Illinois State Leadership Conference
By Eeshan Garr, State President
Hello, Illinois FBLA!
In just a couple of weeks, you will be embarking on a virtual journey like no other, involving competitive events and networking at a level never seen before--the Illinois FBLA State Leadership Conference.
Although this last year has been a year like never before, Illinois FBLA has committed itself to maintain the same passion and energy as years past. To do so, this year’s Illinois FBLA State Leadership Conference will have the following events: Opening Session, Competitive Events, Officer Elections, Battle of the Chapters, and Closing Session!
Illinois FBLA, the Illinois FBLA State Officer Team and I are more than ecstatic to see you all for this year’s leadership conference! We wish you all the best in your competitive events, speeches, and networking--see you soon!
March of Dimes
By Ellie Stephan, State Treasurer
FBLA-PBL is proud to partner with March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit focused on preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. March of Dimes was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt on the eve of World War II to help combat polio, and they pioneered the vaccine research that led to the eradication of polio. From there, it has grown to take on birth defects and premature births. Today, March of Dimes supports women through their pregnancies, advocates for policies that improve prenatal care, and supports lifesaving research.
FBLA-PBL raises millions of dollars for moms and babies and has consistently ranked as the top March of Dimes youth fundraising partner for over 45 years. Want your chapter to get involved? Check out the FBLA March of Dimes Guide! You will find information on how you and your chapter can get involved, an article regarding the grants from our National Service Partner, interviews with the March of Dimes staff, and stories from individuals impacted by the work of the March of Dimes.
March for Babies Fundraising Walk:
One of the best ways to raise money for the March of Dimes is to host a fundraising walk! Take advantage of the beautiful spring weather to walk to raise money for the March of Dimes during the March for Babies. To register your chapter, visit this webpage.
How to Promote Engagement in the Midst of the Pandemic
By Grace Park, State Reporter
The Covid-19 pandemic has left all of us tired, exhausted, and a little uneasy for the past year. Not knowing when our “normal” lives will return and in-person events being canceled left and right has left us all disappointed and unmotivated. During times like these, it’s easy for FBLA members to lose interest and not have the energy to stay active during a remote year. However, it is imperative members of our organization understand that despite the limitations, a high-spirited and exciting FBLA year is very much possible! There are various ways you and your chapter can implement virtual-friendly ideas to promote engagement with your members. Let’s go through a brief list of these methods:
Parliamentary Procedures in Chapters
By Brian Rapanan, State Parliamentarian
Struggling to keep chapter meetings on-track? Losing member engagement? Maybe even starting and finishing meetings late? Fear not, Parliamentary Procedure can right these wrongs!
Implementing Parliamentary Procedure in your local chapter may seem like a daunting task, since not many people are all that familiar with what it is. But don’t worry too much about the ins and outs of it, we’re just going to stick to the basics, and what you should focus on if you’re interested in implementing parli pro in your chapter.
Simply stated, parliamentary procedure is a set of rules to help guide business meetings. While its definition is simple, there are many nuances to it, hence why FBLA’s official parliamentary manual is nearly 700 pages long. For the sake of simplicity, let’s start with the idea of creating an agenda for your chapter business meetings.
An agenda in parli pro is exactly what it is in real life: it’s a little schedule. Generally, FBLA agendas adhere to the following order, but may vary slightly depending on the type of meeting: Call to Order, Old/Unfinished Business, New/Other Business, Adjournment. Generally, specific points of business are defined under these headings, and will change with every meeting. But, the point of the agenda is to have a relatively strict order of business to keep things on task and moving along. You should notice that at times, the meeting may stray slightly from this agenda, and that is okay, so long as the agenda is not ignored. In total, however, you should see your meetings moving along at a rapid pace, keeping your members interested and involved! If you’re interested in learning more, I suggest that you take a look at Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief (it’s only 150ish pages long, not 700!).
FBLA-PBL Week
By Dev Patel, State Vice-President of Central Northern Area
FBLA week occurs in the second week of February. It is meant as an opportunity for FBLA chapter to spread the word about FBLA while completing activities. Chapters should use this time to spread their influence in their communities by doing a new activity each day that week Monday through Sunday through events such as community service projects to professional outings. Take to social media to share pictures and stories of your FBLA week and your overall FBLA experience. By doing this you can spread the reach of your audience as well as you can see what other chapters have done. Chapters should use time as well for advisor appreciation to show thanks for all that their advisors has done through the year and getting ready for the state conference. Another activity in FBLA week is career awareness day where chapters should try to reach out to alumni or local business professionals to come in and speak. Something new this year was that The National Uniform Challenge was highlighted. The National Uniform Challenge seeks to help provide uniforms to a member in each division in FBLA and it was a very successful event. FBLA week is great to help boost interactive activities for the spring with the state conference coming. Overall FBLA week is a great opportunity to spread the influence of FBLA, show appreciation to your advisors, fun activities, as well as to recruit new members to show them what FBLA offers.
Making the Most Out of Your FBLA Experience
By Bridgette Galve, State Vice-President of Northern Area
FBLA is a fun organization to get involved in when you are looking to travel, meet new people, volunteer, and gain leadership skills. We give you many opportunities to get involved as much as you can. Whether it is just serving in your community or competing at one of our conferences, there’s always something for everyone. FBLA focuses on developing your inner leader through various activities. Here are some of the activities that you should consider when joining.
Nationals Competitive Events
By Brandon Kurecki, State Vice-President of Central Area
Competing at Nationals is one of the highest achievements a member of FBLA can attain, but it can also be pretty scary! Don’t worry, everyone else that you will be competing against is in the same boat. If you properly prepare yourself, you’ll go above and beyond and outperform everyone!
Whether you won’t settle for anything less than first place, or you would be more than happy with finals, stop thinking about it. That doesn’t matter right now. What matters is focusing on the task at hand. Recall everything you practiced for, and be here now. The judges will recognize if you are worthy of reaching the goal you set for yourself, and odds are, if you put in the work, you’ll get there. So stop thinking about the stage during your event, and start thinking about all the things you put so many hours into practicing and perfecting.
You will never forget Nationals, the people you meet and the experiences you have will be unmatched. You are competing at the highest level possible for a reason, but you have to first believe in yourself before you can ever succeed. Even if you fail, look back and be proud of what you’ve accomplished on the way. There is always a positive outlook. So put in the work and find the passion within you, and I promise you’ll end up exactly where you want to be. Good luck!
Communication: The Key to Success
By Callie McAdams, State Vice-President of Western Area
The phrase “communication is key” is something that we’ve all heard before. It may seem a bit cliché, however, it holds true in the business world and in the bigger picture- life. Communication is arguably the most important life skill, so how can you become a more effective communicator? Here are a few tips!
1. Determine what you are trying to convey in the conversation. What is the purpose? By determining a purpose, you can clearly and concisely communicate.
2. Be a good listener. Make sure you stay engaged and show your understanding when listening during a conversation.
3. Remember the importance of body language. Your body language says more than you might think. Be conscious of your posture and facial expressions.
4. Know your audience. Understand who you are communicating with and adjust accordingly.
Communication is crucial when it comes to creating new connections and improving relationships. This is an essential skill in becoming a business professional. Which is why it is beneficial to continually strengthen your communicative abilities. After all, communication is key.
Virtual Public Speaking
By Laney Stephens, State Vice-President of Eastern Area
Like everything else this year, people have had to adjust how they handle public speaking. With so many conferences and contests being switched to an online setting, some of us are having to re-learn how to give a speech or presentation to a group of people. It can be difficult to navigate this new area of approaching people, so here are a few ways that you can improve your virtual public speaking.
In a normal situation, a presenter would need to simply walk into the room or onto a stage before starting. In virtual presentations there are a few things to check before you start. Always make sure your camera and sound are on. It may seem silly, but this is a basic step to make sure you are ready to present. Your background is a very important part when speaking over Zoom or other platforms. You should be sure that there is not noise or other distractions in the back while you are speaking. This can be very distracting and take away from your speech. You should also consider what viewers will see behind you. Be sure to pick a nice and organized wall for your background.
Lighting is another crucial piece of the puzzle. Make sure that it is not too dark or too bright in the room that you are sitting in. It is best if you have natural sunlight aiming at your face so there is not a shadow. Natural sunlight is preferred over room lighting because it will make you look better and more like you are in person. Even though you may be in your own home or school giving a presentation, it is still important to dress professionally. Although it may seem a bit informal, you should still treat your speech as you would in person.
By Eeshan Garr, State President
Hello, Illinois FBLA!
In just a couple of weeks, you will be embarking on a virtual journey like no other, involving competitive events and networking at a level never seen before--the Illinois FBLA State Leadership Conference.
Although this last year has been a year like never before, Illinois FBLA has committed itself to maintain the same passion and energy as years past. To do so, this year’s Illinois FBLA State Leadership Conference will have the following events: Opening Session, Competitive Events, Officer Elections, Battle of the Chapters, and Closing Session!
- Opening Session - To start off the conference, we will hold our Opening Session. The Opening Session is for introducing State Officer Candidates, handing out awards, and officially beginning the Illinois FBLA State Leadership Conference! This will be broadcasted live on the Illinois FBLA Website for your friends and family to watch!
- Competitive Events - One of FBLA’s goals as an organization is to spread knowledge about the world of business. One of the ways that we do that is through competitive events, which will allow you to test your knowledge on a variety of topics from Sales to Computer Science. Make sure you practice and give it your all on your presentation day!
- Officer Elections - Students who show a great passion for FBLA and its goals as an organization, and wish to uphold those goals and commitments at the state level can run for a State Officer position. There are 5 main positions at the state level: President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, and Parliamentarian. State Vice-Presidents are elected at their respective area conferences as Area President. State Vice-Presidents serve as both Vice-President and President at the State and Area level, respectively.
- Battle of the Areas - At the area level, we hold an event known as Battle of the Chapters. During Battle of the Chapters, representatives from chapters from across the area answer FBLA questions ranging from competitive events to the colors on the FBLA flag. The top students from each area then move on to the state level, where the same competition occurs, but now, they are competing against people from other areas across the state
- Closing Session - To wrap up an amazing conference, we hold what is known as Closing Session. During Closing Session, we find out the majority of the competitive event winners, induct our 2021-2022 Illinois FBLA State Officer Team, and hand out chapter and adviser awards! This is one of my favorite parts of the Illinois FBLA State Leadership Conference, because as they say: save the best for last!
Illinois FBLA, the Illinois FBLA State Officer Team and I are more than ecstatic to see you all for this year’s leadership conference! We wish you all the best in your competitive events, speeches, and networking--see you soon!
March of Dimes
By Ellie Stephan, State Treasurer
FBLA-PBL is proud to partner with March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit focused on preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. March of Dimes was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt on the eve of World War II to help combat polio, and they pioneered the vaccine research that led to the eradication of polio. From there, it has grown to take on birth defects and premature births. Today, March of Dimes supports women through their pregnancies, advocates for policies that improve prenatal care, and supports lifesaving research.
FBLA-PBL raises millions of dollars for moms and babies and has consistently ranked as the top March of Dimes youth fundraising partner for over 45 years. Want your chapter to get involved? Check out the FBLA March of Dimes Guide! You will find information on how you and your chapter can get involved, an article regarding the grants from our National Service Partner, interviews with the March of Dimes staff, and stories from individuals impacted by the work of the March of Dimes.
March for Babies Fundraising Walk:
One of the best ways to raise money for the March of Dimes is to host a fundraising walk! Take advantage of the beautiful spring weather to walk to raise money for the March of Dimes during the March for Babies. To register your chapter, visit this webpage.
How to Promote Engagement in the Midst of the Pandemic
By Grace Park, State Reporter
The Covid-19 pandemic has left all of us tired, exhausted, and a little uneasy for the past year. Not knowing when our “normal” lives will return and in-person events being canceled left and right has left us all disappointed and unmotivated. During times like these, it’s easy for FBLA members to lose interest and not have the energy to stay active during a remote year. However, it is imperative members of our organization understand that despite the limitations, a high-spirited and exciting FBLA year is very much possible! There are various ways you and your chapter can implement virtual-friendly ideas to promote engagement with your members. Let’s go through a brief list of these methods:
- Make your virtual meetings more exciting! After spending a tiring day full of remote classes, no one wants to sit through another hour of a boring meeting. Instead of reading out long paragraphs of information, include engaging elements into your meetings! FBLA Trivia Kahoot games, webinars, movie nights, and games, are great ways to keep the meeting entertaining.
- Don’t stray from community service! High schoolers are always in need of volunteering hours and community service projects in FBLA are a great way to garner attention. While Covid-19 regulations may make these activities seem difficult, there are multiple ways to overcome this barrier. First, have members drop off supplies for various charities (hygiene products, coat drive, soup cans, etc.). This activity terminates any in-person contact and is incredibly easy to carry out. Remember, in-person activities can still happen as long as there is a limit to the number of people and all masks are worn! Small groups of members can meet together at certain time slots to write cards for nursery residents, veterans, teachers, and more!
- Practice makes perfect! Host online study session meetings and have the officers/experienced members help, critique, and advice the new members on competitive events! Whether it’s helping objective testers memorize flashcards or giving helpful criticism to presentation competitors, study sessions are a great way to not only calm nerves for competitive events but also bring a chapter closer and create meaningful bonds.
Parliamentary Procedures in Chapters
By Brian Rapanan, State Parliamentarian
Struggling to keep chapter meetings on-track? Losing member engagement? Maybe even starting and finishing meetings late? Fear not, Parliamentary Procedure can right these wrongs!
Implementing Parliamentary Procedure in your local chapter may seem like a daunting task, since not many people are all that familiar with what it is. But don’t worry too much about the ins and outs of it, we’re just going to stick to the basics, and what you should focus on if you’re interested in implementing parli pro in your chapter.
Simply stated, parliamentary procedure is a set of rules to help guide business meetings. While its definition is simple, there are many nuances to it, hence why FBLA’s official parliamentary manual is nearly 700 pages long. For the sake of simplicity, let’s start with the idea of creating an agenda for your chapter business meetings.
An agenda in parli pro is exactly what it is in real life: it’s a little schedule. Generally, FBLA agendas adhere to the following order, but may vary slightly depending on the type of meeting: Call to Order, Old/Unfinished Business, New/Other Business, Adjournment. Generally, specific points of business are defined under these headings, and will change with every meeting. But, the point of the agenda is to have a relatively strict order of business to keep things on task and moving along. You should notice that at times, the meeting may stray slightly from this agenda, and that is okay, so long as the agenda is not ignored. In total, however, you should see your meetings moving along at a rapid pace, keeping your members interested and involved! If you’re interested in learning more, I suggest that you take a look at Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief (it’s only 150ish pages long, not 700!).
FBLA-PBL Week
By Dev Patel, State Vice-President of Central Northern Area
FBLA week occurs in the second week of February. It is meant as an opportunity for FBLA chapter to spread the word about FBLA while completing activities. Chapters should use this time to spread their influence in their communities by doing a new activity each day that week Monday through Sunday through events such as community service projects to professional outings. Take to social media to share pictures and stories of your FBLA week and your overall FBLA experience. By doing this you can spread the reach of your audience as well as you can see what other chapters have done. Chapters should use time as well for advisor appreciation to show thanks for all that their advisors has done through the year and getting ready for the state conference. Another activity in FBLA week is career awareness day where chapters should try to reach out to alumni or local business professionals to come in and speak. Something new this year was that The National Uniform Challenge was highlighted. The National Uniform Challenge seeks to help provide uniforms to a member in each division in FBLA and it was a very successful event. FBLA week is great to help boost interactive activities for the spring with the state conference coming. Overall FBLA week is a great opportunity to spread the influence of FBLA, show appreciation to your advisors, fun activities, as well as to recruit new members to show them what FBLA offers.
Making the Most Out of Your FBLA Experience
By Bridgette Galve, State Vice-President of Northern Area
FBLA is a fun organization to get involved in when you are looking to travel, meet new people, volunteer, and gain leadership skills. We give you many opportunities to get involved as much as you can. Whether it is just serving in your community or competing at one of our conferences, there’s always something for everyone. FBLA focuses on developing your inner leader through various activities. Here are some of the activities that you should consider when joining.
- Volunteer!
One big aspect of volunteering is it gets you involved within your local community. Most chapters have this kind of opportunity so go ahead and take advantage of it. You will be able to connect with people and gain experience. - Sign-up for a competitive event
FBLA competitive season is most of our member’s highlights! You can participate in conferences that are on the area, state, and national level. All conferences give you the chance to compete against many students who are eager to learn business-related topics. Whether you know a thing or two about business topics, you will obtain knowledge that will help you in the future! - Attend Illinois’ Summer Leadership Workshop (SLW) & National Fall Leadership Conference (NFLC)
Though they are not competitive event conferences, these two conferences are a lot of fun! Attend various workshops with ideal keynote speakers that inspire you and network with members all across the state and nation! Some of the locations that these conferences are held in are to die for too! - Participate in our leadership development programs like BAA/CSA
Business Achievement Awards (BAA) is a great program to participate in when you want to get more involved! This program is designed to enhance member’s leadership skills, expand their business knowledge, contribute to their local communities, and earn recognition by immersing themselves in their school, community, and FBLA programs. You also earn cool pins to wear during conferences! Community Service Awards (CSA) is a great program when you volunteer a lot! Within the program, you can keep track of all community service hours throughout your entire high school career! - Become a chapter, area, state, and/or national officer!
Being an FBLA officer has its perks, but you get to be a true leader and express your own ideas! As part of an officer team, it gives you the experience of a lifetime and you will be able to work with multiple people within the organization itself!
Nationals Competitive Events
By Brandon Kurecki, State Vice-President of Central Area
Competing at Nationals is one of the highest achievements a member of FBLA can attain, but it can also be pretty scary! Don’t worry, everyone else that you will be competing against is in the same boat. If you properly prepare yourself, you’ll go above and beyond and outperform everyone!
- Understand what your event is about
- Practice more than you think you need to
- Eliminate unneeded stressors
- More than a positive mindset
- Stop Focusing on the end goal
Whether you won’t settle for anything less than first place, or you would be more than happy with finals, stop thinking about it. That doesn’t matter right now. What matters is focusing on the task at hand. Recall everything you practiced for, and be here now. The judges will recognize if you are worthy of reaching the goal you set for yourself, and odds are, if you put in the work, you’ll get there. So stop thinking about the stage during your event, and start thinking about all the things you put so many hours into practicing and perfecting.
- Have fun
You will never forget Nationals, the people you meet and the experiences you have will be unmatched. You are competing at the highest level possible for a reason, but you have to first believe in yourself before you can ever succeed. Even if you fail, look back and be proud of what you’ve accomplished on the way. There is always a positive outlook. So put in the work and find the passion within you, and I promise you’ll end up exactly where you want to be. Good luck!
Communication: The Key to Success
By Callie McAdams, State Vice-President of Western Area
The phrase “communication is key” is something that we’ve all heard before. It may seem a bit cliché, however, it holds true in the business world and in the bigger picture- life. Communication is arguably the most important life skill, so how can you become a more effective communicator? Here are a few tips!
1. Determine what you are trying to convey in the conversation. What is the purpose? By determining a purpose, you can clearly and concisely communicate.
2. Be a good listener. Make sure you stay engaged and show your understanding when listening during a conversation.
3. Remember the importance of body language. Your body language says more than you might think. Be conscious of your posture and facial expressions.
4. Know your audience. Understand who you are communicating with and adjust accordingly.
Communication is crucial when it comes to creating new connections and improving relationships. This is an essential skill in becoming a business professional. Which is why it is beneficial to continually strengthen your communicative abilities. After all, communication is key.
Virtual Public Speaking
By Laney Stephens, State Vice-President of Eastern Area
Like everything else this year, people have had to adjust how they handle public speaking. With so many conferences and contests being switched to an online setting, some of us are having to re-learn how to give a speech or presentation to a group of people. It can be difficult to navigate this new area of approaching people, so here are a few ways that you can improve your virtual public speaking.
In a normal situation, a presenter would need to simply walk into the room or onto a stage before starting. In virtual presentations there are a few things to check before you start. Always make sure your camera and sound are on. It may seem silly, but this is a basic step to make sure you are ready to present. Your background is a very important part when speaking over Zoom or other platforms. You should be sure that there is not noise or other distractions in the back while you are speaking. This can be very distracting and take away from your speech. You should also consider what viewers will see behind you. Be sure to pick a nice and organized wall for your background.
Lighting is another crucial piece of the puzzle. Make sure that it is not too dark or too bright in the room that you are sitting in. It is best if you have natural sunlight aiming at your face so there is not a shadow. Natural sunlight is preferred over room lighting because it will make you look better and more like you are in person. Even though you may be in your own home or school giving a presentation, it is still important to dress professionally. Although it may seem a bit informal, you should still treat your speech as you would in person.
