On a hot Saturday afternoon in Southern California, one would probably expect the typical high school student to be flocking to the beach or a nearby shopping mall. But on June 22, hundreds of students in bright, multi-colored shirts congregated to attend Key Club’s annual Region Three Officer Training Conference (OTC), an event designed to teach leadership and collaboration skills to Key Club officers.
As the oldest and largest non-profit service organization led by high school students, Key Club strives to educate by presenting various outlets of community service. The training event, programmed completely by students, provided workshops for presidents, secretaries, bulletin editors and treasurers alike to learn valuable tips, fundraising ideas and administrative responsibilities from numerous Key Club leaders and alumni.
Bulletin editor Kevin Chu remarked, “The job-specific seminars were really great because I got an overview of my duties and I was able to meet other bulletin editors.”
Attendance was not limited to board members alone. The diversity of student roles represented at OTC was a resounding testament to the club’s inclusivity, which is one of its core values. Members who simply wanted to learn how to become more involved in their clubs attended seminars on topics like public speaking and time management.
OTC also consisted of a social component, uniting legions of students into fellowship in a unique environment. The social aspects of the event demonstrated the value of forging connections with alumni and other members, especially for the incumbent officers.
Reem Karmouta, vice-president of the Beckman High School Key Club echoed this sentiment, saying, “I was able to meet vice presidents from other clubs and also learned of a reflector group where the vice presidents of the region can post their questions for their peers or alumni to answer.”
As the first of many upcoming regional events, OTC was an exciting and successful start to the Key Club calendar.
Jay Choi
Jay Choi is a junior at Beckman High and a new editor for the Spring Semester. An avid musician, he enjoys playing the clarinet and saxophone and listening to all types of music. He spends his free time hanging out with his friends and playing improvised jazz solos. He hopes to make a positive contribution to JSR and looks forward to the semester.
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