Competitive Events, Calendar- May 18

The 2006-2007 competitive events task force (through DECA, Inc.) will examine the topics of entrepreneurship and finance. If you teach at least one related class and are interested in serving on this committee, please let me know. The meetings will consist of one conference call (early winter), and a 2 or 3 day meeting in Reston. I'd love to see Virginia take part in this as we have each of the three years since its inception.

Most of you are now planning for next year. As you plan your calendars, please make a note that SLC will be March 9-11. I also hope that you will give REAL consideration to attending SoNAR (Southern/North Atlantic Regional Leadership Conference). Every five years the conference combines both regions and meets in Washington, D. C. Since there will be no airfare involved for most of us, I hope that our turnout will be excellent. I will provide you with any additional information you like, but please consider putting this on your calendar. If you've never been, it's a GREAT experience!

The calendar for next year is nearly complete. I am attaching a TENTATIVE calendar for next year. All of the entries on the calendar that are in BLUE FONT are still tentative. Please use this as a guide only.

This will likely be the last group e-mail from this office for the year. It's been another great year in Virginia DECA (historic, even!), and thanks for all that you have done to make things happen! If not before, I look forward to seeing each of you in Virginia Beach in August at the VAME Conference. If you haven't yet registered, what are you waiting for? (http://www.lions2.odu.edu/org/vame/conferences.html) See you there, and have a GREAT SUMMER!

ICDC, Italy (July 07) - May 9

Congratulations on an incredibly successful ICDC!!! Each year we say, "How are we ever going to top that?" But this year we blew away our previous best with 130 Virginians making the stage. A special congratulations to Potomac Falls with THREE national winners! I do hope to have all competitors that made the stage posted before leaving the office on Wednesday. If not, I will definitely have them posted some time next week.

Interested in traveling either to Italy for a fashion/international marketing ADVISOR ONLY trip? If so, you'll need to act soon. We'll offer this one more time to see if the interest is there. If you want more information, please visit http://www.lions2.odu.edu/org/deca/conferences/italy07.html Please be sure to visit it in the near future, as we'll probably decide over the next 4 weeks or so whether or not the trip will make.

SLC Certificates, ICDC Assignments- April 11

As some of you have already noticed, there was a minor "glitch" in the running of the proficiency certificates at SLC. While most of the certificates were printed accurately (and this should impact very few of you), by the time we realized the paper was in backwards, we were out of certificates, and a handful of your students that earned a certificate did not receive it. Please verify your proficiency list below. If your student is on this list and did not receive a certificate, please let me know, and I'll get the replacements out as quickly as possible (they arrived from the printer yesterday, hence the delay). Please check with ALL advisors in your chapter and only send me your COMPLETE list once. I would greatly appreciate it!

SLC PROFICIENCY LIST

Your ICDC memo and assignment lists are now posted on the ICDC page of the Web site. Please read the memo, and print yourself a copy of the assignment list. Most of you do have an assignment, and thank you in advance! Since many of you are out on spring break, I'll remind you of this again in next week's message. And as a friendly reminder, if you'd like to/need to switch assignments with someone, please take care of it and simply make me aware of the change. Don't request a change through this office, as the domino effect created by a single change can really throw us off kilter. I appreciate your help with this.

ICDC, State Fair, '07 Research Topic, et al. - April 4

As you gear up for ICDC in a few weeks, please watch next week's message for your advisor assignments. If you registered a voting delegate, all who opted to be one got their first choice. You will receive information from either myself or Sandi Tucker (delegate advisor) next week.

The "drop-dead deadline" for ICDC changes is 4/24. At this point, refunds can still be provided for national registration, as well as housing, if applicable. No changes or substitutions can be made after 5:00 p.m. on 4/24.

And give credit where credit is due! A special thanks to Park View High School (Sterling) for allowing Virginia DECA to "borrow" their design for the ICDC t-shirt. I'm confident that you and your students will love it.

While making your plans, please note the following dates on your calendar: May 26, DECA Day with the Nationals, and October 3, DECA Day at the State Fair. More details are forthcoming about the Nats game. I hope to have details finalized within the next week or so. Visit the 3/28 e-mail for what we know, and details will be posted under "other events" as soon as they are finalized.

A draft copy of the 2007 research topic is now posted on the SLC page. Please review it, and let me know your thoughts within the next week. I will compile them and forward them to the appropriate people at DECA, Inc.

And finally--and certainly most importantly--by now I'm sure you have learned of the untimely passing of Dianne Tremblay, a true friend of DECA, as well as a friend to many of us personally. Please keep her and her loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.

ICDC, YStreet, Etc. - March 28

Don't forget--TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO GET ME YOUR ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION DATA, HOUSING FORM, AND INVOICE. If you don't have the registration in, you obviously won't be registered, and without the housing invoice, I cannot guarantee that you will get a room. I have to send in our room block first thing Wednesday morning, so please be sure I have it!!!

DART Passes--Do not buy DART passes! The DART passes you can purchase through the Tours Form are the same passes we will receive when we check in the hotel. They will bring you in a "loop" through the city, including the restaurant district. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear earlier, but I was working on sketchy information myself.

The pricing for the Nationals "DECA Day with the Nats" is finalized and will be $19. This will include your speaker series, other entertainment, lower outfield seats, and a $10 food voucher. I still am working on details, but I think that should be enough to plan with. The date is Friday, May 26. I'll keep you posted.

And finally, if your students are interested in being a part of the YStreet team (the Ydouthink people through the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation), training dates have been set. My daughters did this last year and had a BLAST. I'll hope that you will point your students to our Web site at:

http://www.lions2.odu.edu/org/deca/students/yst06.html

Please point this out to them and let them decide. It really is a great opportunity, and the VTSF has been an incredible partner with Virginia DECA. Plus, they get lots of free stuff!

Have a great week!

 

ICDC-March 21

As you're making your plans for ICDC, please remember that I will need to have your HOUSING FORM, INVOICE, and your ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION by 3/28, no exceptions. If you are sharing rooms with another chapter(s), please, everyone still needs to complete the housing form, and each should be cross-referenced with all roommates. If it takes you a little longer to have the check in, we can live with that. I realize that some of your bookkeepers tend to get things processed more quickly than others.

One important note on sharing rooms with another chapter: If you are sharing a room with another chapter, please note that you should be arriving on the same day. If one group is arriving on Friday, and another arriving on Saturday, someone still has to pay for the entire room on Friday, not just a portion of it. You'll need to "settle up" between yourselves. If you need help with the pricing, please contact me. It's much easier to make those arrangements in advance.

And many of you have had questions about the current pricing structure. I know, it's confusing, but don't read more into it than is already there. The pricing structure includes your lodging, registration, and insurance based on your arrival date and competitive status. Don't try and extrapolate anything to or from it. The only change you might make to this stated prices is to add $15 per person for the conference pack for non-competitors (it's already included in the competitors' pricing). Discounts are already built in for your competitors, and you should need to make no additional changes. I've tried to make it as simple as I know how.

39 chapters down, 55 to go on getting you your scores. I thought I would be able to get them all to you this week, but I'm beginning to wonder. I promise you I'm working as diligently as I can in getting those returned to you, so thanks for your patience and understanding. There are a lot of sheets to pull!

SLC, ICDC-February 14

Attached are your SLC assignments, and THANK YOU for helping! We certainly can't do it without you. I will also post this list on the SLC page of the Web site.

Remember, if you need to make a substitution for a competitor, your chapter must already have a competitor's slot in that event. We cannot create any new competitive slots from this point forward. Be particularly careful with MDM cancellations, as it will affect BOTH members of the team if you don't find a substitution. You can sub through 3/1 for competitors, and you can sub non-competitors through the onset of the conference. Providing member IDs of the members is most helpful when making a sub.

If you are interested in running for the Virginia DECA Board of Trustees, four spots are available. You can find the application on the Board of Trustees Web page, and applications are due to be received by 3/22. Please consider running!

The Capitals hockey game has been cancelled, but the good news is that we will have DECA Day with the Nationals on May 26. Details are still forthcoming, but it should be a great day. Put it on your calendar now. It will make a great end of the year social for your chapter, and it's a great way to keep them learning up until the very end.

And finally, if you have a student that has a conflict with the IB English test and ICDC, please let me know their name(s). Some of our Fairfax County friends are making arrangements for alternate testing, and are willing to help you, space permitting.

SLC, ICDC-February 14

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a special one with your love muffin...

I'll be brief, but please read through this.

First, don't forget that you MUST HAVE YOUR STUDENTS REGISTERED ELECTRONICALLY FOR SLC BY THURSDAY, 2/16. There are no exceptions. If your check is not ready yet, that's ok, but I MUST have your electronic data by Thursday or your students will not be able to compete. We don't want this to happen, so don't let this fall through the cracks. Please!

DECA Inc. informed me over the weekend that all members that are not paid by MARCH 1 will not be eligible for ICDC attendance. Therefore, if you have a student that has not yet affiliated, but might attend ICDC in a leadership capacity, etc., I need their names ASAP. As long as you have provided me with a signed invoice for names that I currently have, I will pay for them prior to 3/1 so that they won't be at risk, and will take your check when it gets here. However, if they follow through with this and I don't have your student's name, s/he will not be able to attend ICDC. We don't want that to happen either!

If you are attending SLC and can be there by 2 p.m. on Friday, I am looking for 6 students to sit on the nominating committee for the state office interviews. No experience is required, and they will be trained in what to do. The only stipulation is that they cannot be part of a chapter that has a state officer candidate. Please send me their names, and I'll take the first two from each area to reply (or possibly from the first two chapters from each area).

And we STILL have plenty of room left on the Spirit of Norfolk. We'd love to have you join us.

Scholarships, SLC-February 8

Only 5 more weeks until SLC! I hope that you and your students are getting excited amongst the "DECA madness" going on in your rooms right now.

Please remember to send your invoice along with your conference check. I greatly appreciate it! (Found in Section K of your Chapter Mgmt Guide)

Many of you have been inquiring about what to do with your scholarship applications. APPLEGATE scholarships come to my office, and must be received by 3/1. All other national applications should be received by DECA, Inc. by February 17, and should be mailed to:

DECA, Inc.
1908 Association Drive
Reston VA 20191

Hand-written applications or OK, but if you have access to a typewriter, it's always good to be a little neater than the next guy. Please share this information with your applicants, as I've been getting a lot of student inquiries.

There are still plenty of slots left on the Spirit of Norfolk cruise, so I hope you opt to use them!

Unfortunately we're nearing the time where e-mails may be coming out more frequently than once per week. I apologize in advance for this inconvenience, and promise you that I'll limit them as best I can.

SLC Reminders- January 31

A few friendly reminders as you go through your SLC registrations:

Please remember to send your invoice along with your check (Section K, Chapter Management Guide).

Pay special attention to the MDM registration guidelines, as they are new this year! (Page K6, Chapter Management Guide) They state that you may have one team per chapter per event. However, the TOTAL number of teams you may register is based on your membership, using the these guidelines:

• 0-25 members=1 team
• 26-50 members=2 teams
• 51-75 members=3 teams
• 76-100 members=4 teams
• 101-125 members=5 team
• 126+ members=6 teams (one per each event).

We don't want you to have to go back to your kids and remove them from an event that they are expecting to be in, so please plan accordingly.

Each chapter may only register 2 SLDA participants.

And finally, don't forget that your ICDC packets are now posted on the Web.

Newsletter, Superstars, Quiz Bowl, MDMs- January 24

The winter newsletter, created for your and your students via the state officers, is now posted on the Web site (STUDENT TOOLS/NEWSLETTER). I hope that you will use it!

The superstar chapters, to-date, have also been posted. Visit ADVISOR TOOLS/MEMBERSHIP/GENERAL INFO and click on the link to the superstar chapters. THIS LIST DOES NOT REFLECT 100% CHAPTERS. If you have a 100% chapter, and are not listed as a superstar chapter, please notify me. I have to pull this list by hand, and don't want your chapter to "slip through the cracks." Play it safe and let me know!

Congratulations to the following four schools that will have qualified to take part in game show portion of the Quiz Bowl:

Classroom on the Mall, Pembroke
Oscar Smith High School
Fauquier High School
Clarke County High School

Thanks to all of you that participated. The number of tests taken was overwhelming, and it was good to see so many of you sitting for the test.

And finally, there has been some confusion as to the number of Team Decision Making (MDM) entrants per chapter for SLC. Please revisit page K-6 in your Chapter Management Guide for details. The number of entries, per chapter, is now based on your membership.

Quiz Bowl, SLC, Membership- January 17

Don't forget, while many of you said you are testing for the Quiz Bowl this week, a few of you did not identify which day your students will sit for the test. The password is different for each day, so let me know.

There is still plenty of space on the Spirit of Norfolk for the Friday afternoon cruise during SLC. Many of you have asked about whether or not you will still be able to attend the advisor meeting on Friday. While the details have not yet been finalized, don't worry about it. I'll make separate arrangements for you. Enjoy the cruise, and get those registration forms in! (Found on the SLC page of the Web site.)

Within the next few days I will have your membership posted. This will help you to identify A), whether or not your chapter has achieved "Superstar" status, and B), how many MDM teams will be eligible to attend SLC from your chapter. This will be placed on the SLC page of the Web site before the week is out. Honest. :') (By the way, we are only 28 additions away from being the first ever state association to reach 12,000!)

And finally, kudos to our own Jay Walker for attaiting "Citizen of the Year" in Fairfax County, sponsored by the Community Times. You can read more about it at http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab5.asp?brd=2553&pag=460&dept_id=511694. We're proud to have our own represented with such a significant honor.

Performance Indicators, TSE, Awards- January 10

Apparently some of your DA's have opted to share the performance indicators with their teachers. As a result, I'm getting a lot of questions about the new indicator this year, "Emotional Intelligence." Like the others, you can find a description of performance indicators on the MarkEd Web site at http://www.mark-ed.com/deca_dex/index.htm

In addition, if you have a student that is participating in the Technical Sales Event, it turns out that the product(s) for this category are proprietary and not broad-based. The company with the information you need has been bombarded, and will no longer accept e-mail or telephone calls from DECA members. As a result, I will have the information you need--sent directly from the company--posted on the SLC Web page by the end of the day.

Don't forget to complete your applications for the "Outstanding DECA Advisor Award, found on the Web site under ADVISOR TOOLS/FORMS." All who are eligible will be recognized by DECA, Inc., and we want you ALL to take part! In addition, don't forget your application for the POW awards (community service and state charity awards). Those applications can be found on the Web site under STUDENT TOOLS/POW.

Quiz Bowl Testing, and Happy New Year! - January 2

Happy new year! I hope you enjoyed a well earned rest over the holidays. If you're like me, rest was out of the question, but at least it was fun.

The Quiz Bowl test is online and ready to go! The Quiz Bowl testing dates are January 17-19. Testing/proctoring requirements, as well as software instructions, can be found on the SLC page of the Web site.

BECAUSE WE ARE USING A NEW SOFTWARE FOR THIS TEST, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU TAKE THE SAMPLE TEST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You are also required to register your chapter for the test. A simple e-mail identifying your chapter as a testing chapter will suffice.

If you plan to take the test, please download the file called "sample test" and take the test yourself. It will only take a minute or two. The password to enter this sample test is "test". What we really are checking is to see if you have any restrictions on your computers that will create an obstacle, and that you are scores are being submitted correctly. It's important that we not have any surprises the day of the test.

When you complete the sample test, a screen will show up that says "Internet File Transfer." Watch this screen closely. If you have an error, I need to know as soon as possible. I will know if your scores are submitted as they should be, but I will NOT know if they are not, and need you to let me know.

Have a GREAT 2006!!!

DECA Day with the Capitals, New Outstanding Advisor Award - December 13

While the details are still being ironed out, the date is official. Virginia DECA Day with the Capitals is going to be on Wednesday, April 5. The format will be similar to the Wizards--pregame workshops, facility tour, etc., followed by the game. Details will follow as they develop, but if you are interested, please mark it on your calendar. I hope you're looking as forward to it as I am!

DECA, Inc. is sponsoring a new award this year for all outstanding DECA advisors. I hope that you will take the time to complete and return the application. I'm not going to attach the application because many of your systems filter my messages when an attachment is sent. However, you can find the application on the Forms Page of the Virginia DECA Web site. THIS IS NOT A CONTEST, AND THERE IS NO LIMIT TO HOW MANY OF YOU WILL BE RECOGNIZED. Therefore, look at the application, don't be modest, and if you qualify, be sure to submit your application!

If I don't talk with you again before your holiday break, have a fantastic Christmas or holiday season!

dbay, DECA Day with the Wizards- November 28

Time to get a little of your holiday shopping done by visiting dbay! We truly do have some outstanding items to auction, so I hope that you'll visit the auction. While it officially begins next Monday, the pages are now posted, and you can visit them and do a little "window shopping." I'll be out of town the rest of the week, so if you place a bid during this week, it won't show up until next Monday morning. However, please take this week to help us promote the auction with your students, colleagues, employers, friends and family, etc. The more the merrier. And if you should think of something worth donating at the last minute, let me know! I'll get it posted next Monday morning (so be sure to check the last page of auction items next Monday, and be sure to hit your refresh button). We WILL make arrangements to get all paid items to you before the holiday season. Just visit www.virginiadeca.com for a link to dbay.

If you're heading to the Wizards' game this week, have a great time. We have a large crowd in attendance again this year, and a good program in place. I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to join you this year at the game, but would love to have your feedback following the event.

DECA Day, Membership, DECA Day with the Wizards- November 17

HAPPY BELATED DECA DAY (sorry, I was out of town yesterday), and exciting news. I just finished processing your memberships, to date, then did a comparison to last year based on the original registration deadline. Last year the day after the deadline we had 7201 members. This year we have a WHOPPING 9139!!! Wow. We just keep growing, thanks to YOU! It's really exciting to see us go through such growth, and I hope you and your students are excited about it as I am. You are the BEST!

Many of you have asked about missing the initial deadline. Don't sweat the check. I know your bookkeepers all have their own system. However, if you have not yet submitted your names online, please do so as soon as possible. You can always send an additions roster (and I hope you will), but please get your initial roster in.

Then remember to send your DECA Day Response Form for the Chapter Management Guide to be recognized at SLC.

Don't forget that the registration deadline for DECA Day at the Wizards is TOMORROW. If you have plans to attend but will not be ready by tomorrow, I'm sure they will work with you as long as seats are available. However, be sure to contact Pete Leibman at the Wizards and make arrangements at pleibman@washsports.com as soon as possible.

P.S. Keep those members coming. Wooohoooo!

Online Auction, Virtual Business Challenge, Merit Award/Honor Society Changes- November 1

Back again to support the Virginia DECA Foundation, the second annual "d-bay" online auction will take place in early December. The state officers (and a few of you!) have worked hard to find items that you will want to buy just in time to complete your holiday shopping list. Here are just a few things you'll be able to purchase at the auction:

A pearl necklace	iPod Nano (new and in the package!)
Wizards VIP tickets	Hotel stays
SPORTS EDITION of Virtual Business and site license	Golf outings
Gift certificates	DVD players
A date with Bobby Hobbs (and other officers)

And much more! Stay tuned for a flyer coming out later this month, including a complete list of offerings. (And if you have something you can contribute that will be worthwhile, we'd still love to have it. Contact Mickey Kosloski)

The Virtual Business Challenge registration has begun, and the first contest begins on November 7. If you've never participated before, go for it. It's FREE, it's fun, your kids will LOVE it (they will actually work on this from home), and it has tremendous instructional value. If you teach SEM, they even have a new simulation to use in your class (as well as a new VB Challenge). For details, visit http://www.lions2.odu.edu/org/deca/advisors/update11105.html.

As you know, the Merit Award and Honor Society recipients will not be recognized on stage this year. Instead we will use that time to bring in a motivational speaker. This is what you've told us you want, and this is what you'll get! For those of you disappointed in that decision, please take a minute to read the rationale behind the decision. It was not made lightly! You can find it at http://www.lions2.odu.edu/org/deca/advisors/update11105.html.

Wizards, SLC, Holiday Lessons- October 25

Good to see many of you at the OTCs over the past few weeks, and I think I've visited more chapters this year than ever before. It looks like you're off to another energetic start!

For those of you planning on attending DECA Day with the Wizards, please note that the date is Friday, December 2 (not Friday, December 3, as stated previously on the Web site. My apologies!). The registration deadline is November 18th, and this looks like it will be our biggest event yet. If you've attended in the past, you'll be happy to know that in addition to a few new twists, the Wizards have put together a vendor show during the "down time" between the program and the game to include college reps and fundraiser companies. Hopefully this will help to keep your students busy and entertained, and maybe get a nugget or two.

Thank your Board members for approving a cruise on The Spirit of Norfolk at SLC! There will be a cruise on Friday afternoon, boarding at 2:30, and running from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The cruise can only host 410 people, so once the details have been received, reservations will be taken on a first come, first served basis. The cruise will have snacks, a DJ, maybe some dancing, and a tour down the Elizabeth River (very nice). The cost will be approximately $25 per participant. More details will come as soon as I have them, but start thinking about it now.

If you are arriving on Thursday, I am trying to find out if there is interest in attending a 7 p.m. dinner cruise. The cost will be approximately $43. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE THURSDAY CRUISE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. This is not a reservation or a commitment, but rather a legitimate estimate of how many you would expect to bring (if any). If we don't have enough interest, I won't plan it.

And finally, we have Halloween right around the corner, followed by Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you have a holiday oriented lesson, please share it! I'd love to see a full listing of holiday lessons that you can share with each other. I KNOW that you have them out there... :o)

Newsletter, OTC, SRLC, Wizards vs. Capitols- September 20

The fall edition of the Virginia DECA student newsletter, The DECA Distributor, is online and ready to go! Because there have been distribution challenges in the past, we won't be sending out hard copies. You can view it online, or a print friendly version is available. Our hope is that this will increase the accessibility of the newsletter for each of you. I speak for the officers when I say we hope you like it!

The interest in SRLC in Orlando continues to grow, and I'm very excited about so many of you attending. Several of you have asked about the cost of the theme park tickets. To clarify, one day at Universal with transportation is included in your registration fee. You may purchase an additional day from the DECA Inc. Web site.

Remember that the OTC registration deadline is September 27. If you are attending the second OTC and need a couple of extra days, let me know. However, please be sure that we have your DATA as close to that date as possible. We'll take the check whenever it gets here or on site.

And finally, we have another SEM opportunity IF you are interested. I've been contacted by the Washington Capitols (NHL), and they would like to provide us with a SEM program and a game in the spring. Last year we had a big program with the Wizards in December, but the April outing was very small, and therefore the Wizards did not put together as attractive a package for us in the spring. My question to you is, would you attend an April Caps game if I were to make the arrangements? It would likely be a Wednesday or a Friday night. (In your message, please specify which of these days of the week you would prefer.) If I don't hear from you, I'll assume the interest is limited and won't pursue it. However, I think it would be a good opportunity to view another professional sports franchise with a differing outlook on marketing (especially given the leagues' recent struggles). This is NOT intended to take the place of the Wizards' game in December. This is merely a second sporting opportunity at a different point in the year. I look forward to hearing from you.

State Fair, SRLC, Scholarships- September 13

Updates and other important DECA notices will be placed here, so come back often!

You're all in full swing now, and I hope you're having a great start to this year. Everyone seems to be happy, as well you should. You ARE number one!

A few planning notes. Be sure to finalize your plans for the State Fair. It sounds like we're going to have our best turnout ever. Be sure to keep an eye out for the State Fair scavenger hunt (not yet posted). Once it's posted, make copies for your students, let them complete it at the Fair, then visit the DECA booth for a prize. We look forward to meeting you there.

There also seems to be more interest than usual for the Southern Region Leadership Conference, and I'm thrilled to see everyone diving it. If you've never been, consider it. It's a GREAT conference for your chapter leadership. You can find more information, as well as registration information, on the SRLC pages under conferences (as well as your Chapter Management Guide).

DECA, Inc. is providing a new award for new advisors, as well as veteran advisors. Criteria will be sent out to you in the next few weeks. The application will be somewhat similar to our Annual Report (but far less exhaustive), and we'd like to see you all apply. Most of you already do everything on the application, so I hope you'll take the time to complete the application and submit it. I'd like to see every one of your recognized for your hard work!

Virtual Business is providing scholarships beginning this year. Be sure to check out the scholarship page for details.

And finally, way to go Potomac Falls and Kempsville High Schools! Both were recognized in the September edition of DECA Dimensions. Be sure to check out their accomplishments.

PS DA's, you have a special request from Nana Boateng, Northern Area VP. Please take a moment to visit the forms page and take a peek!

SRLC, CMG - August 23

I have learned some very exciting news about the Southern Region Conference in Orlando in November. The opening session for the conference will NOT be an auditorium style opening session. Rather, it will be conducted at the Fear Factor venue at Universal, and promises to be very unique and exciting. If you were on the fence about attending, I hope this will put you over the top. We have a lot of Virginians interested in attending this year, so I look forward to seeing you all there. If you have already downloaded that section of your CMG, please revisit the Web site. Errors were made on one of the registration pages and have now been corrected (thanks, Pat).

And speaking of your CMG, if and when errors are noted, I will make the necessary changes and repost, noting which pages have been revised, as well as the revision date. For those of you keeping hard copies, this should make it simpler to print only those pages that have been revised. For those of you that like to print out the entire Guide, I hope to have the entire Guide up in a single document in .pdf format within the next day or two.

Have a great year!

Welcome Back! - August 15

Welcome back for another year (or for some of you, welcome to the fold!). It was great to see so many of you at VAME, and it seems like you're geared up for another record setting year. It's also very exciting to begin the year as the nation's largest state association, and I'm confident will continue with that trend. I know you're busy planning, signing out books, calling on employers, etc.--you know, the FUN stuff. :o) While you are putting your year together, please make note of a few of the following items:

**The Web site scavenger hunt is now posted and online. I hope that you'll use it. I have a LOT of giveaways for this year.
**The Chapter Management Guide is not being provided in hard copy, so please download your copy early. If revisions are made, they will be clearly noted on the Web site.
**The calendar is current, but I'd love for you to consider a few of the following events:

The State Fair, September 27
State Sponsored Officer Training Conference (OTC), October 1 and 15
Southern Region Leadership Conference (SRLC), November 2-4 (Orlando)
DECA Day with the Wizards, December 2

You will find details for these events online in the conferences section of the Web site. If you've never attended one of these, why not let this year be your trend setting year? You won't regret it. If you are interested in attending the SRLC, and possibly extending your stay a few days for additional marketing activities, please contact Cheryl Lawrence at Fairfax HS at cheryl.lawrence@fcps.edu. She is attempting to put together some group packages for all interested parties.

If you know of a new advisor or an advisor that didn't receive this message, please make me aware so that I can place them on this list. E-mails will be sent out on Tuesdays.

Finally, new advisors will do well to have a mentor as you enter the year. If you need assistance in locating one, please feel free to call or reply to this e-mail, and I'll do what I can. Have a GREAT year!

Archives from 2004-2005