The Sunshine Source Official Publication of the Mighty Mighty Florida District Summer 2012
www.floridakeyclub.com
Volume V111 Issue I
The Anawim Home in NIGERIA
See Page 13 & 14
See Inside for more Service and Sunshine!
Governor’s Project
&
DCON ICON
Recaps
See Page 9
about the
See Page 5 & 6
See Page 7
Learn more
Letter from International Trustee
Yein
Governor’s Message Hello Florida Key Clubbers! My name is Sam Kerce, and I am honored to be serving you as District Governor for the 2012-2013 year. I am very excited to be able to work with our Mighty Mighty district over the next school year and meet y’all. During the 2011-2012 year, I served as the Lieutenant Governor of Division 3, which encompasses 11 key clubs. Working with them, I learned patience, persistence, and dedication, and I plan to use all these skills to improve the District and accomplish my goals. Some of my goals for the 2012-2013 year are to achieve 400,000 community service hours in the Florida District. I would also like to raise $75,000 for Eliminate, if we accomplish this goal we will have saved 41,667 mothers and babies from Maternal and Neonatal Tetnus. Finally, I hope to increase each club’s membership in the Florida District by 20%, by increasing club membership we can do more service. By meeting these goals, we will have a successful year as the Florida District and I hope that each member of Key Club will join me in working to achieve these ideals. I would like to introduce my Governor’s Project, The Home Project. After serving Thanksgiving dinner at the Big Ben’s Homeless Coalition last year, I realized that homelessness affects babies, adults, and even teenagers our own age. Together I know that Key Clubbers can have a big impact on homelessness in Florida. Although I do believe it is important for us to aid the homeless, it is important that we as Key Clubbers complete service for all. The Home Project is about “Keeping it close to Home”. The Home Project’s slogan refers to completing service and making a difference in your own community. With all that said, I look forward to seeing all the amazing work we will accomplish this year. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at governorsam@floridakeyclub.com. Yours in service, Sam Kerce
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Table of Contents Governor’s Message ................1 The Sunshine Source .................2 Meet the District Board .........3/4 DCON Recap ............................5 ICON Recap ..............................6 Governor’s Project ....................7 Service Project Idea ..................8 Our International Trustee Yein ..9 Key Leader ...............................10
Treasurer’s Blurb .......................10 Kiwanis Family Relations ..........11 Another Kiwanis Moment .......12 The Anawin Home in Nigeria ...13/14
Major Emphasis Program ........15 Youth Opportunity Fund .........16 Eliminate Project ad ................16 International Trustee Cece .....17 Contact Us ...............................18
Interested in being featured in The Sunshine Source? Cover page contest: Submit a high quality image and write a few words on how you think your design pertains to service. Club/Division Spotlight: Write a small explanation, and include pictures about what distringuishes your club/division from the rest. Member Spotlight: Do you know an outstanding member of the Kiwanis Family? Send their information and what makes them so outstanding so that they can be featured in The Sunshine Source! This could be a Key Club member, officer, advisor, or Kiwanian. Service Projects: Have you done an amazing service project? Write a brief summary and include pictures of this project so that it can be featured in The Sunshine Source!
For more information or to submit entries for The Sunshine Source, email Michaela at editor@floridakeyclub.com
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e h t t e e M
District Board Treasurer
Governor Sam Kerce
governorsam@floridakeyclub.com
Secretary Robert Brown
Secretary@floridakeyclub.com
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KristenTruong
Treasurer@floridakeyclub.com
Editor Michaela Oglesby
editor@floridakeyclub.com
Webmaster Jesus Lopez
webmaster@floridakeyclub.com
Club Growth Chair Eric Riser
Executive Assistant Lily McLauchlin assistant@floridakeyclub.com
clubgrowthchair@ floridakeyclub.com
The Eliminate Project Chair
Trina Sessions eliminatechair@ floridakeyclub.com
DCON Chair Amanda Hernandez dconchair@ floridakeyclub.com
Lieutenant Governor’s Division 1B Lieutenant Governor Cassidy McAllister Division 2A Lieutenant Governor Ashley Carnley Division 2B Lieutenant Governor Chase Craig Division 3 Lieutenant Governor Avery Smith Division 4 Lieutenant Governor Mallory Mauldin Division 5 Lieutenant Governor Austin Eckels Division 6 Lieutenant Governor Kierea Moses Division 7 Lieutenant Governor Courtney Crump Division 8 Lieutenant Governor Danielle Burris Division 9 Lieutenant Governor Sarah Jones Division 10A Lieutenant Governor Caitlin Cichoracki Division 10B Lieutenant Governor Morgan Bechtle Division 10C Lieutenant Governor Lena Ho
Division 11 Lieutenant Governor Tyler Johnson Division 12 Lieutenant Governor Ahmed Noor Division 13 Lieutenant Governor Brittany Munyer Division 14A Lieutenant Governor Lauren McAllister Division 14B Lieutenant Governor Damani Eason Division 14C Lieutenant Governor Freddy Jimenez Division 15A Lieutenant Governor Marlena Crum Division 15B Lieutenant Governor Ivan Barajas Division 16 Lieutenant Governor Ella Hoogenboezem Division 17 Lieutenant Governor Jarett Pennebacker Division 18 Lieutenant Governor Sarah Brickman Division 19 Lieutenant Governor Rashon Murph Division 20 Lieutenant Governor Shane Meyers
Division 21 Lieutenant Governor Heather Nolf Division 22 Lieutenant Governor Emily Hughes Division 23A Lieutenant Governor Kaitlyn Teixeira Division 23B Lieutenant Governor Cori Lopez Division 24A Lieutenant Governor Sean Valdivieso Division 24B Lieutenant Governor Chizoba Ezenwa Division 25A Lieutenant Governor Samantha Kruger Division 25B Lieutenant Governor Alexandra Franklin Division 25C Lieutenant Governor Kimberly Santos Division 25D Lieutenant Governor Manuela Sinisterra Division 26A Lieutenant Governor Luis Blanco Division 26B Lieutenant Governor Alexis Berry Division 26C Lieutenant Governor Marco E. Irimia
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DCON
Florida District Convention May 10-13, 2012 Orlando, Florida
Contest Winners Non-Digital Club Poster 1st Tampa Bay Technical High School 2nd Barbara Goleman High School 3rd Boca Raton High School
Non-Traditional Scrapbook 1st West Broward 2nd Manatee 3rd Lakewood Ranch
Digital Club Poster 1st Tampa Bay Technical High School 2nd Hialeah Gardens Senior High School 3rd Pembroke Pines Charter High School
Oratorical Contest 1st Jhulianna Vivar 2nd Samantha Glover 3rd Danay Hernandez
the Date! Save
Club Video 1st Pembroke Pines Charter High School 2nd South Plantation High School 3rd South Fork High School Display Board 1st Hialeah Gardens Senior 2nd Tampa Bay Technical 3rd Braden River T-Shirt 1st Charles Flanagan 2nd Barbara Goleman 3rd Tampa Bay Technical Traditional Scrapbook 1st Tampa Bay Technical 2nd Hialeah 3rd Lincoln High
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e Date!
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Talent Contest 1st Mary Roselyn and Dancers (Set Fire to the Rain) 2nd The Bomb Squad 3rd Jessie and Quintel (Robotic Dancers)
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Save the Date!
DCON 2013 April 4th - 7th
Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel Orlando, Florida
Save
DCON 2013’s theme will be revealed at your Zone’s KCKC!
ICON
Key Club International Convention July 3rd - 7th 2012 Orlando, Florida
Congradulations Florida! 2011-2012 Florida District Treauser Eric Riser won the Distinguished District Treasurer Award at ICON. Robert F. Lucas Outstanding Lieutenant Governor’s Award Recipients Thuyvi Luong - 1B Mark Natividad - 21 Desiree Hartzell - 9 Melissa Horadam - 22 Dawson Roebig - 12 Tania Hernandez - 24B Cecelia Ferguson - 14A Diana Tibbets - 25B Robert Brown - 15A Amanda Hernandez - 25C Jaclyn Aranibar - 17 Noah Sobel - 25D Sebastiana Halpin - 18 Marco Irimia - 26C Margaret Ledea - 19 On July 3 - 8, as the host district for this year’s ICON, Florida had nearly 200 members representing the Mighty Mighty Florida District in Orlando! Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped ICON 2012, with over 1,700 people in attendance, be the best event of the year!!
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Congrats Florida! We placed 2nd in the competition to see which District raised the most amount of money for the Eliminate Project.
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Governor ’s Project Governor Sam’s project for the 2012-2013 year is “The Home Project.” With a focus on helping those in our communities that are homeless, Sam’s definition of homelessness can be seen to the right.
Definition of Homelessness People who are living in a place not meant for human habitation,in an emergency shelter,in transitional housing,or are exiting an institution where they temporarily resided (i.e. homeless shelter,public areas,etc.) People who are losing their primary nighttime residence,which may include a motel or hotel or a doubled up situation, and lack resources or support networks to remain in housing.
When planning projects for the upcoming year, keep in mind that service should target these groups on a local level- “keeping it close to home.” Projects that directly impact people in any of the above circumstances will be considered relevant.
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The Governor’s Project committee will be completing a service booklet for distribution before the end of the summer to aid your clubs in providing meaningful service that conforms to the focus of the Home Project.
Families with children or unaccompanied youth who are unstably housed and likely to continue in that state. This is a new category of homelessness,and it applies to families with children or unaccompanied youth who have not had a lease or ownership interest in a housing unit in the last 60 or more days,have had two or more moves in the last 60 days, and who are likely to continue to be unstably housed because of disability or multiple barriers to employment. People who are fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, have no other residence, and lack the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing. (i.e. domestic violence shelters, shelters for abused and battered women and children,etc.)
Got Service? On July 14th, Division 22 Key Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, Family & Friends all gathered to work with “Meals of Hope” packaging food to be given to those here in Collier County needing it the most. With over 200 volunteers, the task of packaging 52,800 meals in just under 3 hours became a reality. During the summer months the demand for food in Collier County goes up significantly, but thanks to projects such as this one, hundreds to thousands of students and adults will not starve. Hughes ~ Emily Lt.Governor Division 22
This project is an excellent example of service benefitting the homeless in your community. For more ideas on how to incorporate Governor Sam’s project, “The Home Project,” into your own Key Club, stay tuned for the Governor’s Project service booklet!
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Our International Trustee
Yein Ha
Hello everyone! My name is Yein Ha, and I am very excited and honored to be able to serve as your 2012-2013 International Trustee! I feel very privileged to serve the Mighty-Mighty Florida District amongst the amazing group of leaders with the same passion to serve. Going into fourth year of being a part of the Key Club family, my favorite part about Key Club is that we all share the same passion: service and the strive to become a true servant leader. Every member is a true hero and inspiration. Just a little bit about myself, I will be a senior at Broad Run High in Virginia (less than an hour away from Washington D.C.). I love to travel, ice-cream is my favorite food, and I like to dance and sing in the rain! I have many goals that I would like to accomplish serving on the International Board. I will be serving on the Executive Committee as well as the Education and Development Committee specifically working to create materials and resources for our leaders. I hope to connect and build the bridge of communication to all levels of our organization. Again, I am beyond excited and cannot wait to work with you. If you have any questions, comments or ideas throughout the year, please feel free to contact me at any time! I will be more than happy to talk and serve you along the exciting Key Club journey. Thank you so much for being my inspiration. I promise to serve my home, school, community, and your district! Let's have a fantastic year! :) In caring, service, and friendship, International Trustee Yein Ha 703.727.4684 trustee.yha@gmail.com
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Key Leader, which was held June 17th - 19th at the Lake Yale and Baptist Conference Center, was a success! Seen to the left is a group shot of all Key Leader attendees. For more information on Key Leader, visit:
www.key-leader.org
Hey Key Clubbers! Our summer is coming to an end, and school and service will be picking up. I’m Kristen Truong, and I am so excited to be serving as your District Treasurer! I am a senior at Bradenton Christian School in Zone H, Division 17. Your club should be finalizing or is already done with your budget. If your club needs help with creating a budget, please let me know. This year our goal as a district is to have at 75% of early bird dues, but of course we would like to surpass this goal! At this point, your club should’ve decided how much you will charge for dues. You should announce at your first meeting how much that is, and start collecting right away! All dues should be collected by the end of September; when the Membership Update Center opens on October 1, you are able to submit all of your members and send your dues to International. If you would like the Treasurer’s Guide to Early Bird Dues, please email me at treasurer@floridakeyclub.com. This guide includes specific dates and directions to collect early bird dues in your club! Please call/text me at 941-730-5262 if you have any questions at all. I would love to help! I am a resource for all of you for all things about dues, budgets, fundraising, and being a treasurer :)
Kristen Truong
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Kiwanis Family Relations Maternal/ Neonatal Tetanus, a phrase that every single member of the Kiwanis Family should know, but not just know. Each individual of Kiwanis, Circle K, Key Club, Builders Club, and even our K- Kids, will always demonstrate a burning passion for such an impinging issue in this world. Every day someone sets a goal, raises funds, informs a friend, and gets us a step closer to diminishing, or Eliminating the evil that is MNT. The foundations of Kiwanis are founded on caring, and there is no greater example than the fervor the Kiwanis Family demonstrates when dealing with such an issue. Kiwanis members like Chuck and Emilia Gugliuzza or Eddie Lee, Key Club members like Trina Sessions or Marco Irimia, establish such an enthusiasm that is exemplary of a Kiwanis Family member. Other things the mighty Kiwanis Family accomplishes on a daily basis include, sponsoring programs, serving, strengthening clubs, training officers, and fundraising. Eddie Lee, Florida District Immediate Past-Governor, has been able to fortify the relationship of Kiwanis sponsored Leadership program, created a partnership with Healthy Families Florida, and expects to advocate other programs in order to speak for the children of the future. Slowly but surely our Kiwanians are creating a paramount world for the next generation, giving Key Clubbers everywhere a positive outlook on life. Just last week, people, servers, gathered for the 95th annual Florida Kiwanis District Convention. The leaders of our district gathered to attend workshops, ceremonies, accept awards, listen to moving speeches, discuss plans for a new year, induct trustees and lieutenant governors, say farewell to their District Governor, Eddie Lee, and welcome their new one, Allen Whetsell. Kiwanis District Convention is an event you have to attend to really understand its significance to the Kiwanis relations. As the new Governor, Allen Whetsell, would say if you have not attended Kiwanis DCON put it on your “bucket list.� Most people join clubs like this one to serve, they stay because of the relationships they form, experience they gain, and passions they share with other. That is the Kiwanis Family. Luis Blanco Lieutenant Governor | Division 26A
Sara Fruithandler, Florida District Governor of CKI Robert Brown, Florida District Secretary
Kristen Truong, Florida District Treasurer Sam Kerce, Florida District Governor of Key Club Allen Whetsell, Florida District Governor of Kiwanis
From Left to Right
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Another Kiwanis Moment The night I was inducted as President of my club, I made a point to speak of my personal “Kiwanis Moment”. My moment came during a service project we performed the day before Thanksgiving where we delivered food to a family in need. The reception I got from the five year old girl in that family was, literally, life altering. In that moment, everything we do in this organization was justified and I was hooked! This past weekend, my wife, Chris, and I were out on Saturday running some routine errands when she suggested we stop by Protected Harbor in Fort Myers to check in on a Key Club service project. Protected Harbor is a permanent home for mentally/physically challenged adults in Fort Myers that currently houses six females. Bob & Pat Schubring, fellow Northside Naples Kiwanis members, are charged with the overall management of the facility. Northside sponsors three Key Clubs in Collier County with Gulf Coast High School being our largest. Since the opening of Protected Harbor two years ago, Gulf Coast Key Club members have “adopted” the Protected Harbor residents and have performed several service projects with them. There has been Christmas tree trimming parties, anniversary barbeques, Valentine’s Day parties etc. On this Saturday in May, seven members of the club decided to bring a “field day” of fun activities to the residents. Now, most of you reading this have already been through your teenage years. Speaking for myself, I can think of 100 things I would have been doing on a sunny Saturday towards the end of the school year and not one of them would involve anything of this nature! Yet, Chris and I pulled up to the facility and saw six Key Club students out in the yard playing various games with the women and then taking much needed respite from the heat. This was followed by a lunch supplied by the students and then more fun and games to wrap up the day. The interaction of the students with the residents was incredible to observe. The level of maturity and kindheartedness displayed by Charles, Monica, Grayson, Sami, Taylor, Jeselle and Jordan was truly heartwarming. Thanks also need to be given to Baron DeBar, Kiwanis advisor to the Gulf Coast Key Club. These students may not realize it, but they made many in their sponsoring Kiwanis Club extremely proud. As the current Lieutenant Governor of Division 22 in Collier County, I have to deal with many issues involving Kiwanis. Declining membership, delinquent dues, late reporting etc. are some of the daily realities of this position. Sometimes it can get you down and the glass can always look half empty. But then, you take a little detour from your Saturday errands and stumble upon a project that literally defines what this organization is all about. So now, I am happy to say, the glass is ALSO half full and proudly declare that we are definitely doing something RIGHT in mentoring these wonderful servant leaders in Key Club. Steve LeBlanc Lieutenant Governor, Div. 22 FL District of Kiwanis International
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The Anawim Home in NIGERIA Every summer I go to Nigeria to visit family and do volunteer work. This is my 6th year and I’ve been volunteering with this organization called the Institute of Human Virology (IHVN) for 4 years now. Last year, this Institute sent me to an organization called Anawim Home for the Poorest of the Poor about an hour away from the capital where I was staying to volunteer. The organization, run by Reverend Sisters, is a rehabilitation center that opens its gates to the homeless of a town called Gwagwalada. They provide housing and food to care for orphans, the mentally ill, and pregnant pre-teens and teens who have been sent out by their families. IHVN specifically has a clinic that provides counseling and HIV/AIDS treatment. Anawim Home also has a primary school (Preschool to 5th grade) that they open to the community, as well as the orphans they care for.
I had all 11 clubs in my Division (Division 24B) bring school supplies to our June DCM, and then I took with me to Nigeria this summer. The Division brought in so many supplies that I actually donated some to the Christmas in July collection because I couldn’t take everything with me without paying for excess luggage at the airport!
I didn’t tell the Reverend Sisters about the school supplies, so it was kind of a big surprise. I started volunteering at Anawim again on Tuesday, June 19th, but I actually surprised the children with the school supplies on Wednesday, July 11th. They were really excited and it was definitely worth all of the hassle with collecting and squeezing the supplies into suitcases! They are having their graduation on Saturday, July 21st this year (unfortunately I won’t be able to attend) so some of the students who really excelled this year are going to receive Last year I mainly worked with the school by some extra supplies for all of their hard work. helping them type up their end of year exams and helping in their classrooms. When I got back The Reverend Sister in charge, Sister Oresoa, home, I really wanted to get Key Club involved informed me that they are working on building and see how we could help the school. I created a a secondary school (6th-12th grade), but they presentation and worked on spreading awareness are in need of a lot of funds. So right now I’m in my club as President, as well as talking to my trying to figure out how to spread the word to Kiwanis Club. The position of LTG gave me the more people and organizations, not just Key perfect opportunity for a more hands-on project. Club, so that Anawim has a lot more support.
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�
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in
the service of others.
- Mahatma Gandhi
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Major Emphasis
Since 1994, Key Club has been Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF. Over the years, Key Clubbers have raised nearly $5 million for iodine deficiency programs worldwide, HIV and AIDS programs in Kenya and Swaziland and most recently Operation Uruguay: Protecting the Rights of Children. This year, all funds raised by Key Clubs through Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF will go to The Eliminate Project: Kiwanis eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus.
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Key Club members, like you, can support the March of Dimes each semester: in the fall, raise awareness by hosting programs throughout November for Prematurity Awareness Month and in the spring, raise funds by participating in March for Babies, the March of Dimes largest annual fundraiser.
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To find fundraising ideas for Key Club’s Preferred Charities, see the Service Booklet offered by the Service and Major Emphasis Committee. Email Emily Hughes, the Service and Major Emphasis Committee Chair, at division22@floridakeyclub.com for more information.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) is a nonprofit organization that raises money to benefit hospitalized kids while increasing awareness of its member hospitals. For more than a decade, Key Club International has been supporting CMN Hospitals by sponsoring fundraisers and participating in service projects involving CMN Hospitals.
Youth Opportunities Fund Awards up to $2,000 to clubs seeking funding for projects!
Learn more at www.keyclub.org
Look at This! Zone 24A LTG Sean Valdivieso created this advertisement for the Eliminate Project! Want to know more about the Eliminate Project? Click Here, or contact the Eliminate Project chair Trina Sessions at
eliminatechair@floridakeyclub.com
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Thanks from
International Trustee Cece This past International Convention was an experience I will never forget. It was held in Orlando, Florida, a place where dreams really do come true. My journey for International Trustee became reality when I became one of the three candidates who received endorsement for International Office at District Convention this past May. After surviving eleven rooms of intense caucusing, a Q & A session on stage, and read speeches in front of 1,700 Key Club attendees, I was elected to the office of International Trustee! Thank you Florida Key Clubbers for your endorsement, support, and warm smiles and hugs. If it wasn’t for YOU, I would not be where I am today! Thank you! Please remember that I was elected to serve you, the members of Key Club International. If you ever have any questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to contact me at trusteecece@Floridakeyclub.com. I look forward to serving you this year! Yours in friendships and service,
Cecelia Ferguson
Cecelia Ferguson International Trustee Key Club International
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