The RocKeyV o l u m e 6 0 I s s u e 5

Rocky Mountain District of Key Club News

DCON EDITIONApril 5th-7th 2013

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Page 3International PresidentSocial Media TeamPage 4

DCON Talent ShowPage 5DCON WorkshopsOratory Contest Pages 6 - 7How to Apply for a ChairTechnology ChairConvention ChairClub Building ChairDistrict Projects ChairPage 8

International ConventionPage 9Food Aid in the USChildren of Peace

Page 10Segenat Within DivisionsCinderella’s Closet Page 11Fossil Ridge Key ClubThe Road to EliminatePage 12Don’t Repeat Dues IssuesRunning for Higher Office

Pages 14 - 15Bronte GilmanJD ManzanaresNoha Kikhia Miranda SamonAlannah RothJulia ZellersAndrea DeVore

Page 13Life After Key Club

GOODBYES

Pages 16-17Maria I MirandaJamie FalvoMaddie AzariCasey O’NeillJuliana RodriguezDavid StrangZac FangmanPages 18-19Daniel LedoAriana NikmanishDuncan RichardsAvery HitchcockEmily SharpElshaday Sendek

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Welcome Key Clubbers!

You have just arrived at one of the most exciting week-ends of your entire year. District Convention is the perfect time to celebrate our service, learn and plan for future servant leadership, make meaningful, lasting friend-ships, and, of course, have fun! On behalf of Key Club International, welcome to District Convention. It’s going to be an outstanding weekend! Let me encourage you to make the most out of your short time here in the company of so many other servant leaders like yourself. Find meaningful connec-tions with those around you, share

project ideas, inspire one another, develop friendships, and, most of all, be united by your love of service. Celebrate the momentous things you have accomplished to-gether, for you have changed the world. Be sure to thank your out-going District Board for all their hard work throughout the year to make your tenure as a Key Club member successful and your con-vention experience exceptional. Choose wisely your representa-tives for next year as you elect a new District Board to serve the great organization of Key Club International. I thank you for the oppor-tunity to serve you as your Inter-national President this year. You

have truly been a joy in my life, as you will continue to be, and for that I would like to sin-cerely express my gratitude. I hope to see you this July 3-7 in Washington, D.C., for Inter-national Convention, another time to celebrate our oneness in service as Key Clubbers. Thank you again for your service and your dedication to Key Club. You are truly amazing!

A friend in service,

Rebecca Riley

KEY CLUB INTERNATIONALPRESIDENT’S GREETING

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM COLLECTING CRUCIAL EVIDENCE

Hey, You! Yes, YOU! I have some top secret news for you. But you can’t tell anyone. SHHH! Okay, are you ready? Alright. The district board put Maria in charge of a TOP SECRET team of spies that will be surveying all of the spies who will be en-joying the festivities. Be on the lookout for them. They will be taking pictures of events and people, constantly updating so-cial media websites, recording

and interviewing other spies, and most importantly, prepar-ing for their own special mission. Remember, agent, no one must know and don’t forget to find them! Last year was the first year we had an SMT, started by the current Bulletin Editor, Miranda. The photos they capture during the weekend will be used in fu-ture Public Relation materials by the district, so smile for the cam-era!

By Maria Ignacia Miranda Santis This newsmagazine was made by none

other than the amazing Miranda Samon. If you see her at DCON, give her a hug. She de-

serves it.

- The District Board

front of people or those ready to “get out of their shell” an op-portunity to share. A performance should be no longer than six (6) minutes and must be entertain-ing and appropriate for the audi-ence. The individual must provide the props, costumes, and/or in-struments that will be used. The performance will be judged on execution and audience reaction, so be sure to stick each and every landing and belt those high notes

to get the crowd on their feet. Please keep an ear out for any announcements if you would like to get involved. This is not just for those of you who can go on stage easily, this is for those of you who have always wanted to but never had the opportunity. Key Club is your family, and were here to help you accomplish your dreams. You can do it...now get on that stage!

By David Strang

YOU’VE GOT THE TALENT. SHOW IT OFF.

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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, leave your worries at the door, you don’t need them any-more. With a night full of fun and laughter, and of happily ever after. Through voice and dance and flute, this night is going to be a hoot. Each year at the Rocky Mountain District Key Club Con-vention, individuals have the op-portunity to participate in the Talent Contest. This is to allow those who enjoy performing in

By Juliana Rodriguez

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Greetings service leaders. Part of your mission at DCONfi-dential is to expand upon your Key Club knowledge, gain new service ideas, connect with key clubbers from all across the district, and prepare for another thrilling Key Club year! Your district board has prepared forums to engage and ex-cite your service interests. The first session of forums will include training provided for Presidents/Vice Presidents, Secre-taries, Treasurers, and Editors. As an officer, you highly influence the club’s success and the member’s experience. These workshops will make sure that you have a smooth transition into the new year. With so many great forums to choose from, one way to optimize your club’s exposure is to split up, go to different forums, take notes, and present what you learn to your club! Be sure to vary your atten-dance by going to forums with dif-ferent subject matters. If you find a presentation you’d like to share with your club, ask the workshop presenter to e-mail you a copy and they’ll most likely do so! No matter what, you will enjoy every forum you attend! Go-ing to workshops will allow you to gain the most out of your DCON experience and allow you to walk away rejuvenated and equipped to tackle a new service year! Attend all your forums to be rewarded with an extra chance to win a trip to ICON ‘13 in DC!

YOUR MISSION:WORKSHOPS

If there was ever a nerve wrecking competition in Key Club, it is the ora-tory competition. All the eyes on you, the pressure of the great speeches from the other competitors, the nervousness of the spotlight, it can get to even the best speaker. However, speeches are not made in the mo-ment up front, they are made in the preparation beforehand. Here are some tips on preparation and speech writing that can help you shine in the big moment: Capture and Captivate - The topic this year for the oratory con-test is, "How do people know you are a Key Clubber?" The most im-portant thing about any topic for a speech is to be able to cap-ture the essence of your entire speech within the first few lines. Restating the prompt with a personal response is a good starting point. Emphasis - It is helpful to create a refrain in the speech. Using the rule of 3, or having three topics to move through in the speech, helps to keep the speech structured. However, having a phrase that can be used and manipulated throughout can help tie it all together. Also, main points in the speech should be emphasized when spoke but not too much or you run the risk of becoming tedious to the listener. Conclusion - When ending, try to either summarize the entire speech with a few short statements or make a final, powerful state-ment that will leave the speech with a strong finale. Either one can work well depending on the speech or you can even do something entirely different with the conclusion if you choose. Be creative! Read and memorize - Being able perform your entire speech without a paper or guide can really impress the judges. Read your speech in front of family members, friends and even yourself in the mirror in order to get comfortable with the flow of the speech and to remove any jitters. One last thing that is imperative to your speech is your speaking dynam-ics. Keeping monotone throughout the speech can diminish the quality of the entire performance. Use ups and downs in your tone, volume and intensity when delivering the speech but also keep consistent in your flow so the speech is not wavering. Important points should sound im-portant and emotion in your words can win over an audience. Make the audience believe every word you are saying regardless of what it is. I hope these tips help in writing a fabulous speech. Good luck and show the judges how people know you are a Key Clubber!

CAPTURE + CAPTIVATE: ORATORY CONTEST

By Daniel LedoBy Juliana Rodriguez

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Applying for a Chair in the Rocky Mountain District is easy and rewarding. There are four chair posi-

tions. The Convention Chair, Tech-nology Chair, Club Building Chair,

and District Projects Chair. You can read a little more about each

one below. If one of these chair positions sound like your slice

of pie, then applying takes three simple steps:

1. There will be a sign up at DCON for those interested in next year’s

chair positions, so SIGN UP or

talk to

the Next elected Governor about ap-plying.

2. Signing up or talking to the Gov-ernor will lead you to the Application stage (One to Two pages about your-self and your service, nothing too hard). The governor will send you an application and you will need to FILL IT OUT! 3. Await the Governor’s decisions and, if you did not make it, you still

have a chance to apply for empty board member positions after ICON. If you do make it, good luck serving as a chair!

Just keep in mind that the newly elect-ed governor may choose to change the positions. If that is the case, all you need to do is stay tuned on o u r

As Technology Chair, the qualifications our next governor may be looking for include familiarity with social media outlets such as Face-book, Twitter, Flickr, etc... as well as the ability to man-age the district website using design skills and efficiency (html code knowledge can’t hurt!). If you have the op-portunity of being chosen as the Technology Chair you will be required to attend the 4 board meet-ing and DCON to fulfill your position on a dis-

trict level as well as a personal one. Our

district website is used by

many Key Clubbers as a connection to important aspects of the district. It is your responsibility to make sure the website does this efficiently and is constantly updated when neces-sary. It is also important to keep up a connection with Key Club members year round. One of the best ways to do this is through social media. It is good to periodically post on our ac-counts with updates about the district (pictures help!) Lastly, you will serve as a co-chair on the Public Relations Committee alongside the Bulletin Ed-itor where you will work with other members of the board to accomplish everything PR related in the Rocky Mountain District. Being a Chair on the board can be an extremely re-warding experience, so take a chance and apply...I did.

TECHNOLOGY CHAIR

Apply for an appointed chair...

CONVENTION CHAIR

Convention Chair is one job on the board that requires the most work and planning. Putting on our district convention has lots of details and is a long process. All the work is worth it though. When you think back to how inspired you were after your first convention, being convention chair provides you the opportunity to provide that inspiration to many peo-ple. Duties include putting together forums, registration packets, opening activities, caucusing procedures, and more. Much more. The great thing is the overwhelming support you receive from the district board. I’ve loved my time as convention chair and seeing how excited people are at DCON makes it so worth it.

By Jack Curzon

By Noha Kikhia

By JD Manzanares

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One unique thing about the RMD is that we have a Club Build-ing Chair. This is very important to the progress of our district because this chairperson is dedicated to rais-ing club membership numbers and developing new clubs across our district (four states: Nebraska, Wyo-ming, Colorado, and New Mexico.) I have enjoyed the past 10 months serving as your Club Building Chair. This year is actually ground breaking for the position and we are excited to continue with this chair position; so as you read, think of yourself as the Club Building Chair, do you have what it takes to recruit members and encourage new clubs to charter? When a high school without a Key Club approaches our district admin-istration or board about their interest in starting one, it is always a very ex-citing day! The Club Building Chair is responsible for maintaining com-munication with the perspective club as well as providing them with the information and guidelines for steps to officially chartering the new club. Another important duty of this chairperson is to give current and active clubs tips on how to recruit members. A chairperson should also be available to assist LTGs and the executive board with any-thing they may need help with. To me, the best part about being Club Building Chair is getting to spread the club that I believe in and enjoy so much. What’s not to love about Key Club? Expanding our district is vital to continue excelling in what we do.

The Projects Chair is a po-sition which allows you to help in-tegrate and promote our District Project. This year, the board chose to focus on two service projects: Elimi-nate and the Signet Foundation. The Eliminate Project was our main focus while the Signet Foundation served as our “Governor’s Project.” As District Projects Chair, I remained in constant contact with the Key Club Governor as well as the Kiwanis representative for Eliminate so I could stay updated in order to update the district. It is es-sential that the chair holder provide the Lieutenant Governors with infor-mation on the district project so they can bring it back to their clubs. This ranged from making an Eliminate Power Point to updating them on how to turn in their money for Trick or Treat for UNICEF. In addition, you will head the District Projects Com-mittee, which works to integrate new strategies to implement our projects.

CLUB BUILDING CHAIR

It is a reward-ing posi-tion which will allow you to work closely with different organizations and plan district wide events. But, this posi-tion is a time commit-ment and you need to be prepared to attend all the district board meetings and be willing to assist any of the other board members any time they have questions about the district projects. Ultimately, you will get of this position what you put into it! Personally, it has been an amazing and eye-opening experience to the many amazing projects out there!

DISTRICT PROJECTS

CHAIR

By Julia Zellers

By Andrea DeVore

By JD Manzanares

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Compiled By Barb Fuller

Want to get excited, enthused, and energized about Key Club and service? Here are of the some of the activities we have planned for this year’s KC/DC Rocky Mountain District Tour. Sunday: We will fly out of Denver on June 30, 2013 to spend the week in the DC and neighboring Virginia area. That evening we will have a tour of the memorials and monuments such as the Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, and the new World War II Memorial among others.

Monday: The next day we will hop on the subway to tour sights around Washington and go to the Washington Nationals vs. Milwaukee Brewers base-ball game.

Tuesday: July 2nd will start off with laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Un-knowns at Arlington National Cemetery. This is a very dignified and important tradition, and we are very honored to be able to pay tribute to the fallen. From there we will travel to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.

Wednesday: In the morning, we will meet with Key Club members from other districts to package food for Kids Without Hunger. Afterwards we will visit the Newseum and the Capitol. Wednesday night marks the start of the conven-tion with a Meet & Greet event that evening.

Thursday through Saturday: Hold onto your hats and don’t plan to sleep since it is CONVENTION TIME!

Sunday, July 7: We will return to Denver with lots of memories and energy to share with our Key Clubs at home.

Don’t miss out. There will only be 45 spots on our tour so start planning today! The cost of the tour for quad occupancy is $1299 which is only $24 more than last year due to increased airfare.

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Nearly 870 million people around the world suffer from chronic hunger. You may know hunger as the feeling you get when you’re too lazy to get off the couch to grab some po-tato chips to eat, but for one in eight people around the world, the gnawing in the stomach and weakness in the limbs that comes from not enough food is something they have to live with every single day. We’re not just talking about citizens in the poorest developing nations, either- in fact, it’s estimated that more than 49 million families in the United States are food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to food at some point during the year. Often, families have to choose between buying food and paying their rent, so having a re-liable source of sustenance without cost can make a huge difference in the health and development of both

adults and children. The huge number of people suffering from hunger has prompted the development of several vast food aid organizations to provide relief in the United States and abroad. The largest of these organizations in the US is called Feeding America, which unites 200 food banks across the nation and provides resources and advocacy for the anti-hunger move-ment. Food insecurity is a huge is-sue in both our nation and around the world. Millions of people are affected by hunger each day. Organizations fighting hunger rely almost complete-ly on volunteers, and joining the anti-hunger effort is a vital and reward-ing way to directly help struggling members of your community fulfill their most basic needs. This worthy cause is great for Key Clubbers to support. Plus, the many ways to help

this cause make some great projects and enjoyable time spent volunteer-ing. If your club is interested in proj-ects, food banks are willing and grate-ful recipients of the cans you could raise in a food drive. In our Larimer County’s food bank alone, over 8 mil-lion pounds of food were distributed to those in need. People conducting projects to gather canned food, pasta, peanut butter, other non perishables, and monetary donations were essen-tial sources of this food for the Lar-imer County food bank. The elements of United States food aid organiza-tions are rich and varied, and without doubt, each volunteer can find some way to contribute that is both helpful and fun! For more information about food banks in your area, go to Feed-ing America’s website at http://feed-ingamerica.org/.

FOOD AID IN THE US: HOW YOU CAN HELP STOP HUNGER Submission By Marisa Campain, Fossil Ridge HS - VP

Education is taken for granted in this country. I find myself surrounded; surrounded by students who don’t care, don’t want to be here, don’t find significance in their studies. Little do they know how privileged they are. There is an issue internationally that we must come to terms with, and that is the issue that kids in America don’t care while kids in Sa Pa, Vietnam risk their lives to go to school. A boat capsized in Vietnam, killing a number of kids on their way to school. The reality of the matter is that their country is poor. Aware of the dangerous journey, the students would rise early and excited to go to school. Unfortunately this event had to occur, prompting a response from another nation of kids just a few years older than those who drowned. Children of Peace International is the organization that deals with this issue in Vietnam, partnering with Key Club in order to fund the building of new schools, transportation, and medical missions for the poverty stricken lives. The year of 2011 is when this issue truly touched my heart. I discovered that the founder of the organization was ig-nored by so many adults, yet when a Key Club student heard her speak, they took on the project dedicating 10 years and pledging thousands of dollars. One American student started a chain reaction and spread the word to a handful of other Key Clubers in our country. This handful became a district and this district of students built two schools in Sa Pa, Vietnam through their own fund raising efforts last year. We can now continue to support COPI with medical supplies or scholarships for students that don’t cost us very much, but change their lives and give them an opportunity which so many of us take for granted.

CHILDREN OF PEACE INTERNATIONAL: DON’T TAKE EDUCATION FOR GRANTED Written by Miranda Samon

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What were some of your favorite books to read as a child? Would your childhood be dif-ferent today if it wasn’t for Clif-ford, Dr. Seuss, or the Berenstain Bears? Imagine a life without be-ing able to read. Segenat Founder Yohannes Gibregeorgis believes decreasing illiteracy, especially in third-world countries, can offer children a better education, and a better future overall. This July, your Rocky Mountain Key Club board set the Segenat Founda-tion as the governor’s project for this school year. Clubs in our district are trying to find ways to help this worthy cause, so here are some ways that have worked. Division 4, in the Colo-rado Springs area is teaming up

UNIFYING A DIVISION FOR SEGENAT

to donate a portable library. The total cost for a portable library is $250, which is a significant dona-tion for most key Clubs. Lewis Palmer, Palmer Ridge, Rampart, Vista Ridge, Woodland Park, and Coronado Key Clubs have decid-ed to split the cost of the library. This brings the cost of $250 down to $42 per club. This amount is a much more realistic and attainable. This means some clubs can reach their goal by doing a quick bake sale or miracle minute for a fund-raiser. Enthusiastic Key Clubber, Torin Tostanoski says, “It is more ben-eficial when it is a group effort and you get to work with new people”. Division 15 in the Denver Area is also combining to make a huge event! They are doing a

teachers versus students basketball game as the basketball season fin-ishes up. This is great because it is the chance to show school spirit, as well as get a huge community to rally in support of your cause. The money raised can go straight to the Segenat Foundation as a dona-tion, or you can specify what you want the money to go to. For ex-ample, if you would like to publish a book or make a library, the com-munity has a concrete item that they can donate too. Don’t forget to have half time activities and have a concession stand that you can get donate proceeds to as well. Combining projects to-gether helps make a bigger impact and allows members to work to-gether for one goal.

By Jamie Falvo + Elshaday Sendek

CINDERELLA’S CLOSET - KEY CLUB WITH CIRCLE KBy Miranda Samon

One of the best parts about being a member of the K-Family is that it’s so big. Key Club alone is HUGE, but within the Rocky Mountain District we also have the college level of Circle K growing rapidly. For many Key Clubs, connecting with another part of the K-Family besides Kiwanis is rare. However, Greeley West High School managed to pull off a successful project with the local Circle K at UNC. This project was called “Cinderella’s Closet,” where they would col-lect lightly used and fancy dresses and sell them for no more than $20. The event was held in perfect timing with prom! All the proceeds went to A Wom-en’s Place, which is a shelter for domestic violence victims. This project not only benefitted the community, it built a connection that will provide a strongFoundation for the future. Circle K member Allie Moe explains, “previously, we had not worked with the Key Club. It was a great event because it brought us together.” Overall, the project was a big success.

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SPOTLIGHT ON FOSSIL RIDGE KEY CLUB

only takes $1.80 to give a woman and her future babies immuniza-tions. One baby dies every 9 minutes. By the end of District Con-vention (DCON), the RMD hopes to celebrate our acquisition of this goal. The culmination of schools’ projects during the 2012-2013 year have all gone into helping our dis-trict reach this goal. These amaz-ing and inspirational projects range from schools creating their own “Eliminate Week” to participating in “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” and “Eliminate Day” to holding fund raisers at restaurants. Thank you to every Key Clubber who participated in the elimination of MNT. Your ef-forts have helped make a difference in the lives of thousands of women and children! The Rocky Mountain District will continue to help the ef-forts of the Eliminate Project until maternal and neonatal tetanus had been eliminated from the face of the planet. Check out keyclub.org for more information on the Inter-national week that has been set up for Project Eliminate!

In 2010, Kiwanis Interna-tional took one small step for man, but one giant leap for mankind. As a whole, the Kiwanis Empire made the promise to fund raise $110 mil-lion by 2015, the 100th anniversary of Kiwanis International. At the International Convention at the Kiwanis Headquarters, Indianapo-lis, Indiana, the Kiwanis family will celebrate the achieved goal of edu-cating the world about the effects of tetanus, efficacious community outreach, and mass immuniza-tion drives across the world. As of now, we are around $24 million and sprinting towards the finish line. The Rocky Mountain District Key Club took a staunch stance when deciding to change our District Project from Children of Peace International (COPI) to the Eliminate Project. The estab-lished goal of year 3 in The Elimi-nate Project is just to continue fund raising and announce the progress we’ve made as a whole. We felt as a board that for 2013, the RMD could step up to the plate to fund raise $18,009 to symbolize that it

ELIMINATE WEEK

THE ROAD TO ELIMINATEBy Casey O’Neill + Andrea DeVore

The Fossil Ridge Key Club has been very busy this year with over 200 members and multiple committees within the club. They support Adopt-A-Family, Eliminate, the hungry, and Respite Care. We have fund raised thou-sands of dollars in gifts for children whose parents cannot afford to buy them Christmas presents. We have also partnered with restaurants such as Texas Road House and my committee, Helping Hands, has raised over $500 for Respite Care in one night through doing so. This money was used to help buy new toys and equipment for special needs children. Another way that we fund raise is by reaching out to local businesses for donations. Furthermore, the Fossil Ridge Key Club takes “field trips” to Respite Care. At Respite Care, we play with the children and de-

velop friendships. We help the children finger paint, make arts and crafts, exercise, and feel comfortable and confident in the community. I have received feedback from our members that have praised the experi-

ence at Respite Care. Our members cannot wait to go back the next time! As a whole, the Fossil Ridge Key Club is extremely passionate about volunteering and helping others! We LOVE

VOLUNTEERING!

Submission by Alex Thompson, Treasurer

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Whether it be running for lieutenant governor at your local Spring Rally, applying for a chair position, or running for an execu-tive office, seeking higher office in Key Club is one of the most filling and rewarding opportunities stu-dents are given throughout their high school careers! Although it may seem like a daunting task, one that you may not want to take on at first, I highly advise trying for something at some point, because serving on the district board will give you one of the best experi-ences you could ever dream of! Running for higher office in Key Club has an infinite amount

There were some issues with the dues system this year because of the new Membership Update Center. But, this should not stop any club or member from turning in their dues. EVERY member must turn in their dues at the appropriate time. From there, there is one simple way any club can access the Membership Up-date Center IF they have the right information. Many clubs this year did not have that information. So how can they be more successful next year with obtaining that in-formation and getting their dues turned in? One way is to contact

DON’T REPEAT YOUR DUES ISSUES

your division’s lieutenant gover-nor. All of their emails are online at rmdkeyclub.org. Once you are there, click on the “Our District” tab and then “the District Board.” There is a full list of EVERYONE on the board and if you email them with the issue, they would be more than happy to help find a so-lution. Another way is the contact the Rocky Mountain District Trea-surer directly. Their email is on the same page as the lieutenant gover-nors. If that fails, you are able to contact the governor, internation-al trustee, or any district admin-istrator. There are many people

By Alannah Rothyour club is able to contact to fix anything that is wrong. DO NOT be afraid to use those resources because if you don’t, there will be severe consequences. If your club does not pay their dues, they be-come suspended which means they may not attend district events such as DCON or ICON. And then if they do not pay the next year, they will become inactive which means they have to pay a $100 reactiva-tion fee along with the members’ dues. As you can see, paying dues is VERY IMPORTANT so do not let little obstacles keep you from paying them.

RUNNING FOR HIGHER OFFICE - 9TH-11TH GRADEBy Avery Hitchcock

of benefits for any individual. First, it allows for the further de-velopment and understanding of Key Club as an organization. Be-ing on the District Board really al-lows you to understand the reach that Key Club has, as an interna-tional student-led service organi-zation with 260,000+ members worldwide! This leads you into learning about service opportuni-ties all throughout the world and different fund raising ideas you can bring back to your home club and community to help send inter-ested students to convention, put on other service projects, or do-nate to wonderful causes like our

District Project: ELIMINATE. The most amazing aspect of running for District Office, in my opinion, is the relationships that you form with other people. When I first started out on the board, we were fast friends, but by the end of the year, we were family. It’s indescribable the type of love that develops among board mem-bers, like we all become brothers and sisters under our parent Ki-wanians and just make up a fantas-tic service-based family. But in all honesty, holding a higher office will guarantee lifetime friendships with people who share the same interest and passion for service as yourself.

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When I first began my ad-venture with the Kiwanis Family six years ago, I never imagined it would carry me to where I am to-day. I began as a timid freshman in high school, not really sure what Key Club was or why I should be involved. After my first conven-tion sophomore year I realized how strong of a community I had become a part of. Upon graduation from high school I wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue with the Ki-wanis Family. I was going to be attending the University of North-ern Colorado, which didn’t have a Circle K Club at the time, and I didn’t feel as though I was at a place in my life where Kiwanis was the right fit for me. At the risk of sounding completely cheesy, however, I felt lost after not being involved with community service

The main reason many people are afraid to run for higher office is a fear of losing. After all, it’s a general rule of thumb: people just don’t like to lose! Unfortu-nately, you aren’t going to always have things go exactly how you’d like them to in life. This past year I was endorsed by the District to run for International Trustee at Inter-national Convention in Orlando,

and unfortunately I was not elected to serve that position. Did it hurt? Yes, it most definitely did! But the lessons I gained from that greatly outweighed the loss. I learned more about public speaking, about politics, and about how to effec-tively portray passion for a topic. And we as people can’t allow for a little bump in the road to keep us down! After all, William Edward

Hickson once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” So in short, you should definitely consider running for a higher office in Key Club! It is a big responsibility on your part, but the reward of helping others and gaining a new family and mak-ing new friends to last a lifetime is priceless.

LIFE AFTER KEY CLUB - SENIORS!By Alyssa Smalley, CKI District Governor 2013-14

my first year of college. I didn’t realize until then how much this organization actually meant to me, and how much I missed being in-volved. At the end of my fresh-man year of college I began put-ting together a Circle K Club at the University of Northern Colo-

rado with a group of my friends, and it has been such a blessing to me. Through the club at UNC I have had the opportunity to meet numerous amazing individu-als that specifically sought out our club that I never would have crossed paths with otherwise, and I have built friendships that I am certain will last a lifetime.

I went from beginning my experience as a member of the Ki-wanis Family as a timid follower, and now I am Governor of the Rocky Mountain District of Circle K International, and I couldn’t imagine the last six years of my life going any other way. I strongly encourage each of you to continue

with this organi-zation and with service after you graduate from high school. The experience

is so rewarding and the commu-nity is so strong, and wherever you end up for college you know you have this family to fall back on. Best of luck to all of you as you finish out your current year and look forward to the future! I would love to talk to any of you that have further questions about life after Key Club.

“I felt lost after not being involved with community service my first

year of college.”

Continued from page 12

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Last DCON, at the Sheraton Denver West, Through the doors, some crazy teens flew.

They hugged like that moment was the best But, I didn’t yet know what they knew.

At that time, I could have never dreamed

Of where this year and this term would take me, But I guess nothing is what it seems,

Although I know now, there’s no place I’d rather be.

Thank you for all the craziness. Our year has been full of just about everything,

From service, to spirit, and narwhal silliness I will cherish my memories of every single meeting.

To the seniors who will be missed dearly:

To the advisors who have helped us to get where we are:

To my D9ers, BCHS key club and RMD twenty thirteen: Thank you for the best year of my life and inspiring

with your big hearts.

GOODBYE FROM YOUR 2012-13 DISTRICT BOARDPo

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JD Manzanares I could not have been more proud of the work accom-plished this year by my District Board and all the RMD Key Club members across our large District. I am sad to say goodbye as your Governor, but I will continue to serve in as big a way as I can for this next year and the many years beyond! Don’t ever forget, my district board members, that I will always remain available to help you out with whatever life might bring your way. I hope that my hard work and dedication to this organiza-

Bronte Gilman Well Key Clubbers the time has come. This is the last time I will get to speak to you as your Dis-trict Secretary. It has been such an eye opening ex-perience to be on the District Board and be more involved in the wonderful organization that is Key Club. It has been an absolutely outstanding year and I have had some of the best experiences of my life. I have been able to grow so much as a person all while laughing, working, staying up late, and bonding with some of the best people I have ever met. I learned that even if a task seems daunting and intimidating it will be well worth it in the end. I cannot have imag-ined ever possibly having a better senior year. I have made friends that will last a lifetime. I would love to give a shout out to the AMAZING District Board this year. You have all been so great and supportive. I could not have gotten through the year without you. Special shout out to JD for not only being my birth-day buddy and my late night buddy but also an abso-lutely awesome Governor. I would also like to give a shout out to Avery for always being there to help me with secretary duties. I cannot wait until DCON and to see all of you great Key Clubbers. I hope that the next person to hold the position of District Secretary will have just as great of a year as I did.

Noha Kikhia Planning this year’s convention has been bittersweet. I love knowing that I am able to provide an inspiring experi-ence for others, but it also means it’s the end for me. Not just the end of my term, but my end to Key Club. Being an active volunteer since 9th grade has made me grow to love this or-ganization. I have made lifelong friends and had experiences I will cherish forever. I hope that Key Club will continue to grow and accomplish their mission: change the world. I want to thank everyone involved in my Key Club journey, especially my older sister and our administrators. I love feeling that I have been a part of a family, and I can’t wait to keep moving along in the K-family and always have that support. I hope you all enjoy convention and leave feeling empowered to change the world.

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Alannah Roth This year has been eye-opening. I joined Key Club my sophomore year with only the concern of pizza. Then, I attended District Convention and it changed my view on what Key Club was all about. I was, to say the least, inspired. I then ran for Dis-trict Treasurer. I ran unopposed and got the posi-tion. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was get-ting myself into. This year had brought upon mounds of stress, loads of work, and countless problems. But this year has also brought upon life-long friends and memories. It has taught be to build my character in the most respectable way possible. It has shown me that hard work truly does pay off and without that work, this organization would get no where. I have learned that Key Club, as a whole, is changing the world and it takes our hard work and dedication to do so. I have grown a great deal as a person because of this expe-rience. This year has taught and shown me so much and I would like to thank all of you for giving me this amazing opportunity. As this year ends, I still hope to be involved in other ways, so this is not a good-bye, but a see you later.

Miranda Samon Key Club has changed my life in more ways than one. It has given me a chance to grow and develop my leadership skills, as well as determine what I want to do for the rest of my life - serve creatively. I was accepted to an Ivy League Art School in New York City, and I will end up there, but for next year I will be studying Graphic Design at CSU and working on the Circle K District Board as the CSU Li-aison. I love Key Club so much that I’m al-ready on the CKI board...That’s funny. While I’m at CSU, feel free to contact me and I’d love to meet up for coffee and talk Key Club talk or offer any advice I may be able to give you. After next year however, I will be following my dream to be an art student in the city and it may be harder for me to meet with you. None-theless, Key Club is the reason I feel confident enough to pursue my dreams. Key Clubbers are the reason I feel loved in times where there has been little light in the past few years. For that I thank you, and will never leave this K-Family. My advise to you: get as involved as you can.

Andrea DeVore I honestly do not know how to begin saying goodbye. This year, as District Project’s chair, I learned and grew so much as a leader within and outside of Key Club. I have learned how to spread my passion for serving by incorporating my own ideas with others’ to help make a positive impact in our district. But, I am ready to let others leave their own footprints within the RMD and implement their own new and amazing ideas. If anything, my term has taught me the power an individual has to change the world! I wish the upcoming board the best of luck and thank the past board for allowing me to be part of their Key Club journey sand cherished memories. Finally, I want to thank my home Key Club, Loveland High School, and my advisor, Loretta Martens, for sup-porting me throughout my own journey. It has been an amazing one so far and I am excited to begin the last year of this amazing ride! Thanks again to every Key Clubber for choosing to be a part of this powerful organization and leading others to do the same.

Julia Zellers This year of service on the RMD Board has been incredible and so much more than I could have ever dreamed. I can clearly remember the first day I met my fellow board members, I was filled with excite-ment of the unknown (yes, a little fear), but within the first hour I knew I had met friends that I will have for a lifetime. The hardest thing about saying goodbye to my term as Club Building Chair is saying goodbye to the board members that are graduating or not return-ing. They are not just “coworkers”, they are passionate about the same things that I love- service, inclusive-ness, fun, and love! And that makes us, well, soulmates! The progress we have made in since April 2012 is extraordinary! If this can last, our district will con-tinue to shine and Key Clubbers all around will en-joy their experience even more. This is hardly a goodbye at all, it’s a HELLO- A hello to the incom-ing club members (lots of them!), the future dis-trict board- A warm welcome to what’s yet to come. I wish my fellow 2012-2013 board members a bright and wonderful year ahead, near or far in dis-tances; we’ll always hold each other close to our hearts. And most of all, the club members, wheth-er we’ve met or crossed paths, thank you for you amazing service and dedication to the goals of Key Club. YOU are the reason our district shines. Thank you to our administrators and to the very sup-portive Kiwanians of the Rocky Mountain District.

tion has had an impact on the lives of all those who read this. I thank everyone who has sacrificed a part of themselves, by giving their time or money or however, in order to build up another. Continue to serve, and I will keep you all in my prayers. For now, let us enjoy a great convention and quality time together! Shout out to my supportive home club of Riverton, and my best friend and President Clay Carper and wonderful adviser Gay Hughes! You all have helped make this year successful for me!

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Maria I Miranda After writing tons of scholarship essays about leadership, community service, human rights orga-nizations, life passions, and hobbies, I have come to the realization that the number one topic I write about is Key Club. I joined Key Club my freshman year of high school (Aug. 2009) and you could say that I am a Key Club junkie. I can’t get enough of it! I’ve met a huge amount of people through this beauti-ful organization and, although I have talked to these people about many things, the number question I hear is, “how did you join Key Club?” We all have our different reasons. We wanted to meet more cute girls/boys, join a club that would look good on college applications, food, social relevance, community service hours, etc. Some of them are pretty comical. The RMD Governor, JD Man-zaneras, joined because he was recruited by a cute girl at his school. Kori Serrano, the Bear Creek HS Key Club Secretary, was recruited through an ice cream social her club puts on every year to bring in new members. In Saw-yer Seuling’s case – Bear Creek HS Key Club President Elect – his girlfriend forced him to go to the meetings with her. No matter your story, we all know that there are very few people who joined primarily because they knew what the club was about. Take my case for example. I went into the Counseling Center at my school one day because I had a wonderful idea to make new students feel welcomed at the school, and I needed to talk to my coun-selor about it. She told me it was an interesting project to introduce, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She

decided to send me to a Key Club meeting after school one day because she said they would help me make the project real. The project was never done. But does it mat-ter? I don’t think so. I don’t think that the reason why you joined is all that important. Sure, it’s a lot of fun to listen to people’s stories and laugh about them, but why you stayed is what matters. And we all know why we stayed. We remained in Key Club because we are compas-sionate young leaders who only want the best for the world. We are a tight-knit community of teen-agers full of life and change. We love to help oth-ers and we love to accomplish new things togeth-er. Together, we fix what is wrong with the world. Together, we set a goal and reach it. Together, we help. Key Club has taught me many things and one of them is knowing that I am not the only one out there who wants to make a difference. I will be graduating May 24th and attending University of Colorado Boulder under the In-ternational Affairs program. So my message to all of you is: One. Stay within K-Family because it is hard to find an organization as committed and as united as the one we have here. Two. As cheesy as this is going to sound, don’t forget that doing what you love and makes you happy is what matters in your life, not making others happy. If you live a life full of pleasing others but yourself, there will be no happiness in your future. So if you love Key Club and you love to volunteer and help others, don’t stop because your parents won’t let you. No. Do what you love and remember that Caring is our way of life.

BYE.

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Casey O’Neill Dear Division 3: Thank you for making this the best year ever. I can not ex-press how much fun I’ve had throughout the year with our clubs, and I am honored to have served as your lieutenant governor. I hope that for the people who are graduating, you find a school with Circle K! AND, for the people who will still be here, GET IN-VOLVED! I hope you can take as much as you can while you’re still in Key Club. KC is my pride and joy- I’m glad that I’ve (hopefully) made a difference. To everyone, thank you.

Jamie Falvo It is hard to walk away from something that motivated and inspired me for all of high school. A Key Clubber’s heart is truly genuine, and I have loved knowing and working with so many wonderful people within the K-Family, and they have all touched my heart in a unique way. Although it is hard to walk away from being a leader, I will leave as a follower. I have pride in Division 4, as well as the Rocky Mountain District for the amazing work I completed this year. Moreover, I have pride in my fellow key-clubbers. Although I am moving on to a new chapter, I encourage all members who will stay to enrich this organization with all the compassion I know they all have. My only advice is that you all stay true to your hearts and you will find inspiration everywhere. It has been a pleasure to serve the Rocky Mountain District of Key Club this year.

David Strang This has been quite a year. My major goal was to get division 6 into a state where the next lieutenant governor will be able to easily contact all of the clubs. Keep informed with all of their doings., and influence them to be more involved with the district. I wish I had gotten involved with the Rocky Mountain District Key Club a lot sooner. This has been the most memorable year of my life. I met so many different characters and got to see the world through other people’s eyes.. I also hope that if anyone would need any help with being a lieutenant governor or a club, feel free to contact me in any way. This next year’s board will, without a doubt, be the most diverse and inspiring group of young individuals I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I will miss this in college and never forget the friends and memories I’ve made.

Zac Fangman There is a quote- it says, “How lucky am I to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to.” Over the past year, I have been blessed to meet the most amazing group of people that I am convinced are the best on Earth. I have a story much like many of you- I joined Key Club just to see what it was, and for something to do. Never in my life would I have believed that I would end up here, fighting tears as I write this- hoping that it really isn’t goodbye, just a small leave of absence from my friends, my second family. As many of you know, I am a die-hard Disney fan. It is a repeated quote in the Disney community- a famous saying from Peter Pan. “Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” I never want to forget. And, I really will never go away (as much as some might want me to). Key Club will stay with me as the organization that changed my life, not the club that you can put in your résumé. Thank you to everyone that inspired me, put up with me, and showed me how much Key Club means to the world. Goodbye.

Juliana Rodriguez Key Club is my dearest passion -the one thing that motivates me in the morning and keeps me up late at night. I’ve been called obsessed… and am proud of it! I often find myself reflecting of how incredible it is that one organiza-tion can bring out the best in myself and create friendships with the most incredible, kindest leaders in the country. If it wasn’t for this year and the district board who have all touched my heart… I don’t know where I’d be. I am forever thankful for the experiences of this term, the service, and especially to you all for making it…unforgettable.

Madeline Azari To all you incredible people involved in Key Club, I was so fortunate to serve as your LTG for Division 13 this year! While I entered the Division later than the rest of the LTGs, I was so grateful to have the opportunity. Key Club is one of those things that will enter your life and stay there forever. You will be given some incredible opportuni-ties to serve others, meet new people, and change the world. Utilize every opportunity you can because you never know whose life you’re affecting. You all have been amazing and I was so fortunate to serve you. Now, go out and conquer!

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Duncan Richards First of all, I want to express my deepest gratitude for allowing me to be Lieutenant Governor of Division 12A of RMD Key Club. It has been an experience I shall never forget. You all have shown me there are still people out there who enjoy helping others, which is very refreshing. Without all of you, I would not have had any motivation to do my job. I ap-preciate everything that all of you have done. I cannot imagine a Key Club without you. Now, as I look confidently into the future, I know that RMD Key Club will be left in capable hands. I look forward to any work we may be able to do together in the future. I’m keeping all of you in my prayers. Thank you, and may the big man upstairs bless you in all your endeavors.

Ariana Nikmanish Key Club has made me who I am today. It was at my very first board meeting in which I realized how much Key Club offered, not only to the growth of a local or global community, but to the growth of one’s self. Key Club was my escape; my escape from all the stresses of the world; an escape I would learn and grow from, bettering not only myself, but my community. It was through this organization, in which I discovered my passion, helping others. It was through this organiza-tion in which I saw a greater purpose. It was through this organization in which I was able to be a part of something bigger than just you and me. Key Club showed me the big picture; a picture where service was encouraged, for the results and changes that would come from serving others, proved to last a life time not only for those being served for, but for those doing the serving. It is truly impossible to stop living the “Key Club Way”, for once one devotes him/herself to service and leadership, he/she will continue to serve and lead for a life time, a qual-ity essential to the progression and prosperity of our local and global communities. It is because of Key Club and the guidance of my father I remain so humble and so dedicated to the greater good. Key Club is truly my life. I hope it becomes yours too. I’ve seen what it what it can do. Thank you to my board of trustees for continuing to care about the wellbeing of us all. It’s people like you who shape this world. Goodbye and good luck wherever you may go, and remember, keep serving. <3

Avery Hitchcock Two years ago, I attended my first DCON, unaware of the impact that it would have on the rest of my life. I joined Key Club as a freshman, oblivious and carefree, wanting to join every club possible in order to get the real high school ex-perience. What I didn’t understand at that point was that Key Club was going to stand out for me the way that it did. I ran for District Secretary, and had one of the most amazing years of my life, filled with service, opportunity, and Key Clubbers, people I truly came to love. One year ago was my second District Convention. I was filled with excitement as I had the opportunity to meet everybody who helped to make the organization as phenomenal as it is. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to serve as a Lieutenant Governor this past year and I’ve loved every second of it. Here we are: the present. My third District Convention. Another opportunity to meet amazing members of my family who share in my passion of service and giving back to our community. The friends I’ve made will be friends for life, my district board is my family. And as I look back on these three years, I think of all the wonderful opportunities I’ve had and how I really need to treasure this last year as a part of Key Club International. So thank you, members of the Rocky Mountain District of KCI, for creating memories I’ll never forget.

Daniel Ledo I cannot believe that it my time as LTG is almost over. It seems like yes-terday it was DCON 2012 and I was ap-pointed LTG of Division 17 within a matter of 24 hours. It sounds incredibly cliché but it is absolutely true. The whole ride, from April of last year to April 7th this year has been something I will never forget as long as I live. I have learned more in the past year than I could have ever imagined and I have met people that have forever changed my life. This organization is something special and the people in it are one in a million. I have been blessed to work with everyone in my division and the district board. I do not know how I could repay all of you but you have my eternal gratitude for being there for me through the ups and downs. The organization is in good hands and I cannot wait to see where you guys go in the future. Good luck!

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Emily Sharp I could write a novel about what this year as an LTG has meant to me, and an encyclopedia thanking all of the won-derful people who have helped me through this journey. As an LTG I have been able to connect with dozens of individual Key Clubbers, in addition to being a part of Key Club as a huge, international organization. Most importantly, I’ve seen the potential that all these young people have. I challenge you, reading this letter, not to let go of that potential! You have a potential to lead, a potential to serve, a potential to make a difference. You can change the lives of people in your family, in your com-munity, even those a world away from you! In the future, leaders like Key Clubbers will make our world a place worth living in. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my own faculty advisors, Diane Campbell and Jen Smela, my five incred-ible, beautiful club presidents, Anna Schneeberger, Cristin Bogusz, Devon Miller, Gabrielle Bear, and Ciera Blehm, and the rest of my club officers, whose work has been absolutely incomparable this year. I thank the Fort Collins Kiwanis Club, the Fort Collins Eyeopeners Club, and the Poudre Golden K, especially Kiwanians Ray Kepler, Jack Schwartz, Bob Garretson, John Crowfoot, Jack Gianola, and Hugh Price. They’ve inspired me to always keep serving and to never stop having fun! And finally, I send a huge cinnamon roll hug to my RMD board of trustees, who have shown me just how amazing life can be around people who share a passion for service!

Elshaday Sendek It’s been such an amazing year, the best of my life. Key club has been a soul fulfilling club. Meeting new people traveling around Colorado and being a leader has helped me discover myself, and helped me realize that there are ways you can help people around the world and the harder you work the bigger difference it makes. I started key club in middle school because honestly one day after school I had nothing better to do but as I look back and think to that day in my teachers class room where we all sat around and made sandwiches for the homeless shelter it was not by accident that I fell in love with key club but my intended destiny. There’s a lot of things I should have done, but what I have real-ized through key club is you can’t live on regrets only work to make things better. Where there was only darkness I have worked with key club to light a bright light in to their futures. I am happy to say that this is not the end of my chapter I will continue with key club, weather on the district level or the just the club at my school I will continue work hard, because if anything key club has taught me that I should never stop fighting for people, I should never give up, because if someone needs my help I need to be there for them. This is a good bye for now, but a hello to the families that key club will continue to help, and fight to make their futures brighter.

BYE.

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Daniel,

Congratulations to you and the board for your success this year. You are our SONshine!

Love,

Mom and Dad

I LOVE YOU MIRANDA

- Casey

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Senior Picture Special

KEY CLUBBER

CONTACTmiranda.samon@

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