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New York DECA Membership,
 Welcome
to the 2006-2007 New York DECA Year! The Executive Council hopes
that your summer was great, and that you are ready to begin a successful
year with New York DECA. Many chapters across the state remained
active through the summer. I have heard endless stories about trips
to theme parks, fundraisers, community service efforts, and more.
We hope that your chapter was able to stay active, and if you decided
to take a break, we hope you are ready to get started again!
I can assure you that this upcoming
year promises to be the best we have seen in New York DECA in the
past decade. Our theme for the year is "New York DECA: The World
At Your Fingertips." You will see this theme employed as the mindset
and motivation for this year. Our new Executive Council has done
an outstanding job thus far, and has the ability to affect tremendous
change in this organization on the chapter, regional, and state
level. Feel free to contact any officer with questions, concerns,
or comments.
The Executive Council has decided
on an ambitious agenda for the 2006-2007 DECA year. The Executive
Council Communicator will be in publication nearly every month,
so be sure to check the website! Recognizing the importance of the
ECC as the proxy between members and their state officers, our officer
team will be working hard throughout the year to be posting as much
information as possible about what is happening with the state.
But more importantly, we hope to make the ECC more than just an
officer publication, we want it to be a student publication. Make
sure to send in articles about what your chapter is up to, as well
as the efforts you are making in your community. Send material in
to be posted online for the entire state to see, and we will be
offering awards at the State Career Conference to the schools which
send in the best articles.
In addition to the ECC, the Executive
Council has decided to undertake other initiatives as well. We will
be continuing with our public relations campaign in an effort to
generate more favor and support from public officials, especially
prominent politicians and business leaders. The Executive Council
will strive to involve the media in our conferences in order to
help get DECA's name out into the public, and will be coordinating
with regional and chapter presidents to involve the media in their
areas as well.
And, of course, the Executive Council
will be running a state sales project and community service project
as well. T-shirts will be available for sale as a part of the state
sales project. The t-shirts are great for DECA functions and everyday
use. Please use an order form provided in the fall packet to order
them for your school today! The State Community Service project
this year is the Marty Lyon's foundation. We encourage you to learn
more about this organization at www.martylyonsfoundation.org. Please
raise as much money as you can with your chapter, and awards will
be given on stage at State's to those who raise the most for this
great organization!
Finally, the Executive Council will
be holding a membership drive again this year. Try to recruit as
many members as you can to join your chapter and experience in all
that DECA has to offer. Again, we enjoy recognizing you for your
efforts, so be sure to work hard and recruit new members, and the
most productive chapters will be recognized at State's.
As we embark on this New Year together
in New York DECA, I feel eager to get started and to get working,
but also excited and proud of what I know we can accomplish. We
are at a watershed moment in New York DECA, and in the words of
the great President Franklin Roosevelt, we, this year, have our
own "Rendezvous with Destiny." Every chapter, every region- and
on the most basic level- every active member, has the potential
to do amazing things. I can promise you that every tool, every asset,
every resource at our disposal will be available to you as you work
to define and accomplish your goals.
Ronald Reagan once said "My philosophy
on life is this: wake up in the morning, decide what you want to
be, and then go out and do it. There can be no failure in that."
He is right, and all of us can live by that statement. Take this
message, take our encouragement, take the motivation and dedication
that you all exhibit each year, take your ambitions and aspirations,
and go out and prove this year why DECA members are counted among
the most impressive and accomplished students New York has to offer.
Your President,
Jeffrey G. Long
Fall Leadership Conference/SoNAR
Conference: Washington D.C. November 3-5
State Career Conference: Rochester, New York March 7-9
International Career Development Conference: Orlando, Florida April
28-May 2
The Fall Leadership Conference is
a preliminary opportunity to unite the various chapters of New York
DECA. At this conference, chapters from many of the nine active
New York DECA regions will gather for the first time of the 2006-2007
DECA year. Members of the conference will participate in workshops
that include leadership development, "How to Ace Your Competitive
Event," "How to Run for State Office," and other teamwork building
activities. The Fall Conference will give students a tremendous
opportunity to socialize with other members from the state, as well
as to begin perfecting the competitive skills they will need to
be successful throughout the DECA year.
The SoNAR Conference is an excellent
supplement to the 2006-2007 DECA Year and will be held from November
3 -5. Held in the elegant Washington D.C., students will have the
opportunity to meet others, and interact in our nation's capital.
The conference includes numerous exhibits and workshops for students
from both the Southern and North Atlantic regions to participate
in together. Along with a dance and a spectacular night tour of
the city, the conference offers an overall spectacular experience.
The State Career Conference is the
annual culmination of the New York State DECA year and will be held
from March 7-9 for the 2006-2007 year. Members who qualify on the
regional level will have the opportunity to compete with others
from around the state, and win their spot to compete internationally.
For those who are not competing, there will be a leadership academy
as well as the opportunity to play a role in the election of the
2007-2008 New York DECA officers. At this conference both event
winners and outstanding individuals/groups will be recognized for
their achievements.
The International Career Development
Conference is the culmination of the national DECA year. Thirteen
thousand students, advisors, businesspeople, and alumni will gather
in the beautiful Orlando, Florida, for the five day conference.
Many members will participate in competitive events to be internationally
recognized for their outstanding achievements. In addition, there
are a plethora of leadership academies, a business fair, and an
opportunity to participate in the election of the International
DECA officers for those members who are not competing at the conference.
This conference is an invaluable experience which will allow students
to meet new people, see Orlando, and enter into the international
world of business.
For many chapters, community service is just
as important as competitions. For others, community service plays
a smaller role. Regardless of which category your chapter falls
into, you should still take an active role in this year's project.
New York DECA's charity for this year
is the Marty Lyons Foundation. This charity
grants wishes to terminally ill children such as taking them to
Disney World and throwing them a Sweet 16 party.
The Marty Lyons Foundation is a New
York based charity started by Marty Lyons himself, a former New
York Jets football player. We are attempting to get a representative
to come to the Fall Conference so that they can tell you about their
cause.
Some suggestions for raising money
include hosting a car wash, auction, bake sale during DECA week,
and a golf event. If you participate, your chapter will be called
up on stage at the SCC and be recognized.
Further information and forms can
be found in the Fall Packet.
We are proud to be supporting such
a worthy charity. We only hope that you can contribute your efforts
and help us raise money for this wonderful cause.
So, you've made it. You've made it
past the applications, and the interviews, and possibly the elections.
You've made it here.
This may be your first visit here,
or perhaps your second or even third. This is the place you've wanted
to be, and this is the place you will hopefully enjoy.
You are now an officer, you have transcended
the ranks of membership, and risen to this highest of positions.
Enough with this metaphorical mumbo-jumbo, I'm going to get on with
it already.
These are a few bits of advice that
I wish someone told me when I was first starting as a DECA officer.
If you have an idea, share
it.
Admittedly, there are lots of bad ideas. But come on, you were obviously
good enough to be selected as an officer, so your ideas hopefully
will be mostly good. Plus, different people will see different sides
of the idea, and can build on it, making it even better. You are
part of an officer team, and things will always work better if you
act like one.
Behind the scenes, a whole
lot goes on.
The larger your membership becomes, the more it seems like the club
is operating like a business. The members act as customers, the
officers as employees, and the advisors as management. You have
to serve the members, and give them the best possible experience
in DECA. You will end up being surprised by how much actually goes
into everything DECA does.
The president is a person
too, not a supreme being.
(Maybe not a supreme being, but possibly a superhero.) Seriously,
you don't need to be groveling to the president at every turn. You
have to listen to him/her, you have to follow him/her, and you have
to respect him/her, but you don't have to bake him/her homemade
cookies everyday. Speaking as a president myself, I need someone
to point out when I'm wrong, which is often.
The amount of fun you have
is in direct proportion to the amount of energy you put in.
You want to come to the meetings, stay for five minutes and check
out? Fine, just don't complain that it's no fun. As with anything,
anywhere, the amount of fun you get correlates directly with the
amount of energy you put in. There are over 6,000 people to meet
in New York DECA, so go have fun.
Sometimes, the reason nobody
tells you to do something is because they assume you are smart enough
to figure it out.
They should be right. Being an officer does mean not being led by
the hand when doing everything, it means being a leader and thinking
analytically, seeing what needs to be done, and doing it. The best
officers are proactive, not reactive.
You have to have fun.
This is strictly enforced.
Be prepared to answer questions
about everything DECA-related.
I personally guarantee that you will be poked and prodded about
DECA from members and non-members alike, so take some time and learn
a bit about it. Learn about competitions, about the different divisions
of DECA, about your regional, state, and national officers, and
about all things related to DECA.
When in doubt, think.
This is more of a life lesson than anything else, but in most situations,
if you just hold back half a second and think, things will seem
so much clearer.
No, seriously, have fun.
This is so important it bears repeating. Fun is, hopefully, the
reason we all joined DECA in the first place.
Don't listen to anything I've
written in this article.
I made this all up. Just do what's right, all the time.
Featuring Berkeley College, Johnson
& Wales University, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising,
and Niagara University
With six locations in New York and
New Jersey, Berkeley College is widely recognized
for academic excellence. Since its origin in 1931, the College has
evolved to be recognized as the one of the best business colleges,
paving the way for thousands of students going into the many and
diverse careers in business. As Berkeley College realizes that the
job market is frequently changing, it continues to build on its
tradition of excellence by molding its curriculum to everyday business
advancements. The College's focus on business, superior faculty,
specific services, and individualized assistance gives students
the best of both worlds - the setting of a small liberal arts college
combined with premium education designed specifically for those
interested in a career in business.
Students planning on going to Berkeley
can look forward to learning through realistic business experiences
in a challenging and exciting learning environment. For nearly 75
years Berkeley has fostered a strong connection to the business
community. This relationship, along with Berkeley's exceptional
reputation, attracts a wide variety of employers in the business
world. These business experts help devise the College's programs
to ensure that the professional skills students learn are in demand
today. Degree programs include formal internships, providing students
with priceless work experience within their career field, a network
of business connections for the future, and assistance in limiting
college costs.
For more information on Berkeley
College's amazing opportunities, including scholarships, please
visit their website at www.berkeleycollege.edu
Johnson & Wales University
is a world-class university, where students have an opportunity
to pursue an education in business, hospitality, culinary arts,
or technology. Johnson & Wales has many exciting programs that start
as soon as high school. Johnson & Wales is well known for its unique
programs that allow individuals to learn in their prime conditions.
Some of these new age programs include: Johnson & Wales' three-term
schedule follows an academic calendar that is divided into three
11-week terms per year. Students are able to focus on their work
by taking three or four classes each term, instead of the usual
four or five. Hands-on training- the world is a classroom for students
at Johnson & Wales.
Hands-on training sites include several
hotels, a retail-clothing store, a string of restaurants and bakeries,
a travel agency, and an equine center and the oldest indoor shopping
mall in the country.
For more information on Johnson &
Wales unique learning experience or to learn more about special
J&W programs for high school students that want to get a jump on
success, visit their website at www.jwu.edu.
The Fashion Institute of Design
and Merchandising is a coeducational private college that
is dedicated to training individuals to be the best in the competitive
fields of fashion, interior design, graphics and the entertainment
industry. When highlighted by DECA Dimensions it was said that,
"The dynamic, innovative and unique learning environment provided
by FIDM enables its graduates to respond successfully to the ongoing
changes and challenges that make careers in the fashion-related
industries so rewarding and exciting." FIDM has also been acclaimed
by Karen Kane: Owner/Designer of Karen Kane Inc.; Roger Estrada:
Creative Director of Sony Signatures Licensing; and Wilkes Bashford:
Owner of Wilkes Bashford. All of these industry leaders agree that
the education that FIDM provides a perfect beginning to a career
in the industry, and that it is changing its student's lives.
Along with its international reputation
as an amazing school, FIDM gives its students all the opportunities
they need to succeed. FIDM universities are strategically placed
in fashion and design hotspots so that students are exposed to the
fast paced industry before going into it.
Visit The Fashion Institute of Design
and Merchandising's website at www.fidm.edu to look deeper into
this excellent college's programs, its several fun and exciting
scholarships, to learn about the success of some of FIDM's famous
alumni, or to watch out for the annual televised fashion show featuring
students work.
Founded in 1856 by Vincentians, Niagara
University was first chartered in 1861 as a seminary. Since
its founding, Niagara University has maintained a tradition of emphasis
on both liberal and useful arts and sciences. At Niagara you are
sure to find your dream career within their more than 50 majors
and academic programs.
Niagara University prepares its students
for positions of responsibility in their professions and in broader
society. Niagara seeks to develop a passion for learning in all
of its students. Students experience a gospel-based, value-centered
education. Niagara University's alumni have assumed positions in
virtually every career area. Large concentrations of graduates pursue
various business careers.
Niagara University is located on
the northern limits of the city of Niagara Falls. The 160-acre campus
runs along the top of picturesque Monteagle Ridge overlooking the
Niagara River gorge just four miles north of the world-famous waterfall.
To learn more about Niagara University's
diverse and civic duty based education visit their website at www.Niagara.edu.
Each year New York DECA teams up with its State Business
Partners and National DECA to be able to bring you great scholarship
opportunities. In addition to our SBP, college scholarships and
training is received from both Nazareth College and New England
Culinary Institute. The Executive Council is constantly encouraging
the membership to apply for these scholarships. Through out year
we will be updating the New York DECA website, as well as, putting
articles in the Executive Council Communicator to keep you aware
of the scholarship offers as well as the due dates to apply for
them…so make sure you don't miss out on these great opportunities
that New York DECA is fortunate enough to provide to you and "Be
on the Lookout for Scholarships!"
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