| California-Nevada-Hawaii District of Key Club International | |
| Formation: | 1947 |
| Type: | Service club |
| Headquarters: | Rancho Cucamonga, California |
| Location: | California, Nevada, Hawaii |
| Membership: | 29,426 |
| Language: | English |
| Governing Body: | CNH District Board |
| Leader Title: | District Governor |
| Leader Name: | Austin Alves (2024-present) |
| Key People: | Doug Gin (District Administrator) |
| Website: | http://www.cnhkeyclub.org |
The California-Nevada-Hawaii District Key Club International, Cali-Nev-Ha, or simply CNH is a governing body of Key Club International, a youth sponsored community service organization of Kiwanis International, local Kiwanis clubs and school districts across the state.
The CNH District is the largest district in Key Club International, with nearly 30,000 members.[1] It was in Sacramento, California where Key Club was first founded in 1925.
The CNH mascot is the bee.
Currently, the district consists of 80 divisions spread throughout the three states.[2]
In 1924, Sacramento High School in Sacramento, California was in trouble. Destructive clubs and fraternities, although outlawed, moved underground and continued to exercise a negative influence on the student population. Educators and community leaders feared these detrimental effects and sought some means of replacing the clubs with wholesome youth activities. The principal and a faculty member thought that what the school needed was an organization of students that discouraged delinquency by its example. Mr. Vincent asked the local Kiwanis Club for help and, together, they decided to pattern the new group after Kiwanis. The idea of a junior service club similar to Kiwanis was presented to the school in 1924, but it was not put into practice until eleven students signed a petition on March 25, 1925 which was sent to the Kiwanis International office with a request to be chartered as a Junior Kiwanis Club. By the time the charter was granted and the club held its first meeting, the membership had grown to twenty-five members. Through this group, Kiwanis hoped to provide vocational guidance to the students of the entire school.
The club became known as the Key Club because of the positive influence of these key students who held luncheon meetings each week to which Kiwanians came as guest speakers. Key Club members also attended Kiwanis meetings, thus bringing these young men into constant contact with the business and professional men of the community.
As the experience of the Key Club grew, the club became a complete service organization open to the whole school. A social program was offered to balance its service activities. Over the following years, Key Club went through a period of expansion by word-of-mouth. Other communities throughout the United States started Key Clubs patterned after the one in Sacramento High School. By 1939, about fifty Key Clubs were chartered, many of them in the Southern United States. The first five clubs officially chartered by Key Club International were those of Sacramento, Monterrey, Oakland Technical, Hemet, and Stockton (now Edison) High Schools. Since Key Club was growing in the area of its birth, and a few clubs existed in neighboring Nevada, by 1947 it was decided that a district should be formed. The first step was to hold a conference in San Diego in October to which all the California Key Clubs and Kiwanis Clubs were invited. A full slate of officers was elected and a set of district bylaws and a constitution were adopted. John Cooper of Oakland Technical High School was the first district governor of the Cali-Nev District. The first official district convention was held in Oakland in March 1948; it was attended by eighty members representing the 23 recognized district Key Clubs. With the chartering of the McKinley High School Key Club in 1952, the district became Cali-Nev-Ha. The first edition of the Cali-Nev-Ha Key appeared on May 1, 1954.
The advent of the new millennium saw the Cali-Nev-Ha Key Club District grow to over 500 clubs with nearly 29,000 members. It continues to grow. As of May, 2012, membership neared 45,500.[3]
The California-Nevada-Hawai'i District is divided into three main levels of governance: district, division, and club. Divisions are placed into regions, groups of neighboring divisions who are partnered together as an alliance for service within their borders. The highest recognized position is the District Governor with the lowest ranking being the club bulletin editor. Key Club also adopts the inverted pyramid, in which the members are the highest governing body, while the district board and international are the lowest.
The CNH District Board is similar to all other Key Club International District boards.
A total of five board meetings (initial district convention, spring board, summer board, winter board, and concluding district convention) are held during the Key Club term of one year. The initial assembly of the district board at the initiating district convention is primarily used as a transitional/training conference for the elected lieutenant governors.
Each Lt. Governor is assigned to a committee with a specific domain of policy making, each committee is led by an appointed non-Lt. Governor committee chair. The committee focuses range from communications and marketing to service projects. Changes and adoption of policies made by the committees are debated by the Lt. Governors and must be approved by a majority vote in order to pass at a District Board meeting. All Lt. Governors must serve on the Candidate Training Conference Committee of their respective geographical region during their term. Lt. Governors are also expected to appoint a Division Leadership Team composed of executive assistants, a division news editor, and any other positions as they see fit (technology editor, member recognition coordinator, Kiwanis Family relations coordinator, etc.) at the beginning of their term.
These are officially recognized positions held at the division and club levels of the district. All club level officers are elected democratically while Division Assistants, News Editors, and other Division Leadership Team officers remain appointed.
Division News Editor
The Division News Editor (DNE) submits Articles and Visuals to the CNH Articles and Visuals Archives, respectfully. The DNE is expected to publish one newsletter monthly that highlights service, recognition, and growth throughout the term.
District Project
A specific project focus selected every other year by the District Project committee made up of members of the District Board. Promoting A Healthier Lifestyle (2021-2023) is the current District Project. Clubs throughout the California-Nevada-Hawai'i District are asked to dedicate at least one service event per month to promoting healthier lifestyles among their members. Clubs do these projects throughout the year. The District has certain District Project weeks during the year that clubs throughout the district concentrate on certain aspects of the District project.[5]
Governor's Project
The Governor's Project is still being determined.
Spirit tradition in the district primarily revolves around the "How Do You Feel", Cheer in which a Key Clubber asks another Key Clubber or group of Key Clubbers how they feel, the targets then respond with the cheers answer. Nevada Key Clubbers are known to respond with an "Unga" instead of an "Abooga" while the Kiwins answer with an "Awooga". The "We've got Spirit" Cheer has a universal usage while all other cheers are rarely used as competitive cheers other than at Key Club International Convention. Division often mark their own unique cheers and battle cries to be used against one another at major district events.[6]
We feel good!Oh, We feel so good!Oh! We feel fine!All of the time!Abooga! Abooga!Abooga, Booga, Booga!(Throw your fist over your head during "Abooga" and turn in a circle)
We've got spirit... Yes we do!We've got spirit... How 'Bout you!?!?We've got spirit... Yes we do!We've got spirit... How 'Bout you!?!?(repeat twice)
Cali-Nev-Ha!Cali-Nev-Ha!Abooga, booga, booga!Ha, Ha, Ha!(Throw your fist over your head)(Repeat 3x, each time louder)
From the east to the west!You Know We're the best!We're the district with the sting!And that's why we sing!We're the bees buzz buzz!We're the bees buzz buzz!It's all about the party hardy!CNH Bees!
The CNH Fall Rally is a fundraiser and the largest gathering of Key Clubbers held during the district year. Because of the district's geographic size, two fall rallies are held each year in order to allow for greater ease of attendance. Fall Rally North, held in late October, is currently held in Northern California (Vallejo) at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Fall Rally South, held in mid-November, is held in Southern California (Valencia) at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Thousands of members[7] gather at each of the two theme parks. Because of the sheer number of Key Clubbers at Fall Rally South, the rally is divided into four sessions, with divisions being assigned to specific rally times.
At both fall rallies, all district board members (executive officers, appointed board members, and lieutenant governors) are "auctioned" off to divisions. The winning division is then able to spend a designated period of time with the "purchased" officer. Funds and ticket sales for both events go toward Pediatric Trauma Program and Pediatric Emergency Medicine programs at the partner hospitals in Oakland, San Diego, Loma Linda, Madera, Honolulu and Reno.[8] In 2009-2010, the fall rallies generated over $120,000, more than double of the previous year.[9]
The district convention is held each year in March or April, the conclusion of the CNH Key Club year. This convention is held in celebration of the accomplishments of the individual Key Clubber as well as the clubs, divisions and District's achievements. A convention center has been required to host the assembly of massive amounts members at the general sessions, the location of the convention center alternates each year between Northern and Southern California. Workshops are hosted throughout a three-day period covering training and service project information for elected officers to member centered meet and greets and motivational seminars. The Policies International and Elections Committee oversees the election process of the new District Executive Officers and International Officer Candidates. Caucuses are held to allow the members of the District to hear candidate's platforms and ask questions. A House of Delegates assembles with two representatives from every club in the district to vote.
The results of the election are announced Saturday night at the general session. The general sessions also host a variety of talent acts by members as well as the presentation of scholarships and recognition of people and club who have shown outstanding service to the organization. Spirit rallies are conducted at each general session and a spirit stick goes to the group deemed most spirited. On the final day the Incumbent District Board is retired with all current divisional and club officers, the new District Board is installed and all elected club officers gain official control over their positions at that point.[10]