Chapter Connections
Maryland FBLA - October 2020
President's Message
Welcome Back Maryland FBLA!
I hope that everyone has had an enjoyable summer! Although this year begins in very unusual circumstances, I’m excited to work with all of you to make this a memorable and impactful year for Maryland FBLA.
I want to encourage everyone to participate in the Early Bird and Super Sweeps chapter challenge. The Early Bird Challenge is given to every chapter that submits five or more members who have paid their dues to National FBLA by October 20th, while Super Sweeps is a challenge that’s due on October 31st where chapters complete a total of ten tasks focused on recruitment and retention. Tasks can include holding an informational meeting just for prospective members, offering a prize to the person who recruits the most new members, and planning an induction ceremony for new members.
Both of these challenges revolve around recruitment, so I hope to give all of you some tips and tricks on how to more effectively recruit members in a virtual environment. This year, it is more important than ever to take advantage of social media by posting FBLA recruitment posters on your accounts. These posters should include basic information on what FBLA is, the benefits, and when meetings are. Additionally, during your virtual meetings, make sure to keep it both informative and interactive. Start off your meeting with an icebreaker, answer questions, and most importantly, tell your FBLA story to the interested members. This can include conference, competitive events, networking, and leadership experiences as when someone hears about your FBLA experience, they are more inclined to join your chapter.
At the closing session of the National Leadership Experience, the 2020-2021 National FBLA theme of “Aspire” was announced. This year, Maryland FBLA is going to work to provide even more experiences and opportunities, so that you can aspire to learn, to network, to serve, and to make an impact on both our organization and our society.
My one piece of advice to everyone is to strive to be both flexible and open-minded throughout the year. Even though there may be many uncertainties that lie ahead, I want to assure all of you that no matter the circumstance, Maryland FBLA will work to provide our students with opportunities for continued education and growth.
Good luck to everyone! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at kathy.yao@mdfbla.org.
Sincerely,
Kathy Yao
Maryland FBLA State President
Important Deadlines
- Super Sweeps (August 1 - October 31)
- LifeSmarts Fall Competition and Virtual Business Finance & Management Fall Challenges (October 20 - November 13)
- Early Bird Registration - MDFBLA Chapter Challenge Due (October 20)
- Stock Market Game Fall (October 16 - December 4)
MDFBLA BAA Rockstar Challenge
The Business Achievement Awards (BAA’s) are for FBLA members to have a chance to enhance their leadership skills, expand their business knowledge, and showcase their talents through a wide variety of activities. There are four levels which include Future, Business, Leader, and America which focus on the three core concepts Service, Education, and Progress. Chapter advisors direct students through each level while students work at their own pace to complete the tasks. The due date for Future, Business, and Leader is March 1st while the due date for America is due April 25th. The BAA Rockstar Challenge is for any chapter that gets 10% of its total membership to complete any one level of the BAA by February 10, 2020. Each member of the chapter that completes this challenge will receive a special conference ribbon at the State Leadership Conference! CLICK HERE for more information on BAAs.
Recommendations by Sophia Reed, Region 5 VP, & Daniela Pena, Parliamentarian
Fundraising
Every chapter is different so be sure to choose a fundraiser that is not only realistic for your chapter, but is also something your members will love to do. Some good ideas are:
Rally beans coffee - Sell coffee beans to your friends and family online.
Raffle Tickets - Have members purchase virtual tickets and offer prizes like gift cards or paid dues or something that can be done virtually.
Community Service
Nothing beats the feeling of giving back to your community, so why not take this time to give?
Local Food Bank
Senior Center
Fall Clothing Drive
Books
Bored during quarantine? Have break time between virtual classes? It’s always a good time to pick up and read a good book. Reading can do a number of beneficial things to your brain.
The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do - A compelling novel that helps readers explore the pitfalls leaders can fall into as well as the solutions to these problems.
The Great Gatsby - Although this novel is not directly correlated with business, the main character goes on a journey that delves into the ethics of business and the importance of a moral compass.
Podcast
Podcasts are such a fun way to learn while doing other things! You can listen to one while working on homework or cleaning your room, the possibilities are endless.
Duct Tape Marketing, HBR IdeaCast, & NerdMarketing
Tips
Choose an FBLA event you genuinely enjoy.
Start planning ways to get people to join your chapter
Work on getting a solid social media local chapter presence
Connect with us!
Instagram @mdfbla
Email: president@mdfbla.org
Website: mdfbla.org
Facebook: http://facebook.com/mdfuturebusinessleaders
Twitter: @mdfbla