President’s Message

Jerry Hunter, EBEA President

 

The Future of EBEA

 

November 19-20, 2009, brought business educators together to participate in a joint convention of the Eastern Business Education Association and Pennsylvania Business Education Association members. Thanks to an incredible group of hard working individuals, conference participants were provided with a smorgasbord of professional development opportunities. In addition, EBEA members ratified the proposed bylaws that had been sent to members and had been listed here on our website last summer/fall.

 

At this point, EBEA is looking into the possibility of joining the New Hampshire Business Education Association in November 2010 to put on our next joint convention. Check our upcoming newsletter which should be showing up in your mailboxes in early May as well as this website for details once they are made available.

 

Our current school year is quickly winding down. As you prepare to finally take a greatly deserved respite from teaching courses, please keep in mind the professional development opportunities that EBEA provides to its members including our second annual EBEA Computer Camp (tentatively scheduled for the first week in August) here in South Portland, Maine. Your EBEA Board is also looking into providing webinars on a variety of topics as well as seeking your input on listserves that you would like to participate in through our website.

 

For some of us, these challenges are met through participation in professional state, regional, and national conferences, attending EBEA’s summer computer camp, enrolling in college courses, reading professional journals, searching for information online, and participating in blogs, wikis, twitter, and other social networking sites online.

 

EBEA has faced a number of challenges during the last few years including NBEA's recent decision to withhold our portion of dues for EBEA members as well as the removal of our NBEA Representative to their Board effective June 30, 2010. This puts our association at a stalemate while attempting to continue to offer professional development opportunities to our members as well as having representation to NBEA. EBEA is here to represent you, our members, but we cannot do it alone. For a number of years, EBEA Executive Board positions have remained unfilled with no one willing to run for office at our annual conventions. EBEA needs new blood, new ideas, new enthusiasm if we are to survive. We have vacancies for President Elect, Secretary, NBEA Representative (if NBEA decides to reverse their decision regarding us having representation on their board as well as providing us with our share of dues collected),

 

We also are seeing declining numbers in our region with many states having no one willing to step forward to serve as a State Membership Director. In our upcoming newsletter I will be posting Board vacancies along with a description of their duties. I encourage you to apply for a position on the EBEA Executive Board. The future of our profession is in our hands. The excuses given about being too busy to do anything need to be set aside. If we value the importance of providing a dynamic business education curriculum to our students, we must work together to strengthen our position in our schools, in our states, and in our region!

 

 

 

 

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Help EBEA Sponsor PDPP Stipends

 

Each year EBEA sponsors Professional Development Partnership Program stipends to first-time NBEA Convention attendees.   If you are planning to attend your first NBEA Convention, March 30-April 3, 2009, in San Diego, CA, fill out the application which will appear in the October FORUM.  The only requirement is that you are a first-time NBEA Convention attendee.

 

The amount of stipends available for EBEA members is determined by the amount of contributions received.  Each stipend is in the amount of $200 to help defray convention expenses.  You can join supporters of business education by making a contribution of $10 or more.   Please send your check and the form printed below as soon as possible.  Your contribution will be acknowledged in the EBEA Newsletter and is tax deductible.

 

 

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EBEA Computer Camp 2009

(Details on the 2010 Computer Camp will be posted here soon!)

 

 

Eight campers, led by four  instructors - Jerry Hunter (EBEA President), Sara Sutter and Alice Barr (Certified Google Apps Specialists), and Drew McNeely (SMART Board Trainer) spent an entire week immersing themselves into the latest technology that they hope to be using in their own classrooms during the coming year.  A special thanks goes to Edwina Kaliku (Cengage Rep for Maine, Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire) for providing each camper with a huge assortment of the latest technology-related textbooks dealing with Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash CS4, Century 21 Accounting (9th edition including the use of Aplia Online Working Papers), Google Apps Course Notes, etc.

Day 1 -- After a roundtable discussion on what each camper taught for courses in their own schools and what they each hoped to learn during the camp, they spent the majority of the first day learning to use Adobe Photoshop CS4.

 
Day 2 -- More detailed instruction with Photoshop was conducted.  The day was hot and humid so we went for a spontaneous field trip to the Portland Headlight ... the world's most photographed lighthouse.   Each camper was given a digital camcorder and a digital camera and given an assignment of taking a variety of video and still images.   Upon their return to the high school, EBEA members were then taught how to do a project which included images that they had photographed earlier in the day.   

 

Day 3 -- Another hot and humid day was forecasted in Maine.  We had two guest instructors - Sara Sutter and Alice Barr - who provided instruction on Google Apps ... We spent the morning covering Google E-mail, Google Docs, Forms, Spreadsheets, Presentation, Google Sites, Google Maps, Blogger, iGoogle, Google Reader, and Search (Wheel and squares) and completed the day with a Web 2.0 Smackdown!   For lunch we enjoyed Maine lobster and corn on the cob. 

 

Day 4 --Guest instructor, Drew McNeely, spent approximately 1 1/2 hours providing instruction on how to use a SMART Board.   We then moved to the Video Production classroom where we learned to create a video of the Portland Headlight footage from Tuesday using iMovie.  After lunch we then covered wikis, blogs, twitter, learned about SKYPE, and shared tips on using search engines including bing.com.  Our group enjoyed a night dining together in Portland at a Thai restaurant.

Day 5 -- Today was the final day of our week-long camp.   In the morning, Jerry provided each camper with a certificate that he/she may use with his/her school for recertification.  We then spent time on Microsoft Photostory 3, MS Office 2007, and Adobe Dreamweaver CS4.

 

The camp was extremely successful.   The small group setting allowed participants to receive detailed instruction while at the same time feeling free to branch out in areas specifically interesting to them.  We are hoping to offer the camp again next summer.  Watch our website (www.ebea.info) this winter for details on our 2010 Computer Camp!

 

 

2009 Computer Campers – above left to right:  Eric Robinson, JoAnn MacPherson, Shelley Burek, Carlene Campbell, Terry Bodenstein, David Madore, and Jerry Hunter.    Absent from photo are Catherine Boudreau and Linda Davis.

 

EBEA Executive Board Vacancies

 

Would you or someone you know like to assume a leadership role in EBEA? If so, why not take the first step in becoming a member of the EBEA Executive Board. By assuming a professional leadership role in EBEA, you will help keep business education active and alive! The following positions are open for nomination and election at the EBEA/NHBEA Convention November 2010

                   President-Elect                 Secretary                       EBEA Representative to the NBEA Board

(1-year term) Any Level                (3-year term)                         (3-year term, beginning July 1, 2010)

 

 

 

The President-Elect must be serving or have served in an elected or appointed position on the EBEA Executive Board for a minimum of one year. (See Article VIII, Section 2, of the Bylaws for complete qualifications on eligibility for office.) A vitae and letter of intent must be postmarked before August 1, 2010, and sent to Mr. Jerry Hunter, EBEA Nominating Committee Chair, 37 Dale Avenue, Westbrook, ME 04092 or e-mail at jhunter3@maine.rr.com.

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The bylaws listed below have been ratified by our members on November 20, 2009. An updated copy of our complete bylaws will be posted here soon.

Approved 2009 AMENDMENTS to OCTOBER 2005 BYLAWS

BYLAWS OF THE EASTERN BUSINESS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, INC.

 (Proposed amendments appear in boldface and italic)

 

Article 1.  Name

CURRENT:           The name of this organization shall be the Eastern Business Education Association (EBEA), the Eastern Region of the National Business Education Association (NBEA).  The association includes:  the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; the District of Columbia; Bermuda; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the United States Virgin Islands; and the Canadian provinces adjacent to the Eastern Region (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Newfoundland, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island).

 

PROPOSED:        The name . . . . (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec).

REASON:             Alphabetize Canadian province names.

 

 

Article II.  Objectives

CURRENT:           The objectives of the association are as follows:

a.  To promote all phases of education for business provided that the association shall not engage in any activity which would be inconsistent with the status of an educational and charitable organization as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or any successor provision thereto;

b.  To serve as a unifying agency among area, state, and other groups dedicated to serving education for business in the Eastern Region; and

c.  To promote the professional growth of educators for business.

 

PROPOSED:        b.  To serve . . . education for and about business in the Eastern Region; and

REASON:              Indicate the broader base that business education serves in preparing students for both employment and life.

 

 

Article V.  Officers and Their Duties

 

CURRENT:           SECTION 2.  The president shall:

a.  Serve as a member of the NBEA executive board;

b.  Preside at all meetings of the association and the executive board;

c.  Appoint committees and committee chairs with the approval of the executive board;

d.  Represent the association at seminars, meetings, or conventions of other professional groups and associations;

e.  Notify the executive board of all executive board meetings;

f.  Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee; and

g.  Perform any other duties that the executive board may direct.

 

PROPOSED:        Delete current a. 

Re-letter current  b to g as new a to f.

REASON:             Comply with amended NBEA Bylaws whereby the regional presidents no longer serve on the NBEA executive board.

 

 

ARTICLE VI.  Executive Board

 

CURRENT:           SECTION 1.  The general administration of the association shall be vested in an executive board, which shall be composed of the following:

a.  Voting members:  president; president-elect; secretary; treasurer; immediate past president; one director from the secondary level to include middle/junior high to high school teachers and local or state secondary administrators/supervisors; one director from the post-secondary level, any institution to include faculty and local or state post-secondary administrators/supervisors; and two EBEA representatives to the NBEA executive board, one from the post-secondary level and one from the secondary level. 

 

PROPOSED:        a.  Voting members: ... and one EBEA representative to the NBEA executive board.

REASON:             Comply with amended NBEA Bylaws whereby only one representative from each region serves on the NBEA executive board; that representative can come from the secondary or post-secondary level.

 

CURRENT:           b.  Non-voting members:  chairs of all standing committees and the state, district, territory, and province president or designee from the host state of the annual convention who are not elected members of the executive board.

PROPOSED:        b.  Non-voting members:  chairs of all standing committees. [Delete remainder of sentence.]

REASON:             Reduce number of members on EBEA executive board and cost to EBEA to attend functions; input will still be sought from host state, district, territory, or province president/representatives, but the person will not serve on the EBEA executive board.

 

 

CURRENT:           SECTION 3.  EBEA representatives to the NBEA executive board shall:

a.  Serve as board coordinators for one or more convention sessions;

b.  Fill vacancies at assigned convention sessions;

c.  Chair at least one standing committee as appointed by the president;

d.  Work with the regional membership chair in recruiting NBEA/EBEA membership;

e.  Attend the two NBEA executive board meetings and the NBEA annual convention as representatives of the Eastern Region;

 

PROPOSED:        SECTION 3:  The EBEA representative to the NBEA executive board shall:

a.  Serve as the  EBEA regional membership director to recruit NBEA/EBEA membership;

Re-letter current a as b.  Serve as board coordinator . . . sessions;

Re-letter current b and c as new c and d.

Delete current d.

e.       Attend the two NBEA . . . as the representative of the Eastern Region;

REASONS:           Comply with amended NBEA Bylaws whereby only one representative from each region serves on the NBEA executive board.

                                Appoint the EBEA representative to the NBEA executive board as the regional membership director, as this position was formerly held by the senior of the two representatives to the NBEA executive board.

 

 

ARTICLE VIII.  Nominations and Elections and Terms of Office

 

CURRENT:           SECTION 2.  The following officers, directors, and EBEA representatives to the NBEA executive board shall be elected by a ballot at the annual convention for their respective terms.  The terms of office for elected officers and directors shall be from annual convention to annual convention.

 

PROPOSED:        SECTION 2.  The following officers, directors, and EBEA representative . . . .

REASON:             Comply with amended NBEA Bylaws whereby only one representative from each region serves on the NBEA executive board.

 

 

CURRENT:           a.  The president shall serve a one-year term at the expiration of which he/she shall serve as immediate past president for a term of one year.  The EBEA president shall serve on the NBEA executive board from July 1 to June 30.

 

PROPOSED:        a.  The president shall serve a one-year term at the expiration of which he/she shall serve as immediate past president for a term of one year.  [Delete second sentence.]

REASON:             Comply with amended NBEA Bylaws whereby the regional presidents no longer serve on the NBEA executive board.

 

 

CURRENT:           b.  The president-elect shall:

      1.  Be elected for a term of one year.  To be eligible for election as president-elect, the candidate shall be serving or have served in an elected or appointed position on the executive board as an officer, director, or chair of a standing committee for a minimum of one year.  The president-elect shall be actively employed or retired from the membership level for which he/she is nominated at the time of election.  If the president-elect’s membership level changes after election, succession to the presidency will not be affected;

2.  Be elected from the membership level in the two-year cycle as follows: (1) secondary schools; and (2) post-secondary schools and

3.  Succeed to the office of president upon completion of the president’s term of office; if the president resigns or becomes unable to complete his/her term of office, the president-elect who serves for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor shall continue to serve as president for the term for which he/she was elected.

 

PROPOSED:        b.  The president-elect shall:

     1.  Be elected for a term of one year.  To be eligible for election as president-elect, the candidate shall be serving or have served in an elected or appointed position on the executive board as an officer, director, or chair of a standing committee for a minimum of one year.  The president-elect shall be actively employed or retired.  [Delete remainder of section.]

                                Delete current 2. 

                                Re-number current 3 to new 2.

REASON:             Attract more candidates for the office of president-elect by eliminating the rotating teaching-level requirement.

 

 

CURRENT:           e.  Directors shall:

1.  Be elected for three-year terms from two levels:  secondary level to include middle/junior high through high school teachers and local or state secondary administrator/supervisors and post-secondary level, any institution to include faculty and local or state post-secondary administrators/supervisors; and

2.  Be actively employed in the membership level from which they were originally elected or appointed at the beginning of each year of their term.

 

PROPOSED:        e.  Directors shall:

                                 1.  Be elected for a term of three years each from two levels:  . . . .

REASON:             Clarify term of office by changing wording.

 

 

CURRENT:           f.  A retired member may run for a director’s position at the level in which he/she was last employed.

 

PROPOSED:        f.  A retired member may run . . . level in which he/she was once employed.

REASON:                    Attract more candidates for the directors’ positions by allowing a retired member to represent any level in which he/she once taught.

 

 

CURRENT:           g.  EBEA representative(s) to the NBEA executive board shall:

1.  Be elected for a three-year term in accordance with the NBEA’s fiscal year; and

2.  Be eligible for election as EBEA representative to the NBEA executive board by serving or having served in an elected or appointed position on the EBEA executive board as an officer, director, or chair of a standing committee for a minimum of one year.

 

PROPOSED:        g.  The EBEA representative  to the NBEA executive board shall:

REASON:             Comply with amended NBEA Bylaws whereby only one representative from each region serves on the NBEA executive board.

 

 

ARTICLE IX.  Meetings

 

CURRENT:           SECTION 3.  The executive board shall make the decision on holding or omitting an annual convention should unforeseen circumstances occur (natural disasters, depleted treasury, hotel bankruptcy, etc.).

 

PROPOSED:        SECTION 3.  The executive board shall make the decision on holding or omitting an annual convention should unforeseen circumstances occur (natural disasters, fiscal restraints, hotel bankruptcy, etc.).  In the absence of an annual convention, officers and executive board members shall remain in office until the next annual convention.

REASONS:           Revise wording on financial issues. 

Provide for continuance of EBEA officers and executive board members in the absence of an annual convention.

 

 

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2010 EBEA Educator-of-the-Year Award

Criteria and Nomination Procedures

Excellence in business education is alive and well in the schools and colleges. Too often, however, business edu­cators are too humble to “spread the word” about the innovative strategies in place in their classrooms and departments. That humility goes even a step further when it comes to gaining recogni­tion for themselves and the work that they do as part of their professional careers.

 

All EBEA members are acquainted with an outstanding educator, whether it is a colleague or a mentor. Now is the time to seek recognition for that educator for his/her outstanding contributions to business education by nominating eligible recipients in the three following categories for the 2010 EBEA Educator-of-the-Year Awards:

 

·  Secondary Business Educator

·  Post-Secondary (2-year schools)      

·  University (4-year schools)

 

 

Purpose

To recognize and express the Association’s appreciation to outstanding service to the business education profession.

 

 

Presentation of Awards  

 

A plaque will be presented to each EBEA Educator-of-the-Year (not to exceed one for each of the three categories) at the 114^th  Annual Business Meeting of EBEA to be held at the 2009 EBEA Annual Convention in (date and location TBA)

 

 

Eligibility

Each recipient of the award must be an NBEA member for the last five (5) consecutive years prior to receiving the award, including the year of nomination. Each recipient of the award must be involved with the instructional processes in business education, including their administration and supervision.

 

 

Nominations

Any teacher or administrator may nominate any eligible member of EBEA for the award. The nominator must be closely acquainted with the qualifications of the nominee and must follow the nomina­tion procedures as listed on the next page.

Criteria for Nominations

The nominee must have made a significant contribution to the field of business education through participation in and involvement with instructional processes and services. The following criteria may be help­ful when considering a candidate for this award.

 

¨       Instructional Accomplishments

Has been a strong participant in the instruction process of business education as a teacher and/or as a supervisor of teachers and has demonstrated competence in these endeavors through the learning accomplishments of students.

 

¨       Demonstrated Leadership

Holds or has held leadership roles in school and community agencies as well as in professional organizations.

 

¨       Professional Interests

Attends and participates in conventions, conferences, seminars and workshops, and advanced studies; shares knowledge through publica­tions; shows evident interest in discovery through formal and informal research; has demonstrated through practice a receptive attitude toward experimentation.

 

¨       Personal Qualities

Enjoys a reputation for integrity and honesty in all aspects of life; is fair in relationships with others and is tolerant of those with different profes­sional styles and methods.

 

¨       Civic and Cultural Activities

Attends and participates in the affairs of the community and is well informed with respect to local issues relevant to education.

 

¨       Other
Such other professional or per­sonal accomplishments that seem relevant in establishing the candidate as an appropriate nominee.

 

 

Nomination  Procedures

Nominations must be submitted in writing to the chair of the EBEA Educator-of-the-Year Committee post­marked by August 1, 2010.  A brief letter naming the nominee and award level is all that is necessary. (A copy of the nomination letter should also be sent to the nominee.)

 

The chair of the committee will request the nominee or nominator to complete appropriate materials. All completed application forms and supporting materials must be postmarked by September 1, 2010.  Receipt of the nominations will be acknowledged by the chair. Please send to the following address:

 

Dr. Hector Lopez, Chair
EBEA Educator-of-the-Year Awards Committee

2 Terrace Circle 3E

Great Neck, NY  11021