News & Upcoming Events


New Training Dates - Posted: Friday, Feb. 15th

Online "Blended Learning" CPR Training is officially canceled for the dates of February 17th and February 24th.

New "Community Learning" training dates are available for Saturday, March 1st, and Saturday, April 5th, both from 9am to 5pm. The cost has been reduced to $17.50 and each student will have to register with the local Red Cross chapter by calling 785-537-2180 and a) informing them that you're a member of the American Red Cross Club and b) requesting to be placed into either the March 1st or April 5th training date. There are only twelve spots available for each date so if you are able to attend one of these dates, please do so!

We are currently working with the Red Cross to see if we can't arrange some alternate and better dates and times but there is no guarantee that we'll be able to arrange something better. That said, anyone who cannot attend either March 1st or April 5th or who is not able to get into a class because it is full, will be expected to fill out this survey for what times during the week work for you:

http://www.k-state.edu/redcross/spring08exception.html

I'm very sorry that this process has turned into such a mess. As we've mentioned, this is the first semester the Red Cross has required our members to be certified in CPR/First Aid/AED. Although we will try make the process easier, we still need everyone to try to be trained this semester.

The next meeting is Monday, February 25th, at 8:30pm in Ackert 231. We'll have more news on whether or not we were able to get some additional (and hopefully better) training dates and times by then, at the latest. And Public Relations members: please come ready to work (with paper and pen) on a variety of projects!

Thanks for your patience, everyone!


CPR Training Dates! - Posted: Wednesday, Feb. 6th

It's that time: we need everyone to commit themselves to be trained on either Sunday, Feb. 17th at 2:00pm OR Sunday, Feb. 24th at 2:00pm. The training time for each date will until 5pm, at the latest. Once you have completed your Volunteer Application and Background Check, notified the local Red Cross chapter that your Background Check is complete, and signed up for training on the 17th or 24th, you will be e-mailed your password and a link to the training website. To sign up for training on the 17th or 24th, please click on the following link and submit your name, e-mail address, local address, phone number, and whether or not each of those dates will work for you:

http://www.ksu.edu/redcross/spring08training.html

If neither of these dates will work for you, visit this site and complete the form:

http://www.ksu.edu/redcross/spring08exception.html

Also, for those of you who have already been trained in CPR/First Aid/AED by the American Red Cross or American Heart Association, you will need to provide copies of your certification cards. I know this is a lot to ask, as most of us probably haven't kept track of them. Unfortunately, though, we will not be able to complete your application process without copies of these cards. If you cannot find your cards, try calling the organization which certified you to see if they can help.

Last but not least, for those of you who are new members and may have missed the recent listserv (mailing list) announcements, I encourage you to scroll down and read some of the previous announcements to get caught up on the membership process. A lot of deadlines are coming up fast, so no one should delay in getting this stuff done!

As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you to everyone for being so patient through this process; we're almost done! And I'll see you all at the meeting this upcoming Monday, February 11th!


CPR Training Clarifications - Posted: Wednesday, Feb. 6th

I'd just like to clarify the last part of the A.R.C.C. membership process for everyone who is getting to that point.

First, remember that all Volunteer Applications are due February 11th - that's next Monday. You can get the application at:

You can then bring your completed application to:

Do not forget to call the local Red Cross chapter at 785-537-2180 or e-mail Nancy at TrumboN@usa.redcross.org immediately after you've completed your background check. If you fail to complete this step your application will not be processed!!

Once you're at this point, it's time to choose which day you'd like to be trained. The two dates we've set aside at this point are Sunday, February 17th at 2:00pm and Sunday, February 24th at 2:00pm. Once you have determined which date you would like to receive your training on, you must fill out the form, here: http://www.ksu.edu/redcross/spring08training.html.

After you have done everything above, you will be e-mailed a link and password to the online blended learning course (unless you've chosen to take the longer, on-site community learning course). Please do not forget: you must complete the online course prior to your training on either the 17th or 24th. If you have not completed your online training by then, you will not be able to attend the on-site training. The online training lasts approximately 4 hours but can be stopped and resumed as often as you need. Please let me, Peter, know if you have any questions about this process, at petergl@ksu.edu.


Meeting Tomorrow - Ackert 231, 8:30pm - Posted: Sunday, Feb. 3rd

We will be having a short, social meeting today, Monday, February 4th, at 8:30pm in Ackert 231. Because of Will Farrell's comedy tour and the large amount of new members this semester, we're taking a little more time to ease into this semester. Please also note that we have changed the date of our next meeting to February 11th, at 8:30pm, in Ackert 231. The meeting after that will be February 25th, same time & place. At today's meeting we will be distributing & collecting American Red Cross Volunteer Applications, A.R.C.C. Officer Applications, and one or two more guideline & conduct sheets from the American Red Cross. Chips and drinks will be available to ease this application process. We'll also either watch the Red Cross Orientation video or a movie.

Here's a reminder list of the steps you need to take to become an official member of both the American Red Cross and A.R.C.C.:

  1. Join a committee by speaking with that committee's Co-Chair.


  2. Fill out an official American Red Cross Volunteer Application. Applications can be found at any A.R.C.C. meeting, at the local Red Cross chapter, or online (for your personal printing) at http://www.ksu.edu/redcross/docs/volunteer_app.doc . Do NOT turn in the application until you have completed the next step (#3).


  3. Go to www.mybackgroundcheck.com and complete the background check; write "KSU American Red Cross Club" on the top of your application and turn it in to your committee Co-Chair or the local Red Cross chapter.


  4. At an official A.R.C.C. meeting, complete the Orientation Video and sign a Code of Conduct Agreement and Confidentiality Agreement.


  5. Become certified in CPR/First Aid and participate in at least one committee event in your first semester.

That said, here are some useful deadlines/dates:

Please e-mail me, Peter, or your committee Co-Chair, if you have any questions at all (or wait until the meeting tonight)! Also, everyone will shortly be receiving another e-mail regarding our wiping of the listserv (mailing list). Please read it and make sure that your name is on the mailing list if you are to remain part of this club! Thank you for your patience, everyone; this is looking to be a great semester!


Meeting Tomorrow - Ackert 231, 8:30pm - Posted: Sunday, Jan. 27th

We'll be having an informational meeting tomorrow night, Monday, January 28th, at 8:30pm in Ackert 231. All members (especially Health & Safety!) are encouraged to show up at about 9:00pm to sign up for some of the events we'll be having this semester. Because this is just an introductory meeting for interested students, there will not be any events/procedures aside from the sign up sheets and possibly some news from your committee Co-Chair. If you are unable to make this meeting, be sure to show up to our first official meeting, February 4th, same time & place. Also, don't forget to check your e-mail regularly for the next couple of weeks so that you can be contacted for any events that are happening before February 4th. See you soon!


Meeting Tomorrow - Ackert 231, 8:30pm - Posted: Sunday, Nov. 5th

The main purpose of this particular newsletter is to catch everyone up on all of the changes that have been occurring behind-the-scenes in A.R.C.C. It is important that everyone read over these changes, as we will not likely be discussing most of them at our next meeting. With that said…

Our next meeting will be tomorrow, Monday, November 5th, at 8:30pm in Ackert 231.

Now, onto the changes. Recently, members of the A.R.C.C. Executive Committee, along with members of the local Red Cross chapter, have been in discussions about necessary and recommended changes to A.R.C.C.’s structure and operations. Although some changes are still being worked out and do not appear below, many of the important ones do. Here are the changes and updates so far:

Applications can be found online at http://www.k-state.edu/redcross/officer_app.html

Committee Note: All committee updates will be given at the meeting.

On a Presidential Note

First, I would like to sincerely apologize for the long delay in meetings and communication from the A.R.C.C. Executive Committee. Since the time of our last meeting, the Chairs of the A.R.C.C. Executive Committee have been working closely with one another as well as members of the local Red Cross chapter, to refocus and restructure club operations. Some of these changes were normal and to be expected from any organization which continually tries to improve its members’ experiences; many of these changes, however, were spurred by communication problems with our local Red Cross chapter, unmanageable Executive Committee workloads, and various other issues internal and external to the club itself. Each of these difficult situations combined in such a way that we decided it was best to cancel our October 22nd meeting to seriously rethink club policies and operations.

That said, I would also like to apologize to those members who have been adversely affected by these changes. The decision to move all future meetings to Monday nights, as well as the decision to require our members to adhere to Red Cross Volunteer standards (which, in turn, requires CPR/First Aid training), were not decisions we made lightly. Unfortunately, until the club can be properly refocused – by tightening up communications with the local Red Cross chapter, redistributing certain committee responsibilities, and generally making a lot of organizational changes from the head-down – we do agree that these changes are necessary to the immediate and long-term success of the club.

My hope is that our many, motivated members will not be too discouraged by this series of frustrating setbacks. Rest assured that the members of the A.R.C.C. Executive Committee share a clear and unified vision of the great success our club and its members can achieve. Although we’ve had a lot of hurdles to overcome, I am confident that by this time next semester – with the many changes we’re working to make and most especially your help – the American Red Cross Club will hold a proud spot in everyone’s Kansas State University experience.

Sincerely,
-Peter Lewis



New Meeting Date & General Meeting Recap - Posted: Tuesday, September 18th

Welcome, again, to a brand new KSU semester! I hope everyone's studies are starting off well. Many thanks to those new members who attended one of our informational meetings and chose to join a committee or volunteer for an event. If you weren't able to make it to either of our informational meetings, don't worry - they were just club orientations with a few sign up sheets (most of what was presented can be found in this slideshow). Before I begin with the updates, I'd like to make a reminder that all members should start bringing either a notebook or personal planner/schedule to future meetings, as we won't be providing supplies and almost every commitee will require use of one or the other. Please don't forget!

The A.R.C.C. officers have been busy getting all of our new projects and volunteering opportunities ready and we've finally set the date of our next meeting. The next A.R.C.C. meeting - and the first at which we'll start doing groupwork on certain club iniatives - will be Monday, September 24th, at 8:15PM, in Ackert 231. This seems to be a time that works for many people but let me say a few things in case you're not one of them.

First, we've tried to accomodate as many of you who have tests or class at that time as best as possible; if a test or class runs a little over 8:15, it shouldn't be a problem for you to miss the first fifteen or twenty of minutes of "general club updates". Second, we've planned out most of the club meetings & social events for this semester; about half are on Monday nights and half on Sunday nights (Sunday night meeting times will vary). We'll post these dates online, along with other important information, probably within the week. If you'd really like to be a part of A.R.C.C. this year and neither Monday nor Sunday meetings will work for you, please e-mail myself or your committee's Chair as soon as possible and we'll try our best to work something out.

Next: A.R.C.C. officer openings. For the Fall'07 to Spring'08 semesters, the following committee Chair positions are open for application: Public Relations, International Services, and Disaster Services. Members who have been with the club at least a year and have a lot of motivation, as well as a desire to lead, strong organizational abilities, and a time schedule flexible enough to devote about 4 hours per week to the club, are encouraged to apply. Being an A.R.C.C. leader is a very educational & rewarding experience and looks impressive on applications & resumes. All applications must be received by Sunday morning and potential officers must be able to attend this Monday's meeting, September 24th, from **7:30 to 10:00pm**.

Applications may be found at the web address http://www.ksu.edu/redcross/officer_app.html and may be submitted in one of three ways:
1) Fill out the web form and submit it;
2) Download the Word Document (.doc), fill it out, and e-mail it to "petergl@ksu.edu";
3) Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf) file, print & fill it out by hand, and physically turn it into the local Red Cross chapter at 2601 Anderson Ave, here in Manhattan.

If you cannot meet one of these requirements, you MUST let me, Peter, know via e-mail or phone, BEFORE this Sunday, the 23rd of September.

I'll end this lengthy announcement with a recap and updates from our informational meetings that happened earlier this month. Members from last year or previous years are strongly encouraged to read through either this list or the above-slideshow, as many more changes have been made to A.R.C.C. and its committees.

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The American Red Cross Club will have, approximately, bi-monthly meetings. Some of these meetings will coincide with or be replaced by about three club social events per semester.

Students may join any of our five committees but it is recommended that new students start with just one - there are many volunteering opportunities within each committee. Also, depending upon Public Relations membership numbers, students may be required to complete one Public Relations event in addition to one event from the students' primary committees.

Committee updates & recaps follow:

Blood Services Updates:

Cynthia Hoffman
Blood Services Chair
cah@ksu.edu
785-280-0225

Health & Safety Updates:

Kalynn Koza
Health & Safety Chair
kkoza@ksu.edu
773-490-0300

Disaster Services Updates:

International Services Updates:

Public Relations Updates:

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That covers it! Don't forget to check back every now and then for additional updates and information. Thank you to everyone for your support last year and I'm looking forward to a very fun & eventful year with all of you! Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!


Welcome Back Students! - Posted: Saturday, September 1st

The American Red Cross Club of Kansas State University will be having its first semester meeting on two dates: Wednesday, September 5th, in Room 212 of the Student Union, and Monday, September 10th, in Room 221 of Ackert Hall. Both meetings will begin at 8:00pm and students need only one of the two meetings. Remember: it is an open meeting and every KSU student is invited!

The meeting should run 30 to 45 minutes and will include thorough explanations of our committees, an introductory note from our faculty advisor, optional sign-up sheets for some of our various volunteering opportunities, and time afterwards to meet & get to know our friendly club members. Although each of our five committees will be discussed in detail at the meeting, following is a brief summary of each. As you read them, try to think of any friends you have who may be interested in one or more of these committees:

Blood Services: Health & Safety: Disaster Services: International Services: Public Relations:

See you at the meeting!


Upcoming Blood Drive & Meeting! - Posted: Wednesday, April 11th

The KSU Spring Blood Drive will be April 16th-20th. A.R.C.C. will be having a meeting Sunday, April 15th, at 7:00pm in Calvin 217 to discuss the blood drive, among other things. After the meeting, at around 8:00pm, many members and non-members will meet to help spread awareness for the blood drive by chalking the message across campus. We will meet at Bosco Plaza, just North of the Student Union (but before Seaton Hall). Remember, even if you aren't able to attend the meeting, you can still come & have fun chalking with us! This is also a great opportunity for those who can't donate blood or work a shift at this drive to help in another way!
Following is a short summary of the status of our current club initiatives:

Blood Services: Health & Safety: Disaster Services:

Also, everyone who is going to be participating in upcoming club events needs to fill out an official American Red Cross Volunteer Application. After filling this out, you will be an official volunteer of the American Red Cross and - if you choose - you will be eligible for a wide variety of training courses and certifications. So, please be sure to attend the next meeting and fill out an application if you're going to be doing any official club activities (like Masters of Disaster teaching, blood drive volunteering, Disaster Services, etc.)!

Last but not least, club t-shirts are almost in! We're finishing up the finalized design and - as soon as it's ready - we'll send out an announcement so that you can take a look at the design and pricing and decide if you'd like one. See you at the meeting!


Meeting This Sunday! - Posted: Friday, March 30th

*Note: At the time of this posting, Riley County is under a tornado watch until early tomorrow morning. If you'd like to keep up-to-date on this storm system, but aren't sure how, try this website: www.weathermatrix.net/stormmatrix

There will be an open club meeting this Sunday, April 1st, at 7:00pm in Calvin 217. We're going to be covering a lot of upcoming activities & events where volunteers are needed, so it's important that everyone who is able to attend does attend. Following is a quick review of what we've been covering over the last couple meetings and will again be addressing at Sunday's meeting:

Blood Services: Health & Safety: Disaster Services: Public Relations:

This Sunday's meeting Once again, is a very important meeting - it will be one of our last opportunities to regroup and take last-minute sign-ups for the many upcoming volunteering opportunities. Please e-mail me, Peter, at "petergl@ksu.edu" with any questions or concerns you have!


Meeting This Sunday! - Posted: Tuesday, March 6th

There will be a club meeting this Sunday, March 11th, at 7:00pm in Calvin 217, next to the Student Union. If you were not able to attend our last meeting, here is a short summary of what was covered:

Blood Services: Health & Safety: Disaster Services: Public Relations:

This Sunday's meeting will give committees a chance to discuss current events/initiatives, as well as plan for future events/initiatives. We'd also like to have everyone who wants a club t-shirt present so that we can vote on the finalized design. The meeting will likely conclude by 7:30~7:45pm. Thanks, in advance, to everyone who lets me know that they won't be able to attend!


Meetings This Week - Posted: Wednesday, February 14th

There will be a club meeting this Thursday, February 15th, and this Sunday, February 18th, at 7:00pm in Calvin 217, next to the Student Union. You will not need to attend both meetings; the same material will be covered at each. As these are the first meetings of the semester, we have a lot of information to cover and - with only three months left - each committee has a lot to get done. The meetings will likely conclude by 7:30~7:45pm. Remember, whether or not you have a busy semester, there is a volunteering opportunity for everyone. See everyone there!


Welcome Back, K-State! - Posted: Thursday, January 11th

As we launch into the new semester, we'd like to remind everyone to fill out our Spring '07 Semester Availability/Meeting Time Survey! This is a very important, short survey that will tell us what meetings times/days work best for you. If you've previously attended A.R.C.C. meetings or would like to start, this is the first step.

The American Red Cross Club (A.R.C.C.) at KSU will be holding an open meeting in the near future which everyone, member or not, is invited to. Make sure to check back here, at www.ksu.edu/redcross, or check the K-State Collegian bulletin, for more details once a meeting time & place has been established. Have a great semester and see you soon!


Surveys, Warnings, and More! - Posted: Thursday, November 30th

A Winter Storm Warning has been posted for south central and southeast Kansas today, Thursday, November 30th. More information on winter preparedness can be found here.

In other news, we now have several surveys available on the website and would greatly appreciate feedback from people who are currently affiliated, have been previously affiliated, or wish to become affiliated with the American Red Cross Club of Kansas State University. Please click on one or more of the following items to be linked to individual surveys:

Spring '07 Semester Availability/Meeting Time Survey (Everyone should fill out this short scheduling-survey!)

Blood Drive Volunteer Survey

Blood Drive Donor Survey


Thank you to everyone who participates in a survey; each one of your submissions counts!

Regarding the pre-Thanksgiving break meeting, members were able to come up with several creative Club T-Shirt designs which will be edited, finalized, and soon posted online for everyone to view & vote on. It was good to see familiar members at the meeting and we were able to cover some important topics. If you were unable to attend the meeting or are a newcomer to A.R.C.C., we strongly encourage you to fill out an Availability/Scheduling Survey so that we can best accommodate your needs.

Unfortunately, Lindy Jensen, Health & Safety Coordinator for the American Red Cross of Flint Hills (our local Chapter), will be leaving this December to return to Colorado. Lindy has greatly helped club efforts, working closely with Kalynn, our own Health & Safety Chair, to train many K-State students as CPR/First Aid Instructors this semester. Her hard work and time will be greatly missed and appreciated and will likely have a lasting, positive impact on our club for years to come. Thanks for everything, Lindy!

As a final, closing note: on behalf of the officers and president of A.R.C.C., including K-State faculty and American Red Cross of Flint Hills staff, Thank You All for a wonderful, fun, involving semester of work & care which has already tremendously impacted the lives of those in need. We hope everyone has successful finals, a safe break, and happy holidays! See you next semester.


Next Meeting: Monday - Posted: Wednesday, November 15th

Our next open meeting for the American Red Cross Club of Kansas State University will be Monday, November 20th at 8:00pm, in Calvin 218.

Several important topics are scheduled for this meeting, including: next semester's meeting times, volunteer & training opportunities for this and next semester, and the finalization of our Club T-shirt designs. Other topics are still pending, so be sure to look for our listserv announcement for complete details or just check back here sometime soon. See you all there!

If you have any questions about the meeting or the club, need directions, or require any other kind of assistance, please send an e-mail to Peter at petergl@ksu.edu.


Meeting Tomorrow - Posted: Sunday, October 29th

There will be an open meeting for the American Red Cross Club of Kansas State University Monday, October 30th at 8:00pm, Calvin 218.

Officers will address issues like the Community Blood Drive, "Masters of Disaster" Teaching, and club t-shirt orders, before breaking into their separate committees, where questions can be asked. We're in the thick of the semester so we could really use everyone's help to keep the strong momentum we started with going.

If you have any questions about the meeting or the club, need directions, or require any other kind of assistance, please send an e-mail to Peter at petergl@ksu.edu.


A.R.C.Club T-Shirts - Posted: Monday, October 16th

New designs are currently in the works for A.R.C.C. t-shirts. As designs are finalized they will be added to a list that will be voted on by all active members. The cost of the shirts has not yet been determined (though they will be offered at the cheapest price available), but if you are sure you'll want one or simply might be interested in one, you can sign up here to be sure you're contacted with ordering information when ready.


Blood Drive Success! - Posted: Wednesday, October 11th

A big "Thank You!" to all participants of the October 3rd-6th K-State Blood Drive! From Kristi Ingalls, Central Plains Region CEO of the American Red Cross:

"Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and the American Red Cross would like to thank the heroes who donated blood at the American Red Cross K-State blood drive last week. The students and staff of the university turned out in record numbers during this five-day blood drive. Nearly 1,000 Wildcat supporters showed up to share their gift of life, and 809 productive units were collected."

[Source: Kansas State Collegian, www.kstatecollegian.com]

Thank you all, once again, for reaching this goal. You've each helped - by donating blood or time - the American Red Cross maintain its high, life-saving standards. While we certainly hope to see you at our next blood drive, you will always have the gratitude of our organization, its members, and - most importantly - those people whose lives your blood & time will have helped save.


New Website Completed! - Posted: Friday, September 29th

With all major content-moving and upgrading complete the American Red Cross Club of Kansas State University website is now mostly functional. This year marks the beginning of a new push for student involvement on campus and will lead to many new changes and strategies within the club.

The American Red Cross Club, or "A.R.C.C.", has many opportunities for people looking to help build up the club, contribute something significant to such an important, international organization, meet new people, and gain exciting, new experience in Blood Services, Health & Safety, International Services, Disaster Response, and Public Relations. We now encourage you to browse the site and e-mail us with any questions, comments, or concerns you might have. And, of course, you're always welcome & wanted at any of our scheduled meetings!



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