DE BPA December Newsletter

As the school year has officially taken off, we are excited to introduce Delaware BPA to our recent work and accomplishments! Throughout September, the state officer leadership team (SOLT) made a “Which Officer Are You” quiz, announced a new podcast called the “SOLT Shakers,” and, in October, created an event quiz (all of which will be discussed in greater detail in subsequent sections). October was busily spent preparing for the Fall Leadership Conference as well as refining details regarding buddy schools, social media schedules, service activities, and State Leadership Conference workshop/session ideas! With this year’s focus being on engaging membership and increasing statewide service activities, the SOLT has decided to organize a community project in collaboration with Operation Christmas Child from Samaritan’s Purse. To participate, chapters were asked to fill the provided boxes with toys and items for children in less fortunate situations to help them through the holiday season! For more details regarding this initiative, please direct your attention to the “Statewide Service” section of this newsletter. Additionally, BPA strongly encourages members to participate in the Delaware Special Olympics "Reindeer Romp," which raises funds to fight cancer! For more information about how to participate or about the quickly approaching registration deadline, please direct your attention to the "Statewide Services" section!

As a solution to the past buddy school correspondences that would often get lost in email inboxes, the SOLT has decided to create a new, monthly newsletter featuring all of Delaware BPA’s current events! This newsletter will be featured on social media and the Delaware BPA website to ensure that all are able to access the latest updates with ease! Being that this will be published on the first of each month, make sure to check back in to read the Delaware BPA newsletter.

We're excited to share some fun initiatives we've launched this year! To help our members engage more deeply, we've created a couple of interactive quizzes. You can find the quizzes through the Linktree in our Instagram bio, or just use the button below!

State Officer Personality Quiz:

Discover which state officer aligns best with your personality!

Event Quiz:

Find out what type of events you might enjoy this year by taking our event quiz!

These quizzes are designed to enhance your experience with Delaware BPA and help you connect with the right opportunities. Make sure to participate!

This year, Delaware BPA has been working on new service initiatives for the whole state! We encourage members and advisors to take part in these events as they help our organization give back to our community!

Delaware BPA’s statewide service project this holiday season, in collaboration with Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child, has been a great success! We shared details about this project at FLC and on social media, along with a form for those interested. Chapters, students, and advisors filled out the form to receive an Operation Christmas Child box from the state staff, which they then packed with toys, trinkets, personal hygiene items, and school supplies. The intended age and gender of the recipient were marked on each box to make the gift as personal as possible.

Participants dropped off their filled boxes at collection sites, where they were sent to the Samaritan’s Purse distribution center. From there, the boxes are being delivered to children in need around the world who are affected by financial difficulties, natural disasters, or other hardships.

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we filled 200 boxes, which will help make this holiday season more joyful for children around the world! We truly appreciate all the support and generosity that made this project a success!

Additionally, over the last several years, BPA has worked very closely with Special Olympics to reinforce our community as an inclusive and welcoming place! To contribute to this effort, Delaware BPA hopes to see our members at the upcoming Special Olympics Events hosted here, in Delaware:

Reindeer Romp:

Friday, December 6, 2024

31 Academy St., Newark, DE

Race Start: 7:00 p.m.

(The registration deadline has passed. Thank you to everyone who signed up to participate! Don't forget, the event is on December 6th and it's for a worthy cause!)

Polar Bear Plunge:

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Rehoboth Beach

1:00 p.m.

We highly recommend that chapters and advisors take part in these activities, or share these activities with others that might be interested in participating! As an incentive, we would like to remind students that attending these activities qualify as Torch Award points, allowing students to get a step closer towards achieving this service recognition! Please discuss these events within your chapter and feel free to contact the State Officer Leadership Team Advisor Mrs. Outlaw (soutlaw@delawarebpa.org) or the State President Kinga Gul (kgul@delawarebpa.org) with any questions. If you are interested in learning more about these services, please click on the images below to visit their websites!

We’re excited to share that our Fall Leadership Conference was a fantastic success! It was great to meet everyone and see the energy your chapter officers brought to the event. Middle school officers focused on key values like trust, compassion, stability, and hope, learning how to apply them in their roles. While the high school officers gained insights into the CTSO program and worked on creating leadership plans for their chapters. We’re confident that with such dedicated leaders, BPA is in good hands and will achieve amazing things this year. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment. We look forward to seeing all that your chapters will accomplish!

Buddy schools are local BPA chapters in Delaware paired with the State Officers, with each officer assigned around 11 schools in their region. The goal is to build strong relationships with members, improve communication between state and local chapters, and offer support by answering questions and sharing helpful information. This helps keep everyone connected and informed throughout the year! Please look at the photos below to see which state officer you are paired up with!

The SOLT Shaker's podcast is designed to be a resource for BPA members and anyone interested in career and leadership development. It will provide insights into BPA events, competitions, leadership conferences, and strategies for excelling in various BPA activities. The goal is to help members stay informed, motivated, and prepared while offering tips for success, personal growth, and networking within BPA.

What the podcast will include:

• We will give insight on our upcoming plans, deadlines, events, etc.

• Tips for preparing for BPA competitive events and leadership conferences

• Interviews with BPA alumni, advisors, and successful members

• Insights into fundraising, networking, and project management

• Strategies for event planning, volunteer projects, and chapter leadership

• Highlights of member experiences at fall, state, and national conferences

• Fundraising Initiatives – To support Delaware BPA’s goals and give chapters a boost, we’ll be organizing several fundraisers over the course of the year. These events will offer fun, engaging ways for members to contribute to our statewide success and directly benefit from the funds raised. Look out for announcements on upcoming fundraisers and how you can get involved at the chapter level.

• Delaware BPA Swag Store Launch – This year, we’re excited to introduce the Delaware BPA swag store! Featuring custom items designed by our state officer team, the store provides a unique way for members to show their BPA pride. Proceeds will go toward funding our activities and initiatives, allowing us to support events and opportunities for all members. Details on launch dates and product options will be shared soon.

• Financial Planning for NLC – Preparing for the National Leadership Conference (NLC) requires careful financial planning, especially when considering travel and event costs. Throughout the year, we’ll be providing chapters with resources and budgeting tips to help members prepare for NLC, making it more accessible to all. Start thinking about fundraising or budgeting strategies within your chapter to get ready for the spectacle of the year.

• Chapter Outreach and Support – As part of our financial planning support, the State Treasurer will be reaching out to chapters to discuss their unique financial plans and goals. This outreach will include guidance on budget-setting, fundraising strategies, and answering any specific financial questions chapters may have. Additionally, chapters are encouraged to reach out directly if they’d like to schedule a virtual meeting for further support in planning or discussing financial needs updates!

Be sure to follow and interact with our different social media pages for important information and updates! Follow each of the officer's individual pages for even more BPA-related content! Each of us posts on a specific schedule as shown below.