Key Club reaches goal of largest student participation

A+Thursday+morning+student+led+meeting

Alex Schwarz

A Thursday morning student led meeting

Alex Schwarz, Distribution Reporter

The students are respectfully listening to the officers as the explain the volunteer opportunities.
The students are respectfully listening to the officers as the explain the volunteer opportunities in a morning meeting.

Key Club lots of people don’t know what it is, and no they don’t make or collect keys. The club is striving to be the largest club this year, even surpassing NHS, and they’re already at 80 members and counting.

“Key” is short for Kiwanis, an international nonprofit organization that is sponsoring the club. The club is about promoting students to be active in their community, build character and develop leadership skills in students. The club was formed during the 2013-2014 school year and this year they are planning on being the largest club. They are close to reaching their goal. Key Club meets every Thursday morning from 7 a.m. until 7:40 a.m. The club is student led and there are no qualifications or fees, students just have to sign up on FeePay.

Kiwanis is an international nonprofit organization that started in 1919 in Detroit, Michigan. They raise close to $100 million for communities around the world every year. They do 150,000 projects a year and have over 18 million hours per year of social service. The Key Club here may not be as large as the the international organization, but they are making an impact around the community. Last year they had 6,599 hours of community service and they have a goal to be be the largest club at the high school with over 100 members.

Key Club Adviser Dusty Dennis explained, “[Key Club is] A branch of Kiwanis national, which is an adult community ed program. Its goal for students is to encourage community service and global citizenship. The clubs purpose is to give back to the community.”

The members are very self motivated and we get lots of turnouts for service at all events. All the members have a heart for service.

— Jordan Wallace

Students can letter in this club as well, but it requires an 80 percent turn out to the meetings and the hours students get in Key Club can go to other community service hours at the same time. At the meeting the student leaders stand up and discuss what events are coming up and at what events they need more people to sign up for. It is completely student led and the students are very good at running the club.

Key Club leader Savannah Johnson said, “Key Club is unique and different from other clubs because there is no academic requirement, anyone can join. It is also student led with seven board leaders that meet regularly.”

The students in the club are respectful of the student leaders and other members. Any student can stand up during a meeting and say what is on his/her mind and everyone will listen respectfully. The students that are at the meetings want to be there and they want to know what they can do to give back to the community. The club has three events planned for the month of October, one being trick-or-treat for UNICEFF.

Another student leader Jordan Wallace said, “The members are very self motivated and we get lots of turnouts for service at all events. All the members have a heart for service.”

They are working very hard on making sure they help the community all year long. It has grown from 50 members last year to just under 100 members and is still growing quickly. The sign up is free and there is no GPA requirement. All students need is the willingness to help and a heart for service in their community. As Johnson stated, “It is a positive atmosphere and the students have a heart for service.”