We all know meetings can turn chaotic in a matter of minutes. Everyone has their own input that they want to be heard immediately, and voices begin to rise over each other. After a certain amount of time, we realize that the discussion has gone in circles, with limited progress having been made.  So that leaves the question: How can we structure our meetings to be efficient while having everyone’s voice be heard? 

This is where parliamentary procedure shines, and it’s easy to implement into your meetings! There are many simple parli rules your chapter can incorporate while still keeping meetings informal. For example, instead of talking over other members to make yourself heard, you can obtain the floor, which is the parli way of saying being called on by the president or adviser (also known as the chair). Once recognized by the chair, the member begins with “I move to…” followed by the suggestion they are bringing to the meeting. Having the “I move” statement helps the ensuing debate stay streamlined without losing focus of the original point. Once a majority has agreed on the suggestion, another member can obtain the floor and make a new motion. 

If you are interested in learning more rules to incorporate into your meetings, you can refer to Roberts Rules of Order in Brief, a quick and easy guide, as well as the National Parliamentarian Council’s Instagram (@fblaparli).

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 In high school, it’s the only thing anyone ever seems to talk or care about. Where do you want to go to college? What do you want to do when you grow up? What do you want to do with your life? It can all seem so overwhelming, but with just a few steps, the stress of thinking about and planning for the future will turn into inspiration.
1.) Write a Bullet-Point list: One thing that has always helped me to stay organized is creating bullet-pointed lists. It allows me to take all of the ideas that are jumbled up in my head and arrange them into a system that I can make sense of. By writing all your goals, dreams, desires, and wishes all out on paper, you’ll be able to start noticing patterns and similarities between them. This list will be able to function as your ground-zero or foundation for when you need a reminder of what you hope to accomplish in your life.
2.) Use SMART Goals: The next important step for planning for the future is making sure that the goals you have just outlined for yourself are SMART. S(pecific) M(easurable) A(ttainable) R(elevant) T(ime-based) By making sure your goals fit the requirements of this acronym, you will be well on your way to achieving all that you put your mind to.
​3.) Create a Vision Board: There are multiple learning styles that exist in the world, and sometimes
seeing it in words is just not enough. By making a vision board, you are creating an immersive
experience that allows you to be able to envision the very goals you’ve set in the past two steps. By
seeing the images displayed in real time, it makes it easier to become inspired to continue persevering
to complete your goals for the future.
5.) Evaluate and Revise Your Plan: One of the most important steps in planning for the future is taking a
step back and allowing yourself to evaluate the work that you’ve put in. Over time, our goals can
change--just as we can change as people. If you become hyper-fixated on accomplishing these goals that
you may have outgrown, all your hard work may go to waste. After you’ve assessed your goals, you may
need to revise them. If that is the case, just start back from square one and create a bullet-pointed list.

I hope that these steps help you to realize your ideas for the future and teach you how to organize,
implement, and learn from them. Best of luck to your future aspirations!

Sincerely,
Danae Tyus

In FBLA, there are seemingly endless competitive events that you can participate in. Many people enjoy competing in events that involve presentations and being judged by a panel, but those events are not for everyone. If events involving speaking and presenting in front of people don’t sound like a good fit for you, maybe you’ll like objective tests better. Objective tests involve taking a timed, multiple choice test on one of the many subjects, both in and out of the business world, that FBLA provides. If these tests sound more appealing to you, then you are probably wondering how you should prepare for them. 
The first and probably most important step in competing in objective tests is picking the right topic. There are many topics to choose from and it can definitely feel overwhelming picking one. It is important that you pick a topic that intrigues you and you find interesting. If you don’t find your topic at least somewhat interesting, you are not going to enjoy studying for it. If you are in, or have taken a class on or related to the subject, even better. That way you have a good start to knowing whether or not you will enjoy the subject, and whether or not you think you will find success. 
After you have picked whatever subject is right for you, it is time to start studying. The best way to approach FBLA objective tests is as if they were standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT. I’m sure you’re sick of hearing that these tests are marathons and not sprints, but that holds true in objective testing. Study a little bit at a time weeks and even months before your testing date. If you try and study lots just the night before the test, you will rarely find success. There are countless materials available for you to study as long as you know where to find them. There is information on FBLA’s website that gives you an idea of what topics to expect and what to study for on each objective test. With a simple Google search you can also find endless material on these subjects, including vocab and FBLA specific practice tests. Just remember, don’t be overwhelmed by the material. Take it a little bit at a time and absorb as much of the information as possible. 
If you pick your topic and study hard, the test should be the easy part. You have done the hardest part by putting in the hours of study. Be mindful of the clock, but don’t let it get to you. As long as you stay calm. you will recall the information that you have learned, and you will do great! Objective tests can definitely be overwhelming, but if you take it one step at a time it really is simple. Pick a subject that interests you, take your time studying diligently, and when it is time for the test, it’ll be a breeze.

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by Ellie Kim, secretary. ​

In middle and high school, many of us are trying to find what we are passionate about and how we can build relationships with the people around us. These wants are precisely why FBLA is the perfect organization for many students around the nation. FBLA provides so many opportunities for its members to explore themselves and grow into future business leaders, but it may be difficult to know where to start from competitive events to leadership positions to champion chapters. Whether you are a new member or a veteran member, this article will teach you 5 ways you can grab hold of these opportunities and maximize your time in FBLA. 


1. Competing in Competitive Events
Competitive events are a way for students to put their practical knowledge into practice and receive recognition while traveling the nation. With over 70 different events and topics ranging from broadcast journalism to business law to healthcare administration, there is so much space for members to explore what they are interested in. The different types of events are objective tests, production tests, presentation events, and case study events. You can compete as an individual, team, or chapter. 

List of Events: https://www.fbla.org/divisions/fbla/fbla-competitive-events/ 


2. Running for Office
FBLA elevates its students and pushes them to not only grow in the organization but also be a platform that elevates other members. There are multiple levels of leadership: local, area, state, and nationals. Each level has a different way of electing its leaders from applications to speeches to campaign booths. If you are someone who is interested in serving and using your FBLA knowledge to build up the members, start by looking into the requirements for campaigning in the level for which you are applying. There are many different positions that one can run for depending on the level they are applying for. Not only do these positions teach you how to become a stronger leader, but they also allow you to network with many others who are passionate about FBLA. 


3. Participating in National Programs
FBLA has a multitude of National Programs such as its partner programs, BAAs, Champion Chapters, and FBLA Week. Because there are so many national programs, below is a list of them along with links with more information about that program. 

Partner Programs: FBLA has partnered with organizations like Equedi, Intuit, Lead4Change, LifeSmarts, The Stock Market Game, and Knowledge Matters to give students the opportunity to use their knowledge to invest in stocks, build online profiles, design solutions to real world problems, and more! For more specifics on each organization and their program, click on this link: https://www.fbla.org/divisions/fbla/fbla-education/.

Business Achievement Awards (BAAs): There are four levels of the BAAs: Contributor, Leader, Advocate, and Capstone. These levels go in steps, starting from learning more about FBLA and leadership, then developing business skills, and finally designing a project to address a real-world problem. To complete the BAAs, go to your account on FBLA Connect. 

Champion Chapter: Champion Chapter consists of 5 seasons: Summer Starter, Shaping Success, Service Season, CTE Celebration, and Champion Plus. Each of these consist of membership engagement activities to grow your chapter. As you complete each activity, you gain points to be able to complete seasons, gain recognition, and receive items from ribbons, banners, publications, and plaques. For more information on Champion Chapter, click on this link: https://www.fbla.org/divisions/fbla/fbla-membership/. 

FBLA Week: Think of FBLA Week like your school’s spirit week but so much bigger. Each year, the National Board sets themes for each day of the week to encourage you to promote FBLA in your chapter, school, and so much more. Each day has specific activities along with the Goosechase challenge before and during FBLA week for your chapter to participate in. 

4. Engaging in Conferences
Each FBLA Conference has so much to offer its members from energetic guest speakers (like our favorite Patty Hendrickson) to college exhibit booths to networking opportunities with members around the world. At this upcoming National Leadership Conference, members have the opportunity to trade pins, travel throughout Orlando, and visit booths of nonprofits, businesses, and colleges. Wherever you are and whatever FBLA conference you are attending, I encourage you to try as many things offered as you can to truly engage in the conference. 


5. Building Relationships Around the World
FBLA is a family, and this is only possible if you get to know the people in it. Start with your chapter. Do your best to attend the social events and connect with people you don’t know. At conferences, try reaching out to people attending the same workshop as you or sitting behind you at the general session. Connect with people on Instagram! You will be sure to find many people with FBLA specific accounts! Because of the great magnitude of people in FBLA, you are sure to find people who have similar interests and passions as you do. You will also be inspired by people who have very different passions to you, and that is the beauty of this organization! 


There is so much more that FBLA has to offer that cannot be summed up into one article. Looking at competitive events, leadership positions, national programs, conferences, and networking, you are just hitting the surface. I hope that this is a reminder to you how amazing this organization is and inspires you to go out and take hold of these opportunities!

For more information on everything FBLA, visit the FBLA High School 101 Toolkit: https://www.fbla.org/media/2023/05/FBLA-High-School-101-Toolkit.pdf. 

For more information on how to grow your chapter, visit the Chapter Success Starters toolkits: https://www.fbla.org/media/2023/08/Success-Starters-Guides.pdf. 

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