The Minndak Quack

Official Publication of the Minnesota Dakotas District of Key Club International

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International Convention Recap

Welcome to the Key Club Interna-tional Convention 2010 synopsis—hope you don’t get lost on the way! For all those not in the know, Key Club has levels above our

district. The In-ternational Convention (ICON) serves as a meeting place for holis-tic issues con-cerning Key Club. This was my second ICON, and it al-ways serves as a highlight to

the summer. Now, here’s what happened.

We were graciously picked up by the rest of our district at Century High School. From there we had about a seven hour bus trip to St. Louis. On the way many members made tie blankets and goody bags for kids at the Shriners’ hospital. Other members tried to sleep in seats, aisles, luggage com-partments . . . not luggage compartments . . . Sleep was scarce, but it felt wonderful to stretch in the aisles. Once in St. Louis, we stopped at the Shriners’ Hospital to deliver all the children’s items. Then it was off to our first exciting stop. There is no better way to overcome sleep deprivation than riding ripping, roaring, corkscrewing roller coast-ers at Six Flags. We spent most of the day at Six Flags. I personally rode every roller coaster, most of them twice. Even our 70 year old chaperone, Crazy Mary, rode all

the roller coasters.

The next day, we arrived in Memphis, the site of ICON 2010. Before heading to the convention center we got to visit Graceland. Graceland was just as you would expect it, everything Elvis. I’m no Elvis fan, nor do I pre-tend to be, but I appreciated the quirky inte-rior décor of the manor. The tour certainly paid homage to his prolific career. From here I’ll quickly skip to the convention. The first night they had a Reliant K concert and a meet and greet. The next morning was the start of the convention.

During the day, many workshops were offered. Most were about service projects and other ways to make our service count. I personally went to a forum on Think Kindness. It is a group that runs a 15 day program for high schools to really make a difference in the world. We got in touch with the represen-tative that was at ICON and hope to have our own 15 day program during our school year. The second forum I went to that day was about the crisis in Africa. Whether it is the lack of water or the haphazard environment for children, we can do a lot to help. The area around Sudan is in turmoil due to con-

stant war and a ruthless outlaw devoted to changing the children of Africa into merci-less killers. The forum provided advocacy and ways to help the children in this area.

Each night a different general session is held. The first night is a welcoming session, with a speaker, an insight to all the great things Key Clubbers have been doing, and an introduction to the activities over the rest of the convention. The next night is an awards session. Different awards varying from posters to single service projects are given out. Throughout the entire session, a talent show is in full swing with piano play-ers, dancers, and songwriters. Our club plans to personally make a dent in the awards category next year. Watch out!

One of the most important parts of the entire convention is caucusing and electing a new international board. This is an opportunity for all members to ask all the candidates questions or enthusiastically participate in a candidate’s speech. Our International Trustee XinLei ‘Tony’ Wang ran for the position of International President and he succeeded! The candidates for all positions are finally determined by the

brave group of souls who enter the House

of Delegates. In the final and farewell ses-sion these newly elected board members take their place as the old board mem-bers pass off the position. Tears are shed, memories are shared, and the convention-goers leave the confer-ence with reignited passion to make Key Club successful, or at least that’s the idea.

In between all these events is time to create your own memories. We got to explore the city of Memphis, drown our-selves in BBQ sauce, jump from ledges, regret spontaneity (but accept eventu-ally), and try every kind of drank under the Memphis sun. We had choc drank, strawberry drank, and I was extremely tempted to buy peach drank. There were some other great people down in the city of Memphis.

I learned a lot from this trip, and I

would recommend it to any other Key

Clubber. It is one of those trips that will live

in high school memories forever and per-

haps inspire some good service back

home. It can lead to bonding as a club,

or just bonding as a group of friends.

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Key Club Week gives you the opportunity to show your commu-nity what Key Club is truly about: service. Each day places an em-phasis on service, to promote Key Club within our homes, schools and communities and to make Key Club a household name.

Do your part to make sure

Key Club Week—November 1st–5th—starts Kiwanis Family Month with a bang. Some ideas to promote Key Club week would be to have a so-cial event all about Key Club and invite anyone who wants to come from your school to come an d learn about Key Club. Also wear Key Club gear, put up posters around your school, and send an arti-cle to a local newspaper for the community to learn about what Key Club is. Another way to promote Key Club and also increase membership would be to participate in the “Bring a Friend to Key Club

Day”. Maybe even come up with a service project that would in-volve the whole K-Family. Seeing that it is Kiwanis Family Month as well this would help to not only celebrate Key Club, but to also create better relations with the rest of the K-Family. With these great ideas, your club can grow and flourish within your home, school, and community.

The current service initiative for the 2008-10 year, Live 2 Learn, focuses on the per-sonal development and so-cial interaction of children. Live 2 Learn is the hands on service element to the MEP. Live 2 Learn focuses on helping children, ages 5-9, overcome learning obsta-cles so they can be suc-cessful and give back to their home, school and community. Key Club mem-bers can help young chil-dren learn through mentor-ing, making friends and working together. Key Club members can serve in three areas; improving grades, giving back, and growing together. Key Clubbers are encouraged to mentor, tu-tor and help reading skills to help improve grades. To give back, members are

Major Emphasis Project

SpotlightSpotlight

working with primary schools to coordinate ser-vice projects that young students can participate in to teach youth how they can be lifelong servant leaders. By stimulating imagina-tion and learning through their ex-periences members are spark-ing growth in children so that they may grow to-gether.

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Presenting your 2010−2011

District Board

Hello, I am Christina Nystrom and I am the 2010-2011 Minne-sota Dakotas District Governor. I am very excited for this up-coming year of service! I am a senior at Fargo North High School in North Dakota. I am involved in Spanish Club, His-tory Club, Band (I play the Alto Saxophone), DECA, and Key Club! I am looking forward to serving the district this year and I am hoping that everyone will get involved in the Gov-ernor's Project: Kids Against Hunger. I am very passionate about this project and I am hoping that it will be a huge success. Let's make this year a great year of service!

Nate BorthNate BorthNate BorthNate Borth District Bulletin Editor/Webmaster

Nikki SondergaardNikki SondergaardNikki SondergaardNikki Sondergaard

District Secretary

Ciara CarrickCiara CarrickCiara CarrickCiara Carrick−−−−KittlesonKittlesonKittlesonKittleson

Division 1

Kyra SchwalbeKyra SchwalbeKyra SchwalbeKyra Schwalbe

Division 2

Caitlin StroupCaitlin StroupCaitlin StroupCaitlin Stroup

Division 3

Mary Lu KavanaghMary Lu KavanaghMary Lu KavanaghMary Lu Kavanagh−−−−BeltmanBeltmanBeltmanBeltman

Division 4

Adam YousefAdam YousefAdam YousefAdam Yousef

Division 5

Natalya ThakurNatalya ThakurNatalya ThakurNatalya Thakur

Division 6

7

Tim GohTim GohTim GohTim Goh

Division 7

Monika AndersonMonika AndersonMonika AndersonMonika Anderson

Division 8

Kelly AdlerKelly AdlerKelly AdlerKelly Adler

Division 9

Jennifer KoesterJennifer KoesterJennifer KoesterJennifer Koester

Division 10

( )Mary Beth Townsend Mrs.t

District Administrator

Come join us in Fergus Falls, MN

For the 2010 MinnDak Fall Rally

Ask your advisor or club president

for more information!

Surfin’ Into Surfin’ Into ServiceService

.This year the governor’s

project is kids against hunger.

Kids against hunger is a food

humanitarian program that

bags food and sends it to

children in need. The goal of

Kids against hunger is to

reduce the number of hungry

kids in the United States as

well as feed children all over

the world. Kids against hunger

consist of a headquarters in

New Hope, MN and many

satellites across the country.

Kids against hunger was

started in 1999 and is a nonprofit

organization. Kids

against hunger meals not only

feed children and their

families but they also help

them grow. The meals have a

blend of protein,

carbohydrates, and vitamins to

feed kids bodies and minds.

Each meal includes white rice,

soy, a vegetable blend, and a

chicken protein powder.

Recently kids against hunger

has sent food to Haiti to help

earthquake victims.

The District Goal is to package

half a million meals.

Each meal is only $0.23. At

that price if $10 were raised

per Key Club member the goal

could be accomplished.

Some ideas to raise money

could be to host a bike-a-thon,

do a car smash, or everyone

could just donate money.

You can look forward to seeing

this project at fall rally.

2010−2011 District Governors Project

( )Kids against Hunger

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Do-

• Help out with a car wash

• Go play games with

senior citizens

• Clean up a park

• Start a fundraiser

• Help with your

sponsoring Kiwanis club

Don’t-

• Bring in items

• Just come to meetings for service hours

There are a lot more do’s than dont’s so get out there and get your service hours!!

Definition of a Service Hour

A service-hour constitutes any hour of service

performed by an individual Key Club member

with the approval of his/her club’s Board of

Directors. The time expended in planning a

project will not be counted as a reported service

hour.

:Service Hours Dos and donts

Dues are due on November 30th and the early bird deadline is Octo-ber1st. Get it in by the early bird deadline and your club will receive a patch to put on your club’s banner! Membership cards, pins, hand-books and certificates will be provided only for NEW Key Club members only. These will be mailed to the club address upon receipt of membership fees and member names.

Another thing to think about with dues is to increase membership. For the bigger clubs, it is harder to get those extra members, but the more the merrier. Some suggestions for smaller clubs to get new members is to do a membership drive. Do things such as talk to teachers and ask them to hand out brochures about Key Club or your club could hold an ice cream social or pizza party to introduce kids about Key Club and get them excited.

Need more info on dues? Check out KeyClub.org

When are

?dues...Due

11

Minnesota Dakotas Key Club

a Kiwanis-family member

minndakkeyclub.org

:District Theme:District Theme

Surfin’ Into ServiceSurfin’ Into Service

1.Wacky Wild Waves 1.Wacky Wild Waves 1.Wacky Wild Waves

2.Terrific Tiki Torches 2.Terrific Tiki Torches 2.Terrific Tiki Torches

3.Sassy Surfers 3.Sassy Surfers 3.Sassy Surfers

4.Bouncing Beach Balls 4.Bouncing Beach Balls 4.Bouncing Beach Balls

5.Beach Party Crashing Pirates 5.Beach Party Crashing Pirates 5.Beach Party Crashing Pirates

6.Splendid Serving Sharks 6.Splendid Serving Sharks 6.Splendid Serving Sharks

7.Majestic Mermaids 7.Majestic Mermaids 7.Majestic Mermaids

8.Super Sand dollars 8.Super Sand dollars 8.Super Sand dollars

9.Silly Seashells 9.Silly Seashells 9.Silly Seashells

10.Loveable Lifeguards10.Loveable Lifeguards10.Loveable Lifeguards

Upcoming Events Upcoming Events

Dues are due: November Dues are due: November Dues are due: November

Key Club Week: November 1Key Club Week: November 1Key Club Week: November 1---5th 5th 5th

MinnDak Fall Rally: November 5MinnDak Fall Rally: November 5MinnDak Fall Rally: November 5---6th6th6th

District Convention: April 1stDistrict Convention: April 1stDistrict Convention: April 1st---3rd3rd3rd