From the first Key Club in 1925 in Sacramento, California, to 2024’s Shadow Ridge Key Club, only one comparison can be made, and that would be how much better Shadow’s is. Ranging from the students’ community service to character building and leadership training, Shadow Ridge takes the top spot on the pedestal this year for how dedicated and helpful their students are to their local community.

Rhealyn Mae Boquiren, Key Club Advisor, says, ”As an advisor, I provide guidance and support to the board, so the club can be student-led. This involves teaching organization skills, communication skills, tracking money, conflict resolution, and more! I ensure that the club follows school and Key Club rules and expectations. I chaperone club events, and I network and work with other Key Club advisors. I give the club my classroom the space to meet weekly on Mondays (board meetings) and Tuesdays (general sessions). As a club, we discuss and perform community service. For example, today we had our service event in which we partnered with the Outdoors Club. We had our members, Outdoors Club members, and other Shadow students pick up and collect trash from our school’s front parking lot. This year, we are participating in the Chick-fil-A Leadership Program and have packaged 1 Million Books to be donated to an elementary school or youth organization in our local community.”

The Key Club also participates in and hosts events that include other schools. They meet with their sister clubs (Key Clubs from other high schools) on a monthly basis at what they call Division Council Meetings (DCM).

 At these meetings, Kiwanian Clubs provide input and guidance. Kiwanian Clubs are made up of adult members in Key Club. The Region Training Conference is a major event for students to gain knowledge, develop skills, and network while having fun in various areas, including preparing for standardized tests, leading a service project, and preparing to run for higher positions at the division, district, or international levels. Fall Rally is an event that usually occurs at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

 All the Key Clubs in Nevada go to California to meet and network with California Key Clubs. All the Key Clubs in Nevada are part of the CNH District (California-Nevada-Hawaii). The Officer Training Conference (OTC) is an important event for new officers every year. Their board members learn how to do their jobs from former board members across the valley. They also get to meet important people they need to regularly communicate with who run Shadow’s Division. At all of these events, students and advisors get to boost their morale, network, and share ideas covering service, projects, fundraising, and leadership.

Boquiren states, “All students are welcome to join us during any meeting to learn about and partake in the different opportunities the club has to offer. Students just need to make sure they complete the club’s packet to continue attending. To be an official member of the club, students must complete a minimum of 50 service hours by the end of the year, attend the majority of the general meetings, and pay their dues.”