Key Club - My first meeting (September 28, 2009)

Today was my first Key Club meeting. I didn't know what to expect. I originally decided to join Key Club because I thought that it would enable me to become a part of something bigger than myself (which learning outcome 6 refers to - issues of global importance), and I want to do something that benefits the community. In addition Hyanna had told me that it would look good on college applications so she thought I should join. 

I went into the meeting and Hyanna began explaining what needed to be done. $15 needed to be brought in by next Wednesday (membership dues I believe) and then she said that every weekend, on either Saturday or Sunday, there is one community service opportunity available and that in the beginning of every week, starting with the meeting, she will ask for volunteers to participate.

It was then that I realized that my already packed schedule or so I thought (which consists of Prom Committee and anything related to it, homework, and work on Saturday and Sunday) is going to need to be reorganized if I want to do at least the requested 50 hours of community service for Key Club. Up until this school year, I had PLENTY of free time and was able to work every day after school (at Stop & Shop) and still manage to complete all my homework. This year however it's not that easy - I already work only 2 days at my job (the weekend) and after hearing that the Key Club activities are on the weekend, I realized two things; I need to prioritize (for example, put Key Club and my schoolwork before my job). To keep track of when the different community service activities are on the weekend, I decided I need a calendar of my own where I can write down the dates so I can plan ahead, ask for the required days off from my job, and therefore enable myself to participate. 

My first thought by the time the Key Club meeting was over was, can I do this? Do I have enough time? Should I say I can't do it? I came to the conclusion that instead of giving up before even trying, I need to prioritize and make time for Key Club. I spoke to my manager at work and she said if I tell her on Monday what day I need off on the weekend for Key Club, she can work with me on it to find another time for me to work, which I was thankful for. I WILL be able to do it, and I am going to do my absolute best to prioritize, to organize my schedule so I have time for everything (particularly what is important), and show that I am committed to every responsibility that I undertake. Now that I've thought about it, it shouldn't be that hard; I can do Key Club activities every other week AND keep my job, do Prom Committee and get my homework done. I am on my way to realizing what learning outcome 5 requires (commitment to the activity) and I will do whatever it takes, fully acknowledging that it is not going to be easy but will pay off in the long run, for me and for others as well. 

By the way when I say that I have a packed schedule, I am referring to the fact that I have homework in every class every night, work on the weekends, and little free time. It's a big change from what I am used to, but that doesn't mean that I can't make time for what is important. 

Prom Committee - Getting Involved (September 24, 2009)

Today in Prom Committee I decided to get involved and to do as much as I could to make myself an active member. As a group we were discussing fundraising opportunities, so I saw this as an opportunity to get involved in two different ways. One of the ideas for fundraising is during the Open House next Thursday, selling raffle tickets, and Mrs. Hyer asked for volunteers to attend the Open House and take turns selling raffle tickets and handing out flyers at booths to the parents and students who attend. I decided to take this as an opportunity to help, so I wrote my name on the list of volunteers. I see this as taking my first step toward achieving learning outcome 4, which is to work collaboratively with others. I did not know for sure who else would volunteer, and to be totally honest, I am close with some people in Prom Committee, and others not so much. Volunteering to help at the Open House is what I consider to be my first step toward working collaboratively with others because I volunteered and promised myself and the group that I would work together with whoever else volunteered for that evening, and do my best to make the evening successful and productive with the help of other people.

The second way I pushed myself to get involved was to suggest an additional fundraising activity, which is a yard sale. I thought it would be a good idea to have students and teachers bring in items from home that they no longer want, and once enough items were gathered, we could ask for volunteers from Prom Committee to sell the items. I suggested the idea, and Mrs. Hyer told me that since it was my idea, I can help to organize the event. When I heard this at first, I decided to put on an enthusiastic face for everyone and begin immediately asking questions for clarification ("Who will I go to, to confirm that this can take place?" "When? Where?"), even though on the inside I was really thinking this; 'Oh god. I may be an outspoken person and I may talk more than my share, but I can't persuade people to do anything, I don't have the ability to convince people to do things. How will I persuade people to bring in enough items? How can I make my idea sound like a good one to the rest of the school so that they will get involved?' In the past I was always hesitant to do things I wanted to do, because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make my ideas sound good to others, and that I didn't have a powerful enough voice to make a difference. This held me back from joining student government these past few years, but I need to become a leader. I need to be able to take on a leadership role and present my ideas to others in a way that works, and accomplish something. I saw this as my first step toward achieving learning objective 2, undertaking new challenges. Stepping into a leadership role, organizing an event, and presenting my ideas to many people and spreading the word is a challenge for me, even though it may not seem like it to other people. Part of it is because I am afraid that people don't like me, and therefore will shoot down my ideas and I won't get the support I need in order to get something done. However this time I really do think I have a good idea, and that it will benefit Prom Committee and raise some money, so I am taking this as an opportunity to spread the word to others, and carry out my idea and make the end result worth the effort.

I saw this week as me taking my first big jump into becoming an active member of Prom Committee, and by doing so, I am hoping to step away from being a quiet voice, and hoping to become a leader, a contributor, and someone who is able to put my ideas to action, and to help others do the same with their ideas as well.