Member Spotlight! ....A Familiar Face.....

Some of you may remember, Elise Heidy, and for others, this may be your first time hearing her name. Elise is a standout member, leader, and just an all around great person, and we in the Blue Mountain Region should be especially thankful to her.

Elise served as Blue Mountain Region Vice President for the 2007-2008 school year, and has been the Condon Chapter President for four years. She’s really gotten the edge by

 attending CLT, NFLC, SBLC, NLC, and countless other events.

After she graduates this June, she wants to attend a university where she can major in Sociology and prepare for a medical career. Elise wants to become a doctor, and after her four years of undergrad, she plans on medical school to become a pediatrician and work with

 children’s hospice.

When she’s not working on FBLA, serving as a First Responder, doing community service with NHS, or hitting the court playing varsity volleyball and basketball, she likes to read, spend time with her family, friends, and boyfriend, or participate in church activities.

Her favorite quote is also a few words of wisdom she has to offer.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Marianne Williamson

Elise has a message for all of us:“I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my region, and the great state of Oregon for giving me an amazing chance to serve as a State Officer and just participate in FBLA. Without a doubt, FBLA has changed my life and really helped shape who I am today.”

Congratulations Elise, you’ve just been ‘Spotlighted!’

Have someone who deserves the spotlight? Shoot me an email, and we can get to work shining the spotlight on them!
As always-keep in touch!

This is the last post of this year! We'll be in touch after Christmas Break!
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Get the Edge! Run for a State Office!

Last week, as you may well remember there was a ‘Calendar of Events’. Sorry, but I forgot one very important tidbit of information on there….March 3 along with being the date for all of your SBLC competitive things in, it is also the day your State Officer application is due!

What’s that? You weren’t really thinking of running this year? To prove that you have what it takes to “Get the Edge” and run for a State Office, please answer these questions.

1- Am I a leader?
2- Do I LOVE FBLA?
3- Can I make a positive difference in Oregon FBLA?
4- Do I have my Future award?
5- Am I going to State?
6- Am I currently a junior or younger?
7- Am I prepared to give my best on a daily basis?
8- Am I ready for a Life Changing experience?

If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, then you should definitely be thinking about a state office bid. It’s a lot of work, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Please understand when I say that it’s truly a life changing experience that I would recommend to all FBLA members. Even if after the campaign you do not emerge victorious, the skills and the confidence you gain from running a campaign force you to grow as a person and a leader.

Please speak with your adviser about this, and as always, if you have any questions or are contemplating a run, please give me a call or send me an email so we can chat. It would be a privilege to help you in any way I can.

As always- keep in touch!

Upcoming Events in Oregon FBLA!

Hey- Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

For this week, I figured we would do a ‘Calendar of Events’ – so that you can be sure you’re not missing any great FBLA Opportunities to Get The Edge!


DECEMBER:

10- Dues Due!
Be sure your chapter has theirs in so you can compete in Regional Skills Conference!

12- Presidents Council Meeting!
You’ll be seeing exactly what we’ve been up to shortly thereafter!

25- Merry Christmas!


JANUARY 2009: (Crazy, isn’t it?)

1-Happy New Year!
What’s your resolution?


FEBRUARY:

5- Regional Skills Conference at Eastern Oregon University!
Make sure you’re all studied up for your events, and you’ll be sure to Get The Edge!

MARCH-

2- State Office Applications Due!
Interested? Send me an e-mail, and we can chat about this great opportunity and how you can win a state office!

3- All State Materials Due!
If you’re competing in a pre-judged event, you’ll need to have all your stuff postmarked by today!

APRIL:

8-10- STATE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2009!!!
Are you ready? We’ll see who really Got The Edge during their year in FBLA. (And also who will be catching some rays in beautiful Los Angeles in June!)

Member Spotlight!

The November Member Spotlight is on a very hardworking, fun, great young lady, who is also a personal friend. Cassidie Horn is a senior at Baker High School and is a second year FBLA member. Her tremendous involvement in her local chapter the past year has earned her the position of Historian on the local chapter officer team. In her years in FBLA, Cassidie has been a part of numerous competitions; however, one of her most proud moments came last year when she was able to compete at state in Business Presentation. Cassidie is very excited for the upcoming year in FBLA, and is especially excited for the innovative fundraisers and the trip to nationals in Los Angeles she will be taking this next summer.

If she is not in the classroom, or improving her local chapter, Cassidie is on the court and kicking but in her favorite sport, volleyball. Cassidie just finished her second varsity season with an impressive 9-3 record.

After her graduation this spring, Cassidie will be taking Linn-Benton Community College by storm in Albany, Oregon. She is planning to stay there for two years to fill her general education requirements, and then transfer to a four-year college. Her ultimate goal is to become an OB-GYN and work at OHSU.

Cassidie is a mentor to younger members and when she leaves, we will miss her greatly!

Congratulations, Cassidie! You’ve just been Spotlighted! Keep up the hard work!

Do you know someone who deserves the Spotlight? Shoot me an email, and we can get to work shining the spotlight on them!

As always- keep in touch!

** There will be no post Wednesday. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!**

Oregon Leadership Institute! In case you missed it.....

Hello Again! This week, it’s all about OLI!

OLI was held in Eugene, Oregon at the Valley River Inn. OLI was really fun (as usual for an FBLA conference), but this time we were joined by Oregon DECA.

We started off with a few laughs and some mutual “poking fun” at both organizations. We welcomed everyone, discussed our fundraisers, and Jordan made quite a show out of our ‘Code of Conduct’ piece. It was quite funny… (When you see him at state, ask him about it.)

The opening session was followed by three workshop sessions. There was a crazy array of workshop sessions to choose from. Everything from college admissions to chapter operations!

After that there was two hours of chapter time, and then on to the famed Etiquette Dinner! Goodness, that was a blast! Many of the ladies (your state officer team included) choose to don the formal gowns for dinner, while other opted for the always appropriate, professional wear. Our favorite ‘southern bell’ Amy Gallimore was our facilitator for the evening. We had the opportunity to have many of our etiquette questions answered while in a fun, easygoing, atmosphere.

After that was a Presidents Council meeting and we followed that with the dance, and then it was lights out!

The next day was great with the miracle minute, then an organization dance-off, and then a Leadership Adventure Session. (Yes, it was as awesome as it all sounds.) The morning was a high-adrenaline, crazy fun, great time!

When it was time to leave, and say goodbye, we had Amy Gallimore close it out. We also announced the winner of our little ‘competition’.

Who won between DECA and FBLA?

FBLA of course!!

It was great, and I hope to see you there next year!

As always- Keep in touch!

Another Way For YOU to "Get The Edge!"

As a state officer team, we realized that there was a need for a more “whole” organization, so to speak. Part of being a state officer is meeting the needs of members in our respective regions and in the whole state. As many of you know, the state officer team has started an innovative new program to encourage inter-chapter communication and idea sharing. We give you the Presidents Council!

Here is how it works: every chapter in each region (for us the Blue Mountain Region), chooses a representative. It does not have to be the chapter president; however we figured that that would be the most likely scenario, thus the name. After the lucky representative is chosen, the adviser submits their contact information to the region vice president (aka me). After that is done, I compile a list and regularly meet with the council. We meet about once a month (usually via conference call) and we discuss a variety of issues depending what is appropriate for the given situation. (i.e. In September, we discussed recruitment practices and ideas, this month we are discussing fundraising).

After we meet, I send a list to Mary, and she puts our ideas on the website. Then everyone can see what the best practices are in each subject for every region!

What I’m trying to say is, if your chapter doesn’t currently have a PC representative, please speak with your adviser about appointing one. Who knows, it could be you!

As always-keep in touch!

Member Spotlight!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do. Explore….Dream….Discover”-Mark Twain

Steven Crader lives by that mantra. Twenty years from now, having regrets about the things he didn’t do most likely won’t be his problem. As a 17 year old senior at Union High School, Steven keeps himself rather busy. His schedule is crammed full of activities due to his involvement with Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Youth Leadership Council Representative from Oregon on the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, 4-H, and as a statistician for baseball, and basketball.

His involvement with FBLA has included two different club offices. During the 2006-2007 school year, Steven served as the Union FBLA Secretary/Treasurer. For the past two years, Steven has answered the call of leadership by assuming the office of Chapter President.

He has helped out with FBLA on a state level as well. He helped plan the Blue Mountain Regional Skills Conference one year, and planned it the following year as well. His duties included working with representatives from EOU, as well as region advisers, organizing tests, planning the awards ceremony, and managing the accounting.

Steven isn’t done just yet. After graduation, he’s planning to go to college to pursue degrees in computer engineering and business management. He is looking at a few great colleges, and a few to make the cut are: Johnson and Whales in Providence, Oregon Institute of Technology, and the University of Idaho.

When he’s not out changing the world-or that crazy thing that we’ve only heard of but never experienced-sleeping, he enjoys hunting, camping and snowmobiling. He enjoys working with computers and helping others. He also is a fan of all different kinds of music.

Steven is a goal oriented, ambitious, young gent, and we’re excited to see what he does in the future.

Steven Crader- you’ve just been “Spotlighted”! Congratulations!



Do you know someone who you thing deserves to be “Spotlighted”? Send me an email, and we can get to work shining the spotlight on them!

As always- Keep in touch!

Oregon Leadership Institute '08-Get the Edge!

Hello again! As many of you know, the state officer team just finished our first ‘conference’: CLT! Just as CLT was winding to a close, we were gearing up for the next one- the Oregon Leadership Institute, or OLI!

OLI is a conference that we host for Oregon FBLA each year (except for last year, where we hosted NFLC in lieu of OLI). OLI will take place in the great city of Eugene. (Go Ducks!) It will kick off on Sunday, November 2, and will conclude on Monday, November 3.

The Oregon Leadership Institute isn’t just a conference. Its two days jam packed with workshops on getting to the next level, as well as some college admissions things from our Oregon Universities (UO and OSU)! Tri Leadership trainers will also be teaching workshops at this great conference; and if you’ve ever attended a Tri workshop, you know exactly how awesome they really are!

Workshops aren’t the only thing that OLI has to offer. If you’ve been there before, you know what comes next. The Etiquette Dinner. This is a great learning tool (and a fun one at that), where we’ll learn important etiquette dining skills, all in a fun atmosphere-and a major plus: you get to get all “spiffed up” in a formal!

We’ll conclude that evening with a great dance with both Oregon FBLA and DECA. The next morning, we’ll have another powerful energizer session, and a Leadership Adventure session….sound intriguing? Then we’ll close it off with Amy Gallimore, (who is fabulous!).

All this wouldn’t be as great without a little ‘friendly competition’ right? Well, to quench your thirst for FBLA domination, the state officer teams of FBLA and DECA have devised a little competition to be held at OLI. Here’s how it works: both state officer teams will be carrying around themed buckets for our charities (for us, that’s March of Dimes). In order for us to win this challenge, we must put money in the FBLA buckets. Whoever raises the most money at the end of OLI doesn’t have to do something completely and utterly humiliating for the other club to gawk, laugh, and make fun of. Who will win in the ultimate showdown of FBLA vs. DECA? Isn’t the answer obvious?

It’s going to be a great conference, and I can’t wait to see you all there! Oregon OLI, is only a week away, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

As always- Keep in touch!

It was great to see you all!

Hello again! It’s been a while. Well, a while- being one week while we were all at CLT. It was quite a tour, and the first-and possibly my favorite was Union High School! It was so great to meet you all. It was great to be able to start our first CLT in such the great, friendly, Eastern Oregon.

The state officer team had a great time getting to meet you-(and for some of them getting to be in Eastern Oregon for the very first time)!

After our stop meeting all of you, we traveled on to Portland where our next stop would be Canby, High School Tuesday morning. The next two stops happened that day; we went to Canby, and then straight on to Stayton. Those two stops were great, and then we were off for Grants Pass to bring our tour to a great finish with Rouge River High School!
When all was said and done, the 2008 CLT had a great attendance. After tallying up our mileage, we drove something like 1700 miles. No, I didn’t press the zero key too many times. Seventeen HUNDRED miles.

Four days, seventeen hundred miles, and massive amounts of caffeine later, we realized how great Oregon FBLA is, and how important each person is to our great organization. It’s shaping up to be quite a year, so as always- keep in touch!

March Of Dimes- Bucks For Babies Challenge!

Hello Blue Mountain Region! This is the last time I’ll be coming to you on the Blue Mountain Region blog before we meet in person at CLT next week at Union High School! This week, we’re going to discuss a project that’s very dear to our hearts as both an organization- and as people. In the past few years, Oregon FBLA has participated in the March Of Dimes challenge put out by the national chapter as well as another fundraiser that we select as a state.

This year, the State Officer team, along with the Board of Advisers and the Board of Trustees, decided to focus solely on the March of Dimes for the state-wide fundraiser. As you all know, it’s a great cause, and the more support we can give, the better!

Now for the logistics of this year’s challenge. As a chapter your goal is to raise as much money for the March of Dimes as possible. There is no set way you have to do it. It’s completely up to you. The winner(s) will be determined on a per-capita basis. In short- raise the most money per person, and you win!

We haven’t determined what the prize will be; but the warm and fuzzy feeling you get inside will be well worth it, I’m sure!

It’s a great cause-as you already know, and I strongly encourage 1,000,000,000,000% participation! One last thought before I go- Albert Einstein said it best when he said: “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

As always- Keep in touch!

CLT! World EXCLUSIVE Sneak Preview!

It’s that time of year again…Chapter Leadership Tour (CLT)!

What is CLT? That is a very good question, glad you asked! CLT is an event where the State Officers come to each region to meet you! It’s a fun filled day of workshops, games, and meeting new people from the different schools in your region!

Every year, we visit a different school. This year, we’re coming to you live from Union High School! Since I know you just can’t get enough of CLT info, you’ll get a world exclusive, sneak peak of what’s to come!

We’re going to start off the day with a fun game… (That is still a secret). Then we’ll move on to a few informative and super exciting workshops! In these short “nano-shops” you’ll get tips on recruitment, chapter organization, chapter projects, the FBLA foundation, fundraising, and what you’ve all been waiting for: competition secrets!

All of this with a light, fun, casual atmosphere, where we can all get to know each other a little better!

Ask your adviser to sign you up! It’s not too late-the registration deadline is September 26!

For more information on the 2008 CLT- check out our website:
www.oregonfbla.org

As always- keep in touch!

Business Achievement Awards! Get the Edge!

Hello again! I hope your first few weeks of school and FBLA have been entirely successful. So far this year, we’ve had an overview of the year, and an update as to what’s been going on from the State Officer team. It is now the perfect time to get a little more focused on individual goals for the year.

How can you excel individually without ever having to fill out an objective test, or present to a judge? How can you earn recognition for the work you’re already doing in your local, state, or for the national chapter? How can you make your college applications and/or scholarships stand out in a pack?

It’s simple, really. I’m talking about the Business Achievement Awards program, or BAA.
For those of you that have participated in this great program, you know exactly what I’m saying. However, there are many members who have never heard of, much less participated in, the BAA system, so I’ll give a quick overview.

There are four different levels of this award system that must be reached consecutively. Each award level builds on the last one. It starts with the Future award level, then the Business, after that the Leader, and finally the America award levels.

All of the awards focus on the motto of FBLA: Service, Education, and Progress. For every level, there is a multitude of activities to choose from to complete each section of the award. For example, to earn your Future award, you need to choose three activities from the service and education sections and four from the progress section. The cool part- you get to choose which activities you complete. There are a total of 19 activities to choose from for just the Future award, so you’re not stuck doing something mundane!
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the BAA:

Q. Why should I do the Business Achievement Awards?
A. Well, there is a multitude of reasons. A few being: having these awards looks good to scholarship and college application committees, it is a way to earn recognition on regional, state, and national levels, its a way to earn recognition for work you’re already doing, it is a great way to get involved….and the list goes on. It is a great system, and really, it is not entirely difficult.
Note: If you’re planning on running for a state office, you MUST have at least your Future Award level completed.

Q. How many can I earn in one year?
A. There is no limit to how many you can earn in one year. They are designed to do two a year, but truthfully, you could do all four if you are motivated.

Q. Do I have to do all of them?
A. No, however it is highly recommended. However, you do have to do them in sequential order. You have to start with your Future, and then move on to Business, and so on. How many levels you complete is entirely your choice.

Q. What is the award like?
A. For each award, there is a certificate of completion and a pin stating what level you’ve just completed. At both the State and National Leadership conferences you’ll also receive “participation ribbons” stating what levels you have earned to add to your nametag.


Q. How do I get started?
A. Your adviser has to sign you up with the national chapter, but after that, just log in and start choosing activities!

Q. Is there any help available for me while I’m working on the completion of these awards?
A. Absolutley! Your adviser can certainly help you, as well as members in your chapter. As your region VP, and as your friend, I’m always available for help whenever you need it! If you need help just shoot me an email: bluemountainvp@oregonfbla.org.

Please feel free to contact me! Your goals are my goals, so if you need help, or have questions don’t hesitate! Again, my email address is bluemountianvp@oregonfbla.org, and I check it daily, so I’ll get back to you usually within 24 hours.

As always, keep in touch!

While you were sleeping....

When you went back to school this week, you probably had to write a ton of “What I did on Summer Vacation” essays, right? Well, here’s the State Officer Team’s version of the famous essay:

What a crazy summer vacation we had! The summer started off with a on a high note as we traveled to the National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Atlanta, Georgia. At the conference we networked with other states, and in the end, increased our own state dominance! The week kicked off with a phenomenal three-day seminar called the Institute for Leaders (IFL) As an officer team, we learned a lot about ‘officership’ and what it takes to serve those who elected us by being the absolute best officers we can be.

After the IFL, NLC began! A three day escapade of workshops included exciting speakers, business tours, a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia, and great group activities like a “Mini March of Dimes”, and a concert! We also hosted a superb state meeting! As a state, we congregated to catch up on business, and started NLC off with a bang! Who can forget, the reason we were truly there, - competition! Oregon walked away with a fantastic series of awards from the NLC this year! We had a blast, and enjoyed meeting you!

When NLC was over, remorsefully we were forced to say goodbye to all our new friends. However, we met again as a team in August for a State Officer planning meeting. In the two days we gathered, we finalized the creation of our new program to boost chapter networking and involvement; the Presidents’ Council, as well as creating the “Bucks For Babies” fundraising challenge. We also geared up for the Chapter Leadership Tour in October and Oregon Leadership Institute in November!

While you were catching those extra hours of sleep, or vacationing in the gorgeous Eastern Oregon sunshine, we were hard at work planning this year to make sure your year in FBLA is a fantastic one!

Coming next week: discussion regarding the Business Achievement Awards, if you have any questions, e-mail me at bluemountainvp@oregonfbla.org and I’ll try to answer them next week!
As always, keep in touch!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Blue Mountain Region FBLA! It’s great to be back, right? For most of you, I realize that school is not your favorite place to be after a cool three months off. However, we can make this year different; we can make this year so much better! Beginning with innovative and new programs, a few “classic” programs, an awesome state fundraiser, and who can forget- competition domination? If we come together to work towards achieving our goals, I know we can make this year the absolute best it can be!

Let’s start with our innovative new programs. First off, Oregon FBLA is starting a President’s Council. The idea is that every chapter will choose one representative to attend meetings and monthly conference calls on behalf of their school. President’s Council members will be the voice of their chapter and share all their chapter’s great ideas, opinions and thoughts. The President’s Council will meet together at the Oregon Leadership Institute, Regional Skills Conference, and State Business Leadership Conference. Between each meeting President’s Council members will join a conference call with other members in their region to share ideas, discuss upcoming events and network.

Another new program is -well, I’m assuming you already know about it since you’re reading it: this blog! This blog will be a great way for us to share ideas and network as a region. So we can all get involved, I’ll be asking for input and help in writing content.

As for our “classic” programs, be sure to get started on reaching the next level of the Business Achievement Awards (BAA) program. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the program, there are four levels: Future, Business, Leader, and America. The awards must be earned in sequential order, and only require a few activities to complete each one! The cool part about it is that colleges love the BAA system. Once you earn one, you can move on to the next one. There is no limit to how many levels you can earn within a single year. When you earn the Future and Business levels, you’ll be recognized at our regional meeting at the State Business Leadership Conference. If, and when you earn the Leader level, you’ll be recognized during closing session at State Business Leadership Conference. Then, when you reach the America level and you earn this prestigious award, you’ll be recognized not only at State Conference, but at the National Leadership Conference as well. It is a great program, so I sincerely suggest asking your adviser to sign you up!

In addition to all the new and “classic” programs offered this year, you can also look forward to our fantastic state fundraiser! Instead of choosing a different charity the officer team, along with the Boards of Advisers and Trustees, chose to help out a charity that is near and dear to all of our hearts; the March of Dimes. We are calling the Community Service Project “Bucks for Babies”. The guideline for the Bucks for Babies is rather simple: raise as much money as you can for the March of Dimes as possible. Chapters that raise the most money (per capita) by will be handsomely rewarded at the State Business Leadership Conference. More information will be coming your way soon, so stay tuned!

Oh, and who can forget competition? This year we have three chances to really shine! First, there is the Regional Skills Conference, then, the State Business Leadership Conference, and finally, the National Leadership Conference. To come out on top, you will need to select your events as soon as possible and study, study, study! Let’s show the state, along with the rest of the nation, who we are, and that we’ve come to compete and increase our dominance!

This is going to be a great year and I can’t wait to meet all of you! The blog will have some more information in the coming weeks about upcoming events, as well as some other cool stuff like Q&A, ‘Tips and Tricks’ and member spotlights. Again, to make this successful, I’ll need your input. What do you want to see? Do you have any questions? Feel free to e-mail me at bluemountainvp@oregonfbla.org. Or you can always visit the Oregon FBLA website at www.oregonfbla.org. I can’t wait to hear from you!