Wisconsin FBLA
e-Bulletin
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State President's Message
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Hello Wisconsin FBLA and welcome to the October Issue of the WFeB!
Our state officer team and the
Wisconsin FBLA-PBL Foundation
are working hard to provide opportunities for chapters to grow their membership, deepen their involvement, and stay informed. Show your support by using
Amazon Smile
when you shop online and talk to FBLA alumni about becoming a
Friend of Wisconsin FBLA-PBL
. Your chapter can also seek out community members who may be interested in sponsoring the WI FBLA State Leadership Conference, and direct them to the
sponsorship information online
.
The state officer team is excited to connect with members at the
Wisconsin Fall Leadership Conference
on November 11-12. Workshops on topics ranging from business dress tips, March of Dimes, and running for office, will be presented by FBLA state officers, advisers, and you will love
Stephen Mackey
our keynote speaker! There will also be the
Titan Business Challenge
for members to compete in. Additionally, members interested in running for state office can schedule their screening interview!
I want to reiterate the name change of last year’s Regional Who’s Who Award to the new Regional Member Recognition Program. Make sure to talk with your most active members about applying for this award and the chance for your chapter to earn $500! Another recognition program is the
Member of the Month
! Advisers can nominate as many members as they would like, and submissions are rolling so there’s no need to submit a single nomination twice. Winners will receive social media recognition, a certificate at their Regional Leadership Conference, and a special congratulations from yours truly! Middle Level is also encouraged to submit nominations. Congratulations to our first round of recipients - click their images below to learn why they were nominated by their local adviser.
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Brelynn Bille
State President,
Waupun High School
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State Members of the Month
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Brooke Allemann
Executive Vice President, Cochrane-Fountain City High School
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Looking to start a middle level FBLA chapter, or have one and want ideas for engaging your members? Here are a few things you can do with your chapter this fall!
1st: Start your meeting with an icebreaker! It will bring energy to any room you are in, and is a great way for your members to get to know each other! Check out
this article
for great icebreakers for your middle school students!
2nd: Keep the information you provide both exciting and engaging! The easiest way to lose a young member is by throwing them a lot of information. Try handing out an agenda members can follow along with. That way they can also bring the sheet home to their parents with the important reminders!
3rd: Have fun and remember they are at the meeting to be exposed to FBLA and the amazing opportunities it has! The goal of a middle level chapter is to have more high school involvement. If members have a great experience when they are young, they are more likely to do FBLA in high school.
If you have a middle level member who goes above and beyond, nominate them for our new Middle Level Member of the Month program through
this Nomination Form
!
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David Suttner
Region 6 VP,
Chilton High School
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The Outstanding Chapter Award (OCA) is a great opportunity for chapters of all sizes, and brings great rewards if completed!
A chapter that achieved the OCA will complete
20 activities
, some being required and others picked based off your chapter's interest.
Many of the activities are things that your chapter loves to do, like attending a local meeting, participating in a community service project, or promoting your own chapter through posters and more.
This year, the FBLA national office has employed a new system to register and submit chapter progress on the OCA. Activities are split up between membership, community service, and education-related activities. Currently registration is closed, and the date it will open will be announced in the near future on the
National Site
. The award must be completed by April 1, 2020.
The
Wisconsin FBLA-PBL Foundation
has funded an
incentive
for Wisconsin Chapters to complete the Outstanding Chapter Award. Chapters will be awarded a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $2,500 for earning this award. To be recognized at SLC, you must submit the award before the State Leadership Conference in spring. The
State Website
has
Outstanding Chapter Award Resources
that can guide you and provide ideas to assist in project planning.
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Running for State and National Office
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Are you an active member of FBLA and an exemplary leader at your school? If you are, you should strongly consider the possibilities of running for either a state and or national officer position! Serving as an FBLA Officer can be a challenge, but is a fantastic honor (and fun!) if you are willing to devote time to your position. Here a few tips if you are ready to prepare a campaign.
State Office: The
WI FBLA website
has all the resources you need to discover more about our officer positions, and certify you are an eligible candidate. The State Officer Guide specifically details all preliminary steps to be taken for each office and is exceptionally detailed with instructions and deadlines for ALL campaign materials. The Officer Guide also provides frequently asked questions, tips, and our bylaws. It is a must-read!
National Office: If you have a serious commitment to FBLA, the prospect of a national officer position is exhilarating. Campaigns require extensive engagement and outreach, so be prepared to talk to many people. The national office has everything you will need to prepare a campaign and resources on their
website
.
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Brenen Skalitzky
Region V VP,
Waterloo High School
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Brooke Allemann
Executive Vice President, Cochrane-Fountain City High School
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Did you know that November is Prematurity Awareness Month? FBLA offers numerous opportunities for local chapters to support our National Service Partner, the March of Dimes.
Local chapters can help educate their community and school about premature births and the March of Dimes by utilizing the color purple, purple is the color that represents March of Dimes. Multiple ways for your chapter to promote Prematurity Awareness Month include hosting a purple dance, designating a day for students/ staff to wear purple, hosting a miracle moment at a sporting event, and sharing facts with the school on premature births.
If your chapter has a March of Dimes grant idea to help premature babies you could win $1,000 for your local chapter by filling out
this grant application form
from the national office!
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Madison O'Brion
State Parliamentarian,
Fall River High School
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On November 15, FBLA-PBL members celebrate American Enterprise Day. During this day the free enterprise system is showcased for its excellence. Reference
national FBLA resources
to help your chapter celebrate this holiday accordingly!
If you aren’t familiar, the free enterprise system is a type of economy where businesses are heavily determined by the market instead of the government. This system is directly connected to capitalism and not communism. The market sets their products, prices, and services. This system started to take action in the United States during the early 1800s.
We Americans are very thankful to have this system in place so that we are free to make our own decisions in the business world; to not be overly controlled by the government. I highly encourage everyone to follow your occupation dreams that we are able to pursue to its fullest.
Have an abundance of fun while exploring “A World of Opportunity” and enduring the benefits of the free enterprise system!
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Keli Borem
State Reporter,
Menomonee Falls High School
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Business Achievement and Community Service Awards
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With the start of the new school year, it’s important to remember some of the most fulfilling and enriching parts of FBLA! The
Business Achievement Awards
(BAAs), and the
Community Service Awards
(CSAs) provide FBLA members with the opportunity to become more involved in their community and complete various projects related to service, education, and progress!
The BAAs consists of four levels: Future, Business, Leader, and America. With the completion of each level, members receive a pin to wear on their blazer or business dress at FBLA conferences! Once the first two levels are completed, members will be recognized at the local level. Upon completion of the third level, Leader, members have the opportunity to be recognized at the
Wisconsin State Leadership Conference
! Members who achieve the America level will be recognized on stage at the National Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah this upcoming June!
The CSAs, are awards that FBLA has for members to become more involved within their community. This is a three-part award that honors the time members dedicate to various service activities. The Community level is awarded after 50 hours of community service are achieved, the Service level is awarded after 200 hours are achieved, and the Achievement level is awarded after 500 hours are achieved! Once all three levels are achieved, members will be recognized at the National Leadership Conference with a certificate and pin. It is important to register and log your hours to be able to participate.
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Saurabh
Jain
Financial Analyst at Citi
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Today's Business Leader
Highlighting the Impact of FBLA on Successful Alumni
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Q&A:
Questions submitted by FBLA members via Instagram
Q: Why did you join FBLA?
A:
I first started becoming interested in business in late middle school, so when I got to high school I wanted to explore that interest through classes and clubs. Joining FBLA seemed like a great start to see if business was something that I wanted to pursue after high school and into college. I knew I’d get the chance to learn a lot about various opportunities within the field and also compete with people around the country which was exciting. Also, I found out we would get a chance to travel and miss some school so it seemed like a no brainer ☺
Q: How has FBLA helped you in your current career?
A:
The biggest way that FBLA helped me in high school and now in my current career is that it forced me to do things outside my comfort zone. Coming into high school, I had never done any public speaking and the thought of presenting in front of large crowds frightened me. When I was a state officer my senior year, I had to speak in front of 3000 members at the Wisconsin SLC which really allowed me to push myself and I started to develop skills that are now crucial to my career. Nowadays, I spend a lot of time presenting to senior management and I attribute part of my current success to my time in FBLA.
Q:
What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a career in finance?
A:
The first step is figuring out if you are actually interested in finance as a career, which can take some time. Make sure to explore options while you’re in high school and learn about different fields to see what you are / are not interested in. If you already know you want to do finance while you’re in high school, expose yourself to the different business classes offered at school, attend leadership conferences through FBLA and research what fields within finance you would be interested in. Then, in college you can work on further developing your interest by getting involved in organizations specific to your field of interest and taking higher level classes. Be sure to reach out to alumni of your school or find ways to connect with people in your field of interest to learn more about their career, what steps they took to get to where they are, and any advice they have for someone interested in the field. The more you can learn the better so that when it comes time to interview, you have lots of experiences to speak about why you are interested in a finance career.
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Know a successful FBLA Alumni who should be featured here? Contact reporter@wifbla.org.
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Sara van
Gheem
Region IV VP,
Baraboo High School
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Regional Leadership Conference Preview
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Hello FBLA members! The Regional Leadership Conference is coming up faster than you think, and it is very important to stay on top of new announcements and agendas. Your region vice presidents are all present on Twitter and Instagram, so always make sure to check up on their social media to view new updates and information about the Regional Leadership Conference and more FBLA news. The Regional Leadership Conference will be hosted in the following areas by their region vice president:
(Note: Walworth & Rock County were realigned to Region 7 in 2019-2020)
For further information visit the
Wisconsin FBLA Regional Leadership Conference
website or your region's website. These websites hold information on your region and what you can expect at the Regional Leadership Conference, such as the awards, March of Dimes, competition schedules, and more! These websites are a great way to make sure you and your chapter are on track with the upcoming Regional Leadership Conference, so make sure to check out your regional sites for important updates and information.
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