Over the summer, Minarets Key Club has been involved in multiple events and opportunities not just within the school and mountain community but also in their Key Club division (D05N) which features nine other clubs within it.
This summer, the club set up Key Club Kares, a school supplies drive for K-8 students. As staff is allowed back on campus after the Creek Fire is put out, these supplies will be donated to North Fork School. The club also attended the Kiwanis Barbecue Chicken Dinner back in August, and currently, the members are recognizing first responders with cards and posters in honor of those working to put out the Creek Fire.
Club president and senior Madison Wuensch is facing the new year and the new challenge optimistically, saying, “So far I feel that we are doing fairly well in our participation from members in general meetings and service hours, considering we have had a couple of roadblocks such as the Creek Fire that has made wanting to partake in community service opportunities less manageable.”
When asked about how COVID was impacting the club, Wuensch said, “While we are gaining new members interest and are adapting to COVID guidelines, our club has been mostly affected by the participation of returning members as a lot of them are saddened that they will be missing out on opportunities such as the Rose Parade float decorating or the Fall Rally. However, this pandemic has definitely made our club rethink the meaning of "service" as we are constantly trying to provide our members with a wide variety of at-home service opportunities that are still fun to participate in.”
Just last week, Key Club launched their new website for students and parents to keep up with club updates without having to attend the weekly meetings. The club is also preparing to launch its first-ever newsletter. Additionally, the club has also announced the return of boo gram sales in order to raise money for Unicef's EliMiNaTe program.
Advisor and teacher Therese Righter is hopeful for what is to come should we go back next semester, saying, “My hope for Key Club this year is that the members continue to find creative ways in which to serve our school, community, and world. We will be selling "Boo Grams" once again this year, although it will be online, and treats will be mailed to the recipients. Another goal is to become more involved in our Division, have a newsletter, and a website (thanks to Janine!). I also hope that we will be able to attend the District Convention in the spring. We will continue to care for others, as we move through the ups and downs of living in a world affected by the pandemic and destructive fires.”
Serving the community, regardless of challenge or circumstance, has long since been a cornerstone of Key Club. Historically, Key Club has been a student-led organization a part of the Kiwanis family, providing its members with opportunities to provide service, build character, and develop leadership. The Minarets chapter of Key Club was originally chartered in 2011 and since then has provided over 7,000 hours of community service, and that number continues to grow. The club has also raised and donated over $7,000 to numerous charities, such as the Pediatric Trauma Program (PTP) and Unicef.
If you would like to join Key Club, meetings are held on Thursdays between periods four and six from 11:45 to 12:15 on key club advisor Therese Righter’s Webex. The link is emailed out on Thursdays before the meetings for those wanting to attend. The link to the club’s website is also available below:
Comments