The Helping Up Mission is a non-profit organization in Baltimore that works with poor and homeless men, many of whom are recovering alcoholics and addicts. All the residents at the facility are there because they made a choice to improve their lives, and the Helping Up Mission leads them through a year-long twelve step program suited to their individual intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual needs.

Because the Helping Up Mission only serves men, River Hill FBLA contacted another organization, Suited to Succeed, which serves the unemployed women of Baltimore by giving them business attire and hosting workshops.  Suited to Succeed received the female business attire that River Hill FBLA collected.

The business attire was collected with the help of River Hill students, parents, and the community.  Many businesses in the area offered to have collection boxes in their workplaces, accounting for the bulk of our donations.  In total, River Hill FBLA collected over 400 pieces of business attire.

In conjunction with the business attire collections, River Hill FBLA decided organizing a workshop for the men of the Helping Up Mission could make an even greater impact.  After some deliberation, the decision was made to bring in Ms. Kathryn Grad to present the workshop.

Mrs. Grad is the president and owner of Kathryn Grad Consulting, LLC, and works with different companies, individuals, and teams to improve leadership, communication, and visioning to help them achieve their goals. This background and her previous partnerships with River Hill FBLA made her an ideal candidate.

The workshop was held in the chapel of the Helping Up Mission with about ninety men and six officers.  The workshop spoke about visioning, encouraging listeners to stop living in the past and start living their goals every day.

The workshop was interactive and kept all the attendees engrossed with what Ms. Grad had to say.  The men were encouraged to share their past and their visions with the people sitting next to them, and Ms. Grad offered her assistance for those that needed a little direction in realizing their vision.

The workshop was empowering to everyone in attendance.  Ms. Grad and the officers felt appreciation from the men in every “thank you” and handshake exchanged.  The officers were able to see the impact of their service first hand, and the experience was unforgettable.  River Hill FBLA and the Helping Up Mission look forward to more partnerships and to making and even greater impact on these men’s lives.

River Hill was especially satisfied with this workshop because it directly aligns with the goals of FBLA-PBL.  The business attire helps to prepare these men and women for the workforce, and the workshop inspired the men to start living their visions for a better future.

On February 2nd, 2012 River Hill High School’s Future Business Leaders of America conducted its very first Job Shadow Day.  This project was spear-headed by Justin Rosenstein and Lyle Siegel, and was a great success. The River Hill chapter networked with professionals in the local community and found professionals for members to shadow.

This day provided a great experience for members as they shadowed a professional in the field of their interest. The students gained first hand experience as they followed their perspective professional, learning what occurs on a regular basis and what skills are required in order to be successful in the particular profession. We had a total of fifteen individuals who ranged in interests from law to personal finance to fire fighting.

At the end of the day, the students wrote a reflection on what they learned and what happened during their shadow day. Below is a reflection of a student who participated. Overall, the students had a great experience and are excited for the next Job Shadow Day, which will take place on April 26th.

For my Job Shadow Day, I worked with the management of the Holiday Inn Hotel that is located at the intersection of 175 and route 1. I began the day by meeting Mr. Jack Warner, the general manager. He introduced me to the rest of the management and showed me what happens on a normal day.  I then shadowed Mr. Shawn, who was the accounting director. He showed me the importance of keeping records and the many expenses of a hotel business. I then worked with the director of sales. He explained to me how to market a business and what specific things bring in more customers. At around 12:30 Mr. Stephen Smith came to the Holiday Inn and we ate in its new restaurant. Mr. Smith is the Executive Vice President of the Chesapeake Hospitality. Mr. Smith and his associates work as managerial consultants that guide perspective hotels and use their knowledge to make the best decisions for these hotels.
I had learned much from this experience. I learned how much goes into a hotel to keep it profitable and how networking is 

a major component to the business world. I enjoyed this Job Shadow Day and I hope that I will have an even better one in April.

The program began with a welcome and an explanation of what each of the letters in FBLA, future, business, leadership, and America mean in regards to the organization.

Unfortunately, the program was cut short because our keynote speaker, Ms. Kelsey Kleinhen, owner of Kelsey’s Kloset, was unable to come.

After recognizing several individuals whose contributions to the organization were instrumental, the program continued with the installment of the officers by chapter adviser Mrs. Teresa Waters.  Each officer was called forward and read their duties.  Then upon agreeing to these duties, the officer lit a candle to symbolize their commitment to the organization.  Once all the candles were lit, the officers stepped forward and took an oath of responsibility to the organization.

Each of the new general members in attendance was then inducted into the organization.  They were called up to receive a certificate and a pin.  After all the members had been called up, they repeated the oath of membership.

The officers read the FBLA creed, which outlines the beliefs of FBLA-PBL.  Then after some closing remarks, the attendees were invited to partake in some of Mrs. Waters’ famous punch and cake.  

In addition, we will begin to master our various business skills, including marketing, talking to adults, preparing presentations, communication and innovation in achieving our goals of making a positive impact on the school and the planet.

Being involved in this project is a great way to get more out of FBLA and boost your resume and leadership skills. We hope you all are as enthusiastic and excited about the project as we are. For more information, please visit http://gogreen.rhfbla.org or email: hsandler@rhfbla.org.

Members were able to use the opportunity to network with alumni and other members in a relaxed setting full of holiday cheer.  It was a great way to have a bit of FBLA fun right before winter break.

The provided dinner was delicious salad, ravioli, and potluck-style deserts.  Attendees also had the opportunity to decorate cookies with frosting, sprinkles, and candy for their sweet-tooth needs.

An impromptu alumni panel near the end of the night allowed past members to share their favorite FBLA memories and experiences, as well as how FBLA has helped them in college and their jobs.  It helped to show members that River Hill FBLA is much more than it seems, and that it will stick with you beyond high school.

The karaoke proved entertaining for everyone, as members had a chance to show off their vocal performance skills to any song of their choice.  At the end of the night, there was a special performance by Mrs. Waters and the officer team to “We are Family”.

The Holiday Social was a nice break from the business attire workshops that River Hill FBLA usually holds and allowed members to have some fun before the holidays.  The officer team hopes that next year’s social will have even greater attendance with just as much, if more, merriment.

This year from December 5th through December 9th, record numbers of FBLA members came to the Information Center after school to compete in preliminary testing.

The large membership of the River Hill FBLA chapter necessitates a preliminary round of testing to choose the best people to place in the regional conference.  In years past, the chapter has accommodated every member that has shown an interest in competing, but for for the first time, people were turned away due to the massive amount of interested people and the limited number of people the chapter can enter.  

The people were chosen based on the test scores of the given event.  Other people who were not placed in their first choice event were placed based on the second and third choices they indicated on their interest sheet..  Officers tried to place people in an event individuals would be interested in and succeed in to the best of their ability, given the constraints.

Everyone entered in a competitive event received a study guide the week before winter break in order to prepare for the regional conference on February 11, 2012, and regional testing beforehand during the second week of January.  Those students that place on the regional level will be able to move on to the state conference in Hunt Valley on April 19th through the 22nd.

River Hill FBLA is very excited about this year’s competitive event season and looks forward to keeping up with a decade of success.

The following week, based on test scores and the input in the interest sheets, all interested students (if space permits) will be placed in an event to test in at the Regional Level Conference on February 11th, 2012.

Participating in a competitive event gives students a chance to be competitive. It also allows students to attend conferences, which provide excellent networking opportunities with business professionals and other FBLA students within the region, state, and nation. Attending a conference is a unique experience that can open doors for new opportunities.

Students heard from Mr. Joe Cox, who is the owner of two McDonald’s franchises, one in Clarksville, and the other in Baltimore.  Mr. Cox attended the Naval Academy and worked at a small company before opening his first McDonald’s.

Through Mr. Cox’s presentation, students were able to gain a better understanding of the stock market and the free enterprise system. Mr. Cox kept the students engaged by offering McDonald’s coupons to members that answered questions correctly.  By sharing his personal experiences with the Free Enterprise System, students were able to understand it better and see it on a more intimate level.

FBLA members then got to test their skills with an exciting stock market activity.  Each student was given fifteen “Hawk Dollars” which they used to buy sticks from ten different recognizable businesses.  Just like dealing in the real stock market, the activity was fast-paced and hectic. The prices changed constantly based on different “news flashes”.  As the game progresses, members could cash in at the bank and buy new stocks, but the object remained constant—to make the most profit by buying low and selling high.

Students then turned in envelopes containing all their earnings, and while attendees ate dinner, the winners were calculated.  After dinner, winners were announced and received a small door prize.

Also in attendence were two Maryland state officers, Julia Menton, State Reporter-historian, and Thomas Ozman, Region 6 Vice President.  River Hill FBLA was honored to host the officers for one of their chapter visits. Overall, American Enterprise was an overwhelming success,  It educated more students about the Free Enterprise system, which is one of the FBLA-PBL missions.

The American Enterprise Day Workshop is one of the biggest events River Hill FBLA holds. The 2011 workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM in the Media Center. Attendance is strongly recommended. Attendees will hear from an esteemed guest speaker and participate in an exciting mock stock market game. Special guests include Maryland FBLA state officers and local business owners.

You must be a registered RHFBLA member in order to attend. Dinner will be provided. Attire is business casual. Please RSVP online: http://goo.gl/FXVt4

Learn more about business casual here: http://www.career.vt.edu/JobSearchGuide/BusinessCasualAttire.html