By Theo Vuong, Staff Writer
From April 13 to April 15, Fountain Valley Key Club (FVKC) attended the California Nevada Hawaii (CNH) Key Club District Convention in Reno, Nev. While in attendance, members came together with fellow Key Clubbers across three states to celebrate their accomplishments as a high school service organization and receive recognition for their efforts.
District Convention (DCON) is a yearly Key Club staple, finding its roots in an old Kiwanis tradition, whose organization sponsors Key Clubs. This event attracts Key Clubbers from all across the states of California, Nevada and Hawaii, who seize this opportunity to meet new friends or link up with old ones. Members typically stay at the convention for three days and two nights, bonding with each other while experiencing all that the convention has to offer.
Junior Jake Hopkins said, “This was my first year in the club and I was super stoked to go. I had no idea there would be so many people in attendance. I got to room with some of my close friends in the club and I’d like to think we got closer because of DCON.”
This event is used to mark the end of an old term and the beginning of a new one. The old board members are retired and new board members get to experience their installation, their positions effective immediately once they leave the convention center. As such, this event marks the end of a journey for seniors, who sometimes display great emotion at their last “real” Key Club event.
“I knew I was going to cry,” said senior and Lieutenant Governor Vinh Nguyen. “This organization has had such a huge impact on me ever since I joined freshman year and it was bittersweet. This was basically the last time I would see my friends, but it was kind of like one last party before we all went our separate ways.”
Aside from socialization, awards are given out to excellent members and officers along with scholarships. This year, FVKC received high distinctions and won multiple awards. Senior member Ben Chu won a Member of the Year award, senior Treasurer Crystal Banh won the Distinguished Treasurer award and Division 04 West Key Club (under which FVKC operates) received an award for the most funds raised for the Pediatric Trauma Program.
Banh said, “DCON was extremely emotional and inspiring event… I am absolutely honored to be awarded Distinguished Treasurer and to represent my home club.”
As DCON has now passed, the FVKC seniors finally leave behind a legacy of exuberance and service that will be hard to surpass. Their roles in the club have been taken up by a dedicated group of underclassmen, who are more than capable of stepping up to the plate and getting the job done.
Junior Vice President Huy Truong said, “It was sad to see all of the seniors go. They influence [the members] and the club won’t be the same without them. That being said, we will definitely aim towards a brighter future and shoot for goals that we couldn’t reach before. By the time the next DCON rolls around, we will be a bigger and better club than before.”
