Crafting is an activity anyone can get into and feel proud of. Not only is it amusing, but because there are endless opportunities to do what you please and to personalize a piece to any extent desired, it becomes a great way to express yourself. Whether it’s pazzazing a letter with some glitter and colored paper or gluing and constructing a functioning and decorative birdhouse, doing arts and crafts can help exhibit your creativity and even introduce you to a side of yourself you didn’t know you had.
As well as arts and crafts being a pleasurable, stimulating activity for yourself, it is undoubtedly also one of the most sentimental offerings you can gift someone. Parents, teachers, and friends alike would surely agree that they would prefer handmade, imperfect crafts over expensive, unthoughtful gifts. This is because customized creations illustrate the effort and time someone puts into trying to make the receiver feel happy and loved as opposed to simply buying something materialistic.
Crafts of Service is a new club here at Lake Highland and a brilliant way for students to use crafts to the best of their abilities. Crafts of Service is precisely what it sounds like: designing crafts to serve and give back to the community. The president of this cub, Emily Cypher, grade 10, is very excited to host this new club and has already done a great job exhibiting leadership in the first meeting that took place on September 5. To elaborate more on the club, Emily states, “Our club is all about uplifting the people around us, and not just within the school but also the rest of our community.”
With Emily as the president, her excellent team working beside her includes Mary Clare Allen as Vice President, grade 10, Shailee Patel as Secretary, grade 10, Zelle Washburn as Social Media Manager, grade 10, Liam Szubinski as Community Service Manager, grade 10, and Alice Wenrich as Photographer, grade 10. In addition to their hard-working and productive team, they are also very open to input or ideas from the club members as well. Emily states, “Because we have only just become a club, we are really looking forward to welcoming the new members’ ideas.”
Aside from giving students the opportunity for personal growth and having a positive effect on others, another defining thing to note about Crafts of Service is that this club was created to be a safe and inviting space for creativity. Emily explains, “I really wanted to create an environment for students to be creative with no boundaries, while also being able to give back.” The newfound club’s president has also put an emphasis on inclusion and openness as a standard for her club. It is personal for Emily to give back as she tends to make valuable connections to people through acts of service throughout her community and was even a camp counselor at her old school. These experiences are what inspired Emily to organize this club and share with others the passion she feels when she gives back.
With the whole school year ahead, the Crafts of Service team has a massive itinerary planned filled with unique crafts and multiple, significant partners to collaborate with throughout the school year. In the first meeting, hosted in the sponsor, Mrs. Miriam Campbell’s, room on the fourth floor of the Porter Center, members were assigned to write and decorate a, “Note of Kindness” that is to be placed inside of a basket in the Kind Library. The concept is that any student can simply grab a note from the basket and read an uplifting message written by a fellow student to boost their day or help brighten them up in a sad moment. Another example of a service arranged for this year, coming up relatively soon in November, is a surprise craft that includes a partnership with the Kind Library.
Crafts of Service is a very unique club. It is special because it sincerely gives members an opportunity to contribute not only with their ideas and input, but also to genuinely make an impact on the well-being and happiness of our friends and peers. This club also takes into consideration the workload and time of its members. Emily ensures that, “Students will absolutely still be able to participate in acts of service without having to stress about finding time in their day.” In addition, by joining this club, students benefit by of course gaining community service hours. This can be achieved during and outside of meetings.
Mrs. Campbell is the enthusiastic sponsor of this club. She is very generous and actively tries to support it. Emily mentions, “She has given us so far a lot of positive reinforcement.” Even before Crafts of Service’s very first meeting, Mrs. Campbell was already lending a helping hand. A spatial issue occurred during the club fair, and the sponsor was there to help solve the problem. Mrs. Campbell believes in this club and has given Crafts of Service a better opportunity to flourish for which Emily and her team are extremely thankful.
Overall, Emily and her crew are excited to host this club and build connections with other Highlanders. They have an intriguing concept, a full itinerary, and a helpful support system to help them achieve the club’s goals and thrive to their fullest. Be sure to stop by at the meeting and follow @crafts_of_service on Instagram for updates and pictures!
