Oh The Places We Went with FCCLA

This is a guest post by Michelle Starr, Senior, outgoing Secretary/Reporter for FCCLA

and Reporter for the Seneca Moccasin Print. 

This article is to appear in the Summer edition of the Seneca High School Moccasin Print newspaper.

This year was probably one of the busiest the Seneca Chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America.

Our theme this year was “Oh, the Places You’ll Go with Seneca FCCLA”. The officers started off the year with a bang by having a Summer Planning Meeting a few days before school started at the advisor’s, Mrs. Herbert’s, home—in which they discussed rules and guidelines of conduct they as officers were to follow, as well as gathering some ideas for the upcoming year.

At Open House, they handed out cupcakes to celebrate 100 years of Family and Consumer Sciences education, as well as fliers advertising for FCCLA.

In September, a large portion of the members went to the Leadership Planning Meeting held in Carthage. While they were there, the students separated into groups and brought back ideas and information that they learned on a variety of things: including how to perform well on a STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) event, information on cystic fibrosis and the problems of “sexting”, as well as potential college information for those pursuing the FACS fields.

In October, the members also helped STUCO host the Senior Citizen’s banquet—while STUCO prepared the food, FCCLA members helped serve the seniors who attended.

Also in October, four members went to Access FCCLA held in the Tan-Tar-A resort at Lake of the Ozarks. Trevor , Michelle, Shelby, and Elizabethwere divided into three groups, and brought back information on how they could all be leaders in their community, as well as ideas for more student involvement.

One different aspect of FCCLA this year was that it became a class: there were many freshmen admitted into the club due to them taking FCCLA Leadership held in third hour. The students were required to join FCCLA, complete Power of Ones—self motivating activities—participate in a STAR event, and help come up with their own plans on how to help the community. This class helped FCCLA reach one of its highest memberships on record.

Every year, FCCLA sponsors a non-profit organization that helps the community. This year, our primary focus was Children’s Miracle Network. FCCLA helped the whole school become involved by hosting the Advisory Pizza Party contest this year—in which the advisory class that raised the most money would win a pizza party for lunch. With that motivation, the students—as well as some adults—altogether donated $750, in which FCCLA as a whole also donated $250 to make it an even $1000 to our local sponsor for CMN.

In February, seven members also participated in a Rock-A-Thon to raise money for the organization, in which they had to have $50 in donations and/or at least 5 sponsors to attend. They stayed up all night rocking in rocking chairs from 10 pm to 8 am. (adding another $659 to the CMN total).

At the end of March, Kat, Michelle, Breann, and Trevorall attended the State Convention in Columbia. Kat and Michelle participated in a STAR event called Chapter Showcase Manual, in which they showed judges a scrapbook-like manual over everything that they had accomplished this year. The girls were awarded silver. Breann went as a voting delegate, and Trevor went as a youth consultant for STAR Events.

Congratulations to all of the members for their accomplishments that this year, and here’s to hoping for an even more involved year next year. Next year’s members will have to beat this record.

~ Michelle ~

Thank you Michelle for all your hard work and your willingness to serve above and beyond.  All our best to you as you go on to Pitt State in the Fall!