A letter from Lily
Governor Lily’s Newsletter to the Presidents
And Vice Presidents of the Mighty Michigan District
July 2009
Hello! Table of Contents
I know we are in the middle of summer. Enjoying the days Page One: Hello, Table of Contents, KCI
of sleeping until noon, soaking up the sun, hanging by the Information, Box-o-Inspiration
pool, chilling with friends, and vacationing! We are all
taking a much needed break from school, but a break from Page Two: Members
Key Club… I hope not! I know that many monthly reports
read “inactive”, but I hope that you and your board are far Page Three: International Convention, To-
from it! I hate to burst your bubble, but school does start in Do List, Lily’s Contact Info
a little over a month! *Gasp* And I want to make sure that
you and your board are ready to go when that first bell
rings. Some things that I really want to focus on with you
over the course of this next school year are growing your Pop Quiz
clubs and getting involved on the District level. I know that 3 Service Partners of Key club
if you are getting this newsletter, then you are doing pretty International:
darn well with the whole District speal. But still keep in March of Dimes, UNICEF, Children’s
contact with your LTG, they are here to help you Miracle Network
throughout the year! I know there are end of Service Initiative:
summer/beginning of school meetings to be held, so try Live2Learn
your hardest to go to those. Your LTG should be your District Project:
friend, not just a person who sends you random emails, calls Muscular Dystrophy Association.
occasionally, or someone you couldn’t pick out of the Governor’s Project:
crowd. They are all telling me that they are having trouble Hearts of Hope
getting a hold of you. So either please contact them or me
or let me know that they aren’t! I only know what they and
you tell me and if the only source I get is them…. Well let’s
just say it would be food to know both sides of the story. If
you ever ever ever have any questions at all, please let me
Box-O-Inspiration
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is
know! I always have my cell phone on, my home phone too, dressed in overalls and looks like work.” –Edison
and am, as sad as this is, constantly online. So, if you are
unsure about anything, want to bounce ideas around, or The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him
have something on your mind, give me a call, send an email, in other men the conviction and the will to carry on.
–Walter Lippman
message, or text me. For, I also hope not to be a stranger as
this year goes on. I promise that I do not bite. I am a
Leaders are more powerful role models when they
vegetarian. learn than when they teach. –Rosabeth Moss Kantor
Serving With a Smile,
Lily Schmidt
Members, Members. And more members.
So, by the end of last school year, just as you were getting into the swing of things, it
seemed as soon as you were elected, there were no members to be found. Well, come fall.
This should NOT be the case! It is not only important to replace the advisors that you lost,
but to recruit more! This is your challenge. I challenge you to grow by 10 members per club.
So if you had 20 go for 30 or had 130 go for 140. Trust me there are 10 people wandering
around your school that would be more than happy to join the Key Club family! Target a
freshman sitting alone at lunch, someone who dropped their books in the hall, a
teammate/whole team, or even your bestest friends. Have them join. You don’t even have to
say, “Join Key Club or else…”. Start with something like, “Hey I wanted to hang out on
Saturday, but there’s this service project. You should come along, and then after we can go.”
Make it subtle and make sure they know that you, personally, want them to be there. If you
let them know how much you care about it, they will care too. But the best way is to
publicize and make sure people know that your club is there from day #1. Let them know,
who you are, where you meet, what you do, and why you do what you do. Here are a few
tips.
1. Advertise. Advertise. And More Advertisements. There is no such thing as too
many posters, too many fliers, or too many announcements. Have Key Club be
EVERYWHERE. Put posters inside bathroom stalls all along the cafeteria lunch
line, on lockers, on doors, everywhere! But make them cute or funny… not just
graphic standards. Make sure they are eye-catching but still get the point across.
Also, if you have daily announcements put something in there everyday for a
week before your meeting. They can be as simple as “Key Club Meeting. 2:30
Wednesday. Gym.” Or as sophisticated as “Roses are red. Violets are blue. I’m
joining Key Club. How about you?” No matter what you do, just be sure to get
the word out! Keep your Key Club love in the closet no more!
2. Make a “Hit List”. Talk to your principal, guidance counselor, teachers, and
other club members. They will know of students that are not currently that
involved in many activities and students who would be perfect for an
organization like Key Club.
3. Send out Invites. Send out personal invites to meeting to that “list” or to all
freshmen, maybe to Student Council, Earth Club, or other clubs that focus on
leadership and helping others. Be sure to get a variety though and have
representation of everyone is your club.
Need More Ideas?
4. Have a Social Event. Have a pool party, a tailgating party, a lock-in, or some type
http://slp.kiwanis.o
event that is casual in the beginning of the year to get members excited and ready
rg/KeyClub/Librari
to serve. Even better have a project followed by a party.
es/Growing_Your_
Other Advice:
Club/Membership_
1. Assign each upperclassman (who can drive) a buddy to take them to events and
Recruitment_guide.
bring them home so that transportation is not an issue. You can also create a
sflb.ashx or
carpool type deal.
http://slp.kiwanis.o
2. Bribe them with candy or pizza. Kids, we like food… especially free food.
rg/KeyClub/fad/Gr
3. Ask D. Board to come or to help out! We would love to!
owing_Your_Club.a
4. Have a new member installation/orientation where you recognize them, but also
spx or
assign them a job, so they feel wanted and needed, not lost in the crowd.
Call Lily to
5. Set goals for your club as to how many you want to gain.
brainstorm more
6. Have seniors replace themselves and then have an end of the year farewell where
ideas!
you see the transition over.
To-Do List for July International Convention
Hold a Board Meeting to go over plans for the
school year.
showdown
I know that if you have read your LTG’s
Make a list of goals you would like to accomplish recent newsletter all you hear is it was
over this next year for your club and yourself. AMAZING, You have to go, so much fun, I
love Dallas, lots of cute people, etc. etc.
However, sometimes what my lovely LTGs
Attend a division-wide function forget to tell you is how worthwhile it really
is. The feeling you get coming back from
Join the Presidents of the Michigan District Convention makes you feel all warm and
facebook group :) fuzzy inside. Being with people who share
the same interest, passion, and mentality are
there. You have so much in common with
Email Lily, letting her know that you got this them that friendships are easily cultivated.
email. You get the opportunity to step outside of
your comfort zone and really shine, like the
Go to mikeyclub.org and join the mailing list sparkley star that you truly are. Workshop
after workshop you never find yourself
Fill in all missing ERF information bored, only excited for all that you and your
club can get involved with and help out
Think about how much to charge for dues with. When you see the huge checks being
(District + International = $10.50) if you want to handed over from Key Club International to
find a way to defray costs for conventions through organizations like UNICEF, March of
dues, store some extra money for a project, or ask Dimes, and Children’s Miracle Network it
your Kiwanis to pitch in. hits you that the impact we make is
absolutely astonishing when we are all
Organize a membership drive working together under the same common
goal. Speakers inspire us to be who we are,
Keep in contact with Kiwanis do what we love, and never back down.
Hypnotists have us literally rolling on the
Make posters for advertising floor laughing when our peers are
pretending to be Caman Island Beach-goers,
driving planes, and caught for speeding. You
become a family, in the words of a few
Michigan ICON attendees, and when you
are unfortunately forced to part, tears flow
and hugs last for hours, but you always
promise, “I’ll see you next summer.”
Lily’s Contact Information Next year, Convention is in Memphis,
Tennessee and there is no doubt that this is
Lily Schmidt going to be another great, eventful, and fun-
Cell: (989) 992-8513 filled trip. I hope to see many of you there.
Home: (989) 642-2713 As we all know, it is quite pricey so ask your
Email: governor@mikeyclub.org Kiwanis and start fundraising now. Trust me
Alternate Email: lillianelizabethschmidt@gmail.com you won’t regret it. If you have questions or
Facebook: Lily Schmidt would like a testimony from a two-time
Myspace: LilySchmidtKeyClubDinoette attendee, give me a call. I’d love to tell you
Something like that…. about my experiences.