LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP
Leadership training is provided primarily in the form of two annual camps, guest speakers throughout the year, and one on one mentorship with Serteens Advisors.
- Leadership Camp A three-day Leadership Camp is normally held every year in July at Camp H. R. Erdman. This is the first camp for the new members. Team-building activities, campfires, and games help to energize the membership. Mini-workshops on self-awareness, planning, and prioritization also prepare members for the highlight of the year: The Knights Motivational Camp.
- Knights Motivational Camp Every February, Serteens attend a five-day educational encampment. Serteens bond with one another and engage in educational and leadership seminars, hikes, and many other fun activities. Hikes have included trips to Kalalau Valley, Kauai, the rim of Kilauea Caldera to the Thurston Lava Tube, and Mauna Kea on the Big Island.
- Guest Talks from Community Leaders During the year, leading members of our community come to speak to the club at the monthly meetings on a variety of topics, often related to leadership and their personal life lessons. Former speakers include Members of Congress, sitting as well as retired Governors and Mayors, CEOs, and all manner of professionals from teachers to engineers to biologists and even comedians.
SERVICE TO MANKIND
Service projects are an opportunity for students to give back to the community, and often also expand their perspectives and learn about the world. Past service projects have included: support for the annual State Advisory Council for the Gifted and Talented (SACGT) Conference; HeartWalk; cleanup projects at Magic Island and Keehi Lagoon; groundwork at the Manoa Heritage Center; and support for the Honolulu Zoological Society.
SOCIAL EVENTS
Social events provide members the opportunity to meet each other outside of club meetings and service projects. One of the reasons the Serteens are so unique is the diversity of the members. Students come from around the island, from the public as well as private schools, and range in age from 12-18 years old. Because of this, the socials provide a unique opportunity to meet with a wide variety of gifted and talented students and make friends with people that the students would otherwise never meet. Past club socials have included hikes, picnics, karaoke, mini-golf, bowling, and the Ice Palace.
- Appreciation Banquet The Serteens year comes to a close with the annual Appreciation Banquet. We relieve the outgoing officers of duty and recognize the new incoming officers. The outgoing President gives a speech recapping the highlights of the Serteen Year, and the incoming President presents their vision for the next year. We also award the Serteen of the Year to one student who is nominated by their peers for outstanding work in the Serteens Club and conduct becoming of a Serteen. Finally, after a slideshow reliving some of the memories of the year, Serteens say farewell to our graduating seniors as they go forward to the next stage of their life.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Honolulu Sertoma Club has been the steward of the Cottington Trust for Gifted Children Scholarship from 2012 to present and has distributed a TOTAL of $93,250 in scholarships to 48 Serteens. –4/21/2021