Is That Your Voice I Hear!?!

By:  Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team and 2012-13 National Executive Council Adviser

If you are like me summer brings some of the best things.  Eating outside, enjoying time with family, and National Leadership Conference!  I know, I know, it’s a busy week that we all take a deep breath when it’s done but it’s also something that I personally know I look forward to.  I love getting to see all of the friends from around the country, watch our student leaders in action, and seeing the excitement of FCCLA spread to such a wide group.

It’s hard to believe that it really is around the corner.  Some of you reading this may already know that you are going and some of you may still be up in the air.  No matter which group you are in, deadlines come up quick.  The deadline for early registration is May 1, TODAY! While your chapter has already received information about National Leadership Conference, I wanted to just remind you of a few key points:

• The conference is being held in Nashville, Tennessee from July 7-11 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

• Early registration ends May 1 and regular registration ends June 15.  After that, you can still register late or onsite but the cost does increase. In addition, if you are paying by purchase order, all payments must be received by June 30.  Any cancellation requests must be submitted in writing by June 15.  Register here.

• Double check all of your travel arrangements including transportation, hotels, registration, and schedules.

• Take advantage of some of the great events going on including the Gala-A Southern Summer Night in Music City, the special event at Nashville Shorts, the FCCLA Run4Red 5K to benefit Alumni and Associates, or any of the other great tour and career exploration options.
  
  
  

• Ensure your students understand and have all clothing necessary to dress within the FCCLA Board of Directors approved dress code which is mandatory for general sessions, business sessions, exhibits, workshops, and the STAR Events recognition session.  You can see the official conference dress here.
  
  

Again, I cannot wait to see all of you and your students Discover Your Voice at the 2013 FCCLA National Leadership Conference!

Adviser Networking Opportunity!

With state meetings coming to an end, it's time to start thinking about NLC!  Don't miss out on this opportunity to talk with some of the best voices of FCCLA...you, the advisers, during the Adviser Networking Session! Take a chance to hear from advisers, state advisers, and alumni in many/mini presentations with great ideas, resources, and networking opportunities. Join the choir of advisers with your own ideas to share as well. Complete the proposal form here!

Passing the Baton: Electing Officers

By: Donna Corder, National Consultant Team

Whether you have officer elections in the spring or the fall, this is an essential part of developing a successful FCCLA chapter.  The officers will be the ones to plan the program of work for the year, set the chapter goals and then lead the chapter to achieve the goals and complete the program of work. 

Below are a few suggestions to ensure that the chapter foundation continues to grow:  

1.       Be sure to put the procedures of the election in the Chapter By-Laws. 

·         Be very specific about how the chapter elects officers. 

·         You may want to model the Region/District, State and/or National procedures to ensure consistency.

·         Put in a contingency plan for unexpected events like: tiebreakers, not enough candidates, complaints from parents, etc.

2.      Have candidates complete an application.

·         Have officers and/or the executive council evaluate the application, offices, and officer responsibilities on a yearly basis to see if any adjustments need to be made.

·         Set a deadline for all applications to be turned in to be eligible to run for an office and stick to the deadline.

3.      Set up a Nominating Committee and voting procedures.

·         Use alumni, graduating seniors who are officers, and Region/District, State and/or National Officers to interview officers to place them in appropriate positions.

·         Require all officers to go through the interview process.

·         Have a set number of questions that will be asked to all candidates.

·         Allow all chapter members to vote on specific offices.

4.      Require Officers to attend Officer Training

·         Set up a time where officers can be trained in their job responsibilities. 

·         Have the officers plan a program of work. 

·         Plan some bonding time

·         Keep the officers accountable

Creating a procedure to elect officers sets the foundation for a solid and successful chapter, where students can lead and learn the skills needed in their future careers.  Officers and members both benefit when there is a plan for them to follow.  Students also gain the confidence they need to lead.  The role of the adviser then becomes just that: advising students.  Advisers can challenge the officers to pass the baton and leave a legacy for others to follow for many years to come.

Advisory Boards: Friend or Foe?

By:  Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team

Hopefully this title caught your attention because you realize how strange that notion even is.  If you've never had an advisory board before you might be afraid it's a foe, but a well-planned and organized advisory board is always your friend.  So how do you make sure your advisory board is well-planned and organized?  Here's some tips:

• Have a clearly outlined agenda for your meetings.  Make sure you know what you are going to discuss at each meeting and stick to the agenda.  Sharing it with the members of your advisory committee in advance is also helpful so they can think about items on the agenda before they arrive.
• Limit meeting length and frequency.  Be as respectful of their time as you would expect others to be of yours.  While there's no magic number to meetings, a good general guideline is 60-90 minutes 2-4 times per year. 
• Thank them for their service in public ways.  Consider writing their boss a thank-you note, recognize them in the paper, give them a small (FCCLA themed) gift, or serve refreshments at the meeting. 
• Include a wide variety of people on your advisory board.  Parents, students, administrators, counselors, other career and technical educators in your school, board of education members, business leaders, career field specialists, and post-secondary educators all make excellent members of an advisory board.  Also, be sure to look at the gender makeup of your group.
• Take suggestions.  While not everything may work, let those who suggest ideas know that their suggestions are still valued and that you will look into it.  Not discounting ideas makes people feel more comfortable with suggesting other things.  Remember, it only takes one great idea to solve a problem. 
• Let them know the strengths and weaknesses of the department.  Don't be afraid to talk about where your department is strong but also where it needs to see improvement.  Advisory boards can provide valuable insight and sometimes even resources to helping grow those strengths as well as improving areas of weakness.

So take a chance and get started today on the path to a successful advisory board.

FUNdraisers!

Fundraisers! Where do you start? How do you get your students motivated? Check out the Making Ends Meet webinar and fundraising materials provided by Cathe Felz on the Adviser Resources page of the national website. You'll be glad you did!

What are some successful fundraisers you have done with your students?