Key Club Convention: Day 3

     After what seemed like simultaneously five seconds and a life time, Capital District Convention had come to an end.  I was so sad for it to end, but also excited to go back home and re-energize my Key Club about everything that I had learned.  I didn't think Convention could get anymore emotional than it had the past two days.  I was wrong.
     The only real event of the day was the closing ceremony, and I couldn't have imagined a better one if I tried.  Though I was really excited, I was also really nervous.  The past few days had been amazing, as I had great workshops and events, and made a ton of great friends.  But the reality slowly dawned on me that I would have to do all this next year.  I was going to be representing my Division on the Key Club District Board.  I would have to help plan Convention, present workshops, and speak on stage before hundreds of Key Clubbers.  I honestly thought to myself, "What am I doing here?  I've only been in Key Club one year, how am I supposed to do any of this?"  I still don't think I have any idea what I'm doing, but I'm ready to face the challenges the Board brings me, and face them head on.  Bring it Key Club Board
     Watching the Key Club closing ceremony was one of the most emotional experiences of my life, and I didn't even know any of the people in the presentation.  As I watched the District Governor give a speech about what Key Club means to her, and all that she has accomplished in the last year, I couldn't help but think of my own experience with Key Club.
     It's hard to believe that it's been less than a year since I started Key Club, but it has.  During the speech, I flashbacked to my very first meeting, which a whopping SIX people attended.  Now the club is hovering around 60 people, and the members are beginning to take initiative and design and lead their own service projects.  I never thought Key Club would take off so fast and grow so rapidly in such a short time, but it has been the highlight of my life.  People are beginning to discover all the joy that can be found in service, and I couldn't be happier.  While it is true Key Club wouldn't be at my school if I hadn't started it, it wouldn't be around without all the wonderful people who have helped it to grow this past year.  Teachers, officers, and just regular students who wanted to give this crazy thing called "Key Club" a try, you have all helped make Key Club what it is.  Thank you.
     After she finished her speech, it was time for the new Board members to be inducted.  I walked up on stage with my fellow Lt. Governors and the newly elected Board Officers, I realized something: I was even more nervous than I was before.  These people looked like they had it all together.  What the heck was I doing up there?  Then I realized, that at least some of these kids were just as overwhelmed as I was.  Most of us were first time Board members as well, and didn't have a clue about what we were supposed to do.  But I could tell that they were all as excited as I was.  We had already begun to bond as a family, and we all loved Key Club and wanted to make it better.  These were the kind of people I was glad to surround myself with.  I can't wait to begin working with the Board, and I can tell it's going to be a great year!
     So the final verdict: was Key Club Convention any good?  Simply put, it was amazing.  I got like 30 Facebook friends, learned a lot about Key Club, and got fired up for Convention 2012.  But something happened that I didn't entirely expect, something more important than me getting excited about being LTG and Key Club and what not.  I noticed something different in my fellow Key Club members, the ones that came with me from my school.  They had a new excitement about Key Club that they didn't have before.  I knew that I was going to love Convention and have a great time, but I wasn't sure if the other members I took with me would.  Unsurprisingly, they had a great time, and were really inspired to make our Key Club better. One of the people that went, a non-officer, was inspired to run for Office next year and begin her own projects.  This is what I wanted all along, and I am so very proud of her.
     So was Key Club Convention worth it?  Very.  I fell in love with Key Club all over again, and I'm ready to take our relationship to the next level.  Capital District Convention 2012 is going to be the best it's ever been, and I hope to use my position as Lt. Governor to inspire people to serve their communities and make lasting impact, whether they are in Key Club or not.  Thanks Key Club for a great year, here's hoping knowing that the next year is going to be even better!
    

Key Club Convention: Day 2

     I do not even know where to begin.  Capital District Key Club Convention Day 2 reminded me of why I love Key Club, and why I consider myself fortunate to be a part of it.  Workshops, sessions, awards, and dances re-energized my fellow Key Clubbers and I, and filled us with a new passion for service.
     The morning began with an introduction from a member of every section of the Kiwanis Family: from K-Kids all the way to Kiwanis.  The cute little 5th grade President of his K-Kid Club, and the 8th grade President of her school's Builders Club, touched my heart in ways I did not expect.  These kids had such a passion for service that I did not possess at their age.  I am thankful to know that there will be citizens like these kids to lead Key Club into a greater and brighter future, after most of us have graduated.
      My fellow Key Clubbers and I attended 3 workshops yesterday.  The first was about Kiwanis' ELIMINATE Project, and it was as informative as it was inspiring.  Kiwanis International is taking on a new international challenge: to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus from the face of the earth. Tetanus is a completely curable disease that affects mothers in lesser-developed nations.  Toxic spores from the Earth infect the mother at birth, and it causes a slow and painful death of her child.  This can all be prevented by 3 vaccinations of the mother during her reproductive years, which costs 60 cents per vaccination.  Kiwanis is seeking to raise 110 million dollars to save the lives of over 129 million people by 2015.  Seeing Kiwanis International taking on such a massive endeavour was very inspiring, and makes me want to help with this project in anyway I can.  I will be sure to use my Lt. Governor position to promote ELIMINATE in any way possible.
     I attended a workshop about Club Excellence, where I learned about to grow my Key Club and make it more effective in service.  Excellently presented by two Lt. Governors, it really provided me with several tips to make my club better.
     Later in the evening, we attended a banquet with a delicious meal and amazing entertainment (Tony Choi FTW), that further showed me how diverse Key Clubbers are.  Though all of us love community service and love Key Club, we are also a multi-faceted, diverse group of people, united by our desire to change the world through service.
     The entire evening was just perfect.  As all the clubs were presented with awards for excellence in service, I couldn't help but think to my very first Key Club meeting, which six people attended.  All these clubs had once been brand new, and they were now doing great things for their communities and even the world.  Showing that size didn't matter, the Key Club of year only had fourteen members.  That might have been the most profound revelation, at least for me, of the entire weekend.  I have poured so much energy and time into increasing membership, which is important, that I have lost sight of the actual point of Key Club: service.  It's not quantity that matters, but quality.  If clubs spend too much time focusing on membership, then the most important aspect of Key Club, our entire reason for existence, service, is lost.
     The second day of Key Club Convention was the perfect continuation of an already amazing weekend.  I met amazing new people, pissed people off by pushing all the buttons on the elevator, and felt closer to my Key Club family than ever before.  Great day.