FBLA

Last updated

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc.
AbbreviationFBLA
Formation1943;81 years ago (1943), FBLA
1958;66 years ago (1958), PBL
1979;45 years ago (1979), PD
1994;30 years ago (1994), FBLA-ML
Founder Hamden L. Forkner
Founded at Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S.
Type Career and technical student organization (CTSO)
Purpose"FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences." [1]
HeadquartersNational Center Headquarters
12100 Sunset Hill Road, Suite 200
Reston, Virginia, U.S.
20190
Membership
Total membership: 192,518
  • FBLA High School: 171,706
  • FBLA Middle School: 17,614
  • FBLA Collegiate: 3,107
(Membership numbers as of 4/30/23)
National Presidents
Andrew Stone, FBLA High School
Bethany Duke, FBLA Collegiate
Interim President & CEO
Randy Fiser
Website fbla.org
Formerly called
Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc.

The Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, is an American career and technical student organization (CTSO) headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Established in 1940, FBLA is a non-profit organization of high school ("FBLA High School"), middle school ("FBLA Middle School"), and college ("FBLA Collegiate”) students, as well as professional members ("FBLA Network"), who primarily help students transition to the business world. FBLA is one of the largest student organizations in the United States, with more than 200,000 members, and the largest career student organization in the world. Local FBLA chapters are often connected to their school's business education department, and most advisers are business education teachers.

Contents

FBLA is one of the top 10 organizations listed by the U.S. Department of Education. [2] FBLA's national charity partner is the March of Dimes, and the March of Dimes provides grants of $1,000 for local chapters and $2,500 for state chapters to promote their goals.

History

FBLA was created by Hamden L. Forkner Sr. of Columbia University. Forkner, who also created the Forkner shorthand system, proposed that there should be one national organization to join the business clubs throughout the nation. The name "Future Business Leaders of America" was selected in 1940 and two years later the first chapter was created at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee. In 1958, PBL (now FBLA Collegiate) was founded with the first chapter at the University of Northern Iowa. In 1979, the Alumni Division (now FBLA Network) was founded.

Key Milestones

Governance

The organization is governed by its board of directors, which consists of the CEO, business leaders, state educators, business education teachers, and the two division national presidents. [4]

FBLA's membership is represented by the FBLA Middle School, FBLA High School and FBLA Collegiate divisions. FBLA High School and FBLA Collegiate each have different member-elected national officer teams. The national officers are elected by voting delegates at the annual National Leadership Conference (NLC) and installed during the Awards of Excellence Program.

The FBLA High School officer team consists of a president, secretary, treasurer, parliamentarian, and five vice presidents representing each region. The FBLA Collegiate officer teams consist of a president, executive vice president, vice president of communication, vice president of financial development, vice president of membership, and parliamentarian. FBLA Collegiate is not segmented regionally.

FBLA Middle School and FBLA High School divide the United States into five administrative regions. These regions are Western, Mountain Plains, North Central, Southern, and Eastern. [5]

Each state has what is called a State Chapter, which has its own State Officer Team. The roles in each State Officer Team vary by state, but each usually consists of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian. Some also have Historians, Webmasters, and Reporters. [6] Some states are then divided into regions, districts, or areas. These are often governed by an elected official who serves on the State Officer Team. Just like the national regional executive boards, there are small-scale boards in most regions, districts, and/or areas in most states.[ citation needed ]

Finally, each chapter has its own officer team. Chapter offices vary by chapter. While most use a structure similar to that of the national officers, others use a corporate-style structure with offices such as CEO, CIO, etc. More information can be found on the national FBLA website.

Structure

Future Business Leaders of America is one of the largest student organizations in the United States. [7] FBLA is composed of four divisions: FBLA Middle School, FBLA High School, FBLA Collegiate, and FBLA Network. Each academic division except for FBLA Middle School (the FBLA High School National Officers also represent FBLA Middle School) has their own National Officer team. Most states have an FBLA High School and FBLA Collegiate state officer team. Some states have FBLA Middle School state officer teams. The entire organization contains more than 250,000 members across the four divisions.

FBLA High School

FBLA High School is the largest division of FBLA with over 209,000 members. FBLA High School is separated into five regions: Eastern, Southern, North Central, Mountain Plains, and Western. International chapters are part of the Eastern Region. To charter an FBLA state chapter, a state must have at least five local chapters. Currently, the states of Georgia and Missouri have the largest membership.

FBLA Collegiate

FBLA Collegiate, formerly known as Phi Beta Lambda, is the collegiate division of FBLA with about 10,000 members. FBLA Collegiate can be found in traditional four-year colleges, community colleges, and career training programs. FBLA Collegiate has its own National Leadership Conference (NLC) before FBLA Middle School and FBLA High School's NLC. [2] To charter an FBLA Collegiate state chapter, a state must have at least three local chapters.

Competition

In a similar fashion to other closely related CTSOs, competition is an integral part of the operation of FBLA. These competitions are offered to all levels of membership in a wide variety of topics, such as Information Technology, Business, and Marketing. [8] These competitions also range in the task, with some requiring on-the-spot and impromptu thinking, some being objective tests, and some requiring a team or individual to create something beforehand to be judged. All academic divisions have separate conferences from one another, (with the names and purposes remaining the same), starting with Regionals, then the State Leadership Conferences (SLCs), and finally, the National Leadership Conference (NLC). Under normal circumstances, an individual or team must first compete in a Regional competition provided by their state. In some states, attendance at a Regional conference is not required to continue to the next level. After Regionals, the competitor(s) would compete in their State Leadership Conference (SLC). This event is also provided by the individual state. If the competitor(s) accomplish a position in the top 5 of their event in their state, they qualify for the National Leadership Conference (NLC), provided by the National level.

National Officers

FBLA High School elects its nine national officers, and FBLA Collegiate elects its six national officers at each summer's national leadership conference. National officers are responsible for representing the entire membership as well as designing and implementing the annual program of work to achieve FBLA's goals. Each national officer team serves for a one-year term. [9] National officers also are assisted by a team of 5 members on a 'National Council' representing their position.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiram College</span> Private liberal arts college in Hiram, Ohio, US

Hiram College is a private liberal arts college in Hiram, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute by Amos Sutton Hayden and other members of the Disciples of Christ Church. The college is nonsectarian and coeducational. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Among its alumni is James A. Garfield, who also served as a college instructor and principal before he was President of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pi Beta Phi</span> North American collegiate sorority

Pi Beta Phi (ΠΒΦ), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867, as I. C. Sorosis, the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after the men's Greek-letter fraternity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Interfraternity Conference</span> Trade association of collegiate mens fraternities

The North American Interfraternity Conference is an association of intercollegiate men's social fraternities that was formally organized in 1910. However, it began at a meeting at the University Club of New York on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates in which each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate. However, the group's executive and administrative powers are vested in an elected board of directors consisting of nine volunteers from various NIC fraternities. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NIC has a small professional staff.

DECA Inc., formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit career and technical student organization (CTSO) with more than 260,000 members in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, DC; Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Vietnam. The United States Congress, the United States Department of Education and state, district and international departments of education authorize DECA's programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Sigma Pi</span> American coed college honor fraternity

Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity (ΦΣΠ) is a gender-inclusive/mixed-sex national honor fraternity based in the United States. The fraternity is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania to foster scholarship, leadership, and fellowship. Phi Sigma Pi chapters are at more than 140 four-year collegiate institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association of College Honor Societies</span> Organization that regulates collegiate honor societies

The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is a voluntary association of national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Beta Sigma</span> International historically African American collegiate fraternity

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (ΦΒΣ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students with nine other Howard students as charter members. The fraternity's founders, A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would exemplify the ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service while taking an inclusive perspective to serve the community as opposed to having an exclusive purpose. The fraternity exceeded the prevailing models of Black Greek-Letter fraternal organizations by being the first to establish alumni chapters, youth mentoring clubs, a federal credit union, chapters in Africa, and a collegiate chapter outside of the United States. It is the only fraternity to hold a constitutional bond with a historically African-American sorority, Zeta Phi Beta (ΖΦΒ), which was founded on January 16, 1920, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., through the efforts of members of Phi Beta Sigma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambda Upsilon Lambda</span> American Latino interest collegiate fraternity

La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. is a Latino and multicultural interest collegiate fraternity. It was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York on February 19, 1982, and has 78 active undergraduate chapters and sixteen graduate alumni professional chapters in universities and cities across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta Upsilon Chi</span> American Christian social fraternity

Beta Upsilon Chi is an American Christian social fraternity. It was founded at the University of Texas at Austin in 1985 and has chartered 29 chapters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zeta Phi Beta</span> Historically African American sorority

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (ΖΦΒ) is an International collegiate sorority that is historically African American. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic achievement, and foster a greater sense of unity among its members. These women believed that sorority elitism and socializing overshadowed the real mission of progressive organizations. Since its founding Zeta Phi Beta has historically focused on addressing social causes.

While the traditional social fraternity is a well-established mainstay across the United States at institutions of higher learning, alternatives – in the form of social fraternities that require doctrinal and behavioral conformity to the Christian faith – developed in the early 20th century. They continue to grow in size and popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Kappa Phi</span> International collegiate honor society

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to the area of study, and to promote the "unity and democracy of education". It was the fourth academic society in the United States to be organized around recognizing academic excellence, and it is the oldest all-discipline honor society. It is a member of the Honor Society Caucus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iota Phi Theta</span> International historically African American collegiate fraternity

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (ΙΦΘ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded on September 19, 1963, at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth largest Black Greek Lettered Fraternity. Members of the close-knit afrocentric fraternity proudly embrace the organization’s youth, uniqueness, individualism and modern idealism. As a contemporary organization, many members have had the great honor of meeting, fellowshipping with, and/or engaging in personal or virtual discussions with one or more of their founders. Today there are over 301 undergraduate and alumni chapters, as well as colonies located in 40 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, The Bahamas, Colombia, South Korea, and Japan.

Business Professionals of America (BPA) is a career and technical student organization that is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Lambda Chi</span> American collegiate fraternity

Phi Lambda Chi (ΦΛΧ), commonly known as Phi Lamb, is a social collegiate fraternity founded at the Arkansas State Teachers College in 1925. It was formerly a member of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrison Central High School (Mississippi)</span> Public school in the United States

Harrison Central High School is a 6A public high school located near Lyman, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020–21 school year, it has a student body of 1,622 students and 144 faculty. The principal is Kelly Fuller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kappa Beta Gamma</span> North American collegiate sorority

Kappa Beta Gamma (ΚΒΓ) is a sorority founded at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1917.

This article describes smaller collegiate sororities created in the nineteenth century and early to middle twentieth century on campuses in the United States and Canada. These sororities are defunct. Individual chapters may have affiliated with National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association for Women in Communications</span> American professional organization

The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) is an American professional organization for women in the communications industry. It was formed as Theta Sigma Phi in 1909 at the University of Washington.

References

  1. "About FBLA-PBL". FBLA-PBL. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda". Fbla-pbl.org. February 3, 1942. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  3. "History of FBLA-PBL".
  4. "Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda". Fbla-pbl.org. Archived from the original on October 14, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  5. "FBLA-PBL Regions" . Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  6. "FBLA-PBL Regions". Regions.fbla-pbl.org. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  7. "Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda". NCC-CTSO. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  8. maurice. "FBLA HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITIVE EVENTS". Future Business Leaders of America. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  9. "FBLA National Officers" . Retrieved June 10, 2020.