GASC Gazette
January Edition
Pillar 1: Leadership Development
GASC Convention 2019
Friday, Feb 22, 2019, 10:00 AM
Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Rock Eagle Road, Eatonton, GA, USA
If you would like to attend Convention, today is your last chance!
For those of you who have registered, we are so excited to see you there! Our President school has been hard at work ensuring you have a memorable Convention.
Get ready for a weekend of networking with students and advisors from all over the state, growing your leadership skills through engaging workshops, learning from inspiring keynote speakers, and lots of fun as we teach you why Leadership Never Goes Out of Style.
Advisors- be sure to check your email in the days approaching Convention as tip sheets will be sent out.
Contact gascpresident@gmail.com with any questions or concerns you may have.
See you at Rock Eagle!
BLAST! Summer Camp 2019
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2019, 02:00 PM
Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Rock Eagle Road, Eatonton, GA, USA
Be sure to mark your calendars for this year's BLAST! Summer Camp: July 17-20, 2019.
Registration will go LIVE at GASC Convention 2019 (Friday, February 22nd), and will close May 3rd.
Keep an eye out for a BLAST! Special Edition Gazette in the days following Convention.
NatStuco Conference 2019
Monday, Jun 24, 2019, 07:45 AM
South Fayette High School, Old Oakdale Road, McDonald, PA, USA
The 2019 National Student Council Conference will be hosted by South Fayette High School in McDonald, PA, June 24–26 where middle level and high school student leaders and advisers from across the country will convene for this motivational three-day event.
The theme, Forging Student Leaders, is designed to light the fire within students, advisors, and administrators as they connect with their peers and discover new ways to enhance their leadership abilities.
Throughout the three days, delegates will hear from renowned speakers, participate in lively seminars, engage in collaborative activities, and build relations with leaders from all corners of the US.
Registration is LIVE!
To register, please email Mrs. Droms, so all Georgia delegates can register together.
gascexecutivedirector@gmail.com
The total cost will be $1500.This will include registration, airfare, hotel, and pre-trip experiences. In order to attend, you must pay a deposit of at least $500 by March 15th.
Any advisor that registers by February 28th will have a reduced cost of $1350.
Our State Service Project: Bert's Big Adventure
This year, we encourage each council to fundraise at least $500 for Bert's Big Adventure. The high schools and middle schools with the most money raised and the most creative fundraiser will receive an award at this year's Convention.
These are the programs you would be helping if your council raised money for Bert's Big Adventure:
The Walt Disney World Trip Program is the original program in which each year, the organization provides a magical five-day, all-expenses-paid journey to Walt Disney World® for children with chronic and terminal illnesses and their families. From the limo rides and chartered flight to the character-filled parties and princess makeovers, the trip is nothing short of magical. Throughout the trip, each family is accompanied by a Bert’s Big Adventure liaison, allowing them to get the most out of their once-in-a-lifetime experience.
- The Fairy Godparent Volunteer Program supports the organization's families when a Bert's Big Adventure child is admitted to a partner hospital. The Fairy Godparent volunteers visit the children daily and provide magical moments during a trying time.
- The Reunion Adventure Program is an attempt by the organization to further strengthen its established communities and friendships. These exclusive and unique events provide the families with year-round opportunities to enjoy more VIP experiences and intimate family time away from doctor visits and hospital stays.
A family can face copious, unforeseen financial struggles when a child is diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness. Through the Other Charitable Services Program, Bert's Big Adventure helps families in need fill this financial gap during trying times.
Please try to meet and exceed your $500 goal! Your contributions will give these children-in-need the experiences and memories of a lifetime!
Spotlight on Service
"Adopt-A-Family"
Advisor(s): Mrs. Melissa Smith and Mrs. Tamika Barnes
Description: This month's spotlight on service is Lanier High School Student Council's "Adopt-A-Family" project. For the holiday season, Lanier StuCo partnered with a local church, Sugar Hill Church, to help families in the community have a joyful holiday season. Their council helped adopt three families with 2 children per family. They delivered nearly 50 presents ranging from toys, pajamas, shoes, socks, underwear, pants, and shirts.
Impact: Lanier High School students were able to provide the opportunity for families to open gifts on Christmas Day who normally do not get to. This experience taught Lanier students to help more who are struggling in their community or just give a greater effort to put a smile on someone’s face.
Pillar 3: Membership
GASC Awards Program Changes
In an effort to learn more about your council, there has been a change made to the awards program.
In addition to submitting the paper form, all submissions must be on display during Convention. This visual can be shown in the form of a poster board, tri-fold, etc. A student delegate should accompany the visual in our new "Hall of Ideas" occurring in the Pavilion, from 4:00-4:45 on Friday, February 22.
All advisors will be able to go through the Hall of Ideas. We hope this new system will give councils across the state more opportunities to learn from each other. Take full advantage of this change by bringing these ideas home, bettering your schools and communities.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Feb 8- All Outstanding Projects due to the Advisor Liaisons. Must be submitted to the gascawards@gmail.com email address.
Feb 8- Council of Excellence due either to gascawards@gmail.com or can be mailed to and postmarked by Feb 8.
Shari Endo
c/o Lambert High School
805 Nichols Road
Suwanee, GA 30024
Due at Convention- Advisor/Member/Administrator of the year. All senior scholarship applications can also be turned in at Convention.
Due at Convention- Speech Contest Participant, although it would be helpful to let the Liaisons know ahead of time if your school will submit a student (one per school).
Outstanding Projects
GASC wants to recognize how you have been helping your school and your community!
A school may enter one project per category in up to six different categories.
Presentations will occur at Convention and should include a visual aid (poster, tri-fold, etc.).
Delegates and all judges will visit each presentation in order to gain new ideas.
All entry forms MUST be emailed to gascawards@gmail.com by February 8, 2019.
PROJECT CATEGORIES
• Outstanding Community Service Project--Outreach
• Outstanding Community Service Project--Fundraising
• Outstanding School Service Project
• Outstanding School Spirit and Pride Project
• Outstanding Citizenship/Patriotism Project
• Outstanding Fundraising Project
• Outstanding Leadership Project
• Outstanding Student Recognition Project
• Outstanding Student Relations Project
• Outstanding Recruiting and Advertising
• Outstand Faculty/Staff Recognition & Relations Project
• Outstanding Website/Social Media
Select the categories that will showcase your council in the best way possible. We cannot wait to see what you have been doing in your community.
Best of luck!
Humans of GASC
Jazmin Garcia
Position: Vice President
School: Grayson High School
Grade: 12th
Favorite Quote(s): "Do small things with great love." - Mother Teresa
Jazmin Garcia is a Senior at Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. She currently serves as one of this year's Vice Presidents. Jazmin is a part of Grayson High School's Varsity Volleyball team, where she won Region this year! She says her favorite GASC memory was attending BLAST! camp this past summer. "I met some of my favorite people EVER there and I got so much closer to people I already knew from other GASC events! BLAST! gives you the opportunity to develop your own leadership skills and focuses on your personal abilities as a leader. The people I met those days will forever be in my heart and I love them so much!! #greengoats," Jazmin says.
Faith Ebikeme
Position: Vice President
School: Grayson High School
Grade: 11th
Favorite Quote(s): “Self love is the best love.”
Faith Ebikeme is a Junior at Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. She currently serves as one of this year's Vice Presidents. Faith is a part of Grayson High School's dance team, step team, and Model UN. She is the Head Wrestling Manager and has racked up over 300 community service hours, all while being an Honor Roll Student. She says her favorite GASC memory was during her freshman year of high school when she first joined student council. "Grayson was president school, and I attended GASC for the first time and for the opening ceremony I was one of the dancers. It was really fun and just the whole vibe of GASC was great," Faith says.
New Districts for the 2019-2020 GASC Year
New Districts:
Based upon the participation rates at each district rally over the past few years and a desire to create uniformity among the rallies, the board has voted to adopt a new district structure. We will be moving to a three-district system—Northern, Central & Southern.
District Representatives:
At Convention, we will be electing district reps for these new districts. An updated map is shown above and updated list of counties by district is shown below. One school will represent each district, and the school will choose two students to serve in the position. These students will be required to attend two overnight meetings, the Executive Board turnover in March and the Summer Retreat (July 20-21). At these meetings, the 6 representatives will work together to set a theme and plan programming for the rallies that will take place across the state. While students will need advisor approval to run, advisors of district reps will not be required to attend the summer retreat. If your school is interested in this opportunity, please email gascvicepresident@gmail.com.
District Structure (by counties):
Northern District: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, Dekalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Oconee
Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield
Central District: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Candler, Carroll, Chattahoochee, Clayton, Columbia, Coweta, Crawford, Dodge, Dooly, Effingham, Emanuel, Fayette, Glascock, Greene, Hancock, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, McDuffie, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Muscogee, Newton, Peach, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Screven, Spalding, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Warren, Washington, Wilkes, Wilkinson
Southern District: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Ben, Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan Calhoun, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur Dougherty, Early, Echols, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Irwin , Jeff, Davis, Lanier, Lee, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, Pierce, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Tattnall, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Ware, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, Worth
Pillar 5: Democratic Principles
Appointment of an Assistant Executive Director and Adult Positions
Assistant Executive Director:
At the January GASC Executive Board Meeting, Mr. Corey Stillwell was appointed as Assistant Executive Director for GASC. At Convention, the division of responsibilities by the GASC Executive Director, Mrs. Laura Droms, and newly-appointed Assistant Executive Director, Mr. Corey Stillwell, will be shared with you. This newly-appointed position will allow for the expansion of the organization, and likewise, build connections with businesses and other partners across the state. As we have grown over the past seven years, the work of Executive Director has grown as well. Adding an assistant director to the team will help tremendously, making the position of Executive Director more manageable.
"Determined, Strong-Minded, Perseverant, Caring"
These are just a few words students and adults alike have used to describe Middle School Advisor Liaison, Mrs. Shari Endo.
Riverwatch Middle School:
She first joined the Georgia Association of Student Councils with River Watch Middle School in 2012. Ever since then, her involvement with the organization serves paramount to the initiatives accomplished. Mrs.Endo first served the role of Parliamentarian, an appointed position at the time under first year Executive Director, Laura Droms. Furthermore, her alma-mater Riverwatch Middle School, served as the first Middle School Member-at-Large to join the Executive Board.Middle School Advisor Liaison:
The following year, Mrs. Endo was appointed to be the Middle School Advisor Liaison, where she has been the first and only person to hold that position. In 2013, she was awarded Middle School Advisor of the Year and Riverwatch Middle School was awarded the Shirley Quenzer Loving Cup.
Lambert High School:
A few years later, Mrs. Endo moved to Lambert High School in Suwanee, Georgia, where she helped with the creation of Compass, a Student Leadership Organization that pioneers community service and leadership in her community. The organization then joined the Georgia Association of Student Councils, where their involvement has been outstanding over the years. Lambert High School has served two years as District Representatives, Journal School, and President School through the guidance of Mrs. Endo. All this, while she still held the position of Middle School Advisor Liaison.
Next year, Mrs. Endo will be retiring her position as Middle School Advisor Liaison, as she and her family will be moving out of the state. On behalf of the Georgia Association of Student Councils, we would like to thank Mrs. Shari Endo for not only the legacy she has left with our organization, but her continued love and support in helping shape the leaders of tomorrow!
Interested in being an Advisor Liaison for GASC?
Advisor Liaison:
Both High School Advisor Liaison and Middle School Advisor Liaison positions are up for a vote during the 2019 Convention. Nominations will be taken. Elections will be held during the advisor business meeting at Convention and candidates should be present.
Pillar 6: Advisor Development
Advisor of the Month
Cristal Bennett
GASC Dates to Remember
As a part of your GASC membership, remember to keep track of these important dates!
February 1: Registration for 2019 GASC Convention officially ends
February: 8: Outstanding Projects and Council of Excellence Submissions are due to gascawards@gmail.com
February 22-24: GASC Convention 2019 at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, GA
February 22: BLAST! Summer Camp Registration Opens
March 15: Minimum Deposit of $500 for NatStuco Conference is due to Mrs. Droms
May 3: BLAST! Summer Camp 2019 Registration Closes
June 24-26: NatStuco Conference 2019 in McDonough, PA
July 17-20: BLAST! Summer Camp 2019 at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, GA
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