KEYping Up

November 2011 The Resourceful Publication for Club Officers Volume 62, Issue 2 Dear officers of the New Jersey District,

Introduction -----------------1 President and VPs ---------- 2 Secretaries ------------------ 3 Treasurers ------------------- 4 Editors ----------------------- 5 Webmasters ---------------- 6 Project Showcase ---------- 7 District Programs------------ 7 Extras ------------------------8

Inside this issue

Snowy days and long vacations have come again, so whats on your mind? While weve hadonly!three months of school, we are already half way through this Key Club Service Year. So, to stay on track, this issue of KEYping Up will feature the following:
Your counterparts on the District Executive Board

give their insight on your officer duties. These tips outline your duties for the mid-year time period.
Whats going on with the newest series of charity

talent shows put on by the NJ District to fundraise for our District Project The Eliminate Project.
Easier to organize and more service-oriented,

here are some service ideas for the District Programs focuses.
A page of extras that brings a little lightness to

Jiayun Fang NJ District Secretary 45 Short Hills Cir. Apt 2B Millburn, NJ 07041 908-546-2996 secretary.jfang@gmail.com

Contact me!

the exhausting, exhilarating, and extraordinary lives of us Key Clubbers. Remember, as your District Secretary, I am your resource. Feel free to contact me through the means listed to the left. Yours in caring and service,

District Secretary 2011-2012

Jiayun Fang

- Page 1 -

President and VPs page

By District Governor Nicole Darrah
Hello Club Presidents & Vice Presidents! Weve made it! Almost! Now that were half way through the service year, I have a question for you: do you find your Key Club glass half empty? Or half full? Think about all that youve done in your presidential positions, everything youve done for your club, for the New Jersey District, and for Key Club International so far this year and really think about it: how will you define your Key Club year? Although were six months into our terms, that doesnt mean its time to relax. Six months down and six months to go, and weve got much to do! With Lieutenant Governor Elections approaching, divisional and district Project Showcase events nearing us, and even District Convention preparation well on its way, we have quite a lot to do before our service year ends on April 1st.
DISTRICT PROJECT

PRESIDENTS PAGE

As you know, our District Project this year has been split in half to include a service aspect, as well as a separate fundraising aspect. Our service aspect is Childrens Specialized Hospital, a chain of hospitals around New Jersey that weve worked closely with for the past six years. As Presidents and VPs, really work on getting your clubs involved by calling the hospitals yourself! Note: 5 people allowed per Rec. Therapy session, with 1 person being at least 18. Remember that our service hours goal dedicated to CSH is 15,600 hours so contact a local hospital and participate in a Recreational Therapy visit today! Our fundraising aspect, along with many other parts of the Kiwanis Family, is The Eliminate Project, where were working to raise $79,180.38 by the end of the service year to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus by the year 2015! Work with your club advisors and fellow officers to plan creative fundraisers that not only could your club participate in, but also your school and even your division!
DISTRICT CONVENTION 2012

Like I mentioned earlier, District Convention (DCON) preparation has begun! From March 30th to April 1st, make sure to Walk the Boardwalk of Service with hundreds of Key Clubbers from all over New Jersey to have a fantastic weekend full of fun, leadership, and service. This year, DCON is in a new location right here in Jersey! The Ocean Place Hotel (right on the beach) in Long Branch is home to our 2012 DCON. Work with your sponsoring Kiwanis clubs and hold club fundraisers to raise enough funds for club members to attend District Convention. DCON 2012 registration and other weekend logistics information will be ready and sent to clubs very soon talk to your lieutenant governor for more details! If you ever have any questions throughout your terms, feel free to contact me at anytime via email, social networking, phone call, etc. Governor Nicole: governor@njkeyclub.org

- Page 2 -

secretarys scoop
By District Secretary Jiayun Fang
As we enter winter and many clubs wind down, we Secretaries must brace for our work just getting started. The most important part to remember throughout your term as Secretary is that you are not an ordinary member. You are persistent, determined, and efficient. You are the Secretary. Act like it by not letting the winter blues get the best of you and stay on top of your deadlines and reports.

Club Monthly Report Forms Club Monthly Report Forms (CMRFs) by the tenth of every month. This is one of your most important duties as Club Secretary because CMRFs are the most effective methods of communication between the District and club level.

Meeting Minutes

In order to fill in absentees and increase transparency within your clubs, make sure you publish officer meeting minutes for your officers, members, and advisors. It benefits both your club and yourselves because it is a record of everything discussed and planned. Sent to lieutenant governor, your zone administrator, Meetings should include: your Kiwanis advisor, your faculty advisor, and me, your Date, time, and location of meeting District Secretary. Officers present Please make sure all details about the Report of Activi- Each topic discussed ties is up to date. District awards for Service will be Upcoming events counted from the CMRFs submitted. Due dates For your convenience, you may use the e-CMRF generator at njkeyclub.org or fill out the new, more intuitive Word form of the CMRF. Officer Rosters

Club Files Keeping Accurate Club Files Although you should have been doing this throughout the year, keeping accurate club files is important for your club in many ways. 1. Acts as a record against which you may check your assumptions, budgets, etc. That way, there are no discrepancies between what is believed to be true and what is actually true. 2. Acts as guidelines for your future club officers. As much as we dread it, we will become immediate past officers one day and our successors need direction and thats where your accurate club files come in.

Officer Rosters If your club has not already done so, please fill out an officer roster with names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of all of the officers in your club. Having accurate contact information facilitates the transition period from the immediate past District Board to the new District Board and ensures that your club may stay in close contact with their new lieutenant governors. If there are corrections or additions to the Club Directory you should have received on a CD during the Back-to-School District Mailing, feel free to email the change to me at secretary@njkeyclub.org. The changes to the Club Directory will be featured in the Second Addendum to the District Handbook.

Secretary Jiayun: secretary@njkeyclub.org

- Page 3 -

TREASURERs TIPs
By District Treasurer Kimberly Lu
Hello treasurers! The school years speeding full throttle ahead so its important to get on track and stay there! By now, a few things should be on your mind. The dues deadline is December 1st, so that means it is crunch time! All officers, especially treasurers, should be on top of dues collection. If youve already sent them in and made the Early Bird Dues deadline, congratulation is in order as well as an Early Bird Dues award at District Convention. Personally, I know my clubs treasurer plays a large role in updating the dues membership center along with my advisor. I suggest other treasurers do the same by creating an accurate and efficient roster to be put into the update center. Ive been receiving a lot of questions about H numbers and passwords; if your advisor or you, as club treasurer, are confused about the membership update center, feel free to contact me. If you dont have a password or H number, then you should contact District Governor Nicole.
Club Finances

The school year is only beginning, but a budget should be made to total all expenses. The giving season has officially commenced, so its important that your club have its financial back covered. Following that train of thought, treasurers should organize their things, especially around December, when things can get hectic. If your club likes to collaborate with other school organizations or hope to donate to another charity that is not affiliated with Key Club, thats fine. However, dont forget to keep a tight record on how much your Key Club has fundraised. Make sure your secretary gets the right numbers, so that he or she can total it up in the Club Monthly Report Form. It is important to have the right numbers, even if your club raised that money with another organization.
Sending The Eliminate Project funds

Now, most clubs have finished up the Trick-or-Treat UNICEF event, which traditionally takes place around Halloween. Proceeds should be sent to the International office at 3636 Woodview Trace in Indianapolis, IN and all checks should be made out to Kiwanis International Foundation. Its a great way to start the year, but weve got a lot more to do! Treasurers, put your heads and hearts into this project. Every meeting, when you deliver your regular financial report, you should try to put your ideas in. There are tons of fundraiser ideas online at www.njkeyclub.org, and your lieutenant governor has probably trained you on brainstorming. Although its early, please remember what I always say: keep everything organized. You should have your files, folders, and ideas neatly put together. The giving season may have just started, but you want to keep a strong legacy to pass on to the treasurer next year! Good luck, and I hope you make the most of the holidays. Treasurer Kimberly: treasurer@njkeyclub.org

- Page 4 -

EDITORs EXpress
By District Bulletin Editor Andre Rosario
Focus on your main jobpublic relations. Pass on tasks that dont necessarily fall under PR. Instead of planning entire projects, focus on promotion and school and community press coverage. Other officers, committee chairs, and trustworthy members can take care of the other details, but no other officer position is dedicated to PR as much as the editor. Heres how you can improve your clubs PR in the next few months: Build your clubs reputation by having newspapers and radio stations cover your events Local press coverage of your big, newsworthy fundraisers will build your clubs reputation not just in your school, but in your community as well. Here are some tips for contacting reporters: Contact reporters and radio stations at least a month and a half before your event. Find email addresses and phone numbers of community reporters in your newspaper or online. Send the reporters a professional press release. You can google helpful tips and the specifics of writing a strong, correctly formatted press release. Make sure that you and all your officers are knowledgeable about basic Key Club facts and about the organization for which youre fundraising. Reporters will probably ask for this information. Reach out to freshmen and new members Introducing yourself to freshmen and new members will encourage them to be more active. A personal connection makes them more likely to listen to you at meetings and more comfortable asking questions. Introduce yourself at projects, be friendly, and smile. Members might feel disconnected from their officers, but you can help make Key Club more personal for them. Underclassmen may admire your kindness, and it may inspire them to be caring officers too. How are your K-Family relations? A strong relationship with local K-Family clubs can increase the impact our organizations have on our communities. Invite your sponsoring Kiwanis to meetings, and attend some of theirs. Send the same member every time so that they see a familiar face, and make sure to remember Kiwanians names. Plan joint projects. Send holiday cards to the other K-Family clubs in the area. You could also plan a meeting for juniors and seniors where Kiwanians and Circle K members can share their career/college advice.

Your job as editor is to tell people how great Key Club is, and communicating with your local press, your members, and your local K-Family will make more people aware of your clubs achievements. Bulletin Editor Andre: editor@njkeyclub.org

- Page 5 -

WEBMASTERs WORD
By District Webmaster Wesley Yuan
It will be difficult keeping up with your Webmaster duties as the school year progresses. I will not lie. However, you are not alone. Equipped with strong convictions, you can make everything much easier. Remind yourself what your purpose in Key Club is and realize the impact of what your efforts will do to your community.
1. Publicize

You finished your website. This is fantastic! Now you need to make sure your members use it. When people ask you when the next meeting is, refer them to your website. Sometimes people want to know the number of hours they served, and ask you for it. Refer them to your website. If you do this, your members gradually depend on your website!
2. Update

You finished your website and you told people about it. This is fantastic! At this point, you are very likely to ignore your creation, because you feel like you have done everything you can. DONT DO IT! Take or collect pictures and videos from key club events and post them on your website so your members will reflect on their achievements. Always update the website with new information whenever duty calls (Calendar, Hours, etc)
3. Cooperation

As a Webmaster, you are the master of communication. The effectiveness of your school club rests on your ability to connect the lines of communication between the officers and your members. Get ahead of the game. You need to know what other officers are planning so you can communicate this to your general members via your website. Lastly, work with the officers! You should get information and documents regularly from a majority of the officers. In retrospect, these tasks should not be too difficult to handle as long as you spend at least 15 minutes every weekend to check up on things. Participate in all your Key Club events and have fun! You will not forget this experience! Please contact me if you face any difficulties! Good luck! Webmaster Matt: webmaster@njkeyclub.org

- Page 6 -

Project showcase
By District Project Co-Chairperson Nicole Ventrone This service year Key Clubbers have the exciting opportunity to support the Eliminate Project, with a brand-new district event: Project Showcase: Saving Lives Through Talent! Project Showcase is a talent competition with relatively no restrictions on the act performed. Whether you sing, break dance, or even yo-yo, you are welcome to display your talent for your division of Key Club. And most importantly, proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit the Eliminate Project. The New Jersey District will hold Project Showcase events at each of the 22 divisions. Once the winners are established, the NJ District will organize a state-wide show in mid-February. You can compete against high students from around NJ for the title of most talented student!

More about Project NJ Goal: $79,180.38 Showcase

Contact your LTG! Project Showcase events are open to any high school-aged student not just Key Club members! Even bands or group acts require only one member to be in high school. With such a broad definition for participants, Project Showcase is sure to have a great variety of events - just remember to spread the word to all your friends.

If you are interested in participating in Project Showcase, please email your Key Club officers, advisor, Lieutenant Governor or even myself at ltg.nventronediv8@gmail.com. Any of us will be happy to provide you with the appropriate registration form. If you would prefer to just attend the event, please contact your Key Club president or officers for the upcoming event near you. Please remember that Project Showcase will only be successful with the support of our Key Clubbers!

DISTRICT PROGRAMS: aDVOCACY

By District Project Co-Chairperson Celina Baquiran It is currently half way through the service year and believe or not but the District Programs Committee is still working! Yes, that is right, the District Programs Committee continues to encourage clubs to involve themselves with service projects that will benefit Invisible Children and Autism. Remember to remind your members about our advocacy focuses in case they have any service projects in mind. Even if your club has not done any service projects yet, there is still time for your club to get involved. Hosting an Invisible Children screening in your school is a great way to raise awareness not only in your club, but your entire school. Invisible Children also works with other organizations that benefit both sides. These organizations might have clothing or shoe donations in which donated goods are sent to families who are in need in Uganda. But let us not forget about our other advocacy focus: Autism. Autism is something that affects everyone and there are so many Autism organizations out there! Have your club attend Autism walks or contact an Autism organization and ask if they are willing to have volunteers. Advocacy does not have to be only service projects. Announcements and flyers are easy and fast ways to advocate. Informing members about an organization through videos or guest speakers will allow members to really know what an organization is about and who knows, it may lead to some passionate advocators. If you have any questions about what you can do for Advocacy, contact your Lieutenant Governor for help. - Page 7 -

extras
All Things Key Club (from all over!)

My Life is Key Club (MLIKC)

Contact us

I count my pocket change by how many lives it could save. MLIKC I am more excited for Key Club Week than for my birthday. MLIKC I have more Key Club shirts than regular shirts. I can wear a different KC shirt every day for a month without repeating. MLIKC I long to go to 3636 Woodview Trace. MLIKC Todayand on many others days I start emails with KCI: before realizing it is a personal email. MLIKC I can recite the Key Club pledge....backwards...letter, by letter. MLIKC Today, my friends from school asked if I still had imaginary friends because they have never met the people that I talk about. MLIKC Sleep is no longer a priority in my life, it is more important to get a newsletter or report in on time. MLIKC Whenever I drive past a school without a Key Club, I make a mental note to build one. MLIKC I call states by their District names. To me, the state of Louisiana is nonexistent. Only La-Miss-Ten. MLIKC I only go to school for Key Club meetings. MLIKC

Questions?

All emails of the Executive Board members are included as the last part of their respective articles in this issue KEYping Up If you need to contact your Lieutenant Governor, their email email will follow the template: ltgdiv1@njkeyclub.org. Just switch the 1 with your own division number! Facebook: New Jersey District of

Key Club International page Website: Njkeyclub.org Twitter: @njkeyclub Youtube: njkeyclub

Page 10