Having just finished a fantastic year of community service and helping our planet in both GWAT, Global Warming Action Team, and Key Club here at VHS, I have to say that club week –along with clubs at VHS in general– are a raging success.

Yes, I do have to admit that there are plenty of clubs that lack any activity or meetings after club week, however, that is not true across the board.

Key Club–Ventura High School’s community service club– has met every other Wednesday for the past three years I’ve been a student at VHS, and to my knowledge, for many years before that. Key Club also has a wonderful group of members; most Wednesdays in Ms. Scovell’s room, every desk is full.

Outside of school, Key Club does a myriad of activities, projects, and events. Just to name a few, Key Club has put on a prom for senior citizens in Ventura, planned and participated in an easter egg hunt and craft day with special needs students at VHS, made dog toys for the Humane Society, caroled at senior citizen’s homes, and collected basic school supplies, toiletries, and more for underprivileged families in Belize. Key Club has even had two students travel to Belize and give supplies to the families there.

GWAT meets every other Tuesday to work on helping the environment, and has also been a very successful club.

Last year, GWAT helped put on a citywide march about climate change and the lack of action in Ventura’s City Council. Because of this march and our club members’ persistence, Ventura City Council agreed to enact a climate change plan to stay on track of helping the environment.

Besides the political change GWAT has initiated, GWAT has planned and participated in many tree plantings, beach cleanups, and hikes. GWAT has even raised enough money to pay for Ventura Hillside Conservancy memberships for our club members.

So to say that the clubs at VHS have “no meaning” and “need better leaders” isn’t correct in it’s entirety, and this can be supported by all of the events and projects that both Key Club and GWAT members have participated in during the past three years I’ve attended VHS.

Yes, there are clubs at VHS that do very little. However, I believe that school clubs are what you put into it. If you want club week to be “worth it” then I recommend putting effort into a club that you’re passionate about, rather than dwelling on the clubs that do fizzle out.

If you want to see better leadership for VHS clubs, then step up and be that leader. Clubs can, and do make our community a better and brighter place, but it’s up to you to join and participate.