Nebraska FBLA Pledge Spring 2017

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Pledge Spring 2016

Jacqui Garrison, FBLA State Adviser 402-471-4865 jacqui.garrison@nebraska.gov nebraskafbla.org @NebraskaFBLA CMYK / .ai

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Nebraska state leadership Conference The end of another great FBLA year is fast approaching, but before we turn the page to the next year, we need to prepare for the pinnacle of the Nebraska FBLA year: SLC. SLC is the place for members to network, compete and show their skills, and try to earn their ticket to NLC in Anaheim, California.

For many members, this will be their first SLC and will need to know what to expect going to Omaha. This includes what they should bring, what they can do for meals while they are there, and a bit about how voting procedures will work for the voting delegates.

This year’s Keynote Speaker will be Hoan Do. Hoan Do has been all around the world and has even competed on the NBC hit American Ninja Warrior. Hoan is originally from California. As many high school students could relate to, Hoan felt great deal of pressure during high school and was able to channel these feelings into a motivational speech that could intrigue any audience. Recognized as the best youth mentor by the International Examiner, Hoan Do is excited to help Nebraska FBLA leave a Legacy of Leadership at this year’s SLC SLC attendees should be sure to remember a few important items for their conference time. Be sure to check the FBLA dress code when planning your attire for the weekend. To those taking objective tests, remember to bring a pencil and, if you’re taking a math test, a calculator, and you will be required to wear your name tag during your events.

While you are at SLC, there are a few options for dining. The Omaha RL Hotel contains a restaurant called the Claim House. There is also a Burger King across the street. Nebraska FBLA also arranges for various food trucks to be available for members. These options give variety and easy access to anyone seeking a quick bite to eat between competitions.

2016-17 State Officer Team Ojus Jain, President John Willey, Vice President Alex Seigel, Secretary Riley Knust, Reporter Blake Langmack, Treasurer Hundter Biede, Parliamentarian

Voting is very important for chapters to participate in so that they can choose who will be leading Nebraska FBLA in the coming year. First, talk to the candidates to learn about their ideas for the organization, but remember not to promise your vote to any candidate, and also attend the caucus Thursday evening. Once your chapter has come to a consensus, vote in the primary on Friday afternoon. The two highest voted candidates in each office will make the finals and be voted for that evening. Be sure to be seated before the beginning of the delegate assembly; delegates not seated at the starting time will not be allowed to vote! Help us to leave our Legacy of Leadership with next year’s officer team.

Quick Links to spring FEATURES SLC Preview Ojus’s Outlook Blake’s Broadcast Legacy Leaders National Anthem Singer Hundter’s Hotline

Champion Chapters Success Stories Chapter News Seigel’s Sanctuary Riley’ Report

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With SLC just around the corner, and the FBLA year starting its home stretch, it’s time we take a moment to review some basic conference rules of conduct and essential etiquette skills. Although, many (if not all) Nebraska FBLA members are professional at all times, it is important we review these concepts nonetheless. Below are a few friendly reminders to help ensure that every member represents themselves, local chapter, and Nebraska FBLA as best as possible at all times:

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1. Respect Property The Ramada and surrounding hotels have been gracious enough to host our SLC year after year, so please respect their property. Any damage to or loss of property or furnishings of the properties can result in a fine.

3. Elevator Etiquette Please be respectful on the Elevators. Don’t press all the buttons at once, crowd the elevators, or make a raucous. Remember to use the elevators properly and efficiently!

4. Dress Code Don’t forget to wear proper business attire during all conference activities. Participants will NOT be admitted to conference activities and competitive events if in violation of the dress code.

5. Observe Curfew Follow curfew as listed in the conference program. Local advisers and security personnel will enforce curfews. Curfew is defined as being in your own assigned room by the designated hour.

With these things in mind, I am positive that all of you represent yourself, local chapter, and Nebraska FBLA in a positive manner. I wish you an amazing second semester of school and FBLA! I look forward to paving a “Legacy of Leadership” with all members at the 2017 State Leadership Conference in April.

2. No Drugs Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and controlled or illegal substances (drugs) of any form are not allowed. These items must not be used or possessed at any time, or under any circumstances.

State Leadership Conference is coming.

Is everyone from your chapter able to go?

Sometimes the trip down to Omaha or other events your chapter wants to participate in can take a lot out of your chapter treasury. Fundraising is an essential part of FBLA. If you use these key components of fundraising to your advantage your chapter will be able to be more active and give back to the community.

The most important fundamental to fundraising is effectiveness. It would be hard to raise money offering your school up as a tourist spot when living in nebraska.

When brainstorming ideas think of things that would interest people in your community. Hosting a sports tournament for members or having a bake sale during a school event are two ideas that many would love to be apart of. Don’t limit yourself to just old hat ideas that many other chapters do. Fundraising can be anything as long as your chapter is making profit in the process.

Go and talk to other local chapters about how they fundraise. You can also go online to see what is effective. Make sure to speak with your adviser about any new ideas you have that could benefit your chapter.

If you have any other questions on fundraising don’t be afraid to email one of the State officers on how they fundraise.

Legacy Leaders Bellevue West Reggie has taken initiative in our chapter by speaking at weekly meetings, organizing fundraising events, and evaluating finances.

Blair Dustin Hovanec is a dedicated member who works on many community service projects, and he is serving as our Sophomore Class Representative this year.

Centura As president, Tanner Rosenquest’s motor is always running.

He communicates with all members regarding projects, fundraisers and competitive events to keep Centura’s members all active in FBLA. Columbus Lakeview As a sophomore and first­year officer, Parliamentarian Andrew Herley tirelessly assists with all activities and doesn’t wait to be asked, but rather asks what needs to be done!

Crete Jessilyn is a three­year member and three t­ ime officer of the Crete FBLA Chapter, serving as Chapter President this year, and is instrumental in the planning and implementation of FBLA activities, meetings, and community service projects.

Dundy County Stratton Donald Hardwick has been dedicated to Dundy County Stratton FBLA for three years and is highly involved in all of our community service activities. He is currently serving as the Vice President of Programs for the DCS FBLA chapter.

Elmwood-Murdock Jac Clements always embraces new opportunities with a positive attitude. He recently taught a workshop on how to utilize smartphones to community members for one of our chapter projects.

Lincoln East Alicia Zeng is an absolutely terrific FBLA President and outstanding member of our chapter. It is through her leadership and guidance that each FBLA meeting runs smoothly and members are motivated to succeed. Alicia shows an unyielding passion and dedication for FBLA and our chapter’s success.

Lincoln Northeast Alyssa Bennett is our rock star FBLA president. She stepped up during her junior year and has continued to shine through senior year! We appreciate everything she does for our chapter and will miss her next year!

Raymond Central Madison Stover is serving as our chapter President and has done an excellent job leading our meetings, directing activities, and participating in many events.

Syracuse Alyssa Rippe is a three time NLC qualifier and a three­year officer currently serving as vice president. She also helps get members involved with the Partnership with Business project.

Tri County Riley Knust is a dedicated member of not only the Tri County FBLA, but also the Nebraska FBLA because he is always ready for whatever is thrown his way, always tries his hardest, and never gives up on his hopes to attend National FBLA conferences.

Last chance: order slc t-shirts Orders can be mailed, emailed or faxed.

Send to: Pat Hinkle Bellevue West 1501 Thurston Avenue Bellevue, NE 68123 Fax: 402-293-4049 Email: hinklepat@gmail.com Please make checks payable to: BELLEVUE WEST

Deadline: march 17

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tessendorf will sing national anthem Cole Tessendorf, a senior from Lakeview High School, was selected to sing the National Anthem at the 2017 State Leadership Conference opening session. Cole is an active fouryear member of Lakeview FBLA. He is a 2-time NLC Qualifier and has served as the local chapter reporter for 2 years. He is the National Honor Society President and is involved in football, speech, track and field, mock trial, and Legion baseball. He sings in the Lakeview show choir, Viking Voices, and was selected for All State Choir in 2016.

Nebraska FBLA 2017 State Leadership Conference has gone mobile!

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April 06 - April 08, 2017 Omaha, Nebraska

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Nebraska FBLA 2017 State Leadership Conference

My Schedule Presentation Postings Finals Postings Sponsors Exhibitors Maps Conference Updates

2016-17 final dues deadline: January 15 $4 state dues + $6 national dues = $10 There is a vast array of national projects available in which individuals and chapters can participate, the most prominent of which is the Business Achievement Awards, or the BAA’s. The BAA’s are a list of activities that promotes community service, school involvement, and leadership skills.

There are four levels of the BAA’s, which increase in difficulty as you move up. Completion of a level earns members recognition; they will receive a certificate from their adviser, plus a pin. The first two levels’ pins will be presented at a local chapter meeting, the third’s at SLC, and the fourth’s at NLC. The other national program for members to participate in is the CSA’s, or Community Service Awards. This gives recognition to members that give their time to community service projects, something that many members are already doing!

Nebraska FBLA 2017 State

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Local chapters also have projects to partake in. The newest of which is the Diamond Chapter award. This recognizes chapters that excel and are actively involved in both local and national programs. Chapters can also meet activity criteria to complete the Chapter Challenge, or be recognized as Outstanding Local Chapters. Both of these activities have similar formats to the Diamond Chapter award, focusing on having chapters recruit members, participate in American Enterprise Day and FBLA-PBL Week, and fundraise for the March of Dimes. All of these will be recognized at NFLC and/or NLC. FBLA also recognizes having 100% of a single class as chapter members, chapters that have a membership net increase of ten members for the year, and the 10 largest chapters in the nation.

All of these offer chapters and members alike many opportunities to show off their accomplishments, and to strive to leave their Legacy of Leadership in FBLA.

Champion Chapters Arlington Seeking success at the State Leadership Conference and furthering that success at NLC, Arlington FBLA implemented Business Achievement Award work nights to get members involved and use the service completed towards their competition projects. After impressive results in chapter participation and community service, Arlington FBLA is excited to compete at SLC and hopefully earn the opportunity to compete at NLC. Aurora Aurora FBLA hosted its 8th annual dodgeball tournament for high school students and staff on November 18, 2016. The $475 that was raised was donated to the Nebraska FBLA Foundation.

Blair Blair conducts a Bowl-­a­thon every year to raise money for the Nebraska FBLA Foundation Trust. This is a fun and effective activity that benefits a worthy cause!

nlc schedule JUNE 27

Columbus Lakeview For the past two years, Lakeview has held an FBLA Family Feud night resembling the hit TV show. Members form groups of four and battle it out to be named the grand champion! This activity greatly helps in member recruitment.

Travel by plane to Anaheim Afternoon at the Beach

Lakeview FBLA hosted the 20th annual Sweetheart Raffle for the March of Dimes. Local businesses donated a variety of prizes ranging from movie passes and stuffed animals to gift certificates and chocolates. Fans at the basketball game purchased raffle tickets in hopes of winning one of the over forty prizes. Once again, the chapter was able to donate over $500 to the March of Dimes.

Day at Disney or other adventures

Dundy County Stratton Dundy County Stratton FBLA has collaborated with local flora and gift store Seize the Daisy through the Nebraska FBLA state project “Connect with Business.” Members of the DCS FBLA chapter have worked community service hours and job shadowed down at the store, as well as learn what it truly takes to create a business that thrives in its community.

JULY 2

Raymond Central Raymond Central consistently has seniors advance in the job interview event by preparing them with individual adviser interviews, competition at other college contests, and participating in mock interviews with members of the business community.

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JUNE 28

JUNE 29 - JULY 2 NLC Conference

Awards of Excellence Program JULY 3 Travel back to Nebraska

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Success Stories from ARound our State Adams Central

Arlington

On January 18th, the Adams Central FBLA chapter had its annual FBLA Winter Blood Drive. In the past years, the drive has always been extremely successful and this year was no exception. The Adams Central FBLA blood drive is the biggest blood drive in Hastings and its surrounding areas, and our organization plans to keep it that way in the following years. More work goes into making the blood drive as successful as it is than what you might think. It takes more than just our advisor setting a date to make everything happen, it takes the combined effort of our officers, members, school faculty, and the students at Adams Central. The first step in making the blood drive happen was hanging up posters, and talking about it on social media to get our school and community aware of what we were doing and when it would take place. After that, our officers went to local businesses and asked for donations for the canteen area. The donations we received included everything from meat donated by Custom Pack, to cookies donated by Eileens Cookies. On January 10th, members were lined up outside our advisors door as early as 4 o’clock in the morning to sign up donors before spots were all taken up, and the day of the drive FBLA members helped set up the gym, escorted those who gave blood, worked the canteen and check in, and helped tear down at the end of the day. Teachers, students, FBLA members, and people of the community all came out to donate blood on the 18th, and in total we collected 129 units of blood, once again surpassing our goal.

Arlington FBLA held its annual co ed Vollerama tournament on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The grades 7­-12 and teachers volleyball tournament is the chapter’s largest charity fundraiser with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the March of Dimes. Members stepped up to the challenge to ensure a smooth tournament that everyone could enjoy all while giving back.

“Overall, it might have been stressful at times” adviser Shawna Koger said, “but FBLA was able to run a great tournament and raise lots of money.”

It was the largest turnout Arlington FBLA had ever seen.

124 participants signed up to play or coach, and over 30 FBLA members and their families volunteered either refereeing, keeping score, or working the concession stand. Vollerama has been a huge part of Arlington FBLA’s community work. Members chip in their time and work to put together the event, and this year it most definitely paid off.

Arlington FBLA was able to raise $620 from the tournament, all of that money benefitting the March of Dimes. The money raised was also an Arlington FBLA record, beating second place by nearly $100. Chapter President Brad Ernesti shared his thoughts on the money raised for the March of Dimes saying, “Whenever you can have a good time and attempt to play some volleyball is great, but when you can do all that while earning hundreds of dollars for an excellent cause feels fantastic!”

Success Stories from ARound our State (CONTINUED) The event was certainly successful as it reached all of the goals the Vollerama committee set. “Breaking a participation and fundraising record was special, but seeing over a hundred students and members of the community join together to break those records was my favorite part of Vollerama,” member Alek Timm said.

Arlington FBLA is already prepping for 2017’s event, and one can bet that they’ll be shooting for some new records come next year.

memorable experiences, life lessons, and advice for students as they progress through their schooling, and eventually into their careers. It was an amazing experience for both the FBLA and FFA chapters to see students pushing themselves and their desire to improve their own unique brand. We cannot wait until next years’ event!

Bellevue West

Ashland Greenwood On Saturday, February 4th, the Ashland-Greenwood FBLA and FFA chapters partnered to host the 2nd annual Local Leadership Conference inviting high school students of all ages and involvements. At the leadership conference, students were introduced to seven different professionals from the business world and were given advice regarding topics such as: interviewing, resumes, networking, leadership development, professional dress, entrepreneurship, social media, and the event even included a keynote speaker. Matt Dolch, a Syngenta sales manager, was the keynote speaker; he stressed the importance of networking and a unique personality in both the agricultural and business world. The profound question of the day was, “What does your brand represent?”

Matt stressed finding the ideal role model, whether it be a movie star or a parent, and begin mimicking their characteristics you wish to possess. Your lifestyle choices, your attitude, your values, your experiences, your ideals are your brand. Your unique brand should represent who you are and who you desire to be.

During the conference, there were four different breakout sessions for students to attend. The main focuses included interviewing and resume editing, social media, and entrepreneurship.

Each session was interactive, allowing students to dig deeper and ask questions derived from the lessons and the speaker. Logan Thomas, a sophomore at Ashland-Greenwood, said, “Probably, when Dr. Bundy (a breakout session speaker) said “Stop waiting for the perfect opportunity, just do it” when asked what was the most impactful and valuable thing he heard at the conference. Dr. Bundy is an entrepreneur that started his own family dentistry in Ashland.

He grew up in Ashland and was a local and state FFA officer so it was very cool for students to see that they could become an entrepreneur given the circumstances of where they are from or where they go to school.

Overall, the Local Leadership Conference was a very successful. It was an enjoyable day filled with

The Bellevue West Partnership With Business team completed an important milestone for their project this month. After months of planning and preparation, the SERVE Leadership Conference was held at Bellevue University on January 19, 2017. This conference included many different activities, including speakers, workshops, a university tour, and an inside look at what makes different businesses so successful. Area high school FBLA chapters within a 50­mile radius were invited to attend.

The conference began at 9:00 A.M. with introductions and short speeches by the project leaders Jackie Alexander, Trey Taggart, and Alex Seigel. In addition, Bellevue University’s Vice President, Jim Nekuda, and the Dean of Business, Rebecca Murdock, brought greetings from the University. Mark Cathy, senior executive of Chick fil A and grandson of Chick fil A founder S. Truett Cathy, gave the keynote presentation.

Workshops followed with guests choosing topics ranging from cyber security to financial planning.

A catered lunch by Bellevue Chick fil A was then followed by a panel discussion with all of the workshop speakers. A campus tour capped the event, which allowed Bellevue University to attract potential students.

After celebrating a successful day, the Partnership with Business team evaluated the responses from the conference guests and keynote speakers. A Google Form survey was created and distributed to

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Success Stories from ARound our State (CONTINUED) all conference attendees. From the survey results as of February 1st, the majority of the students said the workshops speakers were engaging and believed the conference was ran efficiently. Tom Deall, owner of Bellevue Chick­Fil A ­ and workshop speaker during the conference, expressed his pleasure with the conference. Bellevue University executives were so impressed with how Bellevue West FBLA students organized and hosted this conference that they expressed interests in putting on an annual student led conference with their full cooperation and support.

Overall the conference was very successful and a great experience for all those in attendance.

Blair

Cedar Bluffs This school year has been very exciting for the Cedar Bluffs FBLA Chapter. After succeeding in a state-wide competition, a ninth grader at Cedar Bluffs has the chance to take her skills to the national level. Alyssa Classen will travel down to Orlando, Florida in June. Alyssa was the only student awarded the chance to be able to go down to Orlando to take the Microsoft Office Specialist test.

“I was super excited and kind of surprised.” Said Alyssa learning that she had earned a spot in the national competition. In the statewide competition, Alyssa had to compete against many other school, to whom which were much bigger than the small class D school she attends. As a result of her high score, Alyssa is now certified in Microsoft Excel. Way to go Alyssa!

Chadron

The Blair Chapter of Future Business Leaders of America has spent the 2016-­2017 academic year learning from their business partnership with Sid Dillon Chevrolet of Blair. The partnership has provided valuable information that members will use in their future. Three workshops were held at the car dealership to educate members. The first workshop focused on car maintenance. The purpose of this workshop was to help members become more self reliant in times of emergency. The second workshop informed members about career opportunities in the car industry and the importance of technology. Finally, members attended a third workshop to learn about financing a vehicle. In addition, chapter members toured the different areas of the business. Members were able to see a wide variety of careers in action and learn about how the car industry impacts their lives.

Chadron FBLA places an unmatched emphasis on bettering our community and our world through donations and community service. Each year, our FBLA chapter holds a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. The mission of March of Dimes is preventing birth defects by raising awareness on the causes of premature birth and aiding those affected. Our chapter holds an annual blanket toss during a home football game during which we asked spectators to donate any spare change to the cause. Groups of two or three students carry around blankets during halftime and ask for donations. The local businesses and community member participation in our March of Dimes blanket toss allows us to meet our donation goals. The Chadron FBLA Chapter is

Success Stories from ARound our State (CONTINUED) thankful to have such a caring, supportive community backing our efforts and projects.

Columbus Lakeview

This year, Lakeview FBLA has focused their community service project on the military. Two large projects were implemented to complete this goal. Part I was a Christmas for our Troops project and Part II was a silent auction to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

In December a school-­wide drive was held to obtain a variety of items to be included in care packages for military personnel from the Platte County area who would be unable to be home for the holidays. The drive was very successful as most of the home room classes gave very generously. This project was in conjunction with Pinnacle Bank and all three Columbus schools: Lakeview, Scotus and Columbus High. Following the drive, students met at Pinnacle Bank to put together the care packages. With the joint effort of all three schools as well as other community members, 212 packages were delivered.

In January, the Wounded Warrior Project was in full swing. A call for donations was sent through the Lakeview patron newsletter as well as through school mail. Over twenty baskets, gift cards and other miscellaneous items were donated by Lakeview organizations, teams, faculty, and other individuals and business from the community. The silent auction was held during the Lakeview vs. York basketball games and was extremely successful. Over $1,500 was collected from the auction. This was the first year Lakeview has sponsored the activity, and it is sure to be an annual event!

*** Early in November, two chapters teamed up to accomplish something very cool. The young Columbus

High Chapter is starting off by creating a big impact.

This past month, they applied for and received a Thrivent Financial Grant for $250. With this grant, Kari Tunink, the adviser, purchased supplies to create fleece tie blankets. Lakeview, Columbus’s sponsor chapter, was asked to assist in the project.

On November 9, approximately 30 members from the 2 chapters joined forces at Columbus High School. The day was filled with teamwork, camaraderie, and lots of laughter. Because of the excellent organization and planning of Mrs. Tunink, the project flowed seamlessly.

Together, they created 21 fleece blankets. These blankets were then donated the Center for Survivors, a local agency who serves 6 counties. The blankets will go to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including children. For 30 high school students to come together for something bigger than themselves is truly amazing. Giving back to one’s community is something nobody will ever regret. And honestly, it wasn’t a strenuous activity whatsoever. Members got to go have a fun time with their friends, tie a few knots, and make a difference in somebody’s life. Now that is a good day.

Crete

Santa visited with 270 kids on Saturday, December 3 at Crete High School for the annual breakfast with Santa sponsored by Crete FBLA and the Crete Chamber of Commerce. Over forty FBLA members volunteered at the event by helping with set up, decorating, taking pictures, serving breakfast, and organizing Christmas crafts. In addition to Santa’s visit, the event included Story Time by the Crete Public Library, a bake sale organized by the Crete Area Medical Center Auxiliary, and Children’s Gift Shop hosted by Beta Sigma Phi. Because of the generosity of the Crete families, Crete FBLA is able to donate the proceeds of the picture sales & freewill donation to the Crete Backpack Program and the Nebraska Chapter of March of Dimes. This is an

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Success Stories from ARound our State (CONTINUED) annual event for Crete FBLA that has been going on for several years and members want to continue it in the future.

Dundy County Stratton Dundy County Stratton FBLA is continuing their tradition of spreading positivity by selling Heart­OG ­ rams for the Valentine’s Day season! Officers and members work the booth at lunch to sell the heart shaped cards. Students can buy the cards and write notes or letters to their friends. Then, officers deliver the cards and candy to the recipients. All proceeds earned through Heart­O­ Grams go to the Nebraska FBLA Foundation.

Everyone had a fun day full of good food, wonderful prizes, and great service from the Fillmore Central FBLA Chapter. The Chamber donated the proceeds from this event to the local Backpack Program which provides food for local families.

Gretna

Fillmore Central

On November 5, 2016, the Fillmore Central Chapter of FBLA assisted the Geneva Chamber Commerce with the annual China Luncheon. This year marked the tenth annual China Luncheon which centered around the theme, “Sentimental Journey.” Members assisted with the setup of tables the night before the actual event and then returned the following day to serve the luncheon.

Our chapter sponsored a table centered around a Victorian garden theme.

Throughout the China Luncheon the officers played an important role by serving as emcees. They recognized the hostesses, helped announce door prize winners, and read a poem to end the festivities. All in all, it was a successful project with over 200 ladies in attendance.

One of the most beneficial skills you can receive from FBLA is learning from present business leaders to build a student’s knowledge of how to be successful. On November 17, we were fortunate to have a visit from Judy Rasmussen to hear her experiences of being the Boys Town Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President. Boys Town is a non­profit organization that provides love, support, and education to at risk children. These opportunities give them a chance to thrive in the world we have today. Boys Town has locations throughout the United States such as in South Florida, New York, and California. Judy explained to Gretna students her journey through high school and college as she received an accounting degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha and starting with an accounting job. She wanted to do more to help people in life and when the opening came up at Boys Town, she could not pass it up. She has worked there for 18 years and has loved every aspect of it. Even though she had an accounting degree, she worked her way up in the company and became the CFO and Executive Vice President. Judy recommended to the students that any business degree, more specifically Accounting, will always find success in the future. Jobs can range from becoming a CPA, Certified Public Accountant, or what Judy does as leading a large company to success.

Success Stories from ARound our State (CONTINUED) Johnson Brock

Lincoln East has a Word of the Week every week this year to improve vocabulary. For November 14­, the word was “congenital” for the March of Dimes and World Prematurity Day. Each day during announcements, FBLA members introduced the word, pronunciation, the word’s origin, and examples using March of Dimes.

Posters were also placed around the school explaining what Congenital means.

Omaha Marian

This December, Johnson Brock FBLA committee members met to organize the annual SENCA Head Start gift wrapping project to help celebrate the holidays.

Gifts bought by chapter members were taken to the Good Samaritan Nursing Home, where the committee proceeded to wrap the presents with the residents to prepare for the upcoming Christmas program the Head Start Preschoolers would put on. For the past 12 years, chapter members have participated in this project.

“It’s always great seeing the smiles this event puts on everyone’s faces, especially during the holidays,” commented Johnson­Brock’s chapter advisor, Sylvia Smith. The members spent time conversing with the residents, all while sharing Christmas cookies and listening to the preschoolers sing carols. Afterwards, Santa snuck in for a visit and handed out the gifts to the children. Once the wrapping paper was scattered about, the preschoolers took off to show the FBLA members and residents what Santa had brought them. The remainder of the morning was spent playing with the new toys and handing out treats for the residents.

Lincoln East

On November 18 the Omaha Marian FBLA Chapter brought to our school business leaders in the Omaha area to talk to our students. The people that presented were all Marian alumni or had a special tie to Marian.

The opening speaker was Tim Rouse from FGI International. He talked to the students about how to be successful in the business world by immersing ourselves in different cultures. The students then participated in roundtable discussions with business owners and workers. Each table had ten minutes to ask any questions about the business world then rotated to a new leader. Once all of the students were able to visit each table, they thanked the leaders and went back to class to discuss what they learned. After the day of business, we sent the speakers mugs and thanks you cards to show our gratefulness for what they taught us.

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Success Stories from ARound our State (CONTINUED) Raymond Central

Sandhills

Every year the Raymond Central Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter participates in an American Enterprise Project. This is an event that is dedicated to promoting awareness of the American Enterprise System within the school and community.

This year the project was co-­chaired by senior Summer Kohl and junior Hailey Hula and was assisted by numerous additional members. Normally, each year, members assist the junior high class by speaking about the concepts of entrepreneurship. After some thought and consideration, we decided we wanted to try another perspective of the project. This year we decided on the theme of money management and spoke about topics such as: saving, spending, investing, and tax collecting.

We visited the 5th and 6th graders on Monday, November 21, at Valparaiso Elementary and 5th graders on Thursday, December 1, at Ceresco Elementary. We constructed a presentation which provided essential information and included fun activities to involve the students. Elementary students were also given a coloring book which described cartoon characters and their spending habits. The committee was very pleased with the outcome of this event and believes that each student learned beneficial information.

Friday, January 20 was the date and a basketball game against O’Neill St. Mary’s set the stage for the chapter’s annual cake auction. Twelve cakes and pies were donated by members of the chapter to be auctioned off during the basketball game. Members set up the tables, created the bid sheets, and the silent auction began!

Bids were taken in the silent auction and ended at halftime of the boys game. The winning bids were then announced, paid for and picked up! The cake bringing the high bid for the evening was a homemade rum cake. Close behind was a butterfinger cake and a white “caterpillar” cake. Proceeds from the cake auction will benefit the FBLA Foundation, the March of Dimes, and a chapter favorite, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

chapter news Auburn Twelve Auburn FBLA members and a group of Peru State College PBL members worked along­side The Good Samaritan Society to give back to the communities of Auburn, Peru, Brownville, and Julian. Senior citizens were able to sign up for a free shower chair, leaf raking, and/or gutter cleaning.

Students were able to talk with these community members and explain to them what they were there for as well as give them an informative safety packet and a small gift. Everyone worked diligently raking, scooping, and cleaning up yards, as well as assembling shower chairs.

Founder’s Day was an amazing opportunity for FBLA members to not only interact and network with members at the collegiate level but to also interact with community members. It was a great way for FBLA to give back to the community. Volunteering lasted from about 8:00 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. It was a very long day but it was extremely rewarding for all who were involved.

Columbus High School The Columbus High School FBLA Chapter has been very busy this holiday season. We started out by making 21 fleece blankets for our local Center for Survivors of Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault. These blankets were funded through a Thrivent Action Team and an extra donation from our local Walmart. We worked together with the Lakeview FBLA Chapter to assemble the blankets and really enjoyed getting to complete this meaningful project with them. The center gave these blankets to the families they served this past year and were very appreciative of these handmade items.

The Chapter also took on a project to make the holiday season a lot happier for ten families in need at our school. The project started in November to make food baskets for five families and deliver them for Thanksgiving. We started by making a list of food and other items. We separated the list and each member of the chapter brought their items. With the help of outside donors, each family had over one hundred dollars worth of items. After talking to our school nurse, she made a list of those who would benefit most. For confidentiality reasons, she helped deliver the baskets. She continuously thanked our chapter and said how much those families would benefit from just those donations. With Christmas rolling right around the corner, we decided to repeat the project and make Christmas baskets.

Instead of having members bring the items, we applied for an Action Team through Thrivent Financial to get funding. With this money and some help from donations we were able to help another five families. The Chapter went shopping together and purchased all of the food items. We again asked the nurse for help with finding five more families from our school. We personally were able to deliver, and the looks on the faces of those families will forever be engraved in our heads. This amazing project helped ten families have a better holiday season and we hope to continue this project in the future.

Sandhills Sandhills FBLA’s annual food and toy drive was a huge success this year. The student body contributed over 450 items that translated into over 500 pounds of food, clothing and toys. On December 23, the members of the committee moved all the products to the Blaine County Food Pantry.

Pastor Ralph McKay expressed his gratitude to the students at the high school.

The sophomore class won the class competition with over 200 items. The freshman class had 100% participation. Both classes were rewarded with movies passes to the Tiffany Theater in Broken Bow for their hard work.

state leadership Conference highlights • April 6-8, 2017 • Social Media Profile station (ditch the selfie and use a professional picture as your profile!)

• Food Trucks will be back!!!

• Leadership Seminars • Keynote by Hoan Do, former American Ninja Warrior • FBLA Foundation Dance (April 7, $5 donation or wear 2017 SLC t-shirt)

The

Pledge

Yes, it’s finally that time of the year: second semester! Now you can finally kick back and glide down easy street to long days, warm weather, and summer fun, right?

Wrong. Unfortunately, as many of you may already know, second semester not only means you are trying two times as hard as you did first semester to keep those grades afloat, but it’s also crunch time for FBLA. All your projects, ribbon requirements, competitive event preparation, and fake stage smiles are coming up to their inevitable due dates. This sounds extremely hectic, and probably looks that way after you compile all your things to do, but fear not! Your state officers (mainly me) have come up with an excellent strategy to keep you organized all the way up until you step on that stage in Anaheim!

seigel's sanctuary

The first thing you should know is that organization is not a set concept. Organization is the method of placing tasks and budgeting time in a manner in which you believe that YOU personally could complete them, not someone else. So when you look at the one of the smartest kids in your class and see that they know exactly where everything is in what looks like a giant heap of garbage to you, that’s their own personal way of organizing. So how do you find this “method”? Well essentially, all you have to do is look at the way you complete daily tasks. How do you remember where you put your toothbrush? When it comes to everyday object, we as humans remember where things are because

we designate a spot in our environment to always put it. This concept can also apply to things such as math papers, FBLA project requirements, and many, many more. For those of you who don’t use it already, Google Drive is an excellent tool for organization, since it gives you the opportunity to put all of those online files into separate folders.

As far as budgeting time goes, a great method for doing this is to make either a written calendar or use one on a mobile device. Now there is something crazy about doing this that most people don’t already know.

Especially moreso for writing than typing, when you put something on paper or type it on a screen, you’re effectively storing that in your memory as well. This is why making flashcards for a test is so efficient as opposed to just using someone else’s set; it’s the recording that does the majority of your studying/ memorizing for you. Now I’m not telling you to list all your upcoming events and forget about them; that wouldn’t bode well for even someone with an extremely good memory. I’m saying that if you write down an event that you have coming up, odds are that the closer you get to that event, the more prepared you will be when that date hits, and the more often you will be checking your schedule for other events as well.

Using these tips to your advantage will help you a great deal in the future. An important point to make is that not only can this work for second semester, but use these methods for the rest of your life! However for right now, implement these strategies, and I’m sure you’ll watch as your grades improve, your FBLA knowledge soars, and time flies by.

browse the state officer webinar archive

click here

Being the State Reporter can be hard sometimes. I would argue that it’s the most time consuming office on the state officer team.

During the editing stage of the Pledge, which happens three times a year, one is going to be busy for at least a couple days. It definitely tests one’s time management skills.

The process of editing the Pledge takes place as follows: first one receives an email with all the articles from schools across the state. The reporter is in charge of copying and pasting them into separate Google Docs in alphabetical order. After that one proofreads and edits all the articles to make sure they’re suitable to be read across the state. The proofreading step is crucial because any minor errors make not only individual chapters look bad, but also makes the state newsletter look unprofessional.

Along with the duties specific to the Reporter position, one also has the normal duties of a state officer. Some of the main jobs include creating presentations and speeches for local chapters, leading workshops and running certain conferences, running the Nebraska FBLA twitter account, and holding monthly webinars. A few of the more tedious tasks include filling out monthly reports of activities as a state officer, helping out with the state programs, and filling out travel forms for every activity traveled.

Being a state officer is more than just standing up in front at the podium and speaking at conferences. There’s a lot of behind the scenes work to do that many people don’t realize. At times, it can be difficult to balance your time between school, extracurricular activities, and FBLA, but the benefit is worth it.

Being a state officer is an amazing opportunity that will definitely benefit one’s future.

good luck at slc

The Pledge is published three times a year by the Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America. (August, December, March) Submit your articles at nebraskafbla.org > News > Submit Chapter News RILEY KNUST Nebraska FBLA Reporter reporter@nebraskafbla.org

JACQUI GARRISON Nebraska FBLA Adviser jacqui.garrison@nebraska.gov

It is the policy of Nebraska FBLA not to discriminate on the basis of gender, handicap, race, color, religion, marital status, age or national or ethnic origin in its education programs, membership policies, or other administered programs.

save the date for fall leadership conference • Monday, September 25, 2017 - The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, Lincoln • Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - Ramada Inn, Kearney