By Valeria Vega, FBLA Reporter
With the start of a new school year, FBLA attended the 19th Annual Georgia FBLA Summer Leadership and Officer Training Summits (SLOTS) on July 17 at Swainsboro High School. FBLA’s advisers, Barlow Paulk and Kelly Gilliard, took seven officers to Swainsboro High School to prepare them for their specific duties and responsibilities. In addition, they had the opportunity to develop a stronger officer team through chapter strategic planning and share similar ideas with other neighborhood chapters. These seven officers, Dominic Mimbang, Grayson Taylor, Sara Fields, Tanya Patel, Addie Ingalls, Kayman Perkins, and Valeria Vega, along with several Coffee Middle School officers, joined together to create an exciting and wonderful school year.
Once everyone was seated, the 2024-2025 Georgia State FBLA Officers explained the day’s agenda to each member of where and what room they were supposed to be in. Each member was sent to different classrooms with other members with a similar officer position. The first classroom that each member entered taught members new and similar ways to improve roles in their FBLA Chapter. The second classroom that members entered challenged them to work as a team and communicate with one another to solve the situation that they had to face. Similar to the first classroom, two state officers spoke to their class about a few important events and tasks that they had to complete in the past such as the Business Achievement Awards.
Once members were dismissed from their class, they were allowed to head back to their chapter or help one another fill out their bingo sheet (to help them mingle with one another) that they were given at the beginning of the event. During this time, the state officers began to set out the pizza that they ordered for everyone. After preparing everyone’s meals, they called the advisers first and then in groups of freshmen, sophomores, and seniors. As everyone ate, members took turns sharing their 30-second success stories from their chapters.
After a delicious meal, members broke out into small groups to participate in a few team building exercises. These exercises aided in preparing chapter officers in teamwork skills and communication skills. They learned how difficult it became to complete a simple puzzle without any communication and how easy and fast it was whenever they did communicate.
Once members completed their stations, they were allowed to return to their chapter and discuss their Chapter Program of Work. Chapter Program of Work is the time when members and their advisers work together to share ideas and important goals that they would like to achieve this year. From the plans and goals that were discussed during that time, it appears that Coffee High FBLA is starting on a strong path to success.