“Selling” A New CTSO

Over a decade ago, I transferred to a new school that had only been open for one year. They had no CTSOs. None. It was totally a blank slate, and the only person on staff who had experience with CTSOs was, you guessed it, me. So, let’s talk about how to start a CTSO.

I started four…

I was the only Advisor for DECA and FBLA, and I co-Advised SkillsUSA and HOSA, helping two brand new Advisors through their first year. We combined DECA and FBLA meetings together, and I also went to Skills and HOSA every week. That spring, I attended all four State Conferences, plus DECA and FBLA Nationals. It was the craziest year.

It. Was. Awesome.

So, yeah, I totally encourage you to start a brand new CTSO next year! Maybe you haven’t tried DECA yet, or, like me, BPA is a brand new animal you’re considering. My personal, professional and emotional advice is GO FOR IT! 

It’s quite easy to “sell” a CTSO to your administration because of the remarkable programs they are, and the value that they can add to individual students and your campus as a whole. Not only will your students develop leadership and presentation skills, but they will also be eligible to compete in various events and perhaps win scholarships. Community service opportunities are also a pillar of every CTSO, which is great for all teenagers to participate in throughout high school. There is no downside to a CTSO, and I can’t imagine administrators discouraging adding a new one to your repertoire. 

Why Start Over?

The year I did four was quite the anomaly. I was an experienced DECA and FBLA Advisor, so those were fairly easy. Learning SkillsUSA and HOSA was definitely harder work, and I was thrilled I had a partner in crime for those two. 

I did it—and so do you—for the kids. How can we deny them the amazing opportunities these organizations bring to the table? For the low price of state and national dues (Grand total of $12 for FBLA), they become part of something larger than themselves and their small town. 

For us as educators, starting a CTSO brings welcome challenges, as well. I love to provide opportunities for my students that I didn’t have when I was their age. My high school had only DECA, and those years are what fueled my passion for teaching and being an Advisor, which I’ve mentioned before. Looking back, I see that I would have had even more opportunities better suited to my talents if my school had FBLA. I started my Accounting passion as a freshman in high school, and could have done quite well in the finance events in FBLA in addition to the MOS production tests. 

Which One To Add?

Easy enough: Which one are you missing? I know a lot of schools in my area that have either FBLA or DECA, and I’ve never understood that. Is it more work for me to be the Advisor for both? Obviously, but the similarities far outweigh the differences in these two organizations and can easily be overcome. We had general meetings—leadership development, community service, ice breakers—the first and third week. Individual meetings (FBLA 2nd and DECA 4th) were held on alternating weeks. This allowed our students to easily be involved in both, or to choose one or the other, freeing up more time after school to participate in something else.

How to recruit those first members

Starting at a brand new school, there were no alumni at all. I had to dig deep into the toolbelt. Here you go:

Get a table at freshman orientation. Hit those kids before they even start school and help them get involved!

Start talking about it the first week of school in class. Put it on the board as an invite to the first meeting

Post those flyers in the hall! Have your student aide make it and hang it for you.

Use what already exists! 1) All CTSOs have a professionally made membership video. Download it and send it to the morning announcements 2) All CTSOs have a student-led Executive Board. Invite them to come to speak to your classes, and the first meeting

Show your own passion 1) Bring in medals and plaques from previous competitions and schools you worked with 2) Hang pictures of you with previous groups on the wall so they can see the fun in participating

Send a personal invitation to officers in other clubs (Key Club, NHS, other CTSOs) inviting them to your first meeting. They’ll come—with a friend or two

Activating Your Chapter

Literally activating your chapter with the national office to start your CTSO is a pretty simple process. It generally includes the following steps:

Fill out a form or two of information about you and your school. They usually ask for your supervising administrator, too, so keep this in mind when you’re thinking how you’re going start a CTSO

Create a Charter and Constitution. Every time I’ve done this, the organization has provided a sample. You can do this in a very vague way, so that your future officers can revisit it and make it more specialized

Send them a check. Okay…we just hit a snag! Hopefully you have a working budget that will take care of this. If not, it’s time to remind your administrator how valuable this organization will be on campus. It isn’t usually a large sum, so I’m sure they will help you—even if they consider it a loan

What To Expect That First Year?

Talk about a million potential scenarios!!! When you start a CTSO, there are so many things that can happen next! Your new endeavor could take off and be the most popular club on campus, or it could slog on slowly with just a handful of kids showing up every other week. Let’s look at a few things that have happened to me at different schools over the decades…

Some Examples

Once I only had freshmen. They were loud and giggly and wanted to do everything! They got themselves in over their head with fundraising, and pledged too high an amount to our fundraising partner. Quite the learning experience! I felt like I was constantly herding cats.

That first year with all four CTSOs, we took about a dozen kids to each of the state competitions. We tried the best we could to prep them to be ready for stiff competition, and were STUNNED at the numbers of kids who qualified for Nationals. Taking all those first-years to Nationals reminded me of my own experience in 1987 that changed my life. It made that year of CTSO hell worthwhile!

At one school, FBLA didn’t catch on at all, because DECA decided we were the “enemy” and convinced their membership not to try out FBLA. It caused a rift that lasted for years, and cost only the students badly. Both organizations suffered in the years that followed, and kids missed out on multiple opportunities to learn and grow and shine. It was a really sad experience for me, and is why I am so adamant that FBLA and DECA work together now.

You probably won’t have great success at competition. Remind your first year competitors that they are up against kids who are up to three years older, with three years more experience, in a well-respected program. Don’t let them get discouraged if they aren’t bringing home glass or plaques. Remind them this is your learning year. Next year—watch out!

You will constantly be explaining yourself to kids, adults, administrators. Far too few people know the benefits of CTSOs, and it will fall to you to support the decision you made to start the organization. Be prepared with facts and figures readily available on the websites, and you will be fine. It will be worth it in the future to build a strong foundation with stakeholders now.

Sustainability

I’ve been at my current school for just over two years, so in my long career I’ve been at a number of places. My ultimate goal, always, is that the CTSOs outlive me. I want to be able to visit in five, ten, twenty years, and find the organization still thriving at the school. Since life is unpredictable, and you may end up moving without expecting to, it is your job, too, as the Advisor to ensure the continuity of your organization. The best way you can do that is to keep meticulous records and notes about everything. We have a binder for everything, which helps the future officers run things smoothly and completely, not dropping the ball on community service or chapter awards. 

So enjoy that fast, frantic first year. And take pictures…lots of pictures!

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR

Wow, thank you for reading about how to start a CTSO!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out how to properly prepare for a national conference, here, and how to prepare for next year, here! Check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment what your favorite tip of mine was! How’s your student organization operating? Let me know.

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