Mam'k FBLA Leads Under Their Own Roof

by Emily Weitzman

(October 23, 2008) During a time when the future of American business is the headline of the daily news, “Laying the Foundation for our Future” seemed to be a relevant theme for the Fall District Meeting of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). On Wednesday, October 15 the classrooms of Mamaroneck High School were filled with members of FBLA from District 3S, consisting of Westchester and Rockland counties. Over 150 students from 11 schools attended this conference. The students heard speakers, participated in workshops, and engaged in networking.

The event was presided over by MHS junior Giancarlo Riso, who by virtue of being elected District 3S vice president last year earned for his chapter the honor of hosting the first district-wide meeting of the year. He will be in charge of organizing all District 3S conferences and events this school year. (See: Local FBLA Takes Gold at State Competition

MHS FBLA members hold state leadership positions for 2008-2009: Elias Everet (left) is NYS FBLA president and Giancarlo Riso is District 3S Vice-President.

The national Future Business Leaders of America organization has about 250,000 active members. Its main goal is to prepare students for the business world by enhancing their leadership, communication, and teambuilding skills. Members who attended the Fall District Meeting got a jump start on the year by participating in business and leadership workshops, all of which were student run.

The students gathered in the auditorium to hear representatives of the March of Dimes explain their work. March of Dimes is the designated state and national charity of FBLA. The keynote speaker was New York State Assemblyman George Latimer who discussed ethics in business and politics.

Students then chose from a variety of 13 workshops, everything from Networking to Chapter Togetherness. New members could learn about FBLA by attending “Making the Most out of FBLA,” or “FBLA 411.” Workshops such as “Intro to Parli Pro” and “Business Ownership and Marketing” gave active members even more insight into important aspects of the business world. Six MHS students gained leadership experience by running workshops.

“It’s very fulfilling to see my hard work pay off in a positive way,” said Giancarlo Riso. “When I was conducting my workshop, I could tell that the students were actually getting something out of it.”

Although learning about FBLA and participating in workshops were the main concerns of the conference, there was one competition towards the end. Battle of the Chapters was a heated test of FBLA members’ knowledge of their organization. The Mamaroneck chapter secretary, Rory O’Connor, came in 3rd place in this event.

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