THE
DEVANG SAMPAT
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
GOLDPOST
ISSUE 3 SPRING
APRIL 2010
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION SERVING THE GOLD COAST SECTION OF CALIFORNIA FBLA
GOLD COAST SECTION CONFERENCE
Dear Gold Coast, To say that this has been an amazing year would be an understatement. As a section and on a personal level, we have grown in ways I never thought were possible. This year has been challenging to us in many ways; made worse by the effects of the economy on our schools and our families. However, we have all preserved and grown. As a section, we are geographically the smallest in size, but with the largest membership! And our ideas and programs influence other sections to do the same to make FBLA “simply the best.” None of this would be possible, however, without your help. Therefore, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you for helping make Gold Coast the best in the state. I am proud of you and all that you have done to make Gold Coast, in short, awesome. As a senior, I know that the memories I have of FBLA will never leave me, and I am sure that other seniors will agree that the exhilarating experiences it provided were one of a kind. For those who are new or returning to FBLA, I implore you to grab every opportunity you have, and participate in every activity, because I can positively say that it will change your life for the better - I know it definitely changed mine.
Campaigner’s organizing materials
By Devang Sampat A record-breaking of over 900 members and advisers gathered at West Ranch High School for the annual Section Leadership Conference on March 6. Despite the rain, members competed, attended workshops, and enjoyed FBLA Day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. At the opening session, three confident young men enthused sec-
GOING GREEN
tion attendees in the competition for the All -Stars pageant. A unanimous decision by the judges crowded Conner Velarde from Moorpark this year’s All-Star winner. The day concluded at the Magic Moments Theater for
the Awards of Excellence ceremony. Congratulations to Moorpark High School for defending their first place title in Sweepstakes, the longest winning streak in Gold Coast’s history.
A High School poses for a picture with awards onstage at the Section Conference
By Leslie Chang Like health care, climate change is a hard subject to deal with. But eight courageous schools took on the challenge and completed the first ever Go Green Section Project, bringing them pride and recognition at Section, as those select members were awarded with green ribbons for their nametags. Members from Alhambra, Arroyo, Gabrielino, Jefferson Middle, Moorpark, San Marino, South El Monte, and Walnut FBLA chapters made an effort to spread go green awareness around their community. Commend them for their hard work and dedication in saving our earth, and we hope that the success of these chapters will encourage more participants in next year’s project.
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT Gabrielino FBLA's March of Dimes Pie-in-the-Face By Jennifer Tran Throughout the month of February, Gabrielino High School FBLA distributed buckets to teachers' classrooms raise money for the March of Dimes. To encourage students to donate in teachers' buckets, the FBLA decided that if its goal of $1000 was met, all participating teachers would be pied in the face with whipped cream. If not, then only the top five teachers were pied. The student who donated the most money to a teacher's bucket also received the privilege of pieing his or her teacher in the face. On March 12, after the donating period ended, Gabrielino FBLA held its fifth annual March of Dimes Pie-in-theFace event, which was an ultimate success. All participating teachers were given March of Dimes paraphernalia such as notebooks, T-shirts, and caps, all donated by the March of Dimes. Not only did Gabrielino FBLA raised a total of nearly $2,000, exceeding their goal of $1,000! Gabrielino High’s Mrs. Steele getting pied in the face by several students.
BECOME A LEADER By Angela Chang Leaders are not born; they are made. Attention all 9th and 10th grade members – here is a grand opportunity for you! Gold Coast is seeking for ambitious members to lead and take this Section to greater heights, and if this is you, apply to be a Leadership Associate today. As a Leadership Associate, you will be assisting the newly elected section officer team in all related section events and will be taught the ropes of being a section officer. Only members currently in 9th and 10th grade are eligible to apply. Application is available on the Gold Coast blog. For more information, please contact Devang Sampat via e-mail at goldcoastpresident@cafbla.org.
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FUEL YOURSELF FOR THE STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE By Angela Chang Congratulations to all who qualified to the 2010 California State Leadership Conference (SLC)! Our Section Leadership C o n fe r e n c e was highly competitive but it is no comparison to the caliber of difficulty that SLC will be b r i n g i n g t o t h e table. Hopefully, you have been studying since our section conference because SLC is only less than a month away! To help you prepare for the intense competition happening on April 15-18 in Irvine, CA, study at least one hour every night! A good strategy may be to create flashcards and study them for one hour, then take a practice test for another, or even alter between days of studying. If more than one of you from your chapter are competing in the same event, study together! Especially with Spring Break coming up, take advantage of the free time you may now have. Placing at the section level is great, but placing at the state level is FANTASTIC. Who knows, you may even be able to compete at the National Leadership Conference this summer! Don't just study hard, study smart!
Congratulations to the newly elected Gold Coast officer team! Your 2010-2011 Gold Coast Section Officers are: President – Leslie Chang, Arcadia High School VP of Activities – Jennifer Tran, Gabrielino High School VP of Membership – Ava Chang, Diamond Bar High School Secretary-Treasurer – Timothy Sung, Charter Oak High School Public Relations Officer – Steven Pervez, Charter Oak High School