End With a Bang, not a Bust
Have you ever heard of the saying “end with a bang not a bust”? Well, whether the answer to that question is yes or no, this saying applies a lot to the three-part membership campaign “Recruit, Retain, Recognize”. At the end of the year, having a recognition ceremony is a great way to shows members in your chapter that you appreciate their hard work and dedication to FCCLA.
A recognition ceremony can happen in multiple ways. If your school has an award session or a school-wide recognition ceremony, ask your teacher or a member of administration if it is possible to recognize some FCCLA members during the ceremony. Another option is to have a day set aside in class to give recognition to members. The recognition ceremony can happen at the end of the school year or soon after the State Leadership Meeting. One other idea is to have an after-school reception, where teachers, members, and members’ families can all get together. This recognition ceremony could be in the form of a dinner, a picnic, or a barbeque, and is great because families are invited to see their son or daughter being recognized.
Whatever day you pick, make sure you recognize members that participated in events at the State Leadership Meeting. You could even create a certificate for every member because they stayed active within the organization and you are grateful for their work. Be sure to thank your advisor at the ceremony and tell him or her what an amazing job they did this year. Also, thank any chaperones or volunteers that helped with FCCLA activities. If they cannot make it to the ceremony, send them a thank-you note or card, letting them know that you are thankful for their hard work and time commitment. If any particular person or business in your area supported your FCCLA chapter, invite them as well.
If possible, try to get a team of students together to organize the recognition ceremony. This team could be your chapter’s executive council, another group of students, or your chapter’s 2008-2009 executive council. When planning this day, ask your teacher if people can bring food to share to make the celebration even better! You could also create a slideshow of photos from the years’ past FCCLA activities to show people how much fun they had being in FCCLA Another idea is to have a 2007-2008 FCCLA scrapbook, to keep all the year’s FCCLA photos in. The scrapbook can be made as a chapter, allowing every member to feel as though they put something in to create this wonderful memory. Graduating seniors could give a small speech about what they learned and what they are taking away from FCCLA, and small gifts showcasing a special trait of theirs can be given.
No matter what type of recognition a chapter gives its members, a recognition ceremony is a great way to end the year and reflect on everything that your FCCLA chapter has done for it’s school and community. It also gives thanks to everyone that has played a role in the organization. There is also more of a chance that members will return the next year if you show your appreciation towards them, which starts the “Recruit, Retain, Recognize” cycle once more. Above all though, the most important part is for everyone to have fun!