ILLINOIS FBLA State Leadership Conference. In this issue: Service Education Progress. Newsletter Spring Steven Chin, State Reporter

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1 ILLINOIS FBLA Service Education Progress In this issue: 2014 State Leadership Conference - Right Western Area Conference - Page 2 Central Northern Area Conference- Page 2 Southwestern Area Conference- Page 3 Northern Area Conference - Page 3 Central Area Conference - Page 4 Eastern Area Conference - Page 4 Benefits of Competition- Page 5 FBLA in the Real World- Page 5 Chapter Social Event Ideas- Page 6 Professional Development - Page 7 Parliamentary Procedure Tips - Page 8 Chapter Highlights - Page State Leadership Conference Steven Chin, State Reporter This year s State Leadership Conference is quickly approaching and will feature three exciting additions/changes. The first is a change to how the state officer team raises money for the March of Dimes. Each officer will have a jar with a baby picture on it. Throughout the conference, members will be able to vote for the officer they want to eat baby food by donating to that officer s jar. Furthermore, if at least $550 is raised, Illinois PBL Vice President if Membership Brad Maschoff will eat baby food in addition to the state officer that raises the most. We re hoping to not only reach this goal, but to set a new record as well, so help us support a great cause and enjoy a little show in doing so. The state officer team has also been working on potential designs for a new Illinois FBLA-PBL banner to represent the great state of Illinois at the National Fall Leadership Conference and the National Leadership Conference. To choose the new banner, we are enlisting the help of the members of Illinois FBLA by having a voting booth set up during the conference. Members can go there to view the banner concepts as well as use a computer to vote for their favorite. An online form will also be available for smartphone users to vote. More information regarding voting on smartphones will be in the program. Finally, and arguably the most exciting for competitors, there is a huge change to how competitors qualify to compete in the National Leadership Conference. In the past, the top three competitors in objective test events that met a minimum score could represent Illinois at the National Leadership Conference while performance and production events were limited to two. Because of a change instituted at the national level, the top three competitors at the State Leadership Conference in all events can now compete at the National Leadership Conference as long as they meet the minimum score requirement. 1

2 Western Area Conference Audrey Kestner, State Vice President - Western Area T h e W e s t e r n A r e a Conference went off without a hitch Although there were a couple chapters that could not make it to the conference we still had a good amount of people there. For the Go Green theme this year, we had everyone recycle their test and other papers and we also gave the advisers from other chapters FBLA plastic cups. My favorite part was probably the guest speaker, Thomas Erekson. He was really funny, engaging, and generous. Overall, it was a great opportunity to see all of the members in the Western Area itching to compete and show what they had been working on for the past couple of months. Finally, congratulations to the Western Area President for , Dakota Parks Central Northern Area Conference Ryan Hesslau, State Vice President - Central Northern Area The Central-Northern Area conference was overall a definite success Everything went as planned and on behalf of the central northern area offer team, we couldn t be more pleased with the outcome. We had 10 schools and about 230 members participate in this year s conference. We were accompanied by National PBL Officer, Candi Mangan, Vice President of the North-Central Region. We enjoyed lunch from Papa Joes. They supplied us with pizza, pop, and pasta. Big thanks to them for their incredible support WORKSHOPS We had two workshops for the members to attend when not competing in an event. One of the workshops was led by Candi Mangan which focused on mock campaigns. The second workshop was led by Central Northern Area FBLA President and founder of foreveru, Ryan Hesslau, which focused on goal setting. MARCH of DIMES We were able to raise a few hundred dollars to be donated towards March of Dimes. It was great to see the generosity of so many people and see all of them united as one towards a common cause Finally, congrats to our NEW Area Officers President Michael Mitchell from Lincoln-Way East High School Vice President Luccas Borges from Lincoln Park High School Secretary Sydney McAllister from Lincoln-Way East High School Treasurer Michael Enright from Lincoln-Way East High School 2

3 Southwestern Area Conference Spencer Hulsey, State Vice President - Southwestern Area Where to start? I guess the beginning will have to work I woke up, much earlier than I usually would, and dressed and readied in to my FBLA uniform. The bus ride was quiet, as most break-of-dawn bus rides are, and I helped some students with last-minute studying before we arrived at our destination, Kaskaskia College. I chauffeured the throngs of students and teachers into the lunch room for donuts, then hurried off to set Headquarters to meet the wonderful, never-tiring Mrs. Shannon. While she and the advisers set the tests together and double-checked rooms, I talked to our public speaker, kept an eye on incoming schools, and guided everyone to the places they needed to be. Then the opening session; could make the day, or break the day. Dr. Underwood, the Dean of Kaskaskia College, gave greetings, I spoke briefly, and the session ended with the beginning of the competitive events. Eventually if was judgment time - the closing ceremony. Our public speaker, Master Sergeant John Paul Merrifield, showed us phenomenal basketball tricks he had learned while his career as a Harlem All-Star. We handed out certificates without issue, and only one of the upcoming officers dropped a candle. With that, I gave my acceptance speech for the upcoming year as the President and closed the session. Finally, the trip home was a well-earned nap for the entire South Central FBLA chapter and all of the other chapters that participated in the conference. Northern Area Conference Ruben Torres, State Vice President - Northern Area The Northern Area Conference took place on January 25 at Warren Township High School s O Plaine Campus. Over 650 members from across the Northern Area participated in competitive events both Individual and Team oriented which made this the largest Northern Area Conference ever. Individuals, teams, and local chapters had the opportunity to compete in any of the over 50 different events representing a wide range of activities and the business and leadership development focus of FBLA-PBL. Advisers and volunteers helped out the day of the conference by timing performance events, working registration tables, and other tasks that contributed to the organization of the conference. The members present also participated in business and leadership training workshops. Chris Nachman from Wauconda High School was elected as the new Northern Area President and will also serve as an Illinois FBLA Vice President from the Northern Area for Members learned a lot from workshops, our keynote speaker, and also had fun competing in business oriented events. Please consider competing next year if you are not graduating this year. 3

4 John Koenig, State Vice President - Central Area Central Area Conference The Central Area Leadership Conference was hosted on December 7th, 2013 at Normal Community High School. The conference totaled ninety people from five schools in attendance. Central Area was fortunate enough to have special guests PBL member Jennilee Benda, speaker Louie Sharp, and National PBL Vice President, North Central Region Candi Pucek in attendance. The conference began with a lovely breakfast, giving members from different schools a chance to meet and mingle among each other. The opening session followed breakfast, during which roll call was taken, the candidates for area officer election were introduced, and greetings were brought by the PBL members in attendance and Normal Community FBLA President, Mrudula Manjeti. Two back-to-back competitive events sessions followed the opening session. Once the competitive event sessions concluded, members had the pleasure to listen to Louie Sharp speak and talk with Louie one-on-one if they had any more questions or needs for advice. Members then were served lunch and used the time to continue to socialize with students from other schools. Lunch was followed by the closing session, which began with candidates campaign speeches for area office. After the election speeches concluded, voting commenced. While results were being counted, select members competed in Battle of the Chapters. After the excited game, election results were announced and the winners were installed. The conference then concluded with the awards ceremony. Kayelee Royse, State Vice President - Eastern Area Eastern Area Conference The Eastern Area Conference was a success. My fellow officers and I worked very hard to get ready for the big day. I came in some days over Christmas break and worked with Mrs. Stallard on the tests and organizing a everything we needed. My family provided assistance for making and serving the meal. My grandma in particular did a fantastic job and I thank her very much on behalf of all of the members who attended. Mrs. Stallard also had a lot on her plate and did awesome - I could not have asked for a better adviser. The week before the conference was crazy. The other officers and I were at the school a lot finishing some final touches. This included coming in after a basketball game to set up classrooms, the gym, the cafeteria, and the hospitality room. Then, we practiced our scripts in the gym with the microphone. Finally, we made sure everything was ready for use. Saturday, January 18, was the big day. We all showed up at 6:15 that morning to do our final checks and practices. In the end, it could not have gone better in my opinion. All the schools showed up on time, judges were prepared, and we (the officers) were ready to begin. We started off with the introduction and an ice breaker to get people pumped. Next, we did officer elections, with one person elected. Then, we released to the first session of testing. After first session was over we played a game in the gym and started the second session. Finally, session two was over, and we ate lunch and then listened to some guest speakers. After the speakers, we handed out the awards and finally adjourned the 2014 Eastern Area conference. 4

5 Sean Hughes, State Treasurer Benefits of Competition In FBLA there are over 60 competitive events. Each individual event falls into one or more specific categories: accounting, business law, career development, communication, computation, economics and finance, entrepreneurship, information technology, international business, management, and marketing. Each event is judged on a scale based on several keys factors. All events are obviously judged differently. Some are judged/ graded like a test, like business calculation. While other events are judged based on performance and information, like Business Presentation or Public Speaking. Every single event is prepared, performed, and judged differently, but they are all incredibly important and educational. These events are designed to prepare students for successful careers in business through support for curriculum development and innovative assessment tools. FBLA is dedicated to its members and to facilitating the transition from their educational facility into career paths and the competitive events that FBLA sponsors encourage this. FBLA s competitive events allow members to demonstrate their business skills and knowledge. Many members have decided what career path to take and what major to declare in college due to their experiences with FBLA competition. The competitive events also allow members to expand on their business knowledge and receive recognition for their incredible achievements. Overall, FBLA s competitive events are a great way for members to become more involved and educated in the world of business, while having a lot of fun. The possibilities are truly endless. Melaina Harsy, State Vice President - Southern Area FBLA in the Real World While some of the limitless opportunities available to members of FBLA seem simulated and unrealistic, being a member has helped me with a wide variety of tasks including jobs, school work, and even just common day-to-day experiences. I work at the Du Quoin Municipal Pool as a lifeguard, Upbeat as a dance teacher, The Du Quoin Youth Club as a tutor, and most importantly the manager at The W Restaurant and Lounge. Many individuals applied for the position as manager but in the end, my brother Caleb and I were entrusted with the honor of serving as co-managers together. I use many qualities I have learned through FBLA to manage The W. I enjoy holding this position and plan to manage for a while. Because I was a member of FBLA, I feel fully prepared to take on this new responsibility and will do it to the best of my ability. 5

6 Chapter Social Event Ideas Ashley Barlow, State Secretary Everyone knows that chapter social events are the best way to get old members excited to be there, and new members wanting to come back. So here are some chapter social ideas that can work for big chapters, small chapters, and everyone in between. A great way to have fun and be productive is to have a poster making activity. Have a social dedicated to making posters advertising FBLA and getting students interested in becoming members. Hang the posters up around the school, and maybe your next social will have even more attendees. Another idea that can help you reach out is to have an activity all about community service. Get chapter members together to donate time and effort at a soup kitchen or animal shelter. We all want to have fun and hang out with our friends in FBLA, and what better way to do that then have a chapter movie party? Project a movie in your adviser s classroom and have the officers pop the popcorn. If you have a lot of new members, a cool way to get them excited to be there is to have an activity to get to know them. Have members get together to play icebreaker games that specialize in getting to know people. One great example is two truths and a lie. Have members welcome the new students and help everyone get to know each other better. One awesome way to thank all of the people who help your chapter and honor members that have won at a conference or have gone above and beyond is to hold an end of the year banquet. This is the ultimate chapter social activity. Put a committee together to plan the space, time, refreshments, and program. Invite the parents of your members, school officials, professional division members, and community members that have been involved with your chapter. Make sure that you give these people a huge thank you, and don t forget your hardworking advisers 6

7 Kelsey Lober, State President Professional Development Many of us hear "Professional Development" and cringe because it sounds boring and full of business etiquette and tips you don't care to hear. However, it is important that FBLA-PBL members realize how incredibly useful the development of professional skills can help them once they enter in to college, and even while they are in high school. Through many seminars and opportunities to connect with business people in my community, I have learned how developing my professional business skills can help me to succeed. One of my favorite things is the amount of people I have met who are business men and women in my community. I think it is important to gain this relationship to be able to have better opportunities once I enter and leave college. The connections I have made will help me to gain things like recommendations, internships, and jobs once I enter the field. Professional development has helped me to connect not only within my community, but with our state as a whole. On March 20, 2014, I was able to speak at a rally in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building. I was given the chance to give a speech on what FBLA is and how it can help young people once they enter high school and enter college. Through this event, I was able to visit senators and representatives and speak with them on how important business education is and how it helps to create opportunities such as FBLA which then lead to opportunities like the one I received to speak in front of them that day. Professional development does not always have to be a boring lecture. There are many ways in which you and your chapter can be actively involved in a seminar or project to help develop your professionalism. American Enterprise projects, for instance, can be transformed in to a job fair or a day to meet with business people in intervals. I highly encourage all of you to think of ways you and your chapter can become more professionally sound because it will only help you in the long run. Professional development is one of the unique things about FBLA-PBL that will help to strengthen your skills as a future business leader. 7

8 Parliamentary Procedure Tips Carolyn Kalinowski, State Parliamentarian Parliamentary procedures are often times a foreign concept to many FBLA members. While there may be some who understand the difference between Fix Time to Which to Adjourn and Fix Time at Which to Adjourn, the concepts involved in parliamentary procedures tend to come off as complicated and confusing. It is important to understand a few basic concepts for parliamentary procedure, because, as business leaders, we are often the students who are invited to school board or local government meetings. Both of those meeting types run through parliamentary procedures, and it is easy to get lost as motions are made and votes are cast. Here are some basic concepts for understanding parli as well as tips for using it in your own chapters: It is acceptable to refer to parliamentary procedures as parli. The official reference guide for parli that FBLA and FFA use is Robert s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. This is a great reference for specific instance, but Robert s Rules in Brief is much shorter and easier to understand. Parli always allows for the minority to speak, so make sure everyone has the opportunity to be heard. Parli also limits each member s ability to speak on a motion to two times per motion for ten minutes each. This does not come into play with chapters very often because individual members hardly ever speak for ten minutes at a time. Just make sure that everyone can talk, but the same person isn t always speaking. To make a motion, a member must address the chair, or presiding officer, usually the president, and wait until the chair addresses them to make the motion. They may then say I move that the chapter A motion must always call for action, so I move that the sky is blue is not a proper motion. I move that we build a playground, however, is. When voting on a motion, the general rule of thumb is that majority rules. There are special exceptions that come into play when suspending rules, but most motions simply require a majority vote in favor or against. The proper way to call for a vote is to state the motion, ex: The question is on the motion to build a playground. All those in favor say aye, all those against say nay. Usually a verbal vote is plenty, but if it is unclear, members can raise their hands instead. Finally, only speak on one motion at a time. Don t discuss the chapter fundraiser, March of Dimes, and SLC at once because that will actually slow down the process. Work on one topic at a time and follow the order of business. MR. SUN is a great tool: Minutes, Reports of Officers, Special Reports, Unfinished Business, New Business. Hopefully with these tips you will be able to expedite your meetings as well as keep them organized. In addition to the Robert s Rules books, there are many online references as well as your local, area, state Parliamentarians who are always willing to help. 8

9 Chapter Highlights This section of the newsletter is devoted to articles sent in by local FBLA chapters in Illinois. These articles typically include activities (such as community service projects or fundraisers) done by each chapter throughout the year. This is a great way to not only show the great activities your own chapter has done, but also to get ideas from other chapters for new activities. If you would like to submit an article on behalf of your chapter, send an to Steven Chin, State Reporter, at smchin64@gmail.com with a detailed explanation of your activity (or activities) along with pictures. The article should be formatted like a press release. Chapters that submit an article will be recognized at the State Leadership Conference and be featured on the Illinois FBLA website. Normal Community High School The Normal Community High School Chapter of FBLA hosted a Mother-Son Fun Day on February 22nd. The event was advertised in junction with the NCHS Student Council Daddy-Daughter Dance, which was hosted one week before. Both events are directed towards elementary school children and their parents. The Mother-Son Fu Day offered many games and activities for mothers and sons to enjoy themselves while participating in, such as; bingo, slime making, an obstacle course, black light dancing, and many other activities. The event raised $950 to be split fifty-fifty between the NCHS FBLA Chapter and the March of Dimes. 9

10 Wauconda High School They say the city never sleeps. Well, neither does Wauconda FBLA. This winter has brought piles of snow, along with a lot of time for productivity. From November 15-17, Wauconda s chapter officers, and aspiring officers attended the National Fall Leadership Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. There were many fun things to be done. The chapter caught a Lake Erie Monsters game, tried several local restaurants, and some members went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But, more importantly, the chapter members attended the general sessions, went to several of workshops, and brought back new and innovative ideas to share with the rest of the chapter. They also learned how to dress for success, tips for a better resume, and tried out events like LifeSmarts, among other things. The National Fall Leadership Conference was a very beneficial experience for the chapter. Members have been busy volunteering at events around the community, while also practicing for events and finishing up prejudged ones. Several members shoveled driveways for the elderly, while others watched grade school children during parent teacher conferences. Officers of the chapter manned a table at Freshman Preview Night in order to inform incoming freshman about the organization and gather information to get in contact with them. On December 6 & 7, 28 senior members of FBLA made the long drive up to Minneapolis, Minnesota to volunteer for Operation Christmas Child. For several hours on Friday night they checked contents, packed boxes, and wrapped and packaged of the boxes. These boxes are sent to children in underdeveloped countries as part of a program set up by churches all over the country. At the Northern Area Conference in January, Wauconda brought 80 members, who competed in 48 different events and came home with top ten awards in 33 of those events. Students also attended valuable workshops. The key note speaker for the Area competition was our very own active professional member Mr. Louie Sharp. Finally, Wauconda FBLA didn t forget to participate in FBLA Week festivities. Their activities included wearing chapter shirts to promote the organization wearing and donating jeans to promote the Jeans for Teens campaign, inviting their professional division members to a lunch at a local restaurant. recognizing all that their adviser does for the chapter at a lunch, pack boxes for Feed My Starving Children along with members of Mathews Middle School Middle Level volunteering at a local retirement home for a Valentine s Day party. 10

11 Mundelein High School Eight members of Mundelein FBLA travelled to the Feed My Starving Children facility in Libertyville, for Community Service Day on Saturday, February 15, as part of FBLA Week. Throughout the event, they worked together to pack meals that will be sent to the Philippines. As a team, they successfully packaged 15 boxes of food - enough food to provide 3,240 meals. It was a great opportunity to not only help others but also to bond as a team. After a few boxes, they were able to settle into a rhythm and quickly prepare the remaining boxes. Furthermore, with the pop music playing in the background and the chants, they had a ton of fun as well. While they had a small group at this event, they are working on setting up for another event time later this year and bringing more members. More information on Feed My Starving Children can be found on their website at Warren Township High School On February 3rd, Warren Township s FBLA chapter sent two of their local officers to Gurnee s town hall to have the week of February 9 - February 15, 2014 proclaimed as FBLA-PBL Week in the Village of Gurnee. Allison Lu, Secretary, and Ammar Khan, Vice President, went to promote awareness of FBLA-PBL s involvement in their community. They told the mayor what FBLA week is, why it's important, and they explained the different activities Warren FBLA did throughout the week. Allison says it was a great opportunity for the [people in] our community to learn about FBLA- PBL. 11

12 Marion High School On Friday, January 24, the Marion High School Business Department hosted their own version of ABC s well-known TV show Shark Tank, on which ambitious inventors pitch products to millionaires in hopes of making a deal. In the high school s spin-off, nine teams of students found needs for certain products, created them, and then tried to gain support from a panel of investors Marion Chamber of Commerce Members Joni Barwick, Mike Absher, and Gabby Farner. Instead of investments, winners received cash prizes. In an interview, Josh Parrish, a member of one of the two winning teams, describes his time before and inside the Shark Tank. We spent three months preparing for it. This gave me a perspective on what entrepreneurs must do to make their products a success. Running a business is tough. Parrish, with teammate Ryan James, developed football pads that could be broken apart for cleaning an issue that is normally ignored, often resulting in infection and unconquerable stench among football players. As a Marion High School offensive lineman, Parrish is familiar with the problem. I thought of the smelliest thing I could, and then we improved it. The product impressed the investors, and the shoulder pads were a success. From the perspective of everyone who was involved, the Shark Tank event was an excellent learning experience, showing students the difficulties of gratifying public needs and then advertising their solutions effectively. Those who were not granted investments from the millionaires experienced the sting of initial rejection that almost every entrepreneur must undergo at some point; those who were could savor the feeling of success after months of hard work. Kara Vanhorn and Grace Boyd, both seniors of FBLA, organized a dodgeball tournament to raise canned goods for the local Ministerial Alliance. The dodgeball tournament was held on November 23 and not only included students from Marion, but also teams from Herrin, Mount Vernon, Anna, and Harrisburg. Each team had at least one girl and a registration fee of 20 cans. There was a concession stand with donated hotdogs, popcorn, candy, drinks, and other snacks. The tournament promoted friendly competition and was a blast for everyone that came. Non-FBLA member, Skyler Imhoff, said, It s really awesome that FBLA provided an opportunity for students from across Southern IL to come together and play dogeball for a good cause. Marion s Average Joes won 1st place and received a dodgeball to serve as a trophy and a 100 Grand candy bar. The winners of best costumes received a 3 Musketeers and the winners of good sportsmanship, a Mr. Good bar. Overall, the tournament was a success raising over 550 cans and $200 just in time for Thanksgiving. This event marked the start of a new Marion FBLA tradition and students across Southern Illinois, as well as Marion FBLA members, are excited to see the success the future has to hold. 12

13 West Richland High School We kicked off the year with a cook-out to show how fun FBLA can and will be. We played several games such as: egg toss, ship and shore, kick ball, and human knot. On October 7th the FBLA and FFA had a joined cookout Mrs. Stallard's house. We enjoyed playing tug of war, ninja, and hide and seek. We also had an egg toss. On November 9th the FBLA and FFA joined together again and held a 5k walk. On November 11, the FBLA raked leaves for several Noble residents. The FBLA participated in the Adopt-a- Family program to buy Christmas presents for a Richland County family. We held a change war between the seventh through twelfth grade classes to raise money to purchase the presents. We were also preparing for our Eastern Area Conference which was held on Saturday, January 18th. Our Area Conference went extremely well. Last but not least we had FBLA we did dress up events every day. Our FBLA chapter is having a successful and exciting year. 13