is - the world’s oldest, largest, and coolest service leadership organization for high school students, with over 270,000 members in 33 countries! You probably also know that Key Club is sponsored by Kiwanis, but did you know that there are five other branches of the Kiwanis Family? Within the K-Family, there is something for everyone. Spread your love of servant leadership to your family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors by inviting them to events and encouraging them to join the K-Family! Kiwanis: With clubs located in over 80 nations, Kiwanis provides adults with opportunities to serve their communities in countless ways, and will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015! Not only do they participate in service projects and fundraise for various charities, but they also sponsor clubs within all the other branches of the Kiwanis Family, and are always there to help whenever your club is having difficulties! Aktion Club: The only community service club for adults with disabilities! Aktion Clubs provide their members with opportunities to gain leadership skills and become more involved in society. Try organizing an event with a local Aktion Club to fulfill this year’s Governor’s Project, KOTIO! Circle K: Composed of college students from 19 different nations, CKI is the largest university service leadership organization in the world, with members perform half a million hours of service each year! Pretty soon, many of us will be heading off to college and will need some way of adapting to life on campus. CKI is a great way of doing that, so talk to a CKI member today about how to stay involved with the K-Family after graduation! Builders Club: This branch provides middle school and junior high students with opportunities to develop leadership, improve self-esteem, increase civic engagement and learn life skills through service. While in the awkward “in-between-stage” of their lives, Builders Club members are susceptible to many different influences, so it’s important that we impact their lives in a positive way and inspire them to be servant leaders! K-Kids: A service leadership program for elementary school children! Members are given the opportunity to work together to make a difference in their community, develop leadership skills at an early age, and build strong moral character. K-Kids really look up to Key Clubbers, so it’s imperative that we reach out to them and teach them the joy of service! Now that you know the different branches, go out there and konnect the K-Family! The possibilities are endless- ask Kiwanis members to come to your club meetings, organize a service project with CKI, start a mentoring program with a K-Kids club, and more! Working with the different branches makes service even more enjoyable, opens up many opportunities, and creates long-lasting memories. –Devyn King, Lieutenant Governor, Division 4A North County High School, Glen Burnie, MD
SUMMER SERVICE Hello Capital District, During my summer, I had the privilege to volunteer with Lake Arbor Summer Enrichment Camp (LASEC). For 7 weeks, I would attend camp as a counselor. The days started off with a warm up called Harambee, a Swahili word meaning “pull together”. The children, counselors, and adults came together to get the children excited about learning. Every child’s day consist of Tennis, Writing, Art/Music, Science, Global Immersions, Swimming, and Reading. Tuesdays and Thursdays were special days where the Chess instructor came to teach the children how to play chess. Sianna, one of the youngest campers, was one of the best chess players I met. The camp ran in two week sessions. Each new session started with a different theme. The theme for the first session was “I can make a difference in myself”. I worked with the youngest group, the Omegas. The Omegas thought long and hard about how they could improve themselves. Some said they would be nicer while others vowed not to give up as easily. This group of five to seven year olds were learning important lessons that would last a lifetime. The theme of the second session was “I can make a difference in my family”. Most of the children in the Omega group said they’d do things like take out the trash and help their parents when asked. The theme of the third week was “I can make a difference in my community and country”. Although I like all the sessions, this was my favorite because it’s truly what being a Key Club member is about. The children talked about planting more trees and giving money to homeless people. Their hearts were so big. In this session, they watched “The Children’s March”. Together, we learned about the unsung heroes in the Civil Rights Movement: children. It was amazing watching them react to real issues. The theme of the fourth and last session was “I can make a difference in our World”. The children struggled with ways to make a difference in the world, but this was only because they don’t know how big their world truly is. My time at camp never felt like volunteering. Really, it never felt like any work at all. Some days were better than others, but every day we learned how to be better people. Children learned the core values of being a responsible member of society. I learned as they learned; I grew as they grew. I can honestly say this was one of the best summers I have ever had. Esther Alaran, Lieutenant Governor, Division 1 Largo High School, Largo, MD
YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND What if you had the opportunity to take greater action in your community? Exciting right? Now what if you had that opportunity but couldn’t afford it? Bummer I know. Well Key Club International has a solution for you through…drumroll…the Youth Opportunities Fund! The Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) is an endowed fund for Key Club International held within the Kiwanis International Foundation. This fund uses earned interest to help Key Clubs and Key Club members serve the world by providing grants for service opportunities. The fund also provides academic scholarships for higher education. The Youth Opportunities Fund is established through a portion of your Key Club International dues and through the purchase of G. Harold Martin Fellowships. Now you may be wondering how you get ahold of this great fund! It’s as simple as applying (seniors don’t worry, no more SAT scores for this application). The application can be found at this link (http://keyclub.org/Libraries/Test_Folder/YOF_Application_914.sflb. ashx). YOF grants are given only to Key Clubs and/or club members. There is only one funding cycle for the Youth Opportunities Fund. The application must be received by October 15. Although the deadline for 2014 has passed, it’s never too early to start thinking about next year! Clubs may request funding assistance ranging anywhere from US$100 to US$2,000. The committee typically funds those clubs who are asking for a portion of the total cost of the project, and clubs who are working with other organizations to fund and complete the project. Notification of the Key Club International Board’s decision will be mailed no later than January 1, 2015. Guidelines for filing the application are also listed in the Key Club Guidebook under Board Policies. Need project ideas? See what kinds of projects Key Clubs have won grants for in the past here (http://keyclub.org/discover/kcm/March2012mag/grantedwishes.aspx). And may the odds be ever in your favor! Yours in service and friendship, Liz Moore Key Club International Trustee
TRICK-OR-TREAT FOR UNICEF UNICEF: DID YOU KNOW?
• Give a child 40 days of clean, safe water for $1 • Feed a malnourished child for 5 days for $5 • Vaccinate 280 children for $10 • Protect 100 kids from malaria for $100 • Install a water pump to ser ve a whole village for $500
ABOUT TRICK-OR-TREAT
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began in 1950 as a way to help kids who need more than candy. Since then, children all over America have gone door-to-door on Halloween with UNICEF collection boxes, calling out, “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!” They have raised more than $170 million for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF since 1950.
ABOUT UNICEF
Founded in 1946, UNICEF has always put children first, helping to save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization. UNICEF cares about making the world better for kids. That’s why, when you donate to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, we make sure that 91.2 cents of every dollar spent goes directly to help children.
The crisp October air buzzes with excitement as the sun slowly sets, creating the perfect hues of a colorful, yet almost ominous sky. Though the streets may be filled with children lugging pillow cases and plastic jack-o-lanterns, there is a different kind of trick-or-treater on the streets this year... the UNICEF trick-or-treater! Perhaps decked out in shades of blue to support The Eliminate Project, the typical UNICEF trick-or-treater can receive Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF boxes from his or her school. Imagine a Halloween in which instead of bags filled to the brim with tempting candies that only erode dental health, they are filled with coins and other donations to go toward eliminating Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus. One dollar bill, two quarters, and three dimes can provide three vaccinations for a mother and her future newborns. Or seven quarters and a nickel. However you put it, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is a highly efficient and rewarding way to raise money for The Eliminate Project. Not only will you be helping provide vaccinations to mothers in danger of MNT, you will also receive a special patch for your Key Club banner if you raise $250 by December 31st. So what are you waiting for? Take Halloween to a whole new level by tricking MNT into leaving and treating mothers and babies all around the world with vaccinations that save lives. –Johnson Song, TJHSST, Alexandria, VA
The ELIMINATE Project CHANGING THE WORLD FOREVER ........ AGAIN! Kiwanis and UNICEF joined forces to tackle iodine deficiency disorders, achieving one of the most significant public health successes of the 20th century. Now, we are eliminating MNT from the face of the earth. Imagine. We are eliminating a disease that kills innocent newborns and destroys families. And in doing so, we are reaching the poorest, most neglected babies and mothers with additional lifesaving healthcare. The end of this one disease means the beginning of better health for so many families. WHAT IF YOU COULD SAVE A BABY’S LIFE? There are few events more joyful than the day a new born baby is welcomed to the world. But in 40 countries a dreaded disease quickly turns that joy into tragedy. Maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) kills one baby every nine minutes – that’s 60,00 babies every year who will never grow up, make their mothers laugh play with friends or dream about the future. The effects of the disease are excruciating – tiny newborns suffer repeated, painful convulsions and extreme sensitivity to light and touch. Up to 30,000 mothers die of MNT every year too. BABIES AND MOTHERS ARE DYING, BUT THERE IS A SOLUTION. The good news is that this deadly disease can easily be prevented. Three doses of a 60 – cent immunization protect mothers, who then pass on the immunity to their future babies. How can we allow MNT to take its vicious toll when we have the power to prevent?
DO YOUR PART. Prepare. Grow your club. Get your friends to join the cause. Educate. Educate yourself about MNT, and share what you learn with your club, your community, your family, and your school. Advocate. Let the world know that the poorest, most vulnerable babies and mothers need our help. Invest. Be among the first to invest in this global project. ELIMINATE. MNT will be eliminated!
THE ELIMINATE PROJECT Before ELIMINATE reached Madagascar, an average 41 out of every 1000 infants died from Neonatal Tetanus. Since then, Madagascar has undergone the process of Eliminating MNT. More and more newborns and mothers lives are being saved from MNT. Since 1999, UNICEF and its partners have eliminated this disease from 35 countries. However, MNT still remains a threat in 24 countries. Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, stated, “Your passion and drive to deliver urgently needed funds to the countries still at-risk of this terrible disease will ensure that no mother has to worry about losing her baby to tetanus.” This year is the final push of the ELIMINATE project to eliminate MNT from the face of Earth. For this to be possible, Kiwanis and the branches of the K-Family need to raise about $110 million. Let’s make this our best year yet. It’s time to ELIMINATE this terrible disease! –Morgan Kotanko, Lieutenant Governor, Division 7A South Hagerstown High School, Hagerstown, MD
KEY LE I stared at the loosely hung hemp rope with a countenance of disbelief. There’s no way I can do that! I watched with fear as my groupmates successfully swung across to the other side without falling into the mud. It was my turn next. I closed my eyes, searching for courage. I had arrived at Key Leader the day before, shy and scared to be spending the weekend with strangers. But, over the course of the short evening that was packed with activities, strangers had become my friends. In our teams, we learned about the upside-down pyramid and servant leadership. We learned how to cooperate and work with one another to make an impact in the world. Even more, I had discovered myself, understanding my own personality style and the reasons behind my decisions. I had learned to be fearless, guided by examples of leaders from history who took risks that led them to success. It was a Key Leader Moment: you can’t succeed if you don’t try! I felt courage build up inside of me and opened my eyes. I reached for the rope and heard my team cheer me on. I saw the dark mud puddle beneath me and the deep blue sky above. Although I was scared, I didn’t close my eyes this time. Instead, I felt exhilaration of taking a leap and succeeding. I returned to Key Leader the next year as a student facilitator to help others have the same experience. I had the opportunity to see others in my group grow and take risks themselves. It was Key Leader that had built my confidence, changing my life and helping me find myself. -Sahana Rao, Lieutenant Governor, Division 2A
EADER
Key Leader is a learning and experiential program for the future leaders of our generation. Through guest speakers and hands on activities, students learn the most important lesson for a Key Leader - how to help others succeed. Over the weekend, Key Leaders will attend an array of workshops, discussions, and team-building activities centered around servant leadership. The skills that they learn here can help them improve their school, communities, workplaces, and even homes. While exploring the possibilities of leadership, students will make new friends and experiences that they will never forget. Key Leader is a unique program; it is attended by individuals that have a passion for serving and being agents of positive change in their communities. Students come away from this weekend program energized and full of ideas. -Megan Anderson, Key Leader Ambassador, Division 2B Westfield High School, Chantilly, VA
FALL R Besides DCON, Fall Rally is an event where you can learn more about Key Club International & make new friends from all over Capital District. What better way to start your Halloween season thanwith thrilling rides at an amusement park? That’s right–this event will be held at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Get ready to experience a whole day of fun while making new friends! I had the pleasure of attending Fall Rally this year and I can say that it was really fun and eye opening. Getting to meet Key Clubbers from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. and members of the District Board along with going to entertaining rides was such a great experience. I also got to see how the Eliminate Project impacts the mothers and babies that are affected by Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus through Mr. Jeffrey Wolff, the guest speaker. I highly recommend that everyone should attend. The best part about Fall Rally is that anyone can attend this event whether they are in Key Club or not. Fall Rally is a great way of recruiting new members who are skeptical about joining Key Club. The cost is only $35 for both Key Clubbers and non Key Clubbers and you all have unlimited access to the rides for the entire day. Plus, the DCON theme is announced every year at Fall Rally. At this year’s Fall Rally, we presented the theme for DCON, “Superheroes of Service”, and watched a presentation from former Capital District Key Clubber Avanti Kolloram. If you have any questions, please email cdkcfallrally@gmail.com. I look forward to seeing you all next year! –Arshad Fakhar, Lieutenant Governor, Division 6B
RALLY
GREETINGS FROM INTERNATIONAL Hello Crabtastic Capital District Key Clubbers! My name is Gary Cheng, and I will be serving as your 2014-15 Key Club International Trustee. I also serve the Eastern Canada and the Caribbean Atlantic districts, and together we form the most diverse group of sister districts. I want to start off by introducing myself. I am a senior at Mt. Pleasant High School in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and I have been a Key Club member my entire high school career. I became an active Key Clubber during my sophomore year when I started to volunteer at my local soup kitchen on a regular basis. It was at that point that I really fell in love with service. Outside of Key Club, the biggest thing I do right now is Physics Research at Central Michigan University. I currently research a material called Clathrates for their thermoelectric properties. I’m really enjoying the experience of working with professors and grad students. It’s really rewarding! Many of you might not know what exactly an International Trustee does. Essentially, my job is to act as an International Liaison to the district level. I communicate news from International in the form of bi-weekly (every 2 weeks) updates, and I bring feedback from the members back to International. My email is gcheng. kci@gmail.com. If you ever need anything or want to communicate with me, please do not hesitate to contact me. At the end of the day, I am here to serve you. This coming year is the final year of the Eliminate Project Campaign. Let’s end it with a bang! The Capital District has always been a strong fundraiser for the Eliminate Project, but it still has a lot of clubs that haven’t donated. If you know a club near you that hasn’t donated, now is the time to get started. Trick or Treat for UNICEF is right around the corner. Traditionally, when most people think about Trick or Treat for UNICEF, they think of Key Clubbers going door to door asking for donations on Halloween, but it is so much more than that. It’s an opportunity to spread the word and raise money to eliminate Maternal Neonatal Tetanus in any way that you can in the months of October, November, and December. If door knocking isn’t convenient for your club, host a benefit concert, plan a carnival, or put together an Eliminate Project Assembly within your school. Do anything and everything that you can to save the lives of babies and mothers around the world. I challenge each and every one of you to have a fundraiser for the Eliminate Project before the end of the year! Please don’t forget to Turn in the money your club has raised ASAP. Lives are being lost as donations sit in the bank. But in the meantime, keep an eye out for my trustee updates for any new Key Club International news. Utilize your resources, spread the word, and have fun along the way! Eliminate On, Gary GOALS 1. Serve the Members 2. Produce and Distribute Meaningful Resources 3. Help in any way to Eliminate MNT
GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE Greetings, Capital District! Can you believe it is already fall? It feels like our service year just began; nevertheless, we have accomplished so many remarkable endeavors and met the needs of communities all around the District. All 33 Divisions and Lieutenant Governors have been staying active and serving their home, schools and communities. We have also been ever so active in raising funds for the ELIMINATE project and saving precious lives from Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus. This year, the Capital District Board of Trustees has agreed to raise $80,000, surpassing our totals from last year by nearly $10,000. This will not be an easy task, but it all starts with you. If your club has not yet ordered boxes for “Trick or Treat for UNICEF make sure you get that done as soon as possible! TOT for UNICEF is the biggest fundraiser Key Club International participates in. Plus, since it’s easily recognized by the average person, your chances of raising money significantly increase. We strongly urge your clubs to get on board with this global campaign and join Key Clubbers from around the world in saving lives. And make sure to ask your serving Lieutenant Governor for information about Fall Rally! It is a chance for you to meet Key Clubbers from all over Maryland, Delaware, DC and Virginia at none other than Kings Dominion! Bring your friends that haven’t been sold on Key Club yet and let them know just what an amazing community we are. Fall Rally is purely social, every aspect of it – take advantage and don’t miss out! There are so many opportunities and perks open to you just for being a member, it is truly a shame to not take the full advantage! I would like to give a special shout out to all 43 Key Clubbers that joined me on a cross country trip all the way to California for International Key Club Convention this past July. It was the trip of a lifetime, with so many remarkable individuals and lifelong memories. You will read all about it in this issue of Capital Key, but please don’t be discouraged if you were not able to join us- simply mark your calendar for the District Convention and the next International Convention in the spring. Conventions are the times you get to meet and make friends from all over the world, and I am certainly not kidding. I still talk to my friends from Jamaica from my first International Convention two years ago! Make memories for yourself and find out what Key Club can mean to you! Finally, I would like to express just how proud and honored I am to be able to work with the Capital District. Over the past five months I have visited over twelve divisions; words cannot begin to explain the greatness I have seen. It is truly awe-inspiring meeting everyone and getting to know the real faces of Key Club. It is amazing how we all interpret the meaning of service and express our passions for making the world a better place. You can read all about Crabby and my adventures as we travel the country here: http:// goo.gl/NNJQv8. Now it is time for you to make your own adventures! Go out there and get involved! Yours in service, Anastasia
ICON 2015 Didn’t get to attend ICON 2014 in Anaheim, California? Bummed you missed out? Don’t worry! Next year, ICON 2015 will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from June 25th28th. This ICON, you definitely don’t want to miss. Wondering why? This ICON is for Key Club, CKI, and Kiwanis! Key Clubbers, CKIers, and Kiwanians will come together in Indianapolis to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of Kiwanis. We also will come together to celebrate the final year of Project ELIMINATE. Come on, 2015 is called Year Celebrate for a reason! Never attended an International Convention? Don’t know what happens? At ICON 2015, Key Clubbers from all around the world gather together to celebrate our love for service. We attend workshops, dances, and meet many new friends that we will keep for a lifetime. One of the most exciting things that occur at ICON, is that we elect the new International Board for the next year. ICON will absolutely make your love of service and Key Club skyrocket, it will change your lives-no doubt. Can’t wait to see you all at ICON 2015! -Emily Green, Lieutenant Governor, Division 7B Westminster High School, Westminster, MD
KEY CLUB IN CHINA There is a huge news in Key Club international: we’re in China! This month will be the first ever Chartered Club in China. The club is located in Nanjing and has already reached 90 members! So far, this club has organized many different activities such as charity fundraisers, charity performances, and tutoring English to children from low-income families! This will make international Key Club located in 33 Different Countries! For a long time, Key Club has been said to have over 260,000 members. That is still true, but now we have more than 270,000! This large constituency is spread out over 5,300 clubs worldwide. Together, that is a lot of students dedicated to serving the children of the world! Hopefully, we will see Chinese Key Clubbers at International Convention sometime soon. –Morgan Kotanko, Lieutenant Governor, Division 7A South Hagerstown High School, Hagerstown, MD
KOTIO Embrace KOTIO: Helping your Key Club plan for this year’s Governor’s Project As each new Key Club year approaches and newly-elected district officers take over, we look forward to the announcement of the next Capital District Governor’s Project. The importance of this topic is evident if you have ever sat in a Caucus session during DCON. If the Key Club members running for Governor do not include the project in their speeches, you can be sure it will be in one of the first questions when hands shoot in the air during question and answer time. This year, Governor Anastasia Slepukhova introduced a new service program to Capital District: KOTIO, or Key Club Outreach to Include Others. In the June Capital Key, Anastasia wrote, “With Inclusiveness being one of Key Club International’s core values, it is important that we extend our service and kindness to everyone in our communities.” If you are not a Key Club that is already involved with this segment of your community this may seem like an intimidating task. Fortunately, this has been an important part my home club’s service projects and it is easy for me to fully embrace and promote KOTIO. I want to offer to Key Clubs some advice on how to get your members more involved with this year’s Governor’s Project and share with you some of my personal Key Club experiences. First and foremost, know the terminology! Handicapped is no longer a widely accepted term. Advocacy groups promote the term “Handi-capable” to combat the image of limitations. You can relate to groups you work with using the terms “mentally-challenged” or “physically-challenged”. The best advice would be to listen for verbal clues from people you will work with follow them. For example, the teacher at my high school calls her class “Exceptional Students” and when we volunteer at a residential living facility for adults with physical and mental disabilities, we simply call them “friends.” Your own school system is a great place to begin searching for ideas to get involved in KOTIO. Do you have classes for students with Special Needs? If so, speak to those teachers and ask for ideas of how you can get involved. If not in your school, then talk with a guidance counselor or school administrator to ask where students in your school system are that could be a part of your club’s project. In my high school last year, Key Club members partnered with Exceptional Students one afternoon to make gingerbread trees during the holiday season. We wore Santa hats, played Christmas music, and had a great time. Some students needed more help than others, but everyone was proud of their masterpiece and excited to take it home. My Key Club also visits local elementary schools for reading programs and to host an Annual Easter Egg Hunt. We make sure to include all the classes in these events, including the students that need more one-on-one help. It is important that you speak to teachers in advance of a visit to understand the volunteer needs. All classes are diverse, and whether in an elementary school or at the high school level, you will have some students who need you to do everything for them and others that are completely independent and will just enjoy your company for the visit. Another fun and easy way to get involved in KOTIO is through Special Olympics. Visit the Special Olympics website for you area to see the many opportunities. Although the idea of a longer-term commitment,
such as coaching a team, may be impossible for you, there are lots of opportunities to just help out on the day of an event. One of the most fun jobs is to cheer on the Special Olympic Athletes. You can find event schedules and sign-up to cheer at volunteertocheer.com. I have been cheering for Special Olympics Soccer with my Key Club for the past three years. It is always the coldest and windiest weekend in fall, but the rewards make it worth it. The athletes love seeing you on the sideline cheering them on. This is an especially good project idea for any Key Club members that be hesitant about working with this project. Each year my Key Club takes a school bus crammed with fifty Key Clubbers to this exciting event. Some participants will begin the day hanging out in the back of the crowd, but they end the day talking to the athletes and giving them high-fives. More than 20% of Americans are living with disabilities. This means the opportunities to find ideas for KOTIO in your own community are unique and endless. Do you have a Veterans hospital or nursing home in your town with long-term patients that can’t leave their rooms and would love for your Key Club to just come by and visit, play board games, or host a movie night? Do you have organizations in your town that serves community members with special needs? Check their websites or Facebook pages for ideas or give them a call as ask how your club can help! If you are uncertain of what organizations there are in your community, call your local social services office; they will be a great resource for you! As always your Key Club members are an important resource too. Talk about KOTIO in your meetings and you are likely to have some members that already know of individuals they could ask for ideas or even bring to speak to your club. My Key Club is located in a small rural community. We do not have any of the popular organizations that everyone one knows to be involved in these types of projects. We did hear about a residential campus near us though for adults unable to live on their own, without assistance. When we called Zuni Presbyterian Homes, we found out that they had a dinner and “Sock Hop” for the residents each month and needed volunteers just come and be their guest. How awesome was that? Their greatest service need was for us to show up, eat dinner, and dance! You just have to ask sometimes- you might be surprised! We went twice last year- for the Thanksgiving dinner and for the Special Olympics Coaches’ Banquet. For many of our members that participated, they said this was the best Key Club event they ever went to. One member of my Key Club, Warren, said in his induction speech, “It was the best dance I have ever been to, even better than Homecoming. I left with three girlfriends.” (Warren is on the Homecoming Committee and the Homecoming Court, by the way.) So if you haven’t started planning your projects yet for KOTIO, I encourage you to seek out the opportunities in your own community to “include others.” You will make someone’s day very special by doing so but I promise you that it will make an impact on your own life that will last much longer. Cameron McHenry Division 14A Lieutenant Governor Southampton High School Key Club Member
Governor’s Project
KOTIO
-Key Club Outreach to Include Others-
Hey there Key Clubbers of the mighty Capital District! My name is Anastasia Slepukhova and I am truly honored to be able to serve as your District Governor for the 2014-2015 service year! Every year, the District Governor chooses a special cause and designs a project to implement within his or her term. I see this as an amazing opportunity for Key Clubbers to have another reason to get involved in their communities and truly make an impact with hands on service! I present to you "KOTIO" which stands for Key Club Outreach to Include Others. Did you know that disabilities are one of the nation’s most important public health issues? More than 20% of Americans are living with disabilities, 70% of which rely on family and friends for assistance with daily activities. With Inclusiveness being one of the Key Club International’s core values, it is important that we extend our service and kindness to everyone in our communities. When choosing the Governor’s Project I was very mindful to pick a cause that we can truly help and also be easily accessible by all clubs. So go ahead and take the challenge! Work with your club leaders (Include your Lieutenant Governors and local Kiwanis too!) to plan a service project; the possibilities are endless! As an added bonus, you will also receive special recognition at the Annual District Leadership Convention if you successfully participate in an event that benefits individuals living with disabilities. Thank you for all that you do, and once again- I am very excited to be able to work with all of you this year. -Anastasia Slepukhova 2014-2015 Capital District Governor
EXAMPLES Volunteer with organizations like Kiwanis Aktion Club, KEEN, Best Buddies, Easter Seals, Miracle League and others. Teach children how to ride a bicycle or swim. Volunteer at Special Olympics event in your community. Possibilities are endless!
Participating clubs receive a special patch for their home club banner and recognition at the 66th Annual Key Club District Leadership Convention in Baltimore, MD March 20-22, 2015! Make sure to mention your participation on your monthly report! Governor’s Project
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Hi C a p i t a l Dis t ric t K e y Clubb ers! I a m A r t r e ll Flo n n o r y and I’m serv ing you as D istr ic t W e b m a st er f o r t h e 2014-2 0 1 5 year! I’m from D iv is io n 6 A a n d I go t o Sain t Ma rk’s High S chool in D ela ware . I ’ m so e a ge r t o c o n n e ct our cra btastic D istrict as a who l e . If y o u do n ’ t alr ead y, v isit our website a nd lo o k a t s o m e u pdat e s t h at I hav e mad e ( http ://www.capita l k e y c l u b. o rg). I wa nt m ake t o t h e w e b site more interactiv e a nd ac c e s s i b l e fo r e ac h an d ev ery one of you. You will be a b l e t o g e t t h e pr o pe r resources tha t you need fro m o ur si t e t h at w ill m ak e your Key Club ex p erience awe s om e . I will be addin g some new stuff as well as e nha n c i ng t h e o ld in f o rma tion! Be sure to check ou t Cr a b b y ’s Adve n t u r e s in the “About us” ta b of the we bs i t e . It ’s a j o u r n al f o rm the p erspectiv e of our D is tric t mas c o t C r abby , as h e trav els around the Cap ita l D istr i c t . W e h a v e a n am az in g Faceb ook ( Cap ita l D istrict o f K e y Cl u b In t e rn at io n al), T witter & Instag ram( @kccrab s). I f y o u d o n’t alr e ady like us on Fa cebook g o and lik e us a nd fo l l o w u s o f T w it t e r a nd Insta gra m, I p romise we wo n ’t fl o od yo u r f e e ds . I want to connect our D istric t a s a w ho le s o e ve ryo n e is aware of wha t others i n the Di s t r i c t have go in g o n ! If you hav e a ny sug gestio ns f o r me a t a l l do n ’ t h e s it at e to send me an email at a rtre llf l on n o r y 1 @ gm ail. c o m or send me a messag e on F ac e book. A r tr e l l F l o n n o r y Ca p i t a l Dis t r ic t We bm aster
Capital Key
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