Not All Of My Travel Is Personal

I’m going to Atlanta next month. Then I’m going to Chicago in June. First I have to go to Northern Nevada again, though, but it will be great. Not my personal travel schedule (see my Travel blogs for those details!). This is my CTSO Spring 2022 schedule. And this time, I will be packing for CTSO Conferences.

Look something like yours? Great! Let’s connect in Chicago the last week of June!

Before Starting To Pack

First we have to prepare, and this time I’m not talking about kids winning at the regional and state level. I’m talking about the pounds of prep work we Advisers need to complete after the entire mountain of field trip paperwork.

We will have over 30 kids at FBLA State Conference next month, and, frankly, we will have a lot of winners eligible to go to the National Leadership Conference in Chicago. I’m very excited!!! I tell the students that going to DECA ICDC in 1983 changed the entire trajectory of my life, because it did. I tell the kids that I do this job because of the man who did it for me, my DECA Advisor Luther Bowen. (Anyone know him? I’d do anything to get in touch with him). I love nothing more than helping kids win at State so they can experience National and International competition.

But it is exhausting.

Completing the mountains of paperwork is drudgery, but you get used to that. After that, you will train your students so they can be successful in their events, which is a lot of fun. Then we arrive at the week of the trip itself, and you need to have a strategic plan for this.

Here we go…

Packing For CTSO Conferences: Your Suitcase

DECA State this year was in our town. When you are doing a “staycation” for conference, you have the peace of mind that if you really forgot something important, someone can just bring it to the hotel for you.

That’s great! But I’m not talking about that…

I’m talking about the nine-hour bus trip we will take next month to Reno, staying outside of the city with absolutely no stores or ways to get things. We need to bring everything ourselves. On the bus. Sigh…

You don’t need me to tell you to dress professionally. You will also remember to bring your school polo and club t-shirt.  I’m reminding you about your middle-of-the-night-come-solve-this-problem outfit. That’s right—it deserves an outfit.

Invariably, somebody will call or text you after curfew that they need something immediately, or somebody is hogging the pillows, or somebody just got dumped and won’t stop crying. Something will get you out of your room after curfew—and you can’t go in your jammies!!! Make sure you have not only a comfy outfit you can throw on that is appropriate, but SHOES. I’ve literally made the run down the hall in sweatpants and heels because I forgot to bring slaps. Don’t make my mistake!

Packing For CTSO Conferences: Their Suitcase

I’ve traveled with middle school students to FBLA State and National Conferences, and overnights at Disneyland. They. Need. A. List. All of your students do, because they can’t anticipate things as well as you can. We have a very specific packing list that we give to our high school students to make sure they have everything they need to be successful at competition, and to have some fun after the events are over. 

Most importantly, have that essential conversation with your students about taking care of themselves. Discuss proper hygiene if necessary, and always discuss bringing and storing any medications they might need. You do not want to be away from home and not have the medicines a child is supposed to be taking. Yes, I’ve done the midnight taxi ride to the only 24-hour CVS in San Antonio, and I definitely don’t recommend it.

Have that conversation twice, as a matter of fact. 

Packing For CTSO Conferences: Your “Go Bag”

Before any field trip, I use the phrases “I am not your mother” and “Your name is not Buono” multiple times, reminding students they need to be self-reliant on the trip, and make sure they have everything they need.

It doesn’t always work. So, yeah, I’m kind of their mother on the trip.

Obviously, I won’t do anything related to medications of any kind, but there are definitely a few things that kids will routinely need and not have thought to pack. One of the biggest ones in Band-Aids.

No matter how hard we all try, these beautiful young women insist on wearing stiletto heels they just bought and have never worn. Before noon, they are walking with the shoes in their hand, and blisters on their heels. I’ve had to buy Band-Aids in mega-resort gift shops. Don’t get ripped off like I did—bring a box of bandaids.

Another really big one is granola bars, bags of pretzels, apple sauce pouches, etc. Something for them to eat in a moment of lightheadedness. I can’t tell you how many kids don’t bring anything, and don’t buy anything, on the trip. They are so used to food being provided, and snacks being readily available, that they don’t consider having snacks “to-go” just in case. I like the granola bars, because they pack a good protein punch, are easy for me to carry around, and are generally liked by teens. Just have something so they don’t faint on stage or in front of a judge. That wouldn’t be good.

Packing For CTSO Conferences: Their Pockets

One year we gave every kid a stress ball to carry around at the national conference. It was wildly successful, and I need to do that more consistently. It gave kids something to direct their fidgety fingers and help them keep their minds calm.

Nobody needs me to remind them to have their phone—it’s attached to their hands—but how about that name badge? At DECA last month, a kid nearly missed his opportunity to compete because their badge was upstairs in their room. We remind the kids at our nightly meeting to put their name badge on the hanger with their outfit for the next day, so they don’t forget.

While Nationals are awesome about it, I’ve had mixed results at the state level with water being available in the prep and competition areas, so we encourage our students to carry a disposable water bottle with them. I know, I know, reusable is better, but these are some very nervous and anxious kids—this bottle WILL be forgotten repeatedly throughout the conference. Hopefully, they can use the same water bottle all weekend, but if they forget it, you won’t be at the front desk for an hour going through lost and found (yup—I did that, too).

Also Don’t Forget

The Paperwork

This is short and sweet. Always carry the paperwork. Don’t just “bring it on the trip.” Carry it with you. One time, about eight years ago, hundreds of FBLA competitors were crossing the road when one got hit by a car. She wasn’t badly hurt, but it was definitely ambulance level. Paperwork in the hotel room would not help that Adviser, now would it?

This is the real reason I have a designated “go bag.” It is big enough to carry my binder. Everywhere I go.

The money

We do a pizza night at State and a team dinner at Nationals. I recommend you do the same, BEFORE awards. This is an opportunity to celebrate EVERYONE’S journey, and to relax and build up your relationships with your students. The kids look very much forward to these meals, and they are loud and rambunctious and tons of fun.

Plan ahead. First determine what your budget can afford, and make this happen. If you really have no funds left, up the price for State by $10, and that will cover pizza and beverages one night without anyone being out of pocket during the trip. We determine our meals and activities based on how well fundraising went during the year. Share that information with the kids, because it will help them be more proactive with fundraising the following year. 

Check in with your school office manager and banker, too, to see the policy on using your own credit card. I don’t mind using mine and getting reimbursed, but they may prefer you to use a school credit card.

And, for heaven’s sake, don’t forget your tax exempt letter!!!

The Most Important Thing: The Attitude

Pack your attitude first, and keep it with you until you open your own front door again.

I mentioned Mr. Bowen at the top of this blog, and I still remember his sacrifice. He had a small baby when we went to DECA ICDC, and left his wife home alone with her just to take me—his first and only state winner—to New Orleans. I’m happy to make a similar sacrifice every year, multiple times a year, to make these opportunities available for my students.

That said, they shouldn’t know it’s a sacrifice.

They need you to be just as excited, and pumped, and AWAKE as they are. You aren’t going to sleep much, and you’ll work 24/7 while on the trip, but that isn’t for you to share with them. You need to be the very best Adviser you can be—yes, even if that includes you being the parent—so they can grow and thrive in this experience.

CTSO’s change lives. You are changing lives. It’s hard, exhausting work.

Never let them know that.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out some other ways to win CTSO performance or testing events, 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 do YOU prep for those objective tests? Let me know.

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