February Capital Key

Capital Key

Vo l . 5 6 , I s s u e 3 FEBRUARY 2012

Official Newsletter of the Capital District

DISCOVER THE MAGIC IN YOU It doesn’t take a wand or genie to make magical things happen. Sometimes all you need are fun times with great people who love serving others as much as you do.

Enjoy the wondrous world of Key Club this summer at the 69th Annual Key Club International Convention in Orlando, Florida. Meet Key Clubbers from around the globe, be wowed by convention speakers and enetertainers, learn more about how you can make a difference in your community, cheer for the big winner at the recognition session and dance the night away for a great cause. Plus you can shape Key Club’s future through international board elections - so make sure your club’s voice is heard!

See you in Orlando, July 4 - 8, 2012.

w w w . k e y c l u b . o r g / c o n v e n t i o n www.facebook.com/keyclubintnl

District Convention

International

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key Leader

Governor Message

1

Club Highlights

Messages &Other Info

9

3

8

5

7

2

official newsletter of the capital district

FOR

: GIRLS

District Convention is just around the corner and it’s about time you all get pumped about being with 900 of your closest friends at this years’ convention! Here are a few costume ideas for boys, girls and couples alike to dress up as on the Friday of convention. The theme is “Sea of Service” and you should bring out those hip tourist outfits, beautiful mermaid inspiried dresses and other beachy boardwalk types of apparel. Remember that everything should be appropiate and fun for everyone so NO: bathingsuits, bikini or similar tops, bikini tops over clothes or skimpy attire. You must be fully clothed and wearing footwear (fliflops are acceptable). Just remember to go all out and enjoy the time you are spending at the Capital District Convention!

Attention: Just know that you don’t have to go out and buy these costumes, they are simply suggestions for you to creatively come up with a cheaper way to express your Sea of Service themed costume.

FOR

: BOYS

3

DISTRICT CONVENTION

Make New Key Club Friends: Capital District spans DC, Delaware, Virginia and Maryland. Come meet and make friends from all over the area!

At this year’s 64th Annual Capital District Convention, there will a plethora of forums from Key Club Recuritment to Officer Training along with the Service Fair. The Service Fair will showcase anything and everything oustanding going on in the Capital District divisions/clubs, so check it out when you get there. We will also be having a special guest speaker well known in the Kiwanis family, Mrs. Erickson! Mrs. Erickson is a 21-year Kiwanian and a Kiwanis International Trustee, so we are excited to have such a involved member of the Kiwanis family speak at the opening night of our District Convention. Below are a few forums that will be available for you to attend while at DCON as well as a little sneak preview of what is in store for our 64th Annual District Convention!

ICON!

Treasurers

Key Club Basics

All aboard for ICON! Key Club is its own kind of paradise so bring your school of fish to learn about ICON 2012. It’ll take all hands on deck for your crew to find the buried treasure in the place where dreams come true.

X marks the spot.

There’s treasure at stake. You need to navigate through the seas orderly to keep your sand dollars in check.

There’s plenty of fish in the sea so cast away your anchors, shiver your timbers, and begin the quest to find the chest.

Shipwrecked? Grab a lifeboat and we’ll hoist you aboard the Capital District S.O.S! Learn how to navigate your way through the wide sea of service and we’ll show you the ropes if you’re feeling lost. With a little bit of marine basics and a map or two, you’ll be a Key Club captain, sailing through the seas in no time!

4

Elect your 2012-2013 District Officers:

DCON is the place to go to caucus, listen and elect the future leaders of the Capital District Board!

official newsletter of the capital district

A TIGHT-KNIT KIWANIS FAMILY

Here is Governor Caroline Morris along with Kiwanis Governor Jeffery Wolff and CKI District Administrator Jennifer Wollf at the Kiwanis District Convention. The Capital District strives for a strong connection between every branch of the Kiwanis family, along with creating and maintaining new, as well as old, SLPs along the way. SLP stands for Service Leadership Programs. These are programs that are mentored by a Kiwanis Advisor along with a faculty advisor from the school, but are mainly selff-sufficient clubs (your Key Club is an example of an SLP).

International Trustee Message

By International Trustee Kayla Lash

I have had a wonderful time being your International Trustee this year! I hope many of you have registered for your District Convention! District Convention is not only the time when Key Clubbers from all over your District unite in the common purpose of leadership and service, but it is also the time to celebrate all of the hard work you put into this past year. I am proud of everything that you have accomplished! Your District Board has worked tirelessly to make this convention a success for you, so take advantage of all the amazing opportunities you have to meet your fellow Key Club members, develop leadership, and let your enthusiasm for service show! Celebrate your commitment to service and reflect on the good memories you have made during this year. Most importantly, have a blast at this year’s District Convention, and make every moment count.

Yours in Service,

5

INTERNATIONAL Service On Every Level

By Division 20D Governor’s Representative Yein Ha

On February 17-19, Capital District Key Club Governor Caroline Morris, Division 20B Lt. Governor Sapna, and I attended the Capital District Circle K International Convention in Arlington, Virginia. This weekend was full of exciting service, leadership, and fun fellowship that none of us will ever forget. I learned so much about CKI and the beautiful relationship K-Family builds upon. It was truly an amazing experience to meet and talk to all the CKI members. Starting from making new friends, learning from all the different and unique service fair boards, participating in the fun casino games, going to workshops, and of course, going to the Latino dance party, was a lot of fun. CKI is like Key Club at college level, and we encourage every senior to join CKI at their new college! Yay K-Family!

Come Together On One Day

By Division 14 LTG Chris Frye

One of the best things about being a member of the Kiwanis family is the ability to serve alongside your local Kiwanis Club or Circle K Club. The Kiwanis families around the world join together for this one day of service together annually. This year, Kiwanis One Day will take place on April 21st. Your club has the opportunity to serve with all levels of the Kiwanis family on Kiwanis One Day. Kiwanis One Day is the chance for every member of the Kiwanis family, from K-Kids to Kiwanis, to work together in service. Come participate in this event by coming up with a game plan, start to braintstorm some project ideas and find out how to enter into the Kiwanis One Day contest. This event is a global effort and begins with your club’s participation! Come extend a hand and impact your community by participating with your local Kiwanis club. Imagine the impact you could make in your community. There is no limit to what we can do when we all work together so let’s echo our efforts all over the world by being a part of this monumental day.

Visit kiwanisone.org for ideas on how to serve.

6

official newsletter of the capital district

Key Leader is the ideal opportunity for an individual to grow as a leader and as a person. From analyzing problem solving methods to prioritizing our values, the weekend prepared me to push my own limits, try new things, and be optimistic. Every student deserves the opportunity to attend this program, because it will change the way they look at the world for the rest of his or her life. The effects were phenomenal. From strengthening my relationship with my sister, to helping me communicate effectively in Key Club, Key Leader truly has given me the tools and motivation to be a better person.

By Division 20B LTG Sapna Rao

Imagine seventy high schoolers gathered together to spend a weekend together.

These high school students are completely strangers to each other. Now, fast forward to the end of the weekend, and all the students are extremely close, as if they have known each other for years. How can this be possible? With Key Leader, anything is possible. Key Leader has made such a huge impact on my life, and I would not be the person I am today about it. It has taught me to trust, make a difference, and mostly, believe in myself.

Stephanie Feinberg Division 9 LTG

Key Leader was an amazing and eyeopening experience for me. We did multiple team-building and leadership activities and we got to put Key Leader grams in each other’s mailboxes. I went to Key Leader almost a year ago and I still have all my grams.

Knowing that people had a positive impression of me, was a very special feeling. I hope the grams I wrote to other people brightened their day,as it did mine. I would recommend going to Key Leader, as it helps you become a better leader and you make incredible frends.

Carter Black Division 19 LTG

KEY LEADER

Come take the lead at Kiwanis Key Leader weekends. It is a lifechanging experience for motivated teens.

Meet new people and do things you have never done before.

You’ll never forget the leasons you learn at Key Leader, and you will always remember the lasting friendships you made. Below are Key Leader dates in the Capital District, so sign up today and experience this life changing experience. Registration is now open online at key-leader.org!

April 27-29 Arlingotn Echo Center Millersville, MD May 18-20 Jamestown 4-H Camp Williamsburg, VA November 9-11 NOVA 4-H Camp Front Royal, VA

7

BY THE NUMBERS

317 Key Leader events In 39 U.S. states, with 16,400 students served

GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE Dear Capital District Key Clubbers,

This year has been an amazing endeavor on all of our parts. This district thrives because of all of the hard work that you have put in to every service project, fundraiser, and event idea. But this year is nowhere near over; we have district convention coming up and the deadline for registration has been extended. Please take this opportunity and sign-up for the most exciting DCON yet, with a photo booth, themed service fair, and new workshop topics you won’t want to miss this one!

Also, remember that at this convention the Capital District’s new district executive offices will be elected, and your opinion matters; these will be your leaders for the next year. Looking farther ahead into the future, remember that International Convention is in Orlando, Florida this year and the Capital District has a great tour plan, check out the district website for more details! Thank you for making my term as governor one that included great pride and enjoyment. We as a district have served many deserving people through the American Red Cross, the Eliminate Project, and various other projects that each of your divisions and individual schools participated in. I look forward to hearing about all of the incredible work that you do in the upcoming years and the lives you change through your service in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Enjoy this third and final edition of the Capital Key and I will see you in two weeks at District Convention!

Everlasting Relations: Above is part of the 2011-2012

Thank you for everything!

Caroline Morris

Capital District Board after a board meeting.

Below is Governor Caroline Morris alongside Immediate Past CKI Governor Ryan White and the current Kiwanis Governor Jeffery Wolff.

Kiwanis Family: Governor Caroline Morris with Brian Cofrancesco, a part of the University of Virginia Circle K. District Administrator Mr. Stankus is also making an appearance peeking behind the Governor and Mr. Cofrancesco at DCON 2011.

8

official newsletter of the capital district

Keeping Children Warm

By Division 20D Governor’s Representative Yein Ha

On February 12, 2012, Division 20D Key Club officers and members gathered for a very exciting Winter ZEP/DCM and Lt. Governor Elections! First of all, I would like to congratulate Raeford Penny for being elected as 2012-2013 Lt. Governor! Key Clubbers gathered on Sunday afternoon for a fun service project of making hand-tied fleece blankets for the local children’s hospital. This was a very successful and fun project that everyone enjoyed participating in! We would like to encourage every clubs to try this fun service activity at their meetings!

Experiment Up in Space!

By Division 22A LTG Becky Stanford

Last year, students of Henry E. Lack-

ey High School were presented a fantastic opportunity: a chance to participate in a national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) initiative: the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). Ten students, some of whom were a part of Key Club International, volunteered to write a proposal for an experiment that, if accepted, would go up on the final American Space Shuttle mission: STS-135 Atlantis. These students rose to the challenge and created a proposal, The Physiological Effects of Microgravity on Germination and Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana, that was selected as one of only eleven winning experiments. The student team went on to perform the experiment and worked with a microscopist at the University of Richmond to analyze the results. Along the way, members of the team were interviewed several times, and were featured on Key Club TV.

This year, the students of Henry E. Lackey High School were once again given an opportunity to participate in the SSEP Mission One to the International Space Station

(ISS). A student from last year’s winning team, Paul Warren – the President of the Lackey Key Club submitted a solo proposal, The Physiological Effects of Microgravity and Increased Levels of Radiation on Wild-Type and Genetically Engineering Caenorhabditis elegans. It was honored as one of twelve national experiment winners at a Symposium on January 13th. Although the experiment was originally planned to go up on Soyuz 30, recent developments have ensured that the experiment will launch in April on Space X Dragon, the first commercial spaceflight to the ISS. The experiment will help ‘usher in the Era of Commercial Spaceflight’, as the director of SSEP Dr. Jeff Goldstein, puts it.

To ensure success, Paul has assembled an international team of scientists from Japan, the United Kingdom, and America to support him.

We’ve all be told that Key Club provides everyone with an opportunity to reach for the stars. Lackey High School Key Club President, Paul Warren can tell you it’s true! Please join me in congratulating all of the exceptional members of Lackey High School Key Club who participated in the 2011 and 2012 Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.

9

CLUB/DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

Josie’s Smiles For Pediatrics

By Division 9 LTG Stephanie Feinberg

Division Nine is collecting toys for Johns Hopkins Children’s Center for their Division Project. This project supports a Division Nine Key Club President, Josie Grant, who created her own organization called Josie’s Smiles for Pediatrics. Recently, Division Nine received an email from Denise Goode, a representative of the Children's Miracle Network at Johns Hopkins, regarding this project. She has invited one representative from each school to visit Johns Hopkins Children’s Center on April 4th. The staff at Johns Hopkins is planning a celebration for Division Nine and all their hard work. In addition, they will have several staff members available to give tours of the center and even tell Key Clubbers what their donations will benefit. It will be a great way for Key Clubbers to see how their work can impact large organizations and they can bring this message back to their home clubs. Capital District Kiwanis Governor, Jeffrey Wolff, says, “These are exactly the types of service projects that our Kiwanis family needs to be celebrating!”

Quacker Grams to Help Benefit Needy Children

By Glenelg High School Key Club President Emily Schweich

For a second year, Glenelg High School’s Key Club sponsored a Valentine’s Day “Quacker Gram” fundraiser to benefit Heifer International (an organization that provides livestock and education to developing communities). Heifer International has been a favorite charity of Glenelg Key Club for the reason that the recipients of livestock share the byproducts and offspring with other needy members of their community in an effort to “pass on the gift.” Rubber ducks decorated with hearts were chosen for this fundraiser to correlate with Heifer International’s livestock theme. Glenelg Key Club members enthusiastically filmed commercials during one of our meetings that aired on our school’s morning announcements. During the week before Valentine’s Day, members sold Valentine rubber ducks attached with messages during lunch shifts. In past years, Glenelg High School Key Club has raised enough funds to purchase a basket of cheer with rabbits, chickens and a water buffalo. Our goal this year was to raise enough money to purchase a heifer for a needy family. The Quacker Grams were a huge hit, and Glenelg Key Club was so happy that our goal was met in raising $500 for Heifer International, which was finally enough to buy a heifer for an underprivileged family. Glenelg High School’s Chapter of Key Club International was founded in 2008, and currently has 76 active and very proud members.

10

official newsletter of the capital district

CLUB/DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

The American Red Cross is an emergency response organization that has responded to many natural disasters, in addition to international relief, community service to benefit those in need, support for the military, collection and distribution of blood, and the education of health and safety programs. With support of dedicated citizens, the American Red Cross makes a difference in countless lives at home and across the world. You can make a difference in someone’s life by supporting the American Red Cross. Capital District Key Club’s Governor, Caroline Morris, has chosen the American Red Cross as the Governor’s Projec for the 2011-2012 Key Club year. So do your part and contribute with a service project for the American Red Cross today!

For any other pertinent information concerning the Capital District, please feel free to check out our frequently updated website at capitalkeyclub.org We hope to see many new aspiring servant leaders through the coming years.

For that to continue though, everyone should keep an eye out by constantly checking the website and keeping in contact with your Club Advisors &Division’s LTG.

11

If you are interested in running for a district office then feel free to check out each district position and find out which position would fit you best! It all starts wtih District Convention, you would need to caucus and run for a district position during that time. The Key Club website details the requirements for each district position at (http://www.keyclub.org/Leadership/ls/distanddivlevel.aspx) If you’d like to find out more information on a specific position, then contact the respective officer! Contact information is below. Also you will need to fill out multiple district forms ahead of time and return them to the District Administrator before caucus on Saturday of DCON.

Key Club is about bringing people together. Making us strong, motivated, and more of a household name.

You would be surprised how many people don’t know that what the Capital District is nor what Key Club International itself does. We need to stay active and keep everyone, including yourself informed to become more dedicated servant leaders, for not only our communities but internationally. So the next time you hear about a divisional meeting (DCM) in your area or the the annual Capital District Fall Rally, don’t hestitiate to attend because that will contribute to taking a closer step in become a closer-knit Kiwanis family.

gov’s project

ATTEND DIVISION AND DISTRICT EVENTS

district project

ELECT TO RUN FOR OFFICE

district board contacts

Governor Caroline Morris

Secretary Chacha Wang

carolineemorris@yahoo.com

ziyao.wang88@gmail.com

Treasurer Richard Gallo rdgallo4@aol.com

Webmaster Gabby Cirigliano gacirigliano@verizon.net

District Administrator

stanitec@verizon.net Joe Stankus

Assistant District Administrator

Editor Patrick Mitchell

nicmcd@gmail.com Nicole McDermott

patrick.condy.mitchell@gmail.com

12

official newsletter of the capital district

capital key