NG2C May Newletter

NEWSLETTER

DIVISION 2C

VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 2

MONTH OF

N ORTH GARL AN D

MAY 2015

K EYCL UB

H I GH SCH OOL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02-03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13-14

OFFICERS OF KEY CLUB FIRST MEETING CINCO DE MAYO CLEAN UP HOPE FROM CAPTAIN HOPE MOVIE SOCIAL STOP THE TORMENT YALE ELEMENTARY CARNIVAL FROM THE PRESIDENT HERSELF THE ELIMINATE PROJECT SUMMER SERVICE UPCOMING EVENTS CONTACT INFO

North Garland High School Key Club

Article by Timothy Johnson

DIVISION 2C

W H AT DOES I T M EAN TO BE AN OFFI CER? It takes the few and the strong to be able to lead Key Club.

Hard work and dedication play a huge role to being a successful officer, but also to be able to get along with fellow members, and having a passion for the many achievements that we do to help others within our communities. It takes a lot of time to make a Key Club successful, but it is worth since in the long haul, we are able to help many more people than we ever could before.

Transitioning from a member to an officer can be a big change in your life. With extra responsibilities added on to daily life, you really have to make sure to manage your time wisely to meet deadlines, get everything organized, and make plans and suggestions to other officers and fellow members. Though that may seem a bit stressful, it actually is a benefit to you in many ways to do all of these things. With these added responsibilities, it helps you to grow into a responsible, caring, and efficient person, with the ability to become a leader within your life.

With the help of the many officers who keep Key Club running, we always try to do our best to improve Key Club to the best of our abilities. Although we can make mistakes, due to the fact that we are just human, we constantly try to see things from other perspectives and try to keep everyone on task to help out their communities. Being an officer of Key Club has really changed how I see the world for the better, and all of us would like to have others to see the world as a better place as well.

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Your goal, however, is not just to benefit yourself, but to be able to change others?lives to help them grow as individuals as well. Being an officer, you make sure to stand proud as a role model for others, who can follow in your footsteps to improve upon themselves in their own lives. You are there to lead fellow members to new heights, and to guide them through challenges to find their purpose. You are always there for your members because caring is not meant to be kept to oneself, but to be shared to others.

North Garland High School Key Club

Article by Timothy Johnson

DIVISION 2C

FIRST M EETING All of us felt pretty excited about our first term as Key Club officers, but we were unsure of how we would be to connect with our members. With this in mind, we decided to have our first Key Club meeting to be able to introduce ourselves, open future events, and meet our fellow members! The day and place was set and members filed into the library to meet their new officers!

The library was full of members who listened intently to the start of our presentation. Our Parliamentarian, Jason Nguyen, started the meeting by initiating the Key Club pledge, then, each one of our officers stepped up to introduce themselves, from president all the way to webmaster. Our presentation started with an introduction to sign up for awesome new volunteer events which we the then led to an overview of the events members could sign up for.

One thing that each one of us were excited about was our club?s new theme- Pokemon! Officers were paired together on the type they chose, and if they were to gather the most ?badges? with members of the same type, they would win a prize at the end of the year!

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FIRST M EETING After our introduction to our new theme, we thoroughly went through each individual event that we had planned for the upcoming summer. We discussed events from fundraisers such as the divisional Yogurtland fundraiser which would help to not only help the Children?s Miracle Network, but be able to help out our district as well, volunteering at an elementary to give kids a fun filled day for a carnival, socializing with dogs to show them human kindness and give them an enjoyable day, and socials for all of our members to join us for a movie night to be able to make new friends and talk to all the people within our Key Club, and more! Finally at the end of our meeting we honored our Senior Key Club members who would be leaving us to move on to new experiences in college, many of them being our officers that we had looked up to when we were just starting out as members curious about Key Club.

This first meeting was one of many we would be having throughout our terms as officers, but it was a special experience to be able to see everyone?s support of not only our appointment as officers, but the goals we as a club have set for the future.

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CINCO DE MAYO CLEAN UP

North Garland High School Key Club

DIVISION 2C Article by Timothy Johnson

Fellow officers and members of Key Club gathered to help clean after the fantastic celebration of Cinco De Mayo. Even though the weather was harsh that day, members still took the time out of their weekends to help the cleanup process; that is what Key Club is about- being able to serve your community even on your free time.

Garland Square was filled with the remnants from the Cinco De Mayo celebration and members were tasked to help the sponsors of the Cinco De Mayo presentation to clean up Garland Square. Although there were only a few members who could have attended the event, everyone?s effort counted. The sky looked as if it would rain, yet both officers and members pushed on to fulfill the duties provided to any assistance needed. Everyone picked up litter that was thrown, helped to stack chairs, and gave their best effort to take apart stage props and tables. Everyone could feel the rain beginning to pour , but still worked diligently with haste to clean the square. When the rain started to pour, both officers and members continued to try and clean the square before the rain made work impossible to complete. The sponsors generously gathered all the members together in the restaurant, Dos Banderas, to shield us from the rain and provided us with food and beverages to keep us going. When the rain cleared everyone was filled with energy to get back to work, finishing with loading tables and chairs into large truck beds to be used for a later time. The sponsors graciously thanked us for our hard work and everyone headed home tired, but glad they were able 04

to help some friendly sponsors clean up the community.

Although not many of our members were able to make it to volunteer for the Cinco De Mayo event to help clean, due to weather or full schedules, the people that were able to volunteer were able to contribute to their fullest. Every little bit of help had counted, and that?s what Key Club is about. It is not just about how many people can help, but the determination we have to be able to help others in need even if there are few of us. This event was a good experience to be a part of, and it only could have been completed with the help of dedicated officers and members, who were able to donate their time to achieve their part for the good of our community.

HOPE FROM CAPTAIN HOPE

North Garland High School Key Club

DIVISION 2C Article by Timothy Johnson

Everyone is a person and should be treated as such, no matter what color, belief, or social status. Some people have it hard in their lives and are unable to support themselves, many times, from sheer bad luck. They go through day to day without a home to go back to, and worries of if they will be able to eat that day. Our job as Key Club is to help these people get back on their feet, and help them get the shelter and nutrition they need to lead Captain Hope?s Kids is an organization It was a truly enlightening better lives. which helps to bring children living on the streets of North Texas the things they need to go day to day. They are able to provide essentials for homeless babies, and provide support to them throughout their lives, so that one day they can break the cycle of homelessness to be successful and live out on their own. They provide school supplies, extra-curricular activities and aid with personal hygiene help to children, to not only take their mind off of their situation, but help them break out of it.

Our Key Club volunteered to help these kids get a better life. We traveled over and hour by train, but it was worth it when we got there. We were able to help create gift boxes for the needy, providing them with the essentials for day to day living. There were even kids there helping to support this cause.

experience to see everyone so absorbed into the task of helping these children, and I?m proud to say that the children receiving our support were really grateful to all of us who came out to support them and their well-being.With many gift boxes packed, tired hands, and smiles all around, it was finally time to head back on the long train ride back home. We were thanked by the many people who volunteered their time helping there as well, and we gave our regards as we left for home.

We have it easy compared to these people who have been unfortunate enough to be putout on the streets, and it?s our job not only as people, but as the family of Key Club to help out these people?s lives, which has been filled with the anxiousness of day to day survival.

We need to help out our community, because we are the few that can make a difference.

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North Garland High School Key Club

MOVIE SOCIAL One of my favorite socials this year would have to be the time where we got together as officers to watch a movie, and just have a good time hanging out with one another. We all pitched in money for pizza as dinner and we each passed around beverages. After we were settled in, we all decided to watch a horror movie, which some, of course, were hesitant to watch, but with reluctant enthusiasm we continued on. Everyone got comfortable either by relaxing on the couch, lounging on one of the many chairs, or even just sitting on the floor. We chose the movie Insidious 2 to watch. The weather outside was perfect for horror, as it perfectly matched with the dark and eerie tone of the movie we were to watch. The weather was storming and you could hear the soft pitter patter of raindrops on the windows. All the lights were turned off and the room became pitch black except for the soft illumination of the television. When everyone was finally comfortable, or at least as comfortable as they could be, the movie was started and the terror commenced.

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DIVISION 2C Article by Timothy Johnson

Everyone was either snickering or covering their eyes before the screen, and as the first jump scare flashed onto the screen with a startling sound, many of us screamed in terror at screen, but some of us had a playful tease towards the frightened officers who still had a look of shock on their faces. The movie finally ended, with some of us gone from fear or just quiet after the movie. After the movie, we told ghost stories and anything creepy we could think of to keep the mood going, and by then it was starting to get pretty late. Everyone had to leave soon so we started to discuss our upcoming Key Club events and what we wanted to do in the future. After we were able to discuss fully about our upcoming plans, it was time for everyone to leave, everyone said their goodbyes and headed on their way home. This was a pretty fun social, and being able to have a good time with the many fellow officers was a good way to get away from the day to day wear and tear. I?m glad that all of us have been able to get along professionally but casually as well, and I hope to be able to have another of these experiences in the future.

North Garland High School Key Club

STOP THE TORMENT Bullying has been a problem for teens and many others worldwide, and it is our job not only as citizens, but Key Club members to put a stop to all of this hardship that many have to face every single day. At North Garland High School we Key Clubbers had put together a service project in order to try and prevent bullying within our school and raise awareness for others to take it upon themselves to support this cause.

DIVISION 2C Article by Timothy Johnson

Many bullied teens?stories do not get to be heard and many feel like they don?t have anyone to turn to, and that is why us Key Clubbers want people to know that they are heard, and that they too, have a voice. Key Clubbers carried sticky notes around the school to gather signatures from students in support of the fight against bullying, and also asked if they could share their stories of when they had been bullied, so the people who had experienced torment could finally share what they felt anonymously. Students deserve to be able to share how they feel and how bullying has affected their daily lives in order to show people that bullying can?t continue if we want to be able to work with others.

Students from all over shared their support, and signed many notes with words of inspiration towards the bullied to show that we felt their pain and hardship that they had faced. My favorite part of being a part of this project was being able to see how people enjoyed being able to help, and just knowing that the small amount of time that you take out of your day to support this cause can really make a difference in someone?s life, just by reading the support given by their fellow peers. With this project, it truly shows that caring is our way of life, in being able to help those in need of social and mental support.

I myself have been in the struggle against bullying, and I was glad that we could be able to help in any way towards the people who have been looked down upon in their lives. With the efforts of the many people that were a part of this project, I believe bullying has declined since the day we put this project into motion at our school, and hope that others take our example and support this cause throughout their lives

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North Garland High School Key Club

Article by Timothy Johnson

DIVISION 2C

YALE ELEMENTARY CARNIVAL The st udent s of Yal e El ement ary were very f un t o work wit h.

Members of Key Cl ub f rom bot h Nort h Garl and High school , and Berkner High school , hel ped out t o give t hese wonderf ul chil dren a good t ime.

Each Key Cl ubber were st at ioned at t he many games t he chil dren coul d have an amazing t ime wit h. Some games incl uded: an inf l at abl e sl ide and obst acl e course, f ishing f or candy, rocket t oss, pl inko, and more! The st udent s had a great t ime especial l y at t he sl ides and obst acl e course, and some st udent s even went t hrough t hem t en t imes! The f ood and beverage st at ions were swamped wit h st udent s, parent s, and t eachers al ike l ined up t o have a sweet and/ or savory t reat . I enjoyed being abl e t o hel p t hough and everyone seemed t o enjoy al l of t he f ood and beverages we served t o t hem!

When t he concessions were f inal l y void of peopl e and my job was done, I went t o see if I coul d hel p t he ot her vol unt eers st at ioned at t he games t he chil dren were pl aying, and I coul d see t hat t heir job was no where near over. Dozens of st udent s l ined up t o pl ay each and every game, as t hey gave t heir t icket s, it seemed as if t hey were f l ying. Each st udent was l aughing and giggl ing in l ine whil e in wait f or t heir t urn, and everyone t hat won brought a cheer f rom t he crowd. The day was f inal l y al most at an end and t he st udent s st art ed f il ing out t o go home af t er a t iring, f un f il l ed day. We said our goodbyes t o t he chil dren and st art ed t o pack up f or t he day because al t hough it was f un, t here was pl ent y t o cl ean. Al l t he vol unt eers st art ed t he cl eanup process, f rom moving and cl eaning t abl es and rol l ing up t he inf l at abl e sl ides and houses t o picking up any l it t er t hat may have been dropped. Everyone was pret t y gl ad t hat t hey were abl e t o hel p out , and bot h t he st udent s and t eachers were t hankf ul t o al l of us being abl e t o make t his carnival event possibl e. I enjoyed being abl e t o be a part of t his wonderf ul event , and being abl e t o see t he kids happy wit h ent husiasm real l y made my day much bet t er.

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North Garland High School

Division 2C

Article by Sophia Tran

FROM THE PRESIDENT HERSELF I saw eyes wander hopelessly around the crowd of new faces. Being surrounded by other Key Club members at the first meeting was so nerve wrecking.

At the time, I had no idea who I or who anyone else was. I was the stranger to those around me and to myself. When my aimless eyes finally made eye contact with someone who stood out, the president., I immediately averted my eyes and stared at the hard ground and I heard her footsteps come towards me. She stuck her hand out in my line of vision and introduced herself with an utmost confidence. That confidence became contagious and I too repeated her actions. The president began her small talk about my background as I stuttered to answer, losing the burst of energy I had to even introduce myself. Noticing my discomfort, she took an upper hand by gathering all the other members to introduce themselves for those who did not know who they were. On my own, I would have never talked to those people, but their sheer kindness got me out of my reserved shell.

Eventually, they convinced me through many volunteer events that showcased a whole new perspective of how hidden I was to Key Club. Everyone cared. It was a care for those who needed assistance, friends, or just to have a blast! During a Martin Luther King Parade one year, I experienced all of that. Even through doing meager grunt work, like setting up chairs, we were able to help the event go by smoothly one step at a time. During the process, I was able to get closer to the fellow members that became my friends. They were understanding about my reserved personality and peeled my barrier so I could open my heart to the goodness, but enough to still hide from the bitterness. The event happened to be one most fun experience that showed me a whole new world.

I became the helpful social butterfly through my unsocial caterpillar stage. It was a way for unsocial kids to get into the real world of help, care and dedication.

Family is transformed from a club of strangers. In this world full of strangers, it the great perhaps that we could find something good in life and leave the unfortunate happenings buried. Through Key Club, the dug up unfortunate happenings are formed into our great perhaps through our service.

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THE ELIMI-BAKE PROJECT

North Garland High School Key Club

DIVISION 2C Article by Timothy Johnson

The El iminat e project is a charit y t hat has been support ed by Key Cl ub since 1994. The El iminat e Project hel ps mot hers and t heir f ut ure babies t o be abl e t o st ay heal t hy and st rong. Bot h mot her and chil d are vaccinat ed in order t o prevent mat ernal and neonat al t et anus. Our job as Key Cl ubbers has been t o raise money and awareness f or t his nobl e cause, and we have been abl e t o do so by support ing El iminat e Week.

Key Club officers gathered together to raise funds for the project every day of the week, with new and exciting ways to earn money every day! Students who were not even a part of Key Club were able to experience the feeling of giving back to the community, it?s a very enjoyable experience to be able to see the smiles among the faces of students who love to benefit the world in any way they can. Monday of the Eliminate Week, officers were able to have members come together and create cards for the moms involved in Eliminate, to know that we support them and their fight against tetanus, but also for our caring mothers for mother?s day! On Tuesday we were able to have our very own bake sale! Officers were tasked to make treats for members and classmates alike to help support this cause, which everyone thought was a treat. Wednesday we felt it would be good to have some friendly competition!

Classes who raised the most money by the end of the day would be able to win their very own pizza party! Coins flew as people raced to donate! Finally, Thursday was here, and people could see the long awaited event. Six male officers were up for bidding on dates! The twist, however, was that the male officers had to dress in ridiculous clothing for their dates! Girls crowded the room to have the opportunity for a date with one of our officers, one even bid $20!

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The El iminat e Week was a very special , product ive, and enjoyabl e week. Al l of us were abl e t o have f un wit h bot h members and cl assmat es, but t o al so be abl e t o support a nobl e cause. Everyone was ent husiast ic t o raise f unds t o hel p t he mot hers and babies suf f ering t hrough t he harsh diseases of mat ernal , and neonat al t et anus, and I?m proud t o say t hat t he week had t rul y brought out everyone?s sel f l ess spirit .

North Garland High School Key Club

WHAT HAPPENS NOW? School is al most over and summer is right around t he corner, but service wil l cont inue on! Wit h 3 mont hs of summer f ree t ime, don?t you want t o give back t o t he communit y? Lounging can seem pret t y f un at f irst , but wit h al l t hat t ime on your hands you can make a dif f erence where ot hers can?t .

DIVISION 2C Article by Timothy Johnson

HERE COMES SUMMER WITH A BLAST OF SERVICE

SUM M ER SERVI CE

Thinking about going to the beach? Well why don?t you volunteer as well? Help out your local lifeguard by keeping things in check, or even just help to clean litter left behind on the beach. Just because school is over doesn?t mean people don?t need help, there are plenty of sick and homeless to even help out. Got any old clothes you?re not using? Want to clear up some space in your closet? Help out the community by donating to your local clothing drop box! Many children and adults cannot afford to buy good clothing, and with your small donation you can change someone?s life for the better. Sixteen or older? If you are you can donate blood to the Red Cross organization and help those in need of blood transfusions at hospitals nationally!

If you visit a Children?s Miracle Network hospital you can donate money or purchase a balloon that will help to train staff, buy up to date equipment, and more. This is to help ensure that a child gets the proper care that they deserve.

Whenever you?re out shopping and you see a charity box, don?t hesitate to donate, there are plenty of less fortunate people around the world and that little bit can bring someone clothes, food, shelter, or even be able to save their life! All it really takes though is to get out and try to help out your community in any way you possibly can

Being a part of the Key Club organization means that you will try and help others no matter what, even if it is your day off. You should try your best to help others in need, because who knows, one day they might recognize you when you?re in your lowest moments and help you through that predicament. Volunteering is a circle, and people who help the less fortunate will develop not only as a person, but be able to create a cycle of volunteering, which creates a chain among others to follow in the footsteps that you have created.

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UPCOMINGEVENTS June 6th - Celebration of Choices Key Club members go out and help disabled children participate in outside sports and activities June 12th - Carwash at Sonic in Garland A car wash to raise funds for North Garland Highschool Key Clubs.

June 12th-14th - Taste of Dallas Taste of Dallas is Dallas?most sought-after culinary event, featuring over 70 restaurants, cooking competitions for top prizes, a culinary & exhibitor marketplace, Taste the Difference VIP tasting experience, the sweet factory, plus much, much more June 13th - Recycled Pomeranians Key Clubbers help care for Pomeranians and let them know that human contact is safe.

June 15th - Bahama Bucks Fundraiser A Fundraiser that lasts 1 HOUR at Bahama Bucks, raising money for North Garland High School (3PM-4PM)

June 19th - North Garland Highschool Key Club Tennis Tournament A Tennis Tournament open to ANYONE to support North Garland High School Key Club June 24th - Flavors of Dallas an evening of elaborate table decor, exquisite food, fine wine, and a great cause for the American Liver Foundation 12

OUR OFFI CER CON TACT I N FORM ATI ON PRESIDENT - SOPHIA TRAN SOPHVITRAN@GMAIL.COM VICE PRESIDENT - E'NOCH W ILLIAMS -

ENOCH.W ILLIAM98@GMAIL.COM SECRETARY OF REPORTS - KIM NGUYEN MISS.KIM.451@GMAIL.COM

SECRETARY OF HOURS - VIVIAN TRAN VIVIAN.TRAN1515@GMAIL.COM

TREASURER - TRACY MAI MAITRACY2@GMAIL.COM 13

OUR OFFI CER CON TACT I N FORM ATI ON EDITOR- ALAN PHUONG ALANHPHUONG@GMAIL.COM PARLIAMENTARIAN - JASON NGUYEN JASONNGUY224@GMAIL.COM HISTORIAN - STEPHANIE MAI W ITTLESTEFFY00000@GMAIL.COM W EBMASTER - JERRY LUCKENBAUGH JLUCKENBAUGH2@GMAIL.COM HEAD OF SERVICES - ANDY HUYNH ANDY.C.HUYNH23@GMAIL.COM 14

T-O Key Club District Office : email@TOKeyClub.com Tele: 817-640-7711 3010 Park Row Dr., Suite 100, Pantego, TX Rachel Iselin, 2015-2016 District Governer: Governer@TOKeyClub.com Crystal Loh, 2015-2016 District Secretary: Secretary@TOKeyClub.com Emily Zhao, 2015-2016 District Treasurer: Treasurer@TOKeyClub.com Matthew Riley, 2015-2016 District Editor: Editor@TOKeyClub.com Megan Reynosa, Convention Liaision CL@TOKeyClub.com

District Contact Information

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