Brennan Foo FBLA Mountain Plains Region VP Seven Lakes High School FBLA Texas

NLC 2010 – Flooding in Nashville:

An Opportunity in a Time of Adversity As school ends for the year, there's plenty to look forward to in the coming months – longer days, warmer weather, and for the Future Business Leaders of

America, the most invigorating event of the year: the 2010 National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee! If you're reading this, by now you have probably already heard of the unprecedented rain and consequential

flooding that has adversely affected so many Nashvillians in early May, and you may have been wondering, "how will this affected 2010 NLC in Nashville?" Well, Future Business Leaders, I have written this article with the goal of clearing up any misconceptions and

rumors regarding NLC. If you heard that the NLC has been cancelled or moved to another city, then you have been misinformed! It is true, however, that the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center was

closed due to the flooding and will remain closed for at least 90 days. If you're a math whiz, you may have already calculated "Ninety days from May – that takes us to early August!" You would be correct; the

Opryland will be under repairs throughout the duration of the conference. But don't fret; there's no need to worry about cancellation or relocation. Within days of the flooding, the

FBLA-PBL National Staff flew to Nashville and met with the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau (NCVB) to discuss other potential venues and hotels for the conference. Both the staff and the NCVB have done a phenomenal job (especially considering the grandeur of the conference; finding housing and a

potential convention location for 8,000 people is not exactly a walk in the park) planning the logistics of the conference, and state housing assignments have been finalized and can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/2010-

NLC-Housing. Housing has been set up not to exceed the previously published NLC guest room prices of $150 S/D, and $160 T/Q (for the other updates regarding the NLC directly from the FBLA-PBL National Staff, you

can visit the National FBLA-PBL Website at http://fbla-pbl.org). If you take a moment to think about it, you may realize that the flooding in Nashville is actually a great

opportunity for our organization. It's a chance for FBLA-PBL to give back to a community that was so undeservingly struck with misfortune. The FBLA creed reads, "I believe the future depends on mutual understanding and cooperation among business, industry, labor, religious, family, and educational institutions,

as well as people around the world. I agree to do my utmost to bring about understanding and cooperation among all of these groups." Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to walk the walk and put your leadership in

action! There will be opportunities for FBLA members to help the city of Nashville in various capacities during the 2010 National Leadership Conference, and I urge you to donate to the flood relief efforts (see

http://www.fbla-pbl.org/docs/FloodRelief.pdf).

Future Business Leaders, it's time to grab your cowboy hat and saddle up! If you have never been to an NLC

before, then get ready for the time of your life. If you're an FBLA veteran and an NLC returner, get excited,

because the 2010 National Leadership Conference is going to be ―Simply the Best.‖ See you in Nashville!

Summer 2010

Mountain Times Future Business Leaders of America

IN THIS ISSUE:

Message From MPVP 1

The Career Quest:

Thoughts from FBLA

Alumnus Justin Schultis

2

From FBLA to PBL 3

The Road to Nashville 4

Preparing for

Competitive Events 5

Running for Office 6

Thanking Our Texas

Sized Heros 6

Giving Back to the

Community- Every 15

Minutes

7-8

How To Thrive, When the Coffers Run Dry

9

Career Spotlight:

Certified Public

Accountants

9

Let’s Celebrate FBLA

Week! 10

How to Increase

Membership 11

Going the Extra Mile

to Raise Money for

the March of Dimes

12

Careers in Business:

Which will you choose? 13

All About NLC 14

A Message from the Mountain Plains Region Vice President

Mountain Plains

REB Members 15

The Career Quest:

Thoughts from FBLA Alumnus Justin Schultis

Ask any high school student what is constantly on their mind, and the results probably include

extracurricular activities, homework, and what their next meal is going to be. High school is a place where

students prepare themselves for their futures. Often in the shuffle to survive the daily high school commotion,

students lose focus on something crucial: their future careers. FBLA provides students with many

opportunities and skills to seek prospective career paths. Knowing how to use these opportunities and skills,

though, is the real trick to selecting an occupation.

Justin Schultis knows about careers. Graduating from Fairbury High School in Nebraska in 2009,

Justin currently works as an auctioneer for Schultis and Son Real Estate and Auctions. Hard work from the age

of 13 was one reason for Justin’s early career success, but being heavily involved in FBLA also helped. Justin

served as the Nebraska FBLA state president for two terms from 2007-2009 and was the Mountain Plains

Region Vice President from 2008-2009. Justin stated that the people skills he acquired through FBLA helped

prepare him for his auctioneering profession. Also, he noted that without the courage he gained from FBLA

to speak publicly, he would not have had the guts to fulfill his current talkative job as an auctioneer.

Justin gleaned useful skills from FBLA to apply to his job, yet some will argue that not all careers make

use of FBLA skills. In actuality, the exact opposite is true. According to Justin, FBLA presents students with “all

around good business practices; [it is] just good knowledge to have.” While everyone may not need public

speaking experience, other skills such as money management and entrepreneurial concepts are necessary for

any career.

There is no doubt that FBLA skills apply to any career imaginable. The problem, then, for many

students is that FBLA skills can apply to any career imaginable. When faced with the task of actually choosing

a career path, countless students - to put it simply - freak out. The daunting task of choosing a permanent

livelihood is definitely not to be taken lightly. No worries, though – FBLA can help yet again. Adults with

various career backgrounds attend FBLA conferences. These adults often conduct workshops or serve as

keynote speakers. While most of these adults’ careers are business-oriented, it reminds students that any job

they want to have will require business knowledge.

Another method for career selection: Students can use their FBLA-given networking skills to approach

businesspeople in the community. Job shadowing and career fairs become available to those students who

network in the community and wish to “test drive” careers. Justin Schultis suggests that on top of everything

else, “Do something you like.” By examining their own passions and hobbies, students should select careers

that incorporate, yes business, but also those activities that truly interest them. Simply stated, Justin hopes that

students will, “Love to go to work every day.”

Procrastination and career selection seem to go hand-in-hand. Eventually,

though, students need to face their fears and know that it is not an impossible task. By

using FBLA skills and opportunities to find passionate careers, students will ensure futures

that are both financially and emotionally fulfilling. Justin summarized these beliefs by

saying, “Whether [your career choice] is business-related or not, stick with [FBLA].” From

veterinarians to sanitation engineers, FBLA allows students to not only succeed in

careers, but to succeed in knowing how to select them. Pretty soon, picking an

occupation will seem just as important as

tomorrow’s lunch. Curtis Reynolds

Tri County High School FBLA Nebraska

2

3

I have had a wonderful high school experience, and most times FBLA was at the heart of those experiences. If you’re anything like me, then you don’t want those great times to end just because high school does. But we’re all in luck! For those who want to advance their business education and leadership skills alongside their general education, Phi Beta Lambda is the right choice. To help give some perspective from the college division of FBLA-PBL, I asked Jennifer Roeber, the PBL National Mountain Plains Region Vice President, for some advice to give our members regarding the transition from FBLA to PBL.

One thing to keep in mind when deciding on a college is whether there is a local PBL chapter. If there is not already one, you can take the time to start one yourself, or explore your other options. Jennifer told me that she made a preexisting PBL chapter one of the factors when deciding on a college.

Why join Phi Beta Lambda? Sometimes, especially at larger schools, you can feel a little lost in the crowd. Everyone is getting a degree these days, and employers are going to look for that extra something when hiring. PBL is a great way to distinguish yourself from the typical student. It will give you a comprehensive set of skills and knowledge of the inner workings of the business world at the advanced collegiate level. PBL gives members great opportunities to expand on the skills they’ve acquired in FBLA and give guidance on how to apply those skills directly to the real world. Also, because Phi Beta Lambda is an experience that much closer to the business world, it is very easy to make connections and form networks with future employers or clients.

How do you join Phi Beta Lambda? Go online to see which colleges or universities have a PBL chapter. Not a chapter at your school? Not to worry: you can be a part of the virtual PBL chapter! As a member of the virtual chapter, you can run for officer positions, attend and compete at the State and National Leadership Conferences, engage in regular online communications from advisors and fellow members, and much more. Check out http://virtualpbl.fbla-pbl.org/ to learn more!

What are some differences between FBLA and PBL? For starters, FBLA has the Business Achievement Awards and PBL has the Career and Membership Achievement Program. A few new competitive events are introduced in PBL such as Financial Services, Economics Analysis & Decision Making, and Telecommunications. The goals of FBLA and PBL are the same, however, and any future business leader should feel right at home as a new Phi Beta Lambda member.

What sort of transitions should I be aware of? Jennifer thought the biggest transition was the amount of leadership. She said,

"In FBLA, a lot of chapters are motivated and led by the adviser. That isn’t true in most PBL chapters. PBL is a lot more student driven and student focused. The students take the initiative and do the work and the adviser just signs off on things for the most part. That is one of my favorite things about PBL because it really helps you develop your leadership, organizational, and time management skills and many more. Plus, it allows you to develop the organization around what you see fits your members best. Overall, I think that is one of the biggest transitions."

If you want to stay involved in a great organization and advance your business education while you further your general education, be sure to look up and join

a PBL chapter!

From FBLA to PBL

Shelby Webb West Franklin High School FBLA

Kansas

4

The Road to Nashville Well howdy ya’ll! Welcome to Nashville! This here is the home to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Parthenon, Johnny and June Carter Cash, Teenage Pop Star Miley Cyrus, and many others.... Hold up, let’s back up a couple of months.

Regardless of whenever you start school, you have some things already in mind. School clothes to get, school supplies to purchase, what classes to sign up for - and joining FBLA! What better way is there to have another great year in school than being an active member in FBLA? Suppose you’re extremely active in your chapter. Let's say you’ve set some goals this year such as placing first in a competitive event, participating in the Virtual Business Challenge, or attending the National Leadership Conference! The National Leadership Conference is where the magic happens. It might sound cheesy, but ask anyone who has been to an NLC before; NLCs are magical - “Simply the Best,” even!

The NLC is where the best of all competitive events have a chance to compete with others outside of their state. It's where members who want to become more involved in the organization get the nuts and bolts needed to be a great leader by attending the Institute for Leaders workshops. It's where members become “simply the best,” by getting the edge and demonstrating leadership in action! But first, lets go back to the beginning and not get ahead of ourselves.

It's the beginning of the school year and you’ve made your goal: Attend the National Leadership Conference in Nashville, TN. Great, you've got a foundation, but now, where do you go from here? Well, write it down; studies have shown that people who write down their goals are 80% more likely to achieve them. Now that you’ve done that, determine why your goals are important. The best way to find this out is to ask why? Ask why until you come to a final answer. After going through this process and understanding why your goals are important, your motivation to achieve them increases. It’s not the goals themselves but what they bring or the rewards that come with them that truly motivates you.

Your next step is your plan of action. There are two forms of action you need to take, the physical form and the mental form. Think about all the things you can do physically to achieve this goal. Organize and attend study times put on by your chapter, participate in the Business Achievement Awards, check the FBLA-PBL website daily for more activities, run for a National Office, attend IFL, etc. There’s always a way; if the first couple methods don’t happen to work, then just keep trying. Something will work for you. Make a list of these things and make it a habit to do at least two of them a day.

The next step is to train your mind to send the right messages to your subconscious mind so that you can achieve your goals. If you don’t believe you can achieve your goals, then you won't

achieve them - it's as simple as that. But if you prepare yourself and work towards achieving your goals, then achieving your goals will not be so much of a challenge as it is an expectation.

Things won’t happen overnight, but with dedication and discipline, you can achieve your goal of attending the National Leadership Conference!

Kandace Irvine Jefferson County North FBLA Kansas

5

Preparing for Competitive Events

The competitive events program is considered to be one of the highlights of membership in FBLA. Students from across the globe compete in over 55 competitive events with the goal of being “Simply the Best!” After reading these helpful tips for success, you will be one step closer to the award stage at your State Conference and the National Leadership Conference.

1. Identify the Events Specifications This is the first step in preparing for competitive events. It’s advisable to learn all of the components of

your event. Other specifications such as deadlines, report guidelines, rating sheets, and other procedures are vital information necessary to achieve success. Failure to comply with these specifications can result in getting docked points and even disqualification in your events. Make sure that you follow the FBLA dress code as this is a specification that has resulted in members being disqualified. You can find all of these specifications in your national Chapter Management Handbook.

2. Gather Resources Books, members (especially members who have competed in your event before), and local chapter advisers

are all resources that can assist you in preparing for your event. Textbooks are a great resource, especially if your event has a test component. Since most events pertain to the business curriculum, you can usually find textbooks that relate to the event. Most textbooks have questions in them; study up on those questions as you might see them on the test. Focus on the vocabulary words in the textbook, and treat your event as if it were an academic class. Another valuable resource is chapter members. Other members in your chapter may have participated in your event before and may be able to provide you with insight to that event. They can also be mock judges while you practice. You adviser is also a great resource. If your adviser has worked with FBLA for a long time, they have probably helped another member in that event before - even if your adviser is new, it would not hurt to ask for his or her advice anyway. Your adviser is likely the best choice for evaluating your practice performances. Your friends will probably tell you that you did a good job, whereas your adviser would be more critical and honest and thus give you a better idea of what you did well and what you need to improve on.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice! You have your resources and you have mastered the specifications; now comes the work that defines your

placing. It’s quite simple: the more you practice, the more prepared you will be. It is not “Simply the Best” idea to start studying or writing speeches on the bus ride to your competitions. When practicing, try to make the conditions of the room similar to what you would expect to see during the actual competition. As mentioned in tip number two, you should have people act as mock judges. Provide them with the rating sheet for your event and ask them to grade you to see how your presentation would score. If you have an objective test component, you should take the tests you find in the textbooks or online (Google your event) and study up on them.

I hope that these tips help you prepare for your event. Set your goals high: anything is possible. Your effort

to be the best may culminate in a trip to the highlight of the summer, the 2010 National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Who knows - you might even be honored for your effort on the award stage on July 17.

Alex Holte North Dakota FBLA State Parliamentarian

Velva High School FBLA North Dakota

6

Sharjeel Aziz James E. Taylor High School FBLA

Texas

Running for Office How does a candidate win his or her election? The answer is simple: he or she becomes

somebody who sticks out more than the other candidates. When searching for a suitable candidate, the voters at conferences look not only at the candidate’s booth, but also at his or her personality and actions. Therefore, if someone wants to win his or her position, then he or she must set his or herself apart from the other candidates (of course, in a finer manner). Whether it involves giving an amazing speech about FBLA’s needs and necessities, or speaking on the stage rather than the podium, the candidate that wants to win makes him or herself appear different than any other average candidate.

At the booths, the candidate should smile naturally and be genuine with everyone and not only at voters (the voters would be against voting for candidates that are polite only to privileged members). Other than benevolence, another characteristic of a good candidate is sociability. A funny and friendly candidate has a higher chance at victory than a gloomy and antisocial candidate. While campaigning at a booth, a candidate may benefit from creating a crowd around the booth because a collective pack, to the voters, makes them want to vote with the others (it’s like using the bandwagon technique: everyone is doing it; you should too).

It is crucial for the candidate to make as few mistakes as possible that portray him or her in a negative manner. One mistake can travel to the ears of hundreds, especially if the campaign lasts for a long period of time. The most important thing that a candidate can do is to be kind, generous, and friendly every time.

Thanking Our Texas Sized Heroes

Thanks to comic book moguls, Marvel and DC, many would answer with Spiderman, Superman, or Batman when asked to name a famous hero. Because of the triumph of such fantasy superheroes, the true heroes, found even in one’s own community, often go forgotten. While these true heroes risk their lives on a daily basis for the safety of others, they rarely receive any recognition.

This past holiday season, James E. Taylor High School in Katy, Texas, sought after a way to thank some of the forgotten, local heroes. After much brainstorming, the FBLA chapter set out to celebrate our local volunteer firefighters with an honorary evening deemed “Feed the Firemen”. For “Feed the Firemen”, a handful of FBLA members spent their Friday night at the nearest fire station serving the Spring Creek Barbeque to the firemen in attendance. While there were hundreds of other things they could have been doing that Friday night, the members that participated were glad that they did; they made new friends with the firefighters as the firefighters told them story after story. The firefighters even took the FBLA members on an exclusive tour of

their vehicles and facility after dinner. By the end of the night, nobody wanted to leave, but the students promised they would be back next year to celebrate our volunteer firefighters at the “Second Annual Feed the Firemen” event.

Annabelle Anderson James E. Taylor High School FBLA Texas

Jena Monheiser Fleming High School FBLA

Colorado

7

Every 15 minutes, someone in the United States is critically injured or killed in an alcohol-related automobile accident. The Every 15 Minutes Program is a community service project created by three Fleming High School FBLA officers in Colorado, in hopes of providing

awareness about drinking and driving or making smart decisions when alcohol is involved. This project spreads the message that life is precious, and that each person has an influence on his or her school, community, and families. The program demonstrates who and what can be affected by one bad decision.

The Fleming High School FBLA officers, Amber Schlenz, President; Jena Monheiser, Vice President; and Jenna Vandenbark, Treasurer, worked in conjunction with the Haxtun Police Department Chief Tanya Mayhew for several months. The four engineers hit work hard in September of 2009. The officers were in charge of fundraising and finding sponsors to fund the expensive program, as well as presenting multiple presentations to different organizations. Monthly and weekly meetings were held between the different agencies and students to plan the event.

This two-day event began on February 2, 2010, and continued for the second day, February 3. After carefully selecting 15 students to represent the “Walking Dead,” the morning consisted of a grim reaper pulling these students every 15 minutes, as well as the reading of their obituaries. In pulling these students, it represented that they each died in an alcohol-related accident. Later, in the afternoon, three students were positioned in a mock car accident. The local garage towed an “old junker” car to the school grounds. Debris was scattered across the crash scene, a speaker system was set up and ready to narrate the crash scene. Earlier in the day, a moulage artist decorated the crash victims to make them look as though they had actually been in an accident.

One victim, Jena Monheiser, was critically injured, another, Jenna Vandenbark, was dead on arrival, and the third, Austin Vandenbark, the driver, was “intoxicated”. Emergency personnel were positioned at a nearby sight on the edge of town. Teachers then escorted the student body to the crash scene. The actors were at work to make the scene look as real as possible. The critically injured victim screamed and hollered, groaned and cried for some answers about what had happened to her and her friends. The “intoxicated” driver paced around the car, and made a mock phone call to 911. The final student attempted to lay, lifeless, on the dirt road. Responding to the scene were the Colorado State Patrol, the County Sheriff’s Department, the local fire department, Life Care, the county coroner, and many more emergency volunteers. As students, teachers, and numerous community members watched the dreadful “accident”, tears couldn’t help but roll down their cheeks.

The intoxicated student was given roadside assistance, and then transferred to the jail in the neighboring town. There, he was finger printed, given a phone call to tell his parents what he had done, and booked into jail. The dead-on-scene victim was taken to the neighboring town’s local mortuary. Awaiting her arrival were the victim's parents and seven of the walking dead students. A small ceremony was held in honor of the student who had “died” in the accident. The critically injured passenger was taken to the neighboring town’s hospital in an ambulance, where her parents and seven of the walking dead students awaited. The nurses and doctors began work on the injured victim. After losing feeling in her legs, and multiple attempts to save her life, the heart monitor announced her death. Parents, students, and nurses were escorted out the door, when the parents were given the news, “Your daughter has just died in an alcohol-related car accident.”

(Continued on next page)

Giving Back to the Community:

Every 15 Minutes

8

Later that day, the three accident participants, and the 15 walking dead students were taken to a hotel for the night

to enjoy a retreat. The students were given time to rest for the day’s work. Tanya Mayhew presented many different team-

building activities and compiled a video of the events throughout the day. The students also gathered in a circle and

participated in a group therapy session, where they were given the chance to talk about their feelings on the day, or anything

on their minds.

The next morning, an assembly was prepared for the entire student body. This assembly helped wrap up the event.

Three guest speakers gave their personal reflection on real-life interactions. The parents of the accident students reflected

on how it felt to lose a child, and how real the entire process was to them. A highly graphic PowerPoint was shown to open

the eyes of the students to what could really happen in an alcohol related or any type of automobile accident. After the

assembly, the walking dead students and three accident participants were reunited with their parents, as they exchanged

letters they had written the night before.

Students and people don’t just learn from pictures and by ear. Sometimes it takes more drastic measures - like

living the experience. This project was incredibly time consuming and emotionally draining, but everyone involved

admitted to the truth and reality.

The Future Business Leaders of America organization isn’t only dedicated to helping its members, but is also

dedicated to improving the community as well. One of FBLA’s goals is, “To encourage members in the development of

individual projects which contribute to the improvement of home, business, and community.” In presenting the Every 15

Minutes community service project, these proactive members did just that. Not only did the students benefit from the

experience, but the community and home life of the students were positively affected as well. Countless businesses and

organizations also recognized the detrimental effects of drunk driving, and became involved while working in conjunction

with the students. The community will be forever changed from this event, in which three FBLA officers spread awareness

of drinking and driving.

For more information about Every 15 Minutes, visit the official website: www.every15minutes.com.

9

John Mitzel Fargo South High School FBLA

North Dakota

How to Thrive, When the Coffers Run Dry… Tired of the same old fundraising ideas, but don’t know where to find new ones? FBLA chapters around our

region are involved in a variety of fundraising opportunities. Check out these ideas - one of them might be just the right idea for your chapter!

There’s the school that hosted a car wash…yes, a winter car wash! Check with the members to see where they hosted it and how successful it was. And then there’s the bake sale, with a new twist…homemade pretzels twisted by the FBLA-ers themselves! Lots of restaurants in your town? Consider coupon books for discounted meals. You’ll have people eating out of your hands! But don’t let their hands get dirty…sell sanitizer wipes that kill germs and keep their hands clean.

Finally, there’s always the carnival, sure to bring in children and their ticket-purchasing parents.

Include a clown, and the kids will go home wearing balloon hats, while you count your money! On a more serious note, fundraising is an important part of your work as a viable FBLA chapter.

Any of these tongue-in-cheek ideas can be turned into a legitimate, fun-raising moneymaker for your chapter.

Host a car wash when the snow melts. Partner with another student organization, and start cleaning the winter grime off cars in your local community.

Host a bake sale. You’ll have fun preparing local delicacies, and your community will love your products.

Sell coupons for local business and products. Everyone likes to get a bargain, and local establishments will welcome the extra business.

Organize a carnival, or if your chapter is small, support a school carnival, and share the profits. Boys and girls of all ages enjoy the fun, food, and frivolity of carnivals. By brainstorming ideas with your chapter, exchanging ideas with others at SLC, and

innovating, you can ensure prosperity within your chapter.

Career Spotlight: Certified Public Accountants

It’s that time of year again. No, not Easter, or summer, it’s tax time, and no one knows that better than a CPA. CPA stands for certified public accountant, and CPAs help protect you from accountants that are not doing their best job on your taxes. To become a CPA, it is preferable that you earn a bachelor's degree in accounting. You can then take the uniform certified public accountant examination. All states have their own requirements after that, but most states follow the three E’s: education, experience, and examination. The education comes from your school, the exam is the certification test, and all states have a different amount of experience required.

CPAs do an incredible amount of work and are rewarded accordingly. CPAs can work for big companies with 150 other accountants, or they can "fly solo" with a private practice. The world for a CPA is only limited to his or her

ambitions.

CPAs have great job security. As more businesses spring up and there are more people in the world, someone has to do their taxes! CPAs perform a great and needed task. Without CPAs, tax forms would be a mess, and we would all be paying more money than necessary. So, when you finish reading this article, find the nearest CPA and hug them in thanks for their service.

Andrew Davis Drumright High School FBLA Oklahoma

Brooke Choquette Minden High School FBLA

Nebraska

As I threw on my FBLA t-shirt and ran out the door, I didn’t think twice about my outfit. It’s FBLA T-shirt day today, so I wore my shirt!

Since all of us FBLA members recently celebrated FBLA week, I wanted to tell you about my local

chapter’s activities throughout the week. Sure, maybe I was wearing my FBLA shirt because I was told to and I would earn a few points. But I

would voluntarily participate in FBLA week to promote FBLA in a positive manner and make others aware of the organization any week. Little by little, we can contribute to the week by participating in small activities our chapter planned. Wearing our FBLA shirts is a little event that contributes to the whole week.

FBLA-PBL week is the second week of February each year. Members are encouraged to show appreciation for FBLA by planning activities that contribute to their school, community, and adviser for making FBLA possible in their school. Chapters plan events every day of FBLA week with the goal of increasing member participation. Examples of activities could include FBLA T-shirt day, Dress for Success Day, March of Dimes Day, Adviser Appreciation Day, and many more. The purpose of FBLA week is to celebrate FBLA and let other people know about the great components FBLA has to offer.

This year, my chapter planned a Member Appreciation Day, FBLA T-shirt day, Go Green Day, and Spare Change March of Dimes Day. On Member Appreciation Day, each member turned in a coupon for a cupcake and earned one point. During FBLA T-shirt day, members wore their FBLA shirts. Likewise, on Wednesday students wore green in support of the Go Green Project. For our last day, we had a spare change drive to raise money for the March of Dimes.

After the week was over, I took a look back and realized just how important the week was. I was glad I could celebrate FBLA week and show my appreciation and support of our great organization! But I don’t need a week to tell me that. I celebrate FBLA year-round, because FBLA is “Simply the Best.”

10

Let’s Celebrate

FBLA Week!

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How to Increase Membership

As many of our members know, an organization cannot continue unless it has membership growth. It is frequently thought that membership growth is an easy goal to meet. In reality, though, continual

membership growth is one of the greatest challenges that a large organization such as FBLA can face. In

some states like Texas or New York, you may have thousands of members, yet if you live on the prairie, your

state may only have around 500 members. Each and every location must be viewed differently when assessing how to increase membership in the region. In the following paragraph, I will dispense my trials on

trying to get new members and tell you what has worked.

One of the first things that you can do is get your middle school and freshman students interested in

the program. If they have heard of the FBLA before they arrive in high school, they are more likely to join.

You cannot be an invisible group in your school, and you cannot just assume that people know who you are and what you are about. If you do not promote FBLA as “Simply the Best,” you will soon become a

“hibernating” chapter. Spreading the word about FBLA is a great way to get some new members.

Through the many tools available on the National FBLA website, there has been nothing more

beneficial to me as a chapter officer than the FBLA promotional video. This clip gives a great explanation of

what FBLA is and what you can do with your experience from the organization. Personally, I have presented this video right after I talked to the freshman and sophomore classes in my school. Some key points you can

highlight are: competitive events, traveling possibilities, community service, and how good it will look on

their resumes.

Quite a few schools that I have had the good fortune of visiting in my years of being an FBLA officer

on the local and state levels have had televisions in their lunchrooms or in their entry way. Well, why not place your FBLA promotional video on them? Not only will students from your school see it and want to

join, but when students and teachers from other schools visit your school, they will hopefully leave with a

knowledge of FBLA and desire to start a chapter in their school if they already do not have one.

One of my final recommendations to all FBLA chapters is to make posters and put them ALL OVER

school. Not just one location, but in a variety of places - especially the most traveled hallways. The posters should have adequate information but you also want them to captivate people. Just writing words will not do

much and they may be disregarded by your fellow students. If you put stars, colorful designs and visuals on

the poster, people will be pulled to view it.

I hope that some of this information has been helpful to you, and I wish you the

best of luck in your endeavors on trying to recruit more members to join your FBLA

chapter.

Kevin Van Duyn Colman-Egan Area High School FBLA

South Dakota

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Going the Extra Mile to Raise Money for the March of Dimes Volunteerism is all about giving and making yourself a part of something greater. The feelings that come from

helping others cannot be put into words. FBLA’s partnership with the March of Dimes can help chapters reach the goal of improving community and help members develop character. Volunteerism is vital to the March of Dimes in order for them not only to continue with their work, but to grow and be able to discover even more avenues to save babies. The March of Dimes has led the way to many medical breakthroughs.

Without communication between the members, the chapter, and the school district, Twin River would not

have been able to raise the amount of money that we have or increase the awareness for the mission of the March of Dimes to the extent that we have over the past five years. Whether it was through fundraising, mission awareness, or communication, Twin River FBLA truly feels that more people have acquired a better understanding about the March of

Dimes because of their efforts. In the past five years, Twin River has gone the extra mile and has raised over $28,000 to help support the March of Dimes. This past year, Twin River placed fifth in the nation for fundraising profits for the March of Dimes and received a $1,000 Mission Lift Grant to expand education about the March of Dimes. The chapter has hosted many fundraising events throughout the school year. Some of these events included a Burger Bash and Blanket Toss at a home football game, a WonderWalk for the elementary students, monthly Breakfasts for Babies, and a new March of Dimes ―Challenge‖. All proceeds raised from these events went to support the March of Dimes.

Twin River FBLA held their annual Burger Bash at a football game, raising $472.10 for the March of Dimes. A

local grocery store readily volunteered their support to this event and sold us the supplies at cost to increase the dollar amount that could be donated to the March of Dimes. Twin River FBLA's reporter and March of Dimes Coordinator worked diligently with Genoa Leader Times and the school newsletter in publishing regular articles educating the public about the March of Dimes and the important work they perform. The goal of raising money for the March of Dimes and increasing advocacy was achieved because of the volunteerism by all parties involved—the Genoa Leader Times, members of the Twin River FBLA Chapter, and the support of community members. Also this same night, Twin River FBLA members walked around with a large blanket. The announcer was continually encouraging the audience to throw their change into the blanket to help make a change in babies’ lives. Amazingly, $96.88 was thrown into the blanket that night.

Up next was the March of Dimes WonderWalk. Volunteers had already readied the packets and updated

databases so that things were ready to roll. Nathan Gay and Curtis Wyman gave presentations to Twin River’s two elementary sites. Nathan and Curtis explained the mission of the March of Dimes and how the money raised by the WonderWalk would be used for research assistance in saving the babies born too soon and too small. Through the volunteerism of over 257 elementary students and the numerous FBLA members that helped in the organization and planning process, the WonderWalk raised $3,754.00. This money was raised by going door to door for contributions, asking family members, and even donations from some students' own savings - all to help save babies. The Genoa Leader

Times and Twin River's school newsletter both featured articles about the WonderWalk. In order to show FBLA’s appreciation for the time and effort of the elementary student volunteers in raising money for the March of Dimes, prizes were purchased and distributed to the students. Depending upon how much money they raised, children were given prizes.

The FBLA chapter also hosted a monthly fundraising event called Breakfast for Babies. Otis Sprunkmeyer

muffins and juice are sold to K-12 students and faculty for $1.50. It was a huge success and raised an astonishing amount of $1,872 profit for the March of Dimes this school year.

This year, Twin River FBLA wanted to go a new route with fundraising ideas for the March of Dimes. Their

chapter’s leadership team got together and brainstormed new campaign ideas to do with the $1,000 Mission Lift Grant. A new idea was to challenge a rival school (Boone Central High School) in a March of Dimes ―Challenge‖. At a home basketball game versus BCHS, our two FBLA chapters went head to head in a donation bucket challenge to see which school would contribute the most in donations at the end of the night. That night Twin River FBLA also sponsored a Barbeque Feed, the concession stand, a holiday cake raffle, and a half-time free throw contest. At the end of the night,

totals came to a successful amount of $555.52. Volunteerism was at the foundation for every task completed for the March of Dimes. Through

numerous March of Dimes projects, FBLA members recognize that volunteerism can be fun as well as heartwarming. Plus, it is truly assisting a worthy organization to do great things for premature babies and for society as a whole. Twin River challenges other FBLA chapters to reach out and expand their fundraising efforts for the March of Dimes. Every penny makes a difference, and in this case, the difference funds research to save babies’ lives.

Alyse Andreasen Twin River High School FBLA

Nebraska

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CAREERS IN BUSINESS:

Which will you choose?

As the school year draws to a close, numerous members – especially

seniors and juniors – may be starting to think about education

beyond high school. Seniors, you have most likely decided where

you will be attending college this fall. Many of you will be

majoring in business, and you will go on to be the next generation

of accountants, bankers, and managers. As a Future Business Leader of America, you should

be aware of the career options that are available to you as a business major. Explore different

types of business careers to discover which ones are best-suited to your personality. This can

be done by job shadowing, or by talking to personal acquaintances, business leaders, and

entrepreneurs that work in a business environment.

Business can be divided into seven different career categories: accounting, consulting,

entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, management, and marketing. The following

table presents a description of each category and the skills needed to excel in each field.

For more information, visit http://careers-in-business.com.

Field Description Skills and Talents

Accounting Study of how businesses track their income and assets over time

Analytical skills, computer skills, ability to work in a team

Consulting Helping a client obtain informa-tion or advice that leads to real, lasting solutions

Analytical skills, people skills, creativity, ability to synthesize

Entrepreneurship Starting a new business from scratch

Optimism, initiative, flexibility, total commitment, energy, self-confidence

Finance Study of how individuals and businesses raise, allocate, and use monetary resources

People skills, communication skills, initiative, problem-solving skills

Human Resources Helping an organization manage its people

People skills, communication skills, writing skills

Management Being the leader of a group of people in an organization

Leadership, problem-solving skills, communication skills, ini-tiative

Marketing Taking a “generic” product or service and associating it with a certain brand

Creativity, analytical skills, initia-tive

Amy Chin Lakeview High School FBLA

Nebraska

The ultimate FBLA goal this year: the 2010 National Leadership

Conference. Past attendees reflect upon the event with nostalgia, and potential

attendees look forward to it with eager anticipation. It’s not just a vacation,

but a chance to prove oneself and network with other motivated individuals at

the national level. There is a sense of accomplishment to come this far from

the district and area competitions to the state competitions,

and from the state competitions to the National Leadership

Conference.

The 2010 NLC will be held in Music City—Nashville, Tennessee—from July 14-17. Students

from across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and even places as far as

Europe will come together in downtown Nashville to compete and to share this unforgettable

experience. In Nashville, you can visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Parthenon re-creation, or

just watch the sunset amidst the Nashville skyline.

Among the diverse background of all the students, you all have a common presence. This is

where you will put all those hours of studying and preparing to its ultimate test. You are competing

against the nation’s best and this is an opportunity to showcase your skills and talents.

Beyond competitive events, FBLA offers workshops to enhance not only one’s knowledge but

to improve a chapter’s effectiveness. The Institute for Leaders, a two-day program that is held at the

NLC, does just that. The program offers a “major” and a “minor” where students can learn various

ways of managing a chapter, obtaining corporate sponsorships, and hosting workshops, among

other useful lessons. As you network and make friends with people from other states, you are

meeting the best and brightest of the nation’s future business leaders.

Nashville awaits you. Are you ready?

All About NLC

Molly He Texas FBLA Area 1 Vice President

Lubbock HS FBLA

Nashville

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2009-2010 Mountain Plains Regional Executive Board

Brennan Foo Texas Mountain Plains Region Vice President

Kandace Irvine Kansas Secretary

Amy Chin Nebraska Treasurer/Webmaster

Alyse Andreasen Nebraska Communications Director

Kevin J. Van Duyn South Dakota National President’s Assistant

Alex Holte North Dakota Vice President’s Assistant/Asst. C.D.

Andrew Davis Oklahoma Vice President’s Assistant

Annabelle Anderson Texas Vice President’s Assistant

Brooke Choquette Nebraska Vice President’s Assistant

Curtis Reynolds Nebraska Vice President’s Assistant

Jena Monheiser Colorado Vice President’s Assistant/Asst. C.D.

John Mitzel North Dakota Vice President’s Assistant

Molly He Texas Vice President’s Assistant

Sharjeel Aziz Texas Vice President’s Assistant

Shelby Webb Kansas Vice President’s Assistant