By Staff
Kim West
Franklin County Times
The Russellville High School Key Club recently elected officers for the 2007-08 school year.
After serving as junior vice-president last year, John Tyler Hardin was elected club president. Fellow seniors Mallory Wilson (vice-president), Rebekah Beason (secretary) and Kimberly Fennell (treasurer) were also elected, along with junior vice-president Amanda King.
The Russellville Key Club, advised by Mike Powell, is a sponsored youth program of the Russellville Kiwanis Club, which awards an annual scholarship to a Key Club senior. Kiwanis organizations focus on community service projects, primarily those that assist children.
This year marks the fifth year for Key Club, which is currently the only community service organization at RHS, although several other clubs volunteer and raise money for service projects.
"Most of our members help the Kiwanis Club with projects – the Watermelon Bike Ride, Pancake Day and other activities," said Hardin, who is also president of Health Occupations of America and Science Club and belongs to the Student Booster Club, National Honor Society and varsity tennis team. "When the Kiwanis Club is doing something, we're usually there, too."
Hardin said the club was formed at RHS when he was eighth-grader, and he decided to join as a sophomore because of its focus on community service.
"I wanted to be involved in community service, and I didn't know much about the club when I was younger. But as I became older, I learned more about it and decided to join," Hardin said.
Hardin named the Watermelon Bike Ride and Pancake Day projects as two of his favorite volunteer activities as a Key Club member.
"This past summer, Key Club members helped with the Bike Ride. We gave (the cyclists) snacks, and it was fast-paced because we had to move from site to site. It was a lot of fun, and it was an event that lasted the whole day," said Hardin, who plans to major in chemical engineering at the University of Alabama-Huntsville and attend medical school to study pediatric medicine. "Last year on Prom Day, the officers gave up their morning off from school and helped with the Pancake Day breakfast."
Hardin said annual club membership typically ranges between 25-30 students, but he would like to increase that total this year.
"Our club is still kind of new. But this year I hope to make it one of the bigger clubs and add more members. It's very important to help Kiwanis, but I think we could also do some more community service projects on our own," Hardin said.