While volunteering could be considered the heart of Key Club, there are many other opportunities other than attending service events to showcase the Key Club spirit. Among these are socials, a form of gathering in which the main objective is to form new bonds and get together to have fun. Socials are vital to a Key Club’s success because it balances out many instances of hard work with the chance to relax and revel in members’ participation. Without socials, members can often lose interest in the club, especially after having completed their hour requirements, or they miss out on the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. At Cy-Ridge, we focus on making our socials with a purpose; every moment should be utilized to the fullest extent to ensure members leave feeling refreshed and satisfied. For example, at the end of the school year, we held an end-of-school social. Officers brought food and a variety of games or sports to play. Our first objective was playing some games. We chose to play those that emphasized teamwork, and with the teams being randomized, each person had the chance to meet someone new. Great games that focus on this are Dragontails, in which each team tries to yank the tail off of other teams, Capture the Flag, where players must use strategy and skill to bring the flag back to their home base without being tagged, and Birdie on a Perch, where couples must find each other quickly and piggy-back one another to avoid being the last group. Afterwards, we relaxed and ate lunch. Officers were encouraged to go around and sit with a random group, eliciting conversation and finding out information about each member. This allows officers and members to break through the professional barrier and get the chance to interact in a more comfortable environment. This is crucial to the relationship between the officer board and members, as intimidation and shyness often discourage members from wanting to reach out to officers. Although socials may seem unnecessary or even a waste of time, they have underlying benefits that extend to the whole club. With more involvement between members and the opportunity to get to know one another on a more personal level, each social inevitably contributes to a more cohesive and close-knitted club. This feeling of connectedness is the epitome of the Key Club motto, as each person learns to care for each other as family. As I embark on my third and final year in Key Club, I think that it’s important to reminisce and remind myself of all the memories, the good and the bad, that amalgamate to form the beautiful mosaic that is my Key Club experience and ultimately, a large chunk of my high school experience as well. If I’m being completely frank, my introduction into the world of Key Club was no smooth one; in fact, I was a fairly inactive member. In my freshman year, I probably attended two meetings in the entire school year and went to absolutely no events, resulting in me being swiftly kicked out at the end of the fall semester. It took me the entire spring semester to get over this bitter taste in my mouth that being booted out left. However, after coming to accept that it was ultimately my fault for being kicked out, I decided to rejoin the club in my sophomore year with a new motivation to redeem myself. During my freshman year, I had the mentality of volunteering being a chore and a waste of time that I could be using to do homework or catch up on Netflix. However, after finally attending a few events, I found my community of peers that I felt comfortable around and made volunteering enjoyable. Soon enough, I found myself getting excited to volunteer every weekend alongside my newfound friends. My sophomore year was also the year that Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area. I vividly remember that at the first meeting of the year, President Brandon Kang mentioned that through Key Club we could work together to create a direct impact on Hurricane Harvey victims. As someone whose house got flooded and was living at their grandma’s house deep in Cypress, this really meant a lot to me. Seeing such compassion in a dire time of need really resonated deep within me and got me riled up to start volunteering. President Kang was very insistent on making events that assisted Hurricane Harvey victims in getting their lives back together, such as working with TXU Energy to distribute free trees to victims. My junior year in Key Club was by far my most fun. As secretary, I really felt a strong sense of community between my local Key Club and the district and felt that by recording all the hours, making the minutes, and submitting the monthly reports that I was helping put Cypress Ridge on the map as a school that can compete with the prestigious. Being on the officer board and working alongside such passionate souls motivated me to better serve my community and reminded me of why I continue to volunteer through Key Club. As my last year in high school begins, I will never forget to utilize my past experiences of service to better the entire club’s volunteering experience to ensure that they find their own passion for service. When I first signed up for Key Club, I actually didn’t do anything. Whether it be because I did not have a Facebook or because I did not have a ride, I was not able to go to events and I was fine with that. Sophomore year, however, I was determined to put in the effort to go to events in order to earn hours, which I knew would look good on my college application when the time came. Going to events became a way for me to get out of my house for the weekend and go to places I had never gone to before. At first, I will admit, I did not think it was all that fun and often did not want to get out of bed when the events were held early in the morning. After going to more events, these thoughts slowly started to change. Since I am a shy and quiet person, I was very hesitant to talk to other people, which I now realize is what probably made those first events a bit less enjoyable for me. By going to more events, Key Club actually helped me become a bit less socially awkward and opened the opportunity for me to meet new people. Although it does sound very cheesy, I believe Key Club did change me as a person. I was able to volunteer alongside great people, who would later become my friends. Those friends would motivate me to volunteer even more, which I often did not hesitate to do. As I started to enjoy going to events more, I began to pay more attention to the impact volunteering had on the people we were helping. When going to the Houston Food Bank, I was reminded of how many people there are in the Houston area who are not as fortunate and who through our volunteering, those people would receive food quicker. When I helped plant trees at Buffalo Bayou, it made me realize that our earth sometimes needs a little help restoring its beauty from the harmful things humans put on it. It was even more enjoyable to see the huge smiles on the faces of elementary school kids when I volunteered at Emmott Festival. Going to events became something that I was eager and happy to do. There have been times when I had met my hour requirements but still went to multiple events because I believed I would truly enjoy them. After these last four years I am happy to say I am a member of Key Club. When I was a freshmen, I joined Key Club not knowing many people, since they were mostly upperclassman and it made me feel intimidated . I had no motivation to volunteer, because I was shy and didn’t know much. Throughout high school I didn’t join Key Club again till senior year and I regret it. As a senior, I looked forward to the days that we had general meetings, because I was surrounded by amazing people and spending time with an organization that likes to help others that are in need. Key Club has taught me the importance of volunteering. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change people’s lives, including your own. It gives you the satisfaction of playing a role in someone else’s life, helping people who may not be able to help themselves.Volunteering is a way of giving back to your community while developing important social skills, and gaining valuable work experience all at the same time. There are so many beneficial ways of getting involved in and giving back to your community. Not only is volunteering a rewarding experience but it helps students’ reputations. By giving up a few hours of the day to help work for an organization that is in need of workers, you may bring a lifetime of happiness in someone’s life. Or provide shelter and warmth to a family who lives on the streets by volunteering to help them in any way we can. Why not spend a little time helping others, because in the end, what goes around comes around. Key Club isn’t just about volunteering, but it’s a good way to meet new people, learn, and develop social skills. I used to be really shy, well I still am lol, it helped me engage with others and cooperate to get something done quickly and efficiently. Volunteerism, civic engagement, and advocacy are the driving forces for creating change and making a positive impact in your community and society at large. While gaining internship and job experience can lead to community impact and social change, it’s important for us to remember that before we start advocating for change and informing others about issues we care about, we need to fully understand the complexity and depth of the social, environmental, or economic issue we are passionate about. Not only do we need to understand the “issue or societal problem” that many people face and are impacted by every day, but we need to meet and work alongside those whose daily realities are shaped by injustices, while not creating any divides or barriers in the process. Everyday people are affected by the issues that organizations fight for or against, and once we realize how self-centered we really are, I believe we will realize our call to action to help shift the community into a better state than it previously was. As a Key Club member, I have learned to appreciate my time and attend events that can impact someone’s life for the good. Like I said, I wish I was in Key Club throughout all my high school years to engage with new people and work on my social skills. In college, I am looking forward to attend volunteering clubs, so I can go outside and not be a lazy bum, playing video games all day. Key Club has definitely shaped my life and helped me matured throughout my senior year. Thanks for listening to my TED talk. When I had first joined Key Club, I could not even begin to fathom the amount of doors and possibilities it would open to me. As I began my journey with the club, I realized there’s so much more to it than just volunteering. Key Club has helped me build the foundations I need to be successful and better connect to people from my own school to across the country. Joining this organization comes with a lot more than you would assume. When hearing about this club, you assume, “It’s an organization through which I get to volunteer. This sounds easy.” Yet, as I became more involved within Key Club, it has taught me valuable skills that I will take along with me forever. Such as time management, prioritizing, and communication skills. As Key Club is not my only commitment, I learned how to balance many things at once and continue to achieve my goals with 110%. These skills have helped create a positive impact within my life and will continue to in the future. For that, I am thankful to Key Club. Along with time management skills, my communication skills have improved drastically. Being part of such a big organization, requires you to constantly talk to your fellow club members, officers, teachers, adults organizing the events, etc.. Therefore, lacking the ability to establish what you want to say and the ability to comprehend what others want is not an option. These people skills will not solely benefit me only within Key Club, but like time management, throughout my whole life. I’m truly grateful for this strong, positive impact within my life. Key Club connects together so many people to create a network of people as small as one classroom to thousands of high schools across the nation. Through meetings, events, and DCON, I have been able to meet amazing, brilliant people that I would have never had the pleasure of meeting, had it not been due to Key Club. It has been as small as reconnecting with an old friend at an event to meeting someone from a different city/state. Yet, these people mean so much to me already and I see as lifelong friends. Key Club is not just an organization through which to do volunteer events, but rather a foundation bringing millions of people together to assist their community, creating bonds that will never break, and teaches valuable skills to students across the nation. To Key Club, I am thankful for the greatest, positive effect in my life since entering high school. As the school year slowly leads to more and more events, there is a myriad of choices for you to decide what event you’d like to volunteer at. From cheering on runners at marathons to visiting the elderly, there are many ways for Key Clubbers to interact with their community. However, if I had to decide which event was my favorite, I would most definitely pick the time I volunteered at Kirk Elementary. While the event’s description only said we would be babysitting the kids while their parents were in a meeting, we ended up having a lot more fun than that. Walking in, there were only a couple kids at first, and they were clustered in chairs at the front of the classroom watching Word Girl on the large TV. As more kids began arriving, we started to gather around tables, asking if any of them would like to draw or color. Soon, every seat was taken up by not only the kids, but Key Clubbers as well – you’re never too old to color! I sat next to one girl, who was shy at first, but we quickly found we had many things in common to talk about, from our love of Grease to what we liked to draw. We were having such a great time that she even asked if her best friend could come over to join us as well. They proceeded to show me their best friend handshake which I found adorable! I made both of them little cards that had their names plus an inspirational quote that they chose. My heart melted when I gave the cards to them as I saw that they had drawn a picture for me in return. As I looked around the room, I could see how much everyone was enjoying themselves, and as I watched the kids show off their creativity and talents, I realized that it didn’t matter that I had to wake up early on a Saturday or that the room was obnoxiously loud. Being able to say I was a part of the reason why these kids smiled made the complaints dwindle away. As I started to head out, I was stopped by the two girls who gave sad groans when I explained that I had to leave. They asked me when would be the next time Key Club would come back to help, and I said “soon,” wishing with all my heart that that was true. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the kids, as I had the chance to interact and socialize with them, and their precious smiles are evidence that volunteering really does make a difference. High school, most people are in different clubs, extracurricular activity like orchestra, band and more. With school starting, many will be trying to find time into their busy life schedules and try hard to fit everything in. Being in extracurricular activities, going above and beyond means that it requires work and commitment. It is important to fulfill these commitments, but it’s not always easy to balance everything. To fit everything into your time, it is important to stay organized, know when things are due, and stay on top of things. An easy way to keep track of everything is to have a planner. Writing down when things are due helps not to forget the work that needs to be done by a certain time. It also encourages to finish things every time the planner is looked at. Also, do not develop bad habits like procrastinating. It will only add onto the stress and might even interfere with the quality of work. Make sure to complete work on time, and if there is anything that you are unsure about, don’t be afraid to ask others. Make sure to not accidentally sign up for too many things that are too hard to handle. At the beginning, it might be easy to think that joining a lot of extra activities are a good idea, and that you can handle it, but in the end, all the pressure might too hard on a person. Only do things that you can handle. Like many would agree, naps are truly amazing. Naps are so tempting after school, to just relax and give those tired eyelids what they deserve. Although naps are great, it is best not to take them after school. Try to do homework or work that needs to be done right after school, so that you can just go to sleep early. Try not to go on your bed after school in general until work is finished and you’re ready to go to bed. Time efficiency is everything. Why spend 2 hours on something when you can only spend 30 minutes on it? If you can multitask and kill two birds with one stone, do it! Free time in class? Catch up on work that needs to be done! Most importantly, make sure all the extracurricular activities that are done are enjoyable. What is the point of doing extracurricular activities and struggle to balance work when it’s terrible and miserable for you? Try to have fun and loosen up a little bit! I think the greatest way to encourage the members is to show them the impact volunteering has on others. Many volunteers fail to realize the difference they make in people. One way we will encourage our members to volunteer is to list to them the benefits they would obtain from it. Not only would they feel a sense of accomplishment to be able to have an impact on the society as a whole but they would develop life skills needed later in life. We will show how volunteering is a great way to grow out of your comfort zone and to become more comfortable around large groups for those who may be timid and shy. We will also inform them how helping others also helps open their eyes to the reality of the world. Not only would do they become socially aware of what occurs in the world but they also become aware of the power they have in their actions and their words. We will also try to emphasize with them more and tell them that we are aware that during the school year and may be hard to volunteer. We will emphasize how volunteering during the summer help give them a head start before school. Many members are involved in school so having a head start will help them keep up with the hour requirements. It is always better to finish early then to finish late. One thing as a club we try to do is allow my them a choice to pick the volunteer work they would like. I feel like it gives them a free choice to choose what they desire to do. I also believe that it is important to volunteer by example. As a leader we are also responsible to attend the summer events ourselves so that the members are motivated to come out to volunteer. If they see the passion we put forth into helping it will encourage them to do the same. What we are trying to do as a club is to have events that provide both the opportunity to have fun while making an impact on the community. Some events we try to incorporate into our summer events are things that people love to do like the Blacklight Run and a puppy marathon that will serve as an incentive for people to come and help. Key Club should strive forward to persuade members to volunteer during the summer to be able to help out others. Socials are events throughout the year that our members and officers always look forward to. They are a way of bringing our members together to enjoy a day of playing games, talking, listening to music, and spending more time getting to know one another. In our club, we try to promote our socials as much as possible by using social media to communicate directly to all of our members. Our officers attempt to promote socials by creating posts on our Facebook page. Our Facebook page makes it easier for officers to inform our members of upcoming events and new information that they should know, such as socials. We also post messages when the social is nearing in order to remind members about the details of the social and in case they forgot about the event. Our public relations officer will use several social media platforms to send out reminders like through Remind-101, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter posts. This helps ensure that our members can hear about the social through multiple places in case they are not aware or forget about the event. Another way that our club tries to advertise our socials is by discussing about them during general meetings and constantly talking to members individually. Our officers share previous memories and experiences because we want our members to feel like socials are enjoyable and entertaining. Socials benefit our club as a whole because they help bring members together and give members the chance to bond more. Members are able to form new friendships or strengthen current relationships because they all have the same desire to help their community and people through service. Socials help our club because members are able to learn more about one another, allowing our club to grow more as a whole. Our members can share laughs, jokes, and memories that they will remember for the rest of the year. They will be able to enjoy future events and service projects more because they have more friends to volunteer with them. In conclusion, our officers try to promote club socials by communicating to our members through social media and directly talking to them. We try to discuss our experiences at prior socials and how much we have enjoyed them. We want our members to feel like socials are just a fun day of hanging out with others and playing games. Socials are very beneficial for our club because they unite our members and officers together and our club becomes stronger. Believe it or not, I haven’t always loved Key Club. At Ram Express as a freshman, I was attracted to the Key Club booth because of their colorful, Hawaiian themed table, the huge posters, and how the people working the booth seemed extremely excited to greet me. However after a few unorganized meetings, I noticed that Key Club seemed more of a chore than an extracurricular activity that I wanted to devote my time to. There were only two events each month, the leadership seemed poor, and five minute meetings consisted of officers informing members about hour requirements and events rather than how the organization impacted the community and the true meaning of service. Consequently, I stopped attending events and was soon kicked out of Key Club after failing to meet the hour requirement. Despite my unpleasant history with the club, this year, as a sophomore, I decided to join Key Club again in hopes for a fresh start. Luckily, the leadership this year was much stronger than before, with officers that devoted time out to get to know each and every one of their members. I remember at the very first meeting, I was greeted by at least three smiling officers that were eager to shake my hand and learn my name. Also, there were many more events and fundraisers, giving members more than enough opportunities to meet the hour requirement. Meetings were filled with ice breakers often followed by service projects, where members and officers could socialize while doing arts and crafts or putting together care packages for those in need. As cheesy and cliché as this may sound, this past year of volunteering in Key Club has changed my life. It has shown me the true meaning of altruism and how one individual can truly impact a community. By sacrificing my time after school or on the weekends, I was given the opportunity to hand out trees to families whose homes were reduced to nothing due to Hurricane Harvey and even visit an old folk’s home, where I got to meet new people that I never would have come across without Key Club. A few months ago, I applied to be a Key Club officer after being inspired by the current board. Each individual on the officer board was a leader in every sense of the word, and I aspired to be as caring, confident, and selfless as they were in order to serve my community to the best of my abilities. Obviously, since I have submitted this article to you, I was successful in becoming an officer. This upcoming year as secretary will definitely not be an easy one, however I am ready to take on any challenge for the betterment of the Cypress Ridge Key Club and my community. |
Essay SubmissionsThis is a page dedicated to article submissions by the members of Cypress Ridge Key Club! Please send in your essay/picture submissions to [email protected], and title your email as [Name, Submission]. You will be contacted if your submission is uploaded onto the website. Archives
October 2021
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