State Officer Blogs
November: District Leadership Conference
Featured Blog of the Month
Carrisa Jeffers
Have you ever done a DECA high five? No? Well, try it out at your District Leadership Conference! Have you been going for DECA gold this month?! The leaves are changing and the weather is getting colder, this means it’s almost time for District Leadership Conferences! Districts are the perfect time and opportunity to go for DECA gold! This is a great opportunity for any member to experience the thrill of competition, in a lower pressure atmosphere. Districts has always been involved with some of my favorite memories. It’s one of the best bonding experiences a chapter can have, because everyone is going through the same situation. For being a District President, DLC can be/is the cherry on top of all your hard work. (District Presidents!- get to know the members in your area. Have business cards available so our membership is able to contact you! Expand your network)
October: Membership
Featured Blog of the Month
Kristen Angerome
Hi Virginia DECA! I hope your first full month of school was great, including your own DECA Chapter kick off! With districts approaching sooner than we think, we all find ourselves looking at membership numbers. With a desire to increase and continue growing to a statewide number of 15,000, we are left wondering: “How can my chapter increase membership? Why is this important?”- two questions with very important answers! Increasing your membership can be done in few, small actions that are meaningful to your potential members- pizza parties, picnics, ice cream socials, tailgates, etc.- all fun things that your chapter can do together. Running workshops or “how-to” meetings also help members feel prepared and develop a sense of involvement, two important aspects of feeling a part of the Virginia DECA family! Showing the potential members all of the fun and benefits DECA offers its members is crucial to getting them in the door and involved in your chapter, and isn’t as hard as you think! As for “why is this important?”, just think how increased membership will impact not only your school, but the State organization as a whole! Not only could you send more members to competitions with a higher membership, but also “spread the word” about DECA and pass on all of the fun and excitement it offers! Increasing your chapter membership also helps Virginia DECA take one step closer to our 15,000-member goal for the 2011-2012 year. Make sure you try some of these easy-to-do and fun activities within your chapter and invite potential members as you continue on your journey with DECA this year! See you at districts!
September: Fall Leadership Conference
Featured Blog of the Month
Daniel Judge
In a few weeks, we will be having our first Fall Leadership Conferences in the last several years. As a member of this year’s State Action Team, I am excited to kick off this series of conferences. We are hoping that this additional practice in Leadership and Role Plays will help Virginia DECA, to Go for DECA Gold! This conference should help everyone, to fulfill their goals and aspirations for the upcoming year, in both DECA and in other activities as well.
One recommendation for the conference is to come with a set of goals you’d like to accomplish throughout the year, as well as a set of goals you’d like to achieve throughout the day. This will ensure that you get the most out of the experience, and that you’re prepared with the information and skills you need for the rest of the year. Personally, I am hoping that I will get a chance to meet hundreds of different Virginia DECA members, and that I will be able to strengthen my leadership skills during the workshops. So when you come to FLC, please help me with my goal of getting to meet you, and I’ll be more than happy to help you with any goals you may have. Together we can make this a great FLC and a great year!
August: Reflect on SOLT and your goals for your term in office.
Featured Blog of the Month
Brian Douglass
Early in July, 10 faces met each other at Washington, DC for the Summer Officer Leadership Training Conference. Those 10 faces are the Virginia State Action Team that went to better themselves in terms of planning and leading Virginia DECA through another year of excellence. We gathered in DC and began work immediately, once those who were lost eventually made their way into the building. All of us brought numerous ideas to the table to help us understand how we should go about leading the members through the International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City, which all of our ideas circled around theme wise. In addition to planning the future, all of us went through activities and training exercises to help us lead every member of Virginia DECA. So although the trip occurred during vacation, we all put forth efforts that reflected otherwise in accomplishing what we needed to.
Personally, I truly plan on assisting my chapter, Clover Hill DECA, which has not been accomplishing as much as it could/should. Being a state officer is constantly throwing leadership experiences at me with which I plan on boosting my chapter. Of course just a local chapter is not satisfaction enough. District 22 underwent a split into District 22 and 31. Clover Hill is now unfortunately separated from one of District 22’s biggest participants, Cosby High School. Ironically, they are Clover Hill’s biggest rival – but there’s no such thing as a rivalry in DECA. Anyways, I really wish to bring together the two districts, in spirit anyways. I hope to keep them closely associated and work together, regardless of the separation that occurred. Such schools include Cosby, James River, Meadowbrook, Midlothian, and Monacan from District 22, as well as Clover Hill, George Wythe, John Marshall, L.C. Bird, Manchester, Matoaca, and Thomas Dale who now comprise District 31. Helping keep these two districts united is just one of numerous goals to which I plan on attending in addition to the goals set forth by the State Action Team.
July Blog Topic: Reflect on your past year in DECA.
Featured Blog of the Month:
Cari Lutkins
Wow! Where do I start on my past year in Virginia DECA? Through SLC, ICDC, and becoming a State Officer, I will never forget the memories I have made these past months. I have become more involved with DECA than I ever thought that I would, not only through my chapter, but also in Virginia. As always, at Potomac Falls High School, we raised money for the ALS Association (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and I couldn’t have spent my time any better. With the Holiday Open House, Macy’s Fashion Show, and many other fundraising opportunities, I realized more and more what it meant to volunteer time for something that may seem so far away. With all of the fundraising, our chapter still got to do something fun! We took a trip to New York City, and got to experience the bright lights and a Broadway show during Christmas time. Every year on our trip to NYC, I experience something more incredible than the last, and this year it was seeing Spiderman; Turn Off the Dark, on Broadway. It was nothing like any of us had ever seen-all of the special effects and acrobatics were truly unforgettable! I also learned a very important lesson that day-never keep your phone in your back pocket while walking around NYC; or it will get stolen!!
With the months leading up to the State Leadership Conference, it was stressful yet exciting, preparing for competition and my campaign for State Office. Mrs. Chrisman, my chapter advisor was so supportive throughout the entire process; listening to my speech countless times, testing me on DECA facts, and spending limitless hours coming up with campaign ideas. All of the stress was immediately worth it once I arrived in Norfolk, and was greeted by the friendly faces of Virginia DECA members and advisors. The moment I was called on stage as a State Officer, I knew this coming year would be like no other, as I say goodbye to high school, prepare for college, and lead Virginia DECA with my state officer team. I am ecstatic to Discover all of the possibilities that Virginia DECA can provide for me!
