Ok so DCON was actually April 2-April 4 but I was writing my monthly article on it so I decided to wait and just post my article up instead of just writing about it.
What makes Key Club different from other service clubs? What makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of high school kids to help as much as they do? The answer is passion. Passion is what makes Key Clubbers give up their weekends to plant trees or clean up a beach. It is not only a passion for helping people but it is a passion for the organization itself. Key Club is special in the fact that this passion, this spirit lies within every Key Clubber from generation to generation. And the way that spirit is passed on to the next line of Key Clubbers is though an event like DCON.
As much as a freshman hears statements like “250,000 members” and “worldwide club”, they can never realize how huge Key Club is until they see the amount of people and the amount of spirit at District Convention. DCON helped my members realize that this is not just some club that sits around and talks about random topics, but it is instead a club that is affecting people all over the world and making a difference, no matter how small.
DCON shows the organization at its best. For members new to Key Club or members who haven’t quite gotten their spirit, DCON shows that this club is organized, influential, and in many ways “magical”. The faces on my members when they first saw general session, with everyone showing their spirit and trying as hard as they could to win that spirit stick, can only be described as amazing. At DCON, you can literally see pride of Key Club. Whether it be new members staring their incredible journey through this remarkable organization, or seniors preparing to say the final goodbyes to the club that gave them so much, DCON is an emotional experience that must be seen and felt to be truly understood.
After building the passion, DCON also gives its attendees the tools to transform that passion into service and work. Each and every one of the workshops and speeches given at DCON adds to the knowledge of each attendee and helps this organization learn and grow. At DCON I have met many people and received masses of information and advice from the older members. I will never forget those people, and this experience we shared together. I will put the information that I have received to good use throughout this year, and when my time in Key Club is done, I will pass on my knowledge and continue the cycle of learning and growth. My members and I learned how Key Club can do anything and how they can help in making the impossible possible. It’s a clique I know, but that’s what Key Club is all about, making memories and making a difference.
Chris Okamura Key Club Division 25 West Reseda High School Vice-President
