Key Club: Locked In

While you might not want to spend your Thursday lunches sorting through recycling, trying to avoid the occasional drip of the liquids that fester at the bottoms of Gallatin’s green bins, the group of individuals that volunteer their time at Key Club to help around their community seem to have a lot of fun. 

With “Thousands of clubs in forty-five countries,” Key Club, a branch of Kiwanis International, allows high school students to socialize while racking up community service hours. Although the club meets weekly, Key Club members also have the opportunity to volunteer some of their weekends. This year, the club has organized a food drive, participated in both the Halloween and Valentine’s day dances with the special education program, made blankets and decorations for organizations such as the Gallatin Valley Rest Home and the Cancer Center, helped at the Kiwanis Cakes for Kids Pancake Breakfast, and continued taking out Gallatin High’s recycling each week.

After the formalities of a gaveling-in,the club oath, and collecting recycling, I talked to Key Club’s president, Laszlo Baumgardner, about the tradition of Key Club in Bozeman’s public schools. Baumgardner explained that our chapter of Key Club was started by Gallatin High alumni Emma Baumgardner, Baumgardner’s older sister. Joe Kusak, Key Club’s advisor, was recruited soon after the need for a chapter was realized. Today, Mr. Kusak can be found thanking regular members, handing out Oreos, and occasionally sliding across the tables in A240.

While Baumgardner admitted that it might sound corny, he remarked, “we build great connections.” Both staff and students have been impacted by the work of Key Club, from the trees planted on campus on Arbor Day of 2023 to the cards being made for teachers at that Thursday club meeting. Elaborating on these connections, Baumgardner referenced the support and structure contributed to the club by other leadership members including Max DeFanti and Bella Determan, two members who work to coordinate events and volunteer opportunities with organizations in the community. 

One of Key Club’s proudest achievements this school year was vastly outperforming the Hawks in Bozeman’s annual Food Drive for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank. This year’s food drive also accepted cash donations which were used to buy more food. “We had three cars filled to the brim,” commented Baumgardner. With another productive year in progress, members of the Bozeman Kiwanis Club have expressed their gratitude for Key Club.

With 30-40 consistent members, Key Club is already looking ahead to next year. While a majority of the club’s officers are upperclassmen, Laszlo wants to encourage underclassmen to run for leadership positions in the club’s upcoming elections. While Gallatin High Key Club is a relatively new chapter of the international program, it has also begun a new chapter for students, turning over a new leaf in public service.

*The author is a member of Key Club