My Key Club Story: Why Everyone Should Attend Rallies

Not being in Key Club too long, I was only able to attend two rallies in my Key Club experience: the SEAttle Rally and Canada Rally the summer of 2016. If you haven’t attended any rallies, my biggest recommendation would be to go to one, and just have fun! Though I have heard about rallies, I never got to experience it firsthand experience: both Rallies were so spirited and full of positivity and service. Though both were in the same district, the experiences were quite different. In my home area of Bellevue, the SEAttle Rally had hundreds of members representing their division with pride, making the cafeteria a jumble of war cries from Batmen, Bumblebees, Krakens, Dragons, etc., which of course, was a little overwhelming, but it really pumps you up and fall into the unwavering passion and spirit of the foundation of Key Club–plus those spirit battles take some real dedication to win (some are endless). Not only are the members amazing–and don’t be afraid to reach out to people–but the district board works tirelessly to create such rallies, and major hats off to them for all their work. All the workshops are infused with the knowledge to expand your knowledge on Key Club, and laughter is thrown into the mix to keep you intrigued; I did a team building exercise that involved replicating an unknown figure with marshmallows and noodles–lesson learned of the essential need for teamwork and trust. In contrast, Canada Rally had fewer attendees due to the nature in the location of Key Clubbers, but nevertheless not losing at all in spirit. The rally itself was roughly the same schedule–workshops, lunch, ceremonies–but personally, I enjoyed the Canada rally more! This was due to the fact that being in a more foreign area, I was forced to become closer to Key Clubbers whom I travelled with, and with a smaller attendee size, I was able to bond easier with members, laughing at district board members being pied who I had newly befriended. Yet I still loved the Seattle Rally; I just didn’t have the courage to go up to random people and introduce myself with such a big crowd. Thus, all I can say is take a chance and immerse yourself into the passion and service that Key Club embodies at rallies, and overall just have a great time! The different nature of each rally really opens the opportunity for everyone to find one that suits them – I recommend everyone to try to at least attend one rally this year.