THE JERSEY KEY The official publication of The New Jersey District of Key Club International
Volume 72
March 2019
Issue 3
table of contents
THE JERSEY KEY Volume 72 | Issue 3 | March 2019
district 2019-2020 Dates to Remember 3 Get Ready for DCON 2019 4 Spike Out Hunger on March 16th! 5
international ICON 2019: Baltimore 8
club Point Pleasant Beach Volunteers at Halloween Parade 10 Livingston Volunteers at Food Bank 9
Roses for Kiwanis: A WinWin 6 Finishing the Service Year Well 7 Learn and Explore at the Service Fair 7 2
West Caldwell Tech Impresses in Inaugural Service Year 9 Warren Tech Holds Annual Food Drive 9 Piscataway Aids Soldiers Overseas 9 Jackson Memorial Organizes “Soup”er Bowl 10
Brick Memorial’s Gingerbread Social 10 Middletown Spreads Kindness 11 Kingsway Regional Fights Hunger 11 Ocean City Makes Blankets for Children’s Hospital 11 Vernon’s Tilly’s Kids 11 the jersey key
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2019-2020 Dates to Remember May 18th
Spring RTC (Location TBA)
June 2nd
Spring RTC (Location TBA)
July 1st - 7th
International Convention (Baltimore MD)
September 14th
Fall RTC (Location TBA)
September 15th
Fall RTC (Location TBA)
September 21st
Fall RTC (Location TBA)
October 13th
Fall Rally (Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson NJ)
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district
Get Ready for DCON 2019 By Ellie Hulit Lt. Gov. Div 5
The New Jersey District Convention, or DCON, is an annual gathering of Key Clubbers from all over New Jersey in a weekend-long celebration of the service year! Attendees have the opportunity to elect the new District Board for the 20192020 service year. At this wonderful event, we commemorate the ending of the service year and get excited for the beginning of the next service year. Attendees are able to get recognition for their club by winning contests and awards. By winning various different types of awards, clubs can showcase the hard work they have done throughout the 2018-2019 service year. Key Clubbers can even enter into the oratorical contest or talent show, showcasing their personal talents. In order to help prepare for the next service year and set your clubs up for success, there are numerous educational workshops that provide attendees with insightful information. Workshops can help attendees conquer problems their clubs are having, giving them tips and tricks to implement. Additionally, workshops can help clubs create new fundraisers and service project ideas, providing them with fresh plans for the upcoming service year. Not only is DCON a rewarding and educational experience, but it also connects Key Clubbers to form strong friendships that can last a lifetime. Attendees from Division 1 can meet peers from Division 22, making inside jokes and spending time together all weekend long. DCON is an incredible experience, bringing together Key Clubbers from all corners of New Jersey to rejoice in their hard work, prepare for the next service year, and make new friends.
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Spike Out Hunger on March 16th! By Kyla Hunter Lt. Gov. Div 20
Hunger is a well-known worldwide epidemic, but it is lesser known as an issue that pervades our very own homes and communities. Thirteen percent of New Jersey residents are food insecure, including about 1 in 6 children. As such, the New Jersey District Board saw it fit to continue with Hunger in New Jersey as the 2018 - 2019 District Project. As the service year approaches its end, the board is organizing the annual Spike Out Hunger Volleyball Tournament fundraiser. Get a group of fellow key clubbers and come to Theodore Schor Middle School in Piscataway on March 16th to participate in an exciting tournament for a worthy cause. This event is the last push for New Jersey Key Clubs to reach the District goals that we set in the beginning of the
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year: $65,000 in fundraising, 58,000 pounds of food and 25,000 service hours. More than just an exciting opportunity to show your division pride, this event is a critical boost to helping the district meet these ambitious goals. Admission is $5 per person. There will also be a food drive, so please remember your canned goods! Teams typically consist of around 5-8 people, and clubs can send as many teams as they would like. Encourage officers as well as general members to gather together and form teams (Register at https://tinyurl.com/spikeout2019). Gear up to show your school pride, team unity, and key club spirit. There will also be refreshments and a prize for the winning team. Join other Key Clubbers from across the entire state of New Jersey as we unite for a day of funfilled festivities in the spirit of celebrating the service year and all the hardwork and dedication of key clubbers towards ending Hunger in New Jersey.
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Roses for Kiwanis: A Win-Win By Mr. Stephen Gandley Zone Administrator
Our 2019 Rose Sale is scheduled for this spring! We had what was tantamount to a practice run last summer as club participation was limited. However, those who participated were extremely pleased with the quality of roses, the boxes (screened with “Kiwanis” on the box) and the profit per dozen. So here is how it works: a) Clubs pay $12 per dozen to the New Jersey District Foundation. b) We pay the wholesaler $8.50 per dozen c) The Foundation receives $3.50 to be utilized for scholarships and grants d) The club retains the difference between the sale price and the $12 to be remitted to the New Jersey District Foundation e) The suggested sale price is $20 but clubs can sell the roses for whatever price they wish provided it is excess of the $12 per dozen to be paid to the Foundation. f) Some may sell roses individually at whatever price they wish. If they do so, the wholesaler will provide plastic water tubes at no cost provided the # of tubes needed is requested at the time of payment to the Foundation. Here is a timeline: a) Payments must be received by the District Foundation by May 15, 2019 b) Roses will be delivered on Wednesday June 5, 2019 c) Boxes will be delivered a week prior to the delivery of the roses so that clubs have the opportunity to pre-as
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semble the boxes. d) We will have Kiwanis captains assigned for different areas of the state (captains are listed below). The boxes will be delivered to the captains and the clubs will pick up the boxes from the captains. Note: Perhaps you can arrange for your sponsoring Kiwanis Club or a Kiwanis Club in close proximity to your school to pick up your orders for you. Then you can either pick your orders up from the Kiwanians or perhaps they will deliver them right to your school. e) On June 5th, the roses will be delivered to the captains and the clubs will pick up the roses from the captains.
so would cause competition with the wholesaler’s regular customers and that would not be good for their business. b) Why would I buy roses at this price when I can buy them at Shoprite cheaper? Well, these flowers are of better quality than those you would get at Shoprite and they come boxed with green tissue paper inside and a gold band around the box—just like if you had purchased them from a florist. Also, IT’S A FUNDRAISER!!! Would you decline to buy Girl Scout cookies or can dy bars from a soccer team trying to raise money for uniforms because you can buy the cookies and candy cheaper at Shoprite? I don’t think so!
Captains: Mark Esposito, Sicklerville PastKIGovMark@aol.com Brian Campbell, Williamstown brianjc1@verizon.net Joe Schmeltz, Trenton schmeltzjoe@verizon.net Joey Giordano, Middletown joeyg2000@hotmail.com Susan Walker, Lakeland susiedel4@gmail.com Gordon Meth, Lake Hiawatha gmeth@optonline.net Jerry Adelson, Livingston jerrya@fhlehr.com Helene Meissner, Phillipsburg meissnerh@norwescap.org Steve Gandley, Hackettstown etiennegandley@gmail.com
As a goal, I think every participating club should try to sell as many dozens as they have members. Why? Because everyone knows someone for whom they can buy flowers—mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, girlfriend, etc. Let’s face it, all women love receiving flowers and the fact that they are not being given for a special occasion makes the gesture more meaningful. You certainly can ask neighbors to buy a dozen from you too. Last summer, some key clubs purchased roses to hand out individually at a local senior living facility.
Here are some questions and answers: a) Why have the sale in June rather than on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter or Mother’s Day? Well, we can’t because doing
So, you can technically begin taking orders at any time. Please select the captain nearest you to develop a line of communication. Please contact me if you have any questions via phone or text at 201-663-3593 or at etiennegandley@gmail.com. Thank You, Steve Gandley
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Finishing the Service Year Well By Cindy Lam and Emma Ke Lt. Gov. Div 22
Lt. Gov. Div 6
Hey Key Clubbers! The District Programs committee focuses on three subcommittees: Advocacy Focus, Key Leader, and District Convention. As the end of the service year draws closer, the committee puts a big emphasis on District Convention, the annual gathering of Key Clubbers in Long Branch, NJ, to celebrate a successful service year. We are in major preparation for this huge event, working in collaboration with the other DCON subcommittees, such as Saturday Morning Awards and Registration, to make this event a large success. We are working diligently to make this event an amazing experience for you all, including meet and greets with other Key Clubbers all around NJ, interactive leadership workshops, fun dances, awards for your club, time at the beach and boardwalk, and more! We hope to see you all at DCON this upcoming March 29-31! If you have any questions about it, please contact your respective LTGs or District Programs committee chairs Emma Ke (ltg6.ke@njkeyclub.org) and Cindy Lam (ltg22.lam@njkeyclub.org)!
As we come to an end to the 2018-2019 service year, the New Jersey District Board wants to thank you all for allowing us to work with you all and engage in service this past year. We could not have reached the number of volunteer hours, money raised for organizations, and love of service without you all. We are constantly reminded and inspired by the work that you all do and smiles you bring to us. Key Club is such a splendiferous organization, and what makes it so great is all of you. Thus, we would like to invite you to come to celebrate with us at the District Convention 2019! For the work and effort your club has put in, you guys may be qualified for a contest award. Seniors can win scholarships as well. We would love to see you all and congratulate you for your hard work in your school’s Key Club this past year. Not only will you have an amazing time, but you will be able to learn more about Key Club and its depth, how to get more involved in your community and in the organization, and meet new people from around the state. For underclassmen, DCON will help you step outside of your boundaries and encourage you to become a better leader. For seniors, enjoy the moments of DCON, and think about joining Circle K. Keep up the amazing work you put into this organization; we are more than ecstatic to have motivated Key Clubbers serving our district.
Learn and Explore at the Service Fair! Key Club is an international, student-led organization that provides members with opportunities to do service, build character and develop leadership. Because of your dedicated service to your community, we highly recommend DCON attendees to attend our service fair on March 30th (Saturday) from 2:30 - 5:30 pm at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa in Long Branch, NJ.
at this event. If you can attend, each organization booth will give you a raffle ticket (just have them write their names and clubs on the back) and service certificates. Raffle tickets will allow you to enter into our Key Club Swag contest where you can win our merch! Each service certificate will give you 0.5 volunteer hours for helping in a specific service project. We hope that you’ll consider attending our service fair this year! Please take some of your free time to visit these organizations that will attend DCON 2019. If the fair is a success, they will agree to work with us again next year!
Here, you will have the opportunity to interact with different service organizations and learn more about their specific service contributions to bring back home to your club! Your presence at the service fair will open new partnerships between your organization and Key Club and increase awareness towards various causes. We are hoping to increase the amount of hands-on service
Additionally, we are looking for Key Clubs that hosted a successful service project during the 2018-2019 service year. Clubs that are interested can have their own booth during the club spotlight on March 30th (Saturday) from 11:00 - 11:30 am. Contact ltg22.lam@ njkeyclub.org to sign up and get the opportunity to share your project in front of other Key Club attendees!
By Cindy Lam Lt. Gov. Div 22
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international
By Cindy Lam Lt. Gov. Div 22
Loved the New Jersey District Convention and want to attend more like it? The Key Club International Convention is happening from July 1-7, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland! Join us at the biggest event of the Key Club year! We’ll celebrate the amazing things Key Club members do with more than 1,500 students from all across the world. You’ll also have the opportunity to bond with people all over various districts, share innovative service project and fundraising ideas, listen to amazing speakers, learn about service leadership, train for your leadership position, elect next year’s Key Club International Board, discover new charities and organizations you and your club can team up with, have fun and make memories and friendships that last a lifetime, and see the sites in Baltimore. The New Jersey District of Key Club will be leaving July 1st on a road trip you will never forget! We plan on stop-
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ping at Washington, D.C. first for their spectacular historic sites: visiting the National Zoo, Museum of American History, Arlington Cemetery and Wreath Living, Holocaust Museum, Night Tour of the Monuments, Capital Tour, and Fort McHenry. Think of all the pictures you will be taking and uploading onto social media! Everyone will wish to be on the trip with us. That’s why you should attend ICON 2019, so you won’t miss out on the fun! The total cost is $995 for quad rooming, which includes registration fee, rooming for all nights, bus transportation, admission for all listed attractions, breakfast every morning, and ICON t-shirts and pins. There is a nonrefundable fee of $100 by April 15th. If you have a financial situation, please reach out to your Kiwanis Club in hope that they will sponsor your trip. For any questions, please contact District Administrator, Ms. Kaitlin McCann at kmccann@njkeyclub.org.
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club Livingston Volunteers at Food Bank By Katrina Pham Lt. Gov. Div 19
Every year Key Clubbers, Kiwanians, and Builders Clubbers from all over Livingston go to the Hillside Food Bank for a morning filled with service and fun. I have been going ever since I was a freshman in Key Club, and I have more and more fun each time I go! Even though I am not great at waking up early, the time I spend volunteering at the food bank and the experiences I take away from it make it all worth it. We spent the day organizing food donations into sections based on whether or not they were fruits, vegetables, etc. and listening to tons of groovy music! It was an amazing experience getting to volunteer for the food bank and getting to interact with other members of the K-family. I cannot wait until next year!
West Caldwell Tech Impresses in Inaugural Service Year By Katrina Pham Lt. Gov. Div 19
The Key Clubbers at West Caldwell Tech have been doing an amazing job serving their community through service! The Key Club at West Caldwell Tech was only chartered this year, but that hasn’t stopped them from working hard to better the lives of those around them. They have already organized and participated in a variety of service projects, including a trip to a children’s hospital to donate various toys they collected. Their Key Clubbers also took first place out of over 60 other participants in the Division 15 and 19 Spike Out Hunger Volleyball tournament, winning the grand prize. Great work, West Caldwell Tech! We are excited to see all of the great things your club will accomplish. the jersey key
Warren Tech Holds Annual Food Drive By Richard Cruz
Editor of Warren Tech Key Club If I were to choose a service project to be my favorite, it would be our canned food drive that we hold annually at the beginning of the year. Each grade level would compete to have the highest amount of cans to achieve a prize such as an ice cream social. Part of the reason why I love the project so much is because it brings communities in my school together in a sense and that is beautiful. Having grade levels compete for a good cause and bond at the same time is amazing and for that it is my favorite service project.
Piscataway Aids Soldiers Overseas By Maiya Dabare Lt. Gov. Div 11
The Piscataway High School Key Club has been doing monthly events for soldiers in foreign countries. They send care packages with different necessities and commodities that the soldiers don’t have access to wherever they are stationed. Members have been bringing friends and family to the event in Hillsborough. They have held two successful events and are hoping to hold more and have more people come out to support the packing efforts. The Piscataway club is also collecting donations from students at the school to help with these packing events. In addition to the donations for the food packing event, cans and other nonperishable goods have been collected to take to the local food pantry to help with our district project!
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Jackson Memorial Organizes “Soup”er Bowl By Sarah Jacob Lt. Gov. Div. 8
Jackson Memorial Key Club has been continuously promoting the District Project, Hunger in New Jersey, and bettering its home, school, and community this service year. At every meeting, the Jackson Memorial Key Club has asked and received donations of food from their members. All donations go to the Jackson Food Pantry. On January 28th, the club hosted their “Soup”er Bowl in efforts to raise more food for the pantry and District Project. They created posters for promotion around the school and
divided the collections of food so that people could vote for the team they wanted to win the Super Bowl. Not only did the Jackson Memorial Club raise proceeds for Hunger in New Jersey, but they furthered their great relationship with the K-Family. Blanket tying was a service event they participated in with Jackson Liberty Key Club, to raise more food for the pantry and Carl W Goetz Builders Club, Christa McAuliffe Builders Club, and Jackson Kiwanis. They also helped out with the Kiwanis Breakfast with Santa back in
2018, which raised funds for Kiwanis - allowing them to support even more organizations in the community. Thank you to Laurel Flockhart, Vice President of Jackson Memorial, for giving me the opportunity to showcase Jackson Memorial’s efforts and to Jackson Memorial for all the hard work they have done.
Point Pleasant Beach Volunteers at Halloween Parade By Sarah Jacob Lt. Gov. Div. 8
Point Pleasant Beach Key Club has been constantly offering service to their members such as the Bayhead Halloween parade that they volunteer at. Members of the Point Pleasant Beach Key Club led kids around Bayhead and helped judge the annual Bayhead Halloween Parade. The Bayhead Halloween Parade, which was on October 27th, is a fun event for kids of
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all ages and volunteering was a great contribution to their community. Grace Pluemacher, current Treasurer of Point Beach and LTG Elect of Division 8 says, “I have enjoyed volunteering at the parade for the past two years and it has always been a great success. The kids love participating in it and we always have a lot of fun volunteering!”
Brick Memorial’s Gingerbread Social By Sarah Jacob Lt. Gov. Div 8
Brick Memorial had their annual Gingerbread Social on December 13th where Key Clubbers prepared a winter wonderland for children in the spirit of the holidays. Empty milk cartons were used to frame a gingerbread house, and with graham crackers and frosting, kids were able to create their own gingerbread house to take home! An amazing assortment of candy is provided for the children so they can decorate to their heart’s content. It’s an amazing event where families can come together in a night of fun. Key Club organizes the entire event that many families look forward to every year. They decorate the entire lunchroom with Christmas decorations, set up all the gingerbread house making materials, bring all the candy, and so much more. They even got Santa stop by on his way back to the North Pole to take pictures with the kids. Overall, the event went amazing and the money raised goes towards Brick Memorial and their efforts toward the District Project! the jersey key
club Middletown Spreads Kindness By Katie Lynch Lt. Gov. Div 9
On February 1st, Middletown High School South’s Key Club met after school to do the club’s monthly service project. February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day, and to celebrate the day and what it is all about, the MHSS Key Club decided to spread the ideas of kindness and positivity in our school community. Club members created posters with kind messages to be displayed around the school, along with letters that could be written to anyone they wanted to thank. Members wrote letters to teachers, custodians, the principal, etc., as well as various people outside of school that had made an impact in their lives. Along with the letters, club members sent a lollipop with a Random Act of Kindness tag attached to it, thanking that specific person and reminding them to “Have a great day” and “Keep being awesome!”. The after school event was a success and a great way for members to get involved and spread a positive message throughout our school and community.
Kingsway Regional Fights Hunger By Lauren Quadir Lt. Gov. Div 4
Starting this school year, Kingsway Regional High School’s Key Club has begun partnering with Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, a kitchen which helps to feed hundreds of people in the area. To do their part in battling hunger in New Jersey, members of the club make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at their meetings to donate to the kitchen. To date, over two hundred sandwiches have been made and donated to Cathedral Kitchen. In addition to the sandwiches, Key Clubbers write uplifting, encouraging notes on sticky notes to put on each sandwich bag in the hopes of improving someone’s day. In the future, Kingsway hopes to expand this operation and continue to tackle hunger in a meaningful way. the jersey key
Ocean City Makes Blankets for Children’s Hospital By Alexis Faison Lt. Gov. Div 1
When it comes to the winter time in hospitals, it can be quite cold and lonely. Children who are hospitalized are seeking warmth from the environment they are surrounded in. This thought came into the mind of the Ocean City High School Key Club when they applied for the Youth Opportunities Fund in the 2017-2018 service year. When they attained the grant, the money they received was used for to purchase materials for their service project: Warrior Blankets. Key Clubbers participated in a 3 day process to create the blankets by
Vernon’s Tilly’s Kids By Colin Ziabakhsh
Vice-President of Vernon Key Club
One of the most impactful and inspiring service projects of the Vernon Township High School Key Club is ‘Tilly’s Kids’. The Tilly’s Kids organization, named after Pastor Tilly Giresi, serves Newark, New Jersey by providing the children of less fortunate families with food, clothes, love, gifts, and education. Many volunteers help this organization through donations, especially during Christmas time to spread Christmas joy to all the kids. Our club, every year around Christmas time, brings pre-planned gifts that are wrapped
cutting the sides of the fabric and knotting each cut to create ties on each side. Each blanket had a different design full of bright colors to brighten up the mood of a child, and the blankets fulfilled the warmth needed for the children. A total of 33 blankets were crafted and they are being delivered to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for current patients being admitted. Warrior Blankets has given children the warmth they need to brave through their trials.
and brought by our club’s members to Tilly’s Kids. Throughout the day we play with the children in the classrooms, see the lives they live, and at the end of the day give them each their own wrapped Christmas present. Besides making these children’s Christmases a little bit better, it also opens the eyes of many of our members to seeing the less fortunate of society and how appreciative they are of the gifts that they receive. This event embodies the true meaning of Key Club and incorporates it into the members of our club and inspires many of them to continue in the ways of service throughout the rest of high school and hopefully their lives. 11