IASC Alumni Association

Charter Membership Campaign Extended

2010-11-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

Back in June, the IASC Alumni Association began a push to become a full fledged organization. We sent out a call asking former students and current and former advisors to become part of this organization and make our dream become a reality. While we have received nearly two dozen membership forms to date, we realize that the current economy does not always allow for this type of discretionary spending. Further, our goal was to include as many people who wanted to be involved and not exclude those who did not currently have the time or money to give.

With that in mind we have decided to extend our Charter Membership campaign into the next year. That campaign will now run until May 31, 2011. The cost to join as a Charter Member remains $25. This price will increase after that date. We are still not sure exactly how much the rate will increase, but it would not be fair to those who signed up early to go back on our promise.

Benefits of Charter Membership

Listed as a Charter Member of the IASC Alumni Association

Membership Certificate

Small Token of Gratitude

More to come in the future...

Your membership fees will allow the alumni organization to start projects, initiatives, scholarships, and events to keep the IASC strong. The IASC Alumni Association will be using funds to start the IASC Alumni Association, to set up the organization as an official non-profit group, to help pay for the upkeep of the IASC archives, and the creation of a scholarship program for worthy high school students for workshops or college. At this stage we are attempting to do as much as we can for free to mitigate costs by using free communication avenues, and tap resources of those affiliated with the IASC in the past.

As previously noted in the initial post introducing the Charter Membership program there are a number of avenues in which someone may be a potential member of the IASC Alumni Association. Here is a list of ways to qualify as a potential member of the IASC Alumni Association:

Former State Officers
Former District Officers
Former IASC Workshop Particpants
Former IASC Summer Workshop Junior and Senior Staff
Former Delegates and Honor Delegates to State Conventions
Former National Conference Participants
Former Region V/Lead Conference Participants
Advisors (Past and Present)

As before, becoming a member is easy, just click here to download the membership form and send it in!

Don't wait until the last minute. Join now!

A Workshop Classic - The Shopping Bag Lady

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Shopping Bag Lady by Bert Salzman - Award Winning Video; Set In Manhattan's Central Park, this film is the poignant story of a teenage girl's encounter with a homeless old woman (movingly portrayed by distinguished actress Mildred Dunnock) who carries all her belongings around in shopping bags. This encounter eventually leads to the girl's understanding of the problems of aging and the dignity of all individuals, regardless of their place in society. AWARDS: Columbus Film Festival: "Golden Chris Award" and "President's Award " for "Best Film in Festival" Special Prize, International Year Of The Child, American Library Association. Notable children's films awards: American, Birmingham , Chicago and Columbus Film Festivals. Director: Bert Salzman; Producer: Bert Salzman; public domain video.

Dear Friends,
The " Bert Salzman collection of classic 16mm educational films have recently been saved from extinction and are now available for viewing on the Internet Archive. Link: http://www.archive.org/search.php?que...

The films originally made in the early 1970's as human values films for social study classes include the (Academy Award winner Angel And Big Joe and Geronimo Jones (which premiered at the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City). In his films Bert Salzman tries to instill hope and love into the hearts of young people. His message always was: "Have hope, go deep into your self; You are more than you think you are!".

The Internet Academic Archive is now hosting all of the Bert Salzman Collection and links to the entire collection can be found below. If you enjoy these films please forward this letter to your friends especially educators. From the beginning It has always been Bert's dream, his goal- that his films find their way into every school in this very troubled world and perhaps change it for the better-even in a small way. Bert thanks you in advance for your help in achieving this goal.

Origin Of films: ***
The early to mid-1970s were truly heady times for the educational film world. Fueled by the Johnson administration's "Great Society" philosophy, educational programs embraced themes of ethnic awareness and diversity, and school districts nationwide began demanding professional quality 16mm films that both encouraged and provoked classroom discussion. Learning Corporation of America, was a prime source for these types of films, and the maker of several of its most profound and dynamic films was Bert Salzman. Salzman was already a successful artist before embarking on a career as a filmmaker. In 1970, Linda Gottlieb of LCA asked him to choose three ethnic groups as focal points for his first LCA films. The films he did for LCA eventually ran to eight, including Oscar-winning Angel & Big Joe. Salzman infused each of these films which he wrote and directed with elements essential to great film of any genre: pathos, passion, and humor. Posted with permission from Bert Salzman.

The Secret Powers Of Time

2010-08-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Archives Quest Of The Month - Summer Workshop Pictures

2010-08-15T06:00:00.062-05:00

The IASC Summer Workshop was first held in 1952 at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Since that first workshop nearly 60 years ago the program has affected the lives of thousands of young leaders from all over the State of Illinois.

One of the ways the program affected people were through the friendships and contacts made during that workshop week. Most years the delegates attending the workshop were given a directory of those people in attendance as well as a picture of their group. Also, if someone served as a Junior or Senior Counselor that person typically received a picture of the staff for that week too.

IASC Summer Workshop - Millikin University, Decatur, IL - July 1991 - 2nd week - Staff

Back Row L-R: Colin Black, Darin Henderson, Christopher Phelps, Arric Ploch, Sara Ulbrich, PJ Gibbons, Angel Atterbury. Middle Row L-R: Unk, Jim Connolly, Mark Massey, Ben Guyot, Shara Rosenow, Donna Marie Stupple, Jenny Softley, Sharon Olson, Jack Shelton, Scott Allen. Front Row L-R: Mark Poettgen, Hank Clark, Ralph Wurster, Tracy Coleman, Pat Boeldt, Kim Stash, Berve Power, Scott Montgomery, Gary Clark. Kneeling: Gary ZumMallen

After retrieving the Executive Director's files from Hank Clark's widow, Faith, we received a large collection of these pictures from Summer Workshop. Most of these pictures dated from 1990 to 2004. Later, we also borrowed the collection of pictures from longtime advisor Ben Guyot which spanned 1977 to 2002. We scanned those pictures and further added to the collection. These are many of the pictures that you might have seen posted on the IASC Alumni Association Facebook page.

Now we need your help!

Please look through your scrapbooks to see if you can find your picture from the IASC Summer Workshop. If you have the ability to scan the picture please send us a high quality scan for our archives. If you do not have the capability to scan please let us know what you have and we can work something out to get the picture.

IASC Summer Workshop - McKendree College, Lebanon, IL - August 1973 - ? Week - Staff

Top row L-R: Ron Ganchinietz, unk, Bob Frost, Ed Phelps, Monty Stubblefield, Terry Orton

2nd row L-R: Mike Passalacqua, Scott Bergey, Bert Jones, Paul Eber, Vickie Aleck, Father Bob Buday

3rd row L-R: Tom Miofsky, Al Willer, Bruce Metge, Judy Sedaitis, Terry Bajt, Blair Briscoe

Bottom row L-R: Jim Fitzgerald, Karen Greer, Sue Ash, Paula Pintoy, Teresa Lane, Karen Anderson, Peggy Keil

We are especially looking for pictures from the following decades -- 1950's, 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. Please don't be embarrassed by how you look as we all have some goofy pictures in these files; it's just not you. So go and dig through the scrapbooks and see what you can find!

A Workshop Classic - Cipher In The Snow - Part 2

2010-08-10T08:00:00.009-05:00

Presenting part two of a classic film from the IASC Advanced Workshop!

Plot:
When a teenage boy dies unexpectedly, his math teacher is asked to notify the parents and write the obituary. Although he was the boy's favorite teacher, he hardly knew him. Shy and ostracized, the boy was considered a "cipher"--an unknown number in a class roll book. As the teacher unravels the mystery of what led to the boy's death, he commits himself to not letting others suffer the same fate.

DISCLAIMER: I claim no ownership to this video. All content belongs to the original owners and creators, Brigham Young University. No copyright infringement intended. © 1973, Brigham Young University. A copy of this with other short film classics on DVD can be bought here: http://creativeworks.byu.edu/Catalog/...

A Workshop Classic - Cipher In The Snow - Part 1

2010-08-09T08:00:00.005-05:00

Presenting a classic film from the IASC Advanced Workshop!

Plot:
When a teenage boy dies unexpectedly, his math teacher is asked to notify the parents and write the obituary. Although he was the boy's favorite teacher, he hardly knew him. Shy and ostracized, the boy was considered a "cipher"--an unknown number in a class roll book. As the teacher unravels the mystery of what led to the boy's death, he commits himself to not letting others suffer the same fate.

Hey, all you leaders--check back tomorrow for part two of the story - same time, same place!

DISCLAIMER: I claim no ownership to this video. All content belongs to the original owners and creators, Brigham Young University. No copyright infringement intended. © 1973, Brigham Young University. A copy of this with other short film classics on DVD can be bought here: http://creativeworks.byu.edu/Catalog/...

Charter Membership Ranks Growing

2010-08-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

A seed has been planted and now there are signs that something significant is beginning to take root. Charter membership applications are starting to arrive as we get more excited about the prospects of a successful organization.

In my discussions with alumni over the years I have yet to find someone tell me that the IASC did not have an impact on their life in some way. I find it interesting that my response was always positive about the prospects of a reunion or a formal alumni association.

Have you joined yet? We want you to be part of this new organization! The difference will be to experience leadership in a new light and from a more experienced perspective.

Have You Talked To Your Advisor Lately?

2010-08-06T08:46:00.001-05:00

A couple of days ago I talked by phone to former student council advisor Richard O'Dair. Many of you will not remember this name from your days involved with the Illinois Association of Student Councils. Mr. O'Dair was an advisor at Lake Forest H.S. and at another H.S. (I didn't understand what he said) for a total of 35 years.

The IASC Executive Board presented Mr. O'Dair with the Illinois Award at the 1980 State Convention. The Illinois Award is the highest Honor the IASC can bestow on any individual. The award is offered in recognition of outstanding service to the organization and the students of Illinois.

I had called Mr. O'Dair to ask if he had any pictures or documents from his days in the IASC. During the course of our conversation he said he is currently 90 years of age. To my question about pictures or documents O'Dair said "I am writing this down because at my age you tend to forget." He said that he would have to go through some boxes that he has as he has no idea where this sort of stuff might be located. Then he took my number and said he would get back to me in a couple of days.

This entire exchange put a smile on my face made me think about my grandparents who would be 94 this year. My grandmother wrote down everything!

Then, I began thinking about what we would have done without our advisors. They sacrificed their free time before school, after school and weekends to teach us something besides the standard subjects taught at school. Furthermore, they stood up for us to the Principal or administration, challenged us to be creative, and drove us all over the state to workshops, conventions and meetings. Advisors helped us campaign for office then celebrated our victories and bemoaned our losses. They became de-facto counselors, dished out discipline when needed, and reminded us to call our parents.

If you haven't done so in a while you should call or write your former student council advisor and see how they are doing, wish them a happy birthday, or send a Christmas card. Put aside a few minutes and reconnect! I'm sure they will appreciate the quick message from an old friend.

New Benchmark for IASC Alumni Group On Facebook

2010-08-04T10:00:00.002-05:00

In 2008, on a whim I decided to start an IASC Alumni group on Facebook. That group has now reached 325 members! This may not seem like much as there were over 300 members a few months ago, but lately the goal of finding people to add to the group has been put aside somewhat to begin working on the details of a formal IASC Alumni Association.

For years I had been trying to start an IASC Alumni Association by using the Internet, phone, e-mail and word of mouth to find people. While I found plenty of people over time, the effort never got very far with only one person to keep up the search. However, when more people became interested in the concept the idea had merit again. Last November, Teresa Lane asked me to make a presentation to the 2009-10 IASC Executive Board about formally creating an Alumni Association. Now, eight months later here we are already with some significant accomplishments: a successful initial IASC reunion, a registered organization with the State of Illinois, a website, and some official members.

The slowly increasing number of people joining the Facebook group demonstrates that IASC alumni are still finding the organization organically. There are obviously many more alumni out there to be found. While this organization wants to find those people, we also hope that some of them find us through this site and through the main IASC page.

Again, if you are reading this page we welcome and encourage your comments on this post or any others on the site. We want to know your thoughts about how the organization affected you in the past and how we might affect you or others in the future. Please vote on our poll to the right of the page about when to have the next IASC reunion. Finally, the Charter Membership phase of the organization has started and we would like to encourage you to join us now!

What's Your Memories Of The IASC Summer Workshop

2010-07-31T08:42:00.001-05:00

This past week the IASC held the annual Summer Workshop program at Millikin University in Decatur, IL. Most, if not all of you, reading this post have attended Summer Workshop in the past. As reported on the IASC Facebook page, this year 46 students, 4 adults, and 15 staff members all made the 2010 Summer Workshop a great success.

If you have been to the IASC Alumni Association page on Facebook you have certainly seen the large collection of pictures from the Summer Workshop throughout the years. However, you may remember that the numbers of delegates were much larger when you attended the workshop. That is one of the obstacles this organization is trying to help the IASC overcome.

The IASC Summer Workshop has been held every year since 1952. Colleges and Universities around the State of Illinois have been home to the workshop since its inception. The first Summer Workshop was held at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Some of the other locations have been: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Monticello Seminary (now Lewis & Clark Community College), McKendree College, Rockford College, and Millikin University.

We would like to hear your memories of the IASC Summer Workshop throughout the years! Please use the comment section below to share your memories.

What Motivates Us?

2010-07-29T16:26:00.006-05:00

From a speech by Dan Pink at RSA

Thanks to Kent Lassman, an IASC alumnus from J.D. Darnall H.S. for posting a link to this interesting video on Facebook.

Retreating From Technology

2010-07-22T21:11:00.003-05:00

As I was driving to work earlier this week I heard a story on NPR to which I related very well. The story was an interview with writer William Powers about his new book called Hamlet's BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. The book is based on a essay the author penned in 2007. The author looks at the present day and back in history to demonstrate how previous generations and eras also felt overwhelmed by the amount of communication they were encountering. If you want to hear the NPR story or read an excerpt of the book click here. You can see a nearly 30 min. interview by Katie Couric with the author here. If you would like read the original essay please try this link. Buy the book here.

While thinking about this story this morning, I recalled memories about my travels for student council events in high school. For example, in July 1989, I attended my first IASC Summer Workshop as a delegate. A friend and I from high school drove up to Millikin University in Decatur, IL to attend the workshop. After we arrived and settled in to our rooms I used the pay phone in the basement of the Richards-Treat University Center to call my parents back home. This was the only way to communicate with my parents to advise them that I had arrived safely at my destination and give them a way to reach me in case of an emergency. The only other thing I could have done was send them a postcard or letter (when did they shut off personal telegraph service?). I still remember standing at that pay phone and looking at the map that was hung next to the phone. College students could leave a message for other students about sharing a ride back home if they lived in the same area or along the same intended route. Another old form of communication: the bulletin board.

A couple of years later when I attended the 1991 NASC National Conference in South Carolina I called my parents at one point to check in and found out that my grandfather had just had a mild heart attack and that my dad had found a deal on a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro convertible that I had wanted so badly. Would I have really wanted to get this type of news in an e-mail or a text message?

Today, we have many ways to communicate with our families, friends, co-workers, and friends we haven't seen or even spoken to in years. Besides the traditional letter, postcard or phone we are now able to communicate with others via cell phone, e-mail, text message, Facebook, Twitter, instant messenger, and a blog. Last year, I even spoke to a former IASC State President via Skype. I was in St. Louis and he was in Egypt at the time. Obviously the lynchpin of this communication is the internet. We have multiple accounts to check and spend longer looking at the computers or our phones. For example, I have a personal e-mail account, a work account, and since I am a contractor/vendor for another company I have an account on their system as well. The problem is that we get overloaded with all of this communication and the messages become white noise. During a flood of messages we might miss a message that was more important than many of the others combined.

There are several times throughout the year when I want to remove myself from all forms of communication and go off the grid. I long for those 'old' days driving around in my Camaro when no one could reach me if they wanted to and I could just talk with that person the next time I saw them or caught up with them when I called later. Recently, I ordered a smart phone to replace the phone that I have currently. I am already wondering how this will change the way I communicate with others. Will I want to throw the phone out the window at times? Better yet, if I feel that way I should probably just leave the device at home.

We need time to ourselves, time to decompress, time to think and ponder concepts, or time to create and design. These are the times where we need a vacation or a retreat to regroup and focus on the tasks that are most important rather than getting bogged down in the minute details. In this spirit we would like to create a workshop to help the IASC Alumni refocus on the skills you learned in student council and build upon those skills with updated concepts. The plan is to have the first of these workshops this upcoming Fall or Winter with more to come on a regular basis in the future. More details will be surfacing in the upcoming months. Your comment and suggestions are welcome!
_________

Post Script - This sentiment of getting off the grid reminds me of the chorus of an old John Prine song called "Spanish Pipedream" from his self titled first album. Further, if you're a little younger you might remember "Raining In Baltimore" by the Counting Crows where the protagonist misses his loved one and needs a phone call - a text message or e-mail would be too impersonal. If you don't know these songs ~~look them up on the internet~~ go to your local brick and mortar record store (if there's one left around you) and buy the albums. You won't regret it! Good music doesn't go out of style!

Archives Quest Of The Month - Executive Board Reports

2010-07-15T02:01:00.000-05:00

We are looking for copies of the IASC Executive Board Reports from a couple of years in the early 1990's. We think that there may still be some boxes that Hank Clark's wife Faith has not found containing some of this information, but until we hear back from her that she has gone through everything and not found any more student council related materials we continue to look for these reports. The goal is to have a complete collection of files. If you have copies that you would like to donate or if you could make copies for us we would be grateful.

1992-93
1993-94

Background on the IASC Archives
In August 2009 the files of former IASC Executive Director, Hank Clark, were handed over from his wife Faith Clark to Teresa Lane and Scott Allen. These files included Mr. Clark's files during his tenure as IASC Executive Director as well as his predecessors Ed Phelps, Ralph Davis, and Carl Warkow. The majority of the files date from 1968 to present, but there are files and miscellaneous information from 1934 to 1967. See the Archives tab on the home page for more details.

Archives Quest Of The Month - State Convention Programs

2010-06-20T02:01:00.001-05:00

We are looking for the following IASC State Convention programs. If you have a copy (or multiple copies) of these programs or State Convention folders please contact us.

1940 - Host School: University HS (Carbondale) - Theme: Education For The Development Of Personality
1993 - Host School: Bluffs HS - Theme: A Step Ahead
1995 - Host School: Sterling HS - Theme: Blue Print For Success
1998 - Host School: Homewood Flossmor HS - Theme: Building A Leadership Team
2000 - Host School: Newton HS - Theme: A New Millenium Of Leadership With The IASC
2001 - Host School: Bogan Computer Technical HS - Theme: Leadership: The Blueprint For Success

Background on the IASC Archives

In August 2009 the files of former IASC Executive Director, Hank Clark, were handed over from his wife Faith Clark to Teresa Lane and Scott Allen. These files included Mr. Clark's files during his tenure as IASC Executive Director as well as his predecessors Ed Phelps, Ralph Davis, K. Lane Miller and Carl Warkow. The majority of the files date from 1968 to present, but there are files and miscellaneous information from 1934 to 1967. See the Archives tab on the home page for more details.

Now Accepting Alumni Association Charter Members!

2010-06-15T11:10:00.000-05:00

The Illinois Association of Student Councils Alumni Association is beginning a push to become a full fledged organization and to make that happen we need you. We are offering a Charter Membership program that will run from now until Novemer 15, 2010. The cost to join as a Charter Member is $25. This price will increase after November 15th, but at this point we are not sure to exactly how much the rate will increase.

Benefits of Charter Membership
Listed as a Charter Member of the IASC Alumni Association
Membership Certificate
Small token of gratitude (To Be Determined)

Your membership fees will allow the alumni organization to start projects, initiatives, scholarships, and events to keep the IASC strong. The IASC Alumni Association will be using funds to start the IASC Alumni Association, to set up the organization as an official non-profit group, to help pay for the upkeep of the IASC archives, and the creation of a scholarship program for worthy high school students for workshops or college. At this stage we are attempting to do as much as we can for free to mitigate costs by using free communication avenues, tap resources of those affiliated with the IASC in the past,

As someone formerly involved with the IASC some may wonder who is a potential member of the Alumni Association. Here is a list of ways to qualify as a potential member of the IASC Alumni Association:

Former State Officers
Former District Officers
Former IASC Workshop Particpants
Former IASC Summer Workshop Junior and Senior Staff
Former Delegates and Honor Delegates to State Conventions
Former National Conference Participants
Former Region V/Lead Conference Participants
Advisors (Past and Present)

Becoming a member is easy, just click here to download the membership form and send it in!

Join now!

Reunion Recap

2010-06-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

When the IASC Executive Board green lighted the attempt to form the IASC Alumni Association work began shortly thereafter on a reunion. The plan for IASC Reunion this summer was focused toward the alumni that have been out of the organization for over a year or more. Loosely structured as a family event in a park setting, a date and site for summer 2010 needed to be chosen relatively soon to give people adequate time to add the event to their calendars.

After an unsuccessful try at a reunion last summer I had been in touch with Former IASC Executive Director Ed Phelps about having this year's reunion and we agreed that a venue in the middle part of the state would be the best for all involved. We agreed the choice would be the Bloomington/Normal area due to the obvious central nature and easy access by multiple Interstate highways. Mr. Phelps continues to keep in touch with many people from during his tenure as IASC Executive Director and was helpful in suppling contact information about former students and advisors.

Discussions began about a date to hold the reunion and finally a date of Saturday June 12, 2010 was chosen to try to stay away from high school graduations and before the NASC Conference and the IASC Summer Workshop. Kelsey Umbarger took on the task of reserving a park in the Bloomington/Normal area. Her research yielded a decision upon Ironwood Park in Normal, IL. We decided on a timeframe of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to allow a big window if people wanted to filter in and out.

The goal of this reunion was be an important avenue to build people’s enthusiasm into becoming potential Alumni Association members, especially those who have been out of the organization for a number of years. The idea was to have the reunion event be mostly an unstructured affair with an open, welcoming nature. Finally, the reunion format could be continued in the future on a regular or semi-regular basis.

An event was set up on Facebook to notify everyone of the details regarding the reunion. Although, there were few people who committed to attending the event, many had listed that they might attend or had not replied. Multiple attempts were made to contact those two groups to see if a determination could be made to know how many people were going to come.

Everyone brought something to eat and drink and only spent $10 to $15 of our own money for a bar-b-que style lunch. We met new friends, caught up with what each other was currently doing, reminisced our memories of the past and discussed moving forward in the future with the creation of the IASC Alumni Association. Several decided to join on as Charter Members of the IASC Alumni Association and for that we are grateful. Teresa Lane made the following comment on Facebook regarding the reunion:

"It was a great time seeing everyone in attendance. Wow, what great memories!!! Looking forward to more opportunities in the future....If any former IASC State/District officers/advisors or those who attended State/District/National student council events would like to be among the charter members of a new organization "Illinois Association of Student Councils Alumni Association", there will soon be a registration form available......Charter members so far are: Kelsey Umbarger, Ben Guyot, Leslie Sabick, Jay Mann, Scott Allen, and Teresa Lane."

Thank you to everyone who was able to brave the humidity and then a hard summer rain to make it to Normal, IL for this reunion.

Scott Allen
Jim Connolly
Ben Guyot
Kim (Stash) Hart
Jamia (Newton) Jones
Teresa Lane
Jay Mann
Valerie (Koelker) Rasche
Leslie Sabick
Kelsey Umbarger

Speech To Class Of 2010

2010-05-08T12:38:00.004-05:00

This is the copy of the speech that I presented at the Fourth General Session of the 2010 IASC State Convention in Springfield, IL on May 8th, 2010.

GOOD MORNING!

Hi, my name is Scott Allen. I am a former IASC officer and a graduate of Collinsville High School. Eighteen years ago this weekend I was at a hotel in Chicago serving in the role as State President presiding over the end of the IASC State Convention. Ok, enough about the ancient history lesson and on to you.

I hope that you have had a great convention so far and you are ready to go home, finish the school year, ace your finals and graduate! But before you can do that I am here today to talk to you a little about the time after your graduation. You probably already have some plans for what happens a little less than a month from now. That is, besides the plan to sleep in until 10 a.m. every day for the next three months.

Founded in 1934, the IASC has had a long history of developing strong leaders. Yes, well before your advisors were born Illinois educators were training students to become leaders. You might not be thinking about the skills that you have picked up over the last four years. You’re probably thinking about what you’re doing to do when you get home tonight or who you’re going text next. However, the skills you have learned will come in handy the rest of your life. You will use these skills in college groups including fraternities or sororities, in organizations that you volunteer for in the future, in church groups, sports teams, and finally work situations including supervisor or management roles.

The reason I am here is that some IASC alumni and myself want to challenge you.

We want to put together an organization that furthers your IASC experiences beyond the high school level while still staying in touch with the current high school organization. For years IASC alumni have come back to staff workshops and speak at state conventions. Personally, I staffed the Summer Workshop for 11 years after I graduated from high school. There are even IASC alumni who now serve as student council advisors right here in Illinois.

After graduation from high school and then college, the alumni of the Illinois Association of Student Councils have used the skills they learned during high school and gone on to do many things in life. Some have gone into law and politics and work as lawyers, politicians or aides and staff. Other alumni have gone into medicine and become doctors or nurses. While still others have gone into business and work in sales, marketing, finance, insurance, advertising, and consulting. Further, IASC alumni have become well known in the fields of journalism (i.e. national radio and television personalities) or even public speaking. Some work in the non-profit sector as consultants, volunteers, and clergymen. Finally, many alumni have stayed in education and work as teachers, counselors, principals, and administrators and yes, even student council advisors.

How did I get here? Here’s some background on the project -

Ten years ago I had the initial idea to create an IASC Alumni Association. So, while all of you were in grade school, I started talking to people that I knew and they seemed upbeat and excited about the prospects of such an organization. My impetus for this idea is that an Alumni Association was a way to keep the IASC strong and provide some continuity, while continuing to add some fresh and innovative ideas and allow Alumni a chance to give back to the organization.
After trying a couple of times to get the idea off the ground I finally decided in October, 2008 that I would start an IASC Alumni group on Facebook for fun. In November. 2009 I was asked if I would pursue the formal alumni association idea again and in January of this year I gave a presentation to the IASC Executive Board at their winter meeting. The Executive Board voted to move forward with the creation of an IASC Alumni Association so here I am speaking to you.
What’s the word on the street? How has people reacted to this idea so far?

Since I started talking to people I have received some overwhelmingly positive comments. (Deadpan) Yea…and there was much rejoicing. No, really these comments helped me continue to stay energized about this idea and work harder. I have received a positive response almost every time I have approached someone about this idea and I feel confident that there are people interested in joining this organization. Some people mention that they cannot commit to being involved with the initial organization process. However, not one person has told me that the idea does not have merit.
The student council experience is quite unique and it has impacted the lives of those involved in a very direct manner. Each person who has a connection to student council shares a common bond and reference. I think that this common bond will lead to the creation of an organization that can be very instrumental in helping the IASC grow. In the past, this bond has helped me speak to people who were involved in student council 20, 25, 30, or 40 years ago because there are those same experiences that we can share with each other which helps to initially break down the barriers.

Why do we need this group?

What is the purpose of an IASC Alumni Association?

1) To award scholarships and other awards to deserving IASC students to attend workshops or conventions through a foundation.
2) To maintain a relationship of alumni to the IASC and to each other through written and other communications including social events.
3) To raise funds, by dues, contributions, donations, events and otherwise, in order to support the activities of the alumni association (e.g. scholarships, funds for speakers, maybe even a fund for permanent facilities)
4) To set up a mentoring and networking system by which alumni members of high school and college students can seek advice on future professional endeavors
5) To continue to develop leaders through a workshop program geared for adults
6) To provide the IASC with a group of people to speak at events and provide the alumni with opportunities to build on their public speaking skills

For younger members of the alumni organization, yes this obviously means you, a few of those points are important so please pay attention. The mentoring and networking aspects could become key to future jobs or opportunities. If you chose to volunteer to help that experience would look great on a resume later. Finally, keeping your leadership and public speaking skills honed will be helpful to whatever you choose to do in the future.

You might be wondering who is a potential member of the IASC alumni association?

We are welcoming all students that have been involved in the organization at any capacity

Former State Officers
Former District Officers
Former Summer Workshop Participants
Former Summer Workshop Junior and Senior Staff
Former Delegates and Honor Delegates to State Convention
Former National Conference Participants
Former Region V/Lead Conference Participants
Advisors (Past and Present)
Seriously…anyone. Warm bodies are good.

So you're asking...What's next on the agenda?
We have scheduled an IASC reunion for next month at a park in Bloomington-Normal to draw interest from older alumni in becoming part of the organization. Many former advisors and students are planning to attend. We hope this event can be a fun way for old friends to reconnect and for everyone to make new friends.

So, now you’re thinking…How does the organization become formally active?

I thought you’d never ask. During the first year of the organization we have a goal of hosting an initial alumni association event. This event would be held in the manner of a weekend workshop…without the bedchecks of course. The event would be split over two days beginning with a social event on the first night. This event would give the alumni an opportunity to reacquaint themselves with one another and meet new people. This portion of the event would be an unstructured, social gathering, giving the feel of a reunion. The next day would have more of a structured feel like this convention. The structure of the organization would be proposed and ratified by the group in attendance. The constitution would be proposed as well as an election of officers. Officer duties and expectations would be discussed with motions from the floor being taken for positions. People would be encouraged to nominate themselves for positions. Speakers could be put in place to give a “testimony” of the effect that the IASC has had on their lives.

To expand on the idea even further, there are IASC alumni currently living in all 50 states and many foreign countries. The overall vision is that there could be alumni chapters in cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Washington, D.C. and others to help alumni stay connected and have a network of friends and contacts.
What do you do now? How do you become involved?

We would like you to fill out some forms and give us some information about yourselves – how you’ve been active in the IASC and contact information to reach you in the future. We encourage you to join the IASC alumni association group on Facebook where you can see old pictures and get updates on what will be happening next.

Please feel free to talk to me after the session about how to get more involved or volunteer to help with this organization.

Thank you and I hope to meet many of you in the future.

Over 300 members!

2010-03-31T15:30:00.010-05:00

I am excited to announce that the IASC Alumni Association Facebook group hit over 300 members today!

The Facebook group was started in October 2008 after I had given up on trying to start an Alumni Association. After much hard work and research the group continues to grow. This is so much easier than tracking people down by calling their parents...

On to 400!

New Project On Loan To The IASC Archives

2009-12-10T21:30:00.002-06:00

Currently on loan to the IASC Archives, Summer Workshop photographs from 1977-2001 from Ben Guyot! Almost 25 years of Summer Workshop photos from McKendree College to Millikin University and from black and white to color. Scanning will commence soon and be uploaded to the Facebook group.

Feel free to tag yourself in the pictures.

Have fun laughing at all the hair and fashion statements from over the years!