State Business Leadership Conferences 2010

After registering for SBLC 2010, you will receive an invoice that will include the amount you owe.  You may pay for the conference with a credit card using the Google Checkout Donation link below. 

$

April 8-10, 2010, Yakima, WA

Purpose of the State Business Leadership Conference

The purpose of conducting the State Business Leadership Conference is to provide a culminating or capstone experience for the many leadership activities held throughout the year. The Washington State Awards Program is just one of many activities that provide leadership training in order to develop competent, self-assured business leaders.

Included in the State Business Leadership Conference are the following:

1. Personal and professional development, including but not limited to:
   1. conferencing skills
   2. human relations and social skills
   3. career exploration
   4. leadership development
   5. political awareness
   6. networking with business and industry professionals
2. Competitive development through:
   1. individual skill and business concepts events
   2. team events
   3. chapter events
   4. campaigning for state office

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Program Design and Purpose

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Washington State Awards Program is to prepare students for successful careers in business through support for curriculum development and innovative assessment tools. To help meet that charge, this competitive events series has been developed and made available to local chapters for use in assessing students in the various knowledge, skills, and abilities that make up today’s business education curriculum.

PROGRAM DESIGN AND PURPOSE

FBLA is committed to facilitating the transition of its members from their educational development into their career path. The competitive events program plays a central role in delivering this commitment. The program allows members to demonstrate and validate their mastery of essential business concepts, skills, and knowledge. In addition, members participating in this program will:

• demonstrate their career competencies, business knowledge, and job-related skills.
• expand their leadership skills.
• demonstrate their competitive spirit.
• receive recognition for their achievements.

The Washington State FBLA Business Leadership Competitive Event Guidelines have been correlated with the Business Education Curriculum Standards published by the National Business Education Association (NBEA). Each event’s specific guidelines indicate specific standards measured through that competition.

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General Information

State guidelines have been aligned with national guidelines, unless the event has no national progression. You are urged to review these guidelines and rating sheets carefully so as not to miss specific details. These guidelines replace all prior versions and will be in effect beginning with the current year’s FBLA Regional and State Business Leadership Conferences. Any subsequent changes in these guidelines will be distributed to active chapters by the state office and will be clearly labeled as to their effective dates. This document may also be accessed on the State FBLA Web site, www.wafbla.org.

These competitive events are provided as a membership benefit. Only those students who meet the official membership eligibility requirements and are on record as dues-paid members with the national office by February 15, or the regional dues deadline (whichever comes first), are eligible to compete in these events. Membership in FBLA is unified on local, state, and national levels and is not available separately. All membership dues POs initiated in the fall must be paid by February 15.

All state conference fees not paid in full by June 30 will be assessed a $10 late fee per registration on July 1.

The Washington State Awards Program at the State Business Leadership Conference exemplifies the range of activities and focus of Future Business Leaders of America. These events are based on projects developed from the goals of FBLA-PBL and the curricula of business education programs. The WASHINGTON STATE ASSOCIATION OF FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA State Awards Program was developed to assist Washington State chapters in preparing students for competition at the State Business Leadership Conference.

It should be emphasized that competitive events are only one of the many phases of the total FBLA Program and that FBLA competitive events are only one of the strategies used in preparing for advancement in business education and related careers.

Participants should review and use rating sheets for events in preparation for events, as they will be the basis of judging.

The regulations, procedures, eligibility, judging, etc., are periodically adjusted to fit modern business practices. Each active chapter will be advised of these changes. Washington State FBLA always welcomes written comments from local chapters with regard to improving the competitive events.

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Special Note to Advisers and Administrators

Chapter advisers and school administrators are encouraged to keep the following points in mind as they prepare their students for participation in the competitive event series:

• Competitive events are excellent motivating devices; they help to instill the desire to learn and to achieve.
• To be the best generally requires innate ability, high motivation, and many hours of hard work.
• Travel and interaction with students from other schools are tremendous learning opportunities for students.
• Competitive events can be helpful in building school spirit and in publicizing a business program.
• Competitive events should not be used to determine curricula, teaching methodology, time spent on class activities, textbooks to be used, grading procedures, or for teacher evaluations.
• Excessive class time should not be spent on areas covered in competitive events at the expense of other subject matter that should be taught. Delaying contestant selection as long as possible is encouraged so that more students are striving for mastery or excellence in a particular area.
• A teacher’s competence or effectiveness should not be judged by the number of student winners. A teacher is not an excellent teacher simply because a student wins a competitive event any more than a teacher is a poor teacher because a student does not win.
• Likewise, the success of a local chapter should not be determined strictly by the performance of its members in competitive events. While an important element of the overall FBLA program, competitive events are just that – a part. Many activities and programs work together to build a successful chapter.
• Teachers should recognize the value of competitive events, maintain a professional attitude towards the events, and keep them in proper perspective.

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Preparing for Competition

The Washington State FBLA Awards Program is a very exciting part of the FBLA year. Not everyone can go to the State Business Leadership Conference and take home an award. However, members can increase their chances by working with their advisers to ensure careful advanced preparation, adherence to all relevant guidelines and rules, and by following these tips:

• Check the status of membership dues. Students wishing to compete must be paid members on or before February 15 of the current membership year. (See General Information, paragraph
• Ensure that the entry forms are completed properly and submitted by the published deadline. This is the responsibility of the local adviser.
• Check the current edition of the Washington State Business Leadership Competitive Event Guidelines.
• Make, or have competitors make, copies of the appropriate guidelines and rating sheets.

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Regulations for Washington State Competitive Events

1. The Competitive Event Entry Form(s) must be registered with the state office by March 5, the State Business Leadership Conference (SBLC) deadline.
2. Participants must follow additional rules and regulations, as set forth by the Executive Committee and the State Board of Directors, in this handbook and others which will be posted on the state website, http://www.wafbla.org.
3. Supporting documents and/or reports for the following events must be mailed to the state office by March 5:
   1. American Enterprise Project (2 copies)
   2. Business Person of the Year (form and resume)
   3. Business Financial Plan (2 copies)
   4. Business Plan (2 copies)
   5. Community Service Project (2 copies)
   6. Desktop Application Programming
   7. Digital Video Production E-Business (URL entered online)
   8. Electronic Career Portfolio Future Business Leader (see guidelines)
   9. Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit (annual report)
   10. Graphic Design Internet Application Programming
   11. Job Interview (see guidelines)
   12. Largest Percentage of Local Chapter Membership (form)
   13. Local Chapter Annual Business Report (3 copies)
   14. Local Recruitment of Chapters (form)
   15. Outstanding Chapter (see guidelines)
   16. Outstanding Local Chapter Adviser (see guidelines)
   17. Partnership with Business Project (2 copies)
   18. Web Site Development (URL – enter online)
   19. Who’s Who in FBLA (see guidelines)
4. Entries for the Business Achievement Awards Program, Membership Madness, and other recognition awards are to be submitted directly to the National Office. Guidelines may be found in the National Chapter Management Handbook. Virtual Business Challenge is a national competitive event only. Guidelines are also in the National Chapter Management Handbook.
5. Participants failing to submit entries or report on time will not be permitted to compete.

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Judging

The judges will follow guidelines as set forth in this handbook. Rating sheets, where appropriate, are included. The judges, event administrator(s), and/or Board designee(s), are in complete control of the events and THEIR DECISIONS SHALL BE FINAL ON ALL QUESTIONS. The judges are not required to award all places listed if, in their judgment, any or all contestants do not achieve an acceptable level of performance. AWARDS Delegates competing at the National Leadership Conference, as per State Eligibility Requirements, shall receive an amount determined by the State Board of Directors to help meet expenses of attending National Leadership Conference as a representative of Washington State FBLA. Awards will be issued in the delegates’ names to the state-designated travel agent and credited to the total travel cost for each traveler, or issued at the National Leadership Conference. Awards are not available to those making alternate travel arrangements.

School Site Testing Administration

A portion of the skill events is administered prior to the State Business Leadership Conference. The administration of the state School Site Skill Tests will be accomplished by:

• The state office will send the exam(s) to a local test administrator at the student’s location as identified by the chapter adviser during the online registration process.
• FBLA advisers may not be test administrators or proctors.
• The deadline for returning the School Site Skills Test materials will be included with the testing material.
• Mail completed materials to:

Washington State FBLA
SBLC HOME SITE TESTS
1445 Galaxy Drive NE Suite 302
Lacey, WA 98516

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