Alex Blodgett, 2011-2012 North Central Region Vice President

For those of you who aren’t aware, on May 22, 2011 an EF-5 tornado devastated the city of Joplin, MO. Roughly 25% percent of Joplin was damaged when the tornado struck, and over 160 people lost their lives that day. Joplin High School was among the 2,000 buildings that were destroyed—a school that was home to a thriving FBLA chapter.

The tornado left the city of Joplin reeling, as well as the rest of the world. People all over were left wondering what they could do to help, and Missouri FBLA was no different. Members across the state were ready and willing to help out, so when we were approached about a “feet on the ground” effort to replenish Joplin trees, there was no question about it—MO FBLA was ready to get down and dirty.

Schuyler FBLA members planting a tree!

On May 5, 2012, over 800 FBLA members from across the state of Missouri assembled in Joplin to take part in what would be one of Missouri FBLA’s largest community service projects to date. After almost a year of hard work on this project, FBLA members from 150 chapters were able to raise nearly $25,000 to aid in the replanting of trees that had been lost in the storm. Residents of the city were able to visit www.rootingforjoplin.org  and request trees to be planted at their homes. As an organization, we had over 60 chapters send volunteers to help with the planting efforts—some who had to travel distances of six hours or more. By the end of day, Missouri FBLA had replenished 1,200 trees—almost 10% of those lost in the storm. In addition, $5,000 was donated to Joplin High School to aid in the landscaping of their new high school.

At the end of the day, everyone involved in the effort was exhausted, but proud. Those members had made a difference in the lives of others, and showed the rest of the world what FBLA members are really made of!

Rooting for Joplin News Report

Alex Blodgett, 2011-2012 North Central Region Vice President

The best time of the FBLA year is upon us: Competition! Over the next few weeks, FBLA members across the nation will begin competing to earn a trip to this year’s NLC in San Antonio, Texas. From the local level to the state level, members just like you will be doing their best to stand out in their competitive event. Whether you compete in performance events, or prefer the written tests, preparation is key to doing your best.

• Ask your adviser for help preparing; they’ve been there, done that, and are a great resource
• Make sure you spend an adequate amount of time studying/practicing. You know what they say… Practice makes perfect!
• Get some sleep the night before competition
• Eat a healthy breakfast on the big day– it’ll help you focus
• BE CONFIDENT. After all, if you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

Now, springtime isn’t just about competition. It’s the perfect time of the year to do a community service project! Here in Missouri, members all over are hard at work on a project called Rooting for Joplin. It’s a statewide community service project to help replant trees in tornado-stricken Joplin, Missouri. Try thinking of a fun way to give back to your community during the spring season. Plant trees, pick up trash, or plan a 5K– the possibilities are endless.

Next week kicks off FBLA-PBL Week! Chapters everywhere will be celebrating our great organization through various activities all week. On Thursday, February 9th, your national officer team encourages you to participate in a project called Service in Sync. Members everywhere will be spending part of their day reading to elementary students as part of a nationally synchronized service project. For more information on what you and your chapter can do this FBLA-PBL Week, download the FBLA-PBL Week Packet, and check back to this blog for daily articles.

So, as you can see, there are many great opportunities for FBLA members this spring. Make sure to take full advantage… After all, ’tis the season!

Alex Blodgett, 2011-2012 North Central Region Vice President

For most people, the rush to gain new members for your chapter is gradually beginning to slow down. You’ve probably had a few chapter meetings, a few thousand officer meetings, and now you’re wondering… Where do we go next?

If your chapter is anything like mine, getting new members isn’t the hard part. People join readily, if only to put one more thing on their college applications. So you’ve got the members, and now it’s up to you to decide what to do with them. I’ve got one word for you: Fun. In the words of Dale Carnegie, “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” At my high school, the first activity we plan for the year is simply fun. This year, we chose to take our chapter to the corn maze near town. Before we got too wild, we sat down and planned out our activities for the year. There was lively discussion, and the weather was so beautiful that no one even noticed that we were actually doing work. After all planning ceased, we roasted weenies and raced through the maze until the sun went down.

As the cold starts to settle in, people—myself included—start to get cantankerous. It gets downright chilly here in Missouri, and we like to warm up with a hot chocolate social. Warm drinks, good friends, and great conversation. What’s not to love? But it gets better. You can use this social activity as an opportunity to plan for a winter community service event. The holiday season is a perfect time to give back to the communities that give so much to our organizations. From ringing bells, to adopting a family, there’s something out there for every chapter.

This year, I challenge you to not let your chapter get in a rut. You’ve got the people in the chairs… Now get those people out of the chairs, and doing something!