Key Connect | Mansfield Lake Ridge Key Club | December 2019 | Volume 3 | Issue 9

CONNECT KEY

VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 9

2DIVISION 39S | REGION 7

MANSFIELD LAKE RIDGE HS

JANUARY 2020

TABLE OF contents 4

Member of the Month

5

Letter From The Editor

6

Volunteering Events

7

Calendar

8

Branching Out

10

Service Partners

11

UNICEF Flyer

12

Into The Unknown

14

Featured HOTO

16

Contact Information

17

More Contact Info

18

Stay Connected

Turn on our social media notifications for the latest updates!

2

Christmas 5k Marathon

Cookies with Santa Night!

Kiwanis' Falalala 5k Run

On

November

7,

our

Key

Club had the opportunity to aid in the annual Kiwanis's Falalala

5k

members

Run.

Here,

helped

our

decorate

the trail, cheer on runners along the way, and set up various

water

and

snack

booths provided by the our local Kiwanis club as well as other businesses.

RECAP On November 12, our club had aided in Elizabeth Smith Elementary School’s Cookies with

Santa

in

which

our

members helped set up and aid

in

the

activities

the

children could participate in.

Here, our members handed out

hot

chocolate,

helped

out with games, and gave out cookies to the children.

3

member of the month november

We want to recognize our first member of the month, Marjorie Lim, 12th, for the month of November! Not only did she submit our club's first ever HOTO, but her article got featured in the district newsletter! We are so proud of her and all she's contributed to our club. Thank you Marjorie!

Photos by Gilliana

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a letter from the

EDITOR Hey Key Club!

With the new decade brings a fresh perspective to service and a new approach to monthly responsibilities. Though our board has made mistakes in the past, we are well aware of the improvements we need to make and are coming in full force this 2020! Speaking of New Years, my resolution as editor is to aim for top 5 newsletters each month till the rest of the year. This was always my goal from the start of course, but ever since our newsletter got top 5 in September and December, of which I am SO grateful for, I've gained more confidence in my editing skills and am even more motivated to help my club. I hope my efforts aren't going unnoticed!

All love and blessings,

Gilliana Tawaran

5

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES RECURRING EVENTS SUNDAYS: *Excluding the first Sunday of every month 2 - 4 PM at 1315 FM1187 Suite 107, Mansfield, TX 76063 Help pack boxes to send to orphans in Eastern Europe and organizing donations, such as clothing, toys, etc.

Sign up: Fill out the Google form on our Remind and sign in at the warehouse (look for Margie or Frederick).

WEDNESDAYS: Kiwanis' Feed The Kids 4 PM at 1315 FM1187 Suite 107, Mansfield, TX 76063 Help sort and distribute canned food and other perishables in an assembly line fashion. No sign up required!

FRIDAYS: Kiwanis' Feed The Kids 7 AM - 8 AM at Mansfield Methodist Medical Center Every Friday morning, our local Kiwanis club meets and all clubs in our division are welcome to attend! A speaker presents at each meeting and breakfast is provided.

ONE TIME EVENTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 25TH: Run With Heart 12:30 - 4:30 PM or 4:30 - 8:30 PM at Mansfield Methodist Hospital Help set up various food and water booths provided by local businesses and cheer runners along the way. Sign up through the Google Form on our remind.

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JANUARY 2020 SUN MON

TUE

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

1

2

3

4

SCHOOL STARTS

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

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Branching Out A

F E A T U R E D

A R T I C L E

BY ABIGAIL NGUYEN I know, I know. We don’t need another “end of the decade” joke. In all seriousness, I often think about how I went from reading “The Giving Tree” by Saul Steinberg on my parents’ bedroom floor to stressing about the college and career path I should pursue—all in a blink of an eye. I wonder how the hopeful eyes of 6-year-old Abby came to shed tears caused by the inevitable failures and heartbreaks of high school. As I hunted for happiness, I realized the things that kept me grounded on my feet: the Lake Ridge Key Club and the community that surrounds it.

I mention “The Giving Tree” not because of Steinberg’s remarkable yet child-like illustrations, but for the early exposure to the thought of selfless giving. With my participation in Key Club, I’ve become comfortable about my passion for service and wish to spread it to others. I distinctly remember how one language arts teacher at my intermediate school presented K-Kids

8

B Y

O U R

S E N I O R

R E P

to her students. I envied my peers as they flashed their membership cards in my face, though no one had specifically talked to me about it.

However, as I became increasingly active in my own Key Club, I came to understand the true meaning of service beyond my membership status. I want to go back to Mary Lillard Intermediate School and charter a K-Kids program, first speaking to the students to the importance of community service and the organizations they can join when they get older, including Key Club, Circle K, and Kiwanis.

From there, I hope to introduce a smaller service activity, such as friendship bracelet making, in order to show them that volunteering can

actually be fun. If K-Kids becomes successful at this campus, I will attempt to reach out to other intermediate schools in order to encourage them to do the same. I believe that showing people the beauty of service at an early age will sprout a similar passion for positive change and leadership, provide a network of connections for friendships, and give them a love that keeps them grounded the same way I wish I had earlier in the year.

multitude of events, such as the Nursing Home Bingo. It also gives us a chance to frequently talk to our Kiwanis sponsor and consider any ideas that he has for us. It’s comforting to know that they always have our back, and I intend to continue attending these meetings.

Through the different branches of the K-family, I’ve found that people of all age groups can help make an impact on our community. With the spare time I have next semester, I will try my best to strengthen the relationships between the K-Kids, Key Club, and Kiwanis programs.

Another blessing that comes with senior year is senior release and late arrival. With this free period, I am able to balance my schoolwork, work, and volunteering better. I’ve also been able to attend more Kiwanis meetings, which are held at our local hospital at 7 AM every Friday. As I enjoy the wonderful breakfast that they provide us, I tune into their weekly plans and lessons. Being around the members of our parent club provides an opportunity for us to bring inspiration back to our clubs and work alongside them in a

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THE THIRST PROJECT The Thirst Project actively works with Key Club to bring awareness to the water crisis and promote alternative solutions to the ongoing issue.

CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK Children's Miracle Network treats 62 kids every minute — that's more than 10 million kids a year. Their mission is to generate funds and awareness programs for their 170 member hospitals.

S E R V I C E

P A R T N E R S

UNICEF UNICEF works to help children all around the world and is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of their rights.

MARCH OF DIMES March of Dimes works to improve the health of mothers and babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

PROJECT HAPPINESS

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Together with Key Club, Project Happiness aims to combat the issue of bullying in and out of the classroom. Through raising awareness and promoting positivity, they continue to minimize its impact.

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Into The Unknown A

F E A T U R E D

A R T I C L E

BY KWAME MORRISON Happy New Year fellow Key Clubbers! Not only have we entered a new year accompanied by a new decade, we have also entered into the first leap year of the decade, which must mean a lot for those born in February. All jokes aside, this new year allows us, as a club, to reflect on our past accomplishments as well as shortcomings. Now obviously all clubs can’t be perfect, but what we can do is strive to set an example for our fellow peers, and Key Clubbers throughout the Texas - Oklahoma District.

This past year was full of firsts: our club got into the 25 clubs in the district for the first time, we elected our first webmaster, we submitted our first HOTO (which also got featured in the district newsletter!), and we also appointed our first member of the month. And of course we can’t forget to mention that the club was ushered into this realm of change by a new officer board! But while we may have done a lot to improve the

12

B Y

O U R

T R E A S U R E R

club, I believe that there are still improvements to be made if our club wants to be even more accomplished and successful moving forward.

First off, I would like to improve on our membership activity and participation in club events. Recently, with the occurrence of application season, combined with finals which we all know and love, I have found myself becoming less involved in club events. Coming into this new decade, I believe that it’s time to adopt a new mindset, one that doesn’t automatically put Key Club on the back burner when things start to pile up.

Secondly, I believe that our club needs to improve on advertising our events. This may be due to our previous lack of a webmaster, but when it comes time for events such as fundraisers and socials, it seems as though us officers have a hard time finding ways to inform members about said events. Hopefully with the appearance of our new webmaster, putting said events on our website, which is now so much easier to navigate, will give more students access.

Ultimately, no club is perfect, and us eagles aren’t any exception, but by being dedicated to our society, our school, and to bettering ourselves as people, I believe that we will enter the second semester as a better club, one worthy of a seat at the top ten table!

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Humans of Texas Oklahoma F E A T U R E D

BY JUAN JIMENEZ I originally saw Key Club as an opportunity to impress future colleges and universities. However, after participating in countless Key Club activities, I can state without a doubt that Key Club should be a club all students should join. Key Club, unlike other clubs, pledges to give back to their communities as a whole. They do this in a variety of ways, from simply hosting events to raising money. Key Club has a way of making all members feel included. I still remember voting on which event Key Club would host the following month. In my past three years at Lake Ridge High School, I had joined other 4 clubs, and none made me feel as included as Key Club did. My mentality about Key Club shifted after these realizations. When I was at Key Club meetings, I always seemed to be surrounded by people who were selfless and very caring. Key Club quickly became like a second home to me.

14

H O T O

There I was surrounded by friends who wanted to help their communities. My mentality of Key Club has changed dramatically.

Now I believe Key Club is a place where I can have fun, do something that'll impact my community positively, and make friends.

The most memorable event I attended was Veteran's Day breakfast. I remember waking up early to get to school. However, it was all worth it when I saw how many families attended our splendid event.

I keenly also remember writing letters to veterans. It felt good to do

something for my community. Key Club has allowed me to be more outgoing and to reach out to others.

It has allowed me to make new friends and connections while pursuing the goal of a better world.

Key club seems to be a place where individuals can come together to create a big, happy family. It's a joint organization that allows one to feel ecstatic and learn about teamwork and learn about the pride in helping others.

I believe Key Club has changed me to be a more selfless and kind person. I love to have fundraising events. I enjoy knowing that whenever we donate, we are helping people, even if we do not even know. These are the reasons why I believe that all students, regardless of their year, should join Key Club. You do not need to be a certain age to start giving back to your community.

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OFFICER CONTACT INFORMATION PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

Christeen Nguyen Alan Phan lrhskcpresident@gmail.com lrhskcvicepresident@gmail.com

SECRETARY

EDITOR

Michelle Nguyen lrhskcsecretary@gmail.com

Gilliana Tawaran lrhskceditor@gmail.com

TREASURER

SENIOR REP

Kwame Morrison lrhskctreasurer@gmail.com

Abigail Nguyen lrhskcseniorrep@gmail.com

JUNIOR REP

SOPHOMORE REP

Ethan Vu lrhskcjuniorrep@gmail.com

Ethan Clark lrhskcsophrep@gmail.com

FRESHMAN REP Neva Khan lrhskcfreshmanrep@gmail.com

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WEBSITE Visit our site for more!: See page 18.

MORE CONTACT INFORMATION DISTRICT GOVERNOR

DISTRICT SECRETARY

Ashna Patel Kareena Patel governor@tokeyclub.com secretary@tokeyclub.com

DISTRICT EDITOR

DISTRICT TREASURER

Katherine Chao treasurer@tokeyclub.com

Vivian Thai editor@tokeyclub.com

REGION 7 ADVISOR

DIVISION 39S LTG

FACULTY ADVISOR

TOKEY WEBSITE

Gretchen S. Wamer docgretchen@gmail.com

Sharlene Garcia ltg39s@tokeyclub.com

Kandice San Miguel kandicesanmiguel@misdmail.com

TWITTER Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates! @LRKeyClub

tokeyclub.com

KIWANIS ADVISOR

Todd Simmons todd.simmons@lpl.com

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18

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