PASC News Volume 37Issue 2

October 2012

By Jarrod Cingel, Bethel Park High School

A nonprofit organization called the Horatio Alger As-sociation of Distinguished Americans values the status and opinions of American youth on many critical issues facing the nation as a whole. In order to better understand issues impacting young people in America, this organization sponsors a survey every four years entitled the State of Our Nation’s Youth Survey. This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the 2012 State of Our Nation’s Youth survey press conference conducted by Horation Alger.

The nationwide survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates and the report was prepared and analyzed by NORC at the University of Chicago. This survey is designed to poll young people

(ages 14–23) with regard to their opinions on numerous important issues, ranging from school-related difficul-ties to the upcoming Presidential election. Naturally, the survey is valued highly by policy-makers because of its helpful significance; it is unique since it provides the nation’s current leaders and people with in-sightful information about the values, concerns, and feelings of the next generation of Ameri-can leaders.

Whenever the State of Our Nation’s Youth Survey is released to the public, it is accompanied by a press conference that features youth discussing the findings of the report as well as sharing their opinions and reasoning regarding some of the survey’s focus points. This year, I was

continued on page 10

The State of Our Nation’s Youth

Jarrod Cingel participates in a press conference on Horatio Alger’s 2012 State of Our Nation’s Youth survey at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

fortunate enough to travel to Washington, D.C., and serve as one of six youth panelists from around the United States. Participating in this survey was a very valuable experience and one of the highlights of my summer. Below you will find some sample questions that pertain to the survey and press conference along with my answers to them. For more information about the State of Our Nation’s Youth Survey and to view a video of the event, visit http://www.horatioalger.org/news_sony2012.cfm

What did you find most sur-prising about the 2012 survey responses?

PASC is gearing up for an ex-citing state conference that will take place only days before the U.S. presidential election. To fully immerse delegates at the state conference in the enor-mity of this event, delegates and advisors will receive an

educational experience about the two candidates, their views, and how the Electoral College is used to elect the president.

On Friday during a general session, we will create a “PASC Electoral College” that will allow the Electoral College pro-

cess to come to life for students. Each PASC District will be assigned a number of Electoral Votes based on the number of PASC member schools within each District. For every five PASC member schools a district has, that district will

2012 PASC Mock Presidential Election

continued on page 5

InsIde ThIs Issue

News & Notes ..................... 2

•LEAD Conference Planned for February inWashington

•NASC National Conference Returns to Las Vegas

•Seeking Regional Reps from Districts 1–4–7–8

Support the 2012 PASC State Charity ................................... 2

New Ideas Needed for Advisor Roundtables .......... 2

PASC State Conference News ..................................... 3

PASC Offers Two Free Regis-trations to National ActivitiesConference ........................... 4

What I Learned As a PASC Middle Level Rep ................. 5

Candidates for Middle Level Reps Needed ...................... 5

Ideas for a Yearlong Student Council Calendar ................ 6

Get Students Civically Engaged with a Get Out the Vote Campaign ..................... 6

Expectations of Student CouncilOfficers .................. 7

How PASC Spends the Funds It Receives ............................. 9

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net2

News & NotesLEAD Conference Planned for February in Washington, DC

This weekend conference, to be held February 1–3, 2013, is designed for middle level and high school Student Council and National Honor Society leaders and their advisors. Conference details and program highlights can be found at www.LEAD-Conferences.org. The early bird registration fee will be $190 and is available until January 13, 2013. Hotel reservations can be made at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, VA.

NASC National Conference Returns to Las VegasSunrise Mountain HS in Las Vegas,

Nevada, has been chosen as the site for the 2013 NASC National Conference. Conference dates are Saturday, June 22 through Mon- day, June 24 ending at noon. PASC will plan a pre-conference trip, which should begin on approximately June 20. Trip and con-ference details will be shared in the November issue of PASC NEWS. Anticipated cost including conference registration, hotel accommodations, travel, meals, pre-trip entertainment, and t-shirts should be approximately $1,500. The national conference was last held in Las Vegas in 2004.

Seeking Regional Representatives from Districts 1–4–7–8PASC is seeking schools wishing to run for Regional Represen-tative positions for Region A from District 1; Region B from District 4; Region D from District 7; and Region E from District 8. These positions are for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2013 and ending January 31, 2015. Elections for these positions will be held during Regional Caucus Meetings at the State Conference on Saturday, November 3.

Schools wishing to self-nominate should contact their respec-tive District Directors by Friday, October 12 to express interest and should prepare a five-minute presentation for the caucus. Students who are selected to serve as Regional Representatives must be named by the selected school by December 1, 2012. Students must be freshmen or sophomores in September 2012 and must be willing to make a two-year commitment to PASC. Current terms continue for Representatives in Regions C-F-G until January 2014. For a job description and timeline of com-mitments go to www.pasc.net and click on Resources/Forms and Applications/Executive Board Positions or contact us at

PASCInfo@aol.com.

New Ideas Needed for Advisor RoundtablesEach high school and middle school Student Council has favorite

projects, school and community service ideas, ways of organizing

their council and training officers and representatives, fundraisers

that work, and many other good ideas. While these may seem like

nothing special because you are familiar with them, to another

advisor they might be new and different from what they are used

to. Advisors, if you have never presented a state conference round-

table, we need you in 2012.

Advisors planning to attend the state conference in New Castle

are invited to present a 10-minute roundtable to other advisors.

This is an easy way for advisors to be involved at the PASC state

conference. Roundtables will be presented three or four times on

Friday, November 2. Presenters are asked to duplicate 75 copies

of a one-page handout to be distributed to those who come to the

presentations.

As a thank-you to the advisors who present Roundtable ideas,

each will be given a complete set of the other 25–30 handouts

from all the presenters. Advisors, please indicate your interest by

sending an email to Kathy Coll at kcoll1@comcast.net by October

10. In that email, indicate a topic title and a one or two sentence

summary of the topic.

The time is now! We need your help and there are only a few short weeks remaining. To date, only six schools other than our conference hosts have contributed to our 2012 State Charity, bringing in just over $5,000 towards our goal of $50,000. That’s only 10% of the funds needed to help make a difference in this double-faceted service project. The devastation from the floods and the dire necessity to fill those empty bookshelves are quite evident in the pictures found on our state charity page at www.pasc2012.org. We implore you to plan a fundraiser soon. Please act now—send a contribution to us before November 1 or bring it with you to the State Conference. Every penny counts! A report-ing form can also be found on the website.

Make checks payable to: 2012 PASC State Conference Charity and submit to: Jasmine Major, Chair2012 PASC State Conference CharityUnion Area High School2106 Camden AvenueNew Castle, PA 16101

“Act Locally and Reach Globally”Support the PASC State Charity

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net 3

State Conference News

From November 1–3, the 2012 PASC State Confer-ence will inspire students and advisors to “IGNITE Yourself, Your School, Your Commu-nity.” There will be outstanding motivational speakers as well as opportunities to share ideas and gather materials to take back to school to enrich both students and adults this school year! The students and staffs of Laurel JSHS and Union MS/HS have worked for more than 20 months to plan a comprehensive program for the students and advisors of Pennsylvania’s high schools and middle schools. Don’t miss this time to learn and to network with others.

Keynote SpeakersPASC delegates will experi-

ence three of the very best speakers in the nation with Stacey Bess, Heather Schultz, and Ian Tyson. Profiles on each of these outstanding indi-viduals can be found at www.pasc2102.org

Student-led WorkshopsDelegates will participate

in two workshops on Friday, November 2, at either Laurel JSHS (high school delegates) or Union MS/HS (middle level delegates).

Advisor ProgramThe Conference will begin on

Thursday evening, November 1, with an advisor meeting and dinner provided by our confer-ence hosts. The Opening Gen-eral Session for this year’s con-ference will begin after dinner. Thursday evening’s program will conclude with a Fireworks Extravaganza for all delegates in keeping with the conference’s theme of “IGNITE!”

On Friday, the conference will begin with breakfast for advisors at the Scottish Rite Cathedral and will be followed by the Second General Session. At the conclusion of the advi-sor’s luncheon, idea-sharing roundtables will be held, which will provide tons of new ideas for new as well as for veteran advisors. On Saturday morn-ing, advisors will join their student delegates for regional caucus meetings and the Third General Session.

Conference Meals (Included in registration fee)

Students will have dinner on Thursday night at their host family homes and will return to the high school for the Opening General Session and Fireworks Extravaganza. On Friday morning, breakfast for students will be served in host

homes and lunch will be provided at the high schools. A dress-up dinner for students and advisors will be held on Friday evening at Scottish Rite Cathedral. Follow-ing dinner, a dance for students will also be at the Cathedral. Advisors may remain for the student dance or enjoy their own entertainment on-site with their peers. Saturday morning’s breakfast will be held for students in host homes while advisors will be served a continental breakfast at the hotels.

Registration Infor-mationOnline registration began

on August 27 and will remain open until Friday, October 5.

You may register up to eight students and advisor(s) for the state conference. Cost is $110 per person. To register online, go to www.pasc2012.org

Housing and Trans-portationAdvisors are reminded to

visit www.pasc2012.org and review the list of hotels

located in New Castle and the surrounding area. If you have not reserved rooms as of today, please do so immediately.

Students will be housed with other students in host homes in the New Castle community. Advisors and delegates’ parents will be contacted by the host family parents approximately one week prior to the confer-ence. Host families will provide meals and transportation to and from the school and con-ference events. Transportation for advisors to and from hotels and conference venues will be provided as needed.

For further information such as program details, schedules, and directions to hotel and conference venues, please go to www.pasc2012.org or to www.pasc.net.

IGNITE Yourself, Your School, Your Community2012 PASC State Conference at New Castle

Registration Deadline Is Friday, October 5

The Scottish Rite Cathedral, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is the central location of this year’s PASC conference.

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net4

PASC NEWS is published monthly during

the school year. To submit

announcements, articles, or corrections for newsletters, please email the Executive Director or Assistant Ex-ecutive Director. Articles or information from PASC NEWS may be reproduced for use, with appropriate credit.

Executive DirectorJim FinnemeyerNorth Penn HS1340 Valley Forge RoadLansdale, PA 19446215-280-9299215-855-0632 (Fax)Finnemeyer@aol.comPASCInfo@aol.com

Assistant Executive DirectorKathy Ann Coll174 Link AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15237412-366-5744Kcoll1@comcast.net

PASC PresidentKristina RiggansUnion MSHS2106 Camden AvenueNew Castle, PA 16101

PASC President-ElectDanielle CronerBoyertown High School120 N. Monroe StreetBoyertown, PA 19512

PASC News EditorLyn FiscusLeadership Logistics

PASC Email:PASCInfo@aol.com

PASC Website:www.pasc.net

The annual National Con-ference on Student Activities will be hosted by the North Carolina Association of Student Councils this year from Friday, November 30 to Sunday, December 2, at Pinehurst Resort. Consider joining advisors from around the country for “Leadership Open in the Pines.”

In addition, two PASC advi-sors are eligible this year for a special scholarship provided to PASC and valued at $275 per person. To apply go to www.pasc.net and submit the appli-cation by October 25, 2012.

WHO: This program is open to ANY activity advi-sor: student government advisors,class and club spon-sors, leadership class teachers, conference and camp organiz-

ers and staff members

WHEN: Starts Friday, No-vember 30 with registration 3:00–5:00 PM (If available, come a day early for a round of golf on a national champi-onship course)

Ends: Sunday, December 2 by noon

WHERE: Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, North Carolina (Site of US Open and US Women’s Open in 2014) One-day drive from anywhere in PA or fly to Raleigh/Dur-ham Airport

COST: Registration $275 (free to two PASC advisor scholarship winners)

Rooms: $149.73 per night/ Single occupancy (includes all service fees/taxes) or $99.02 per night/ Double occupancy

(includes all service fees/taxes)

Super buffet breakfast each morning, Friday night dinner, and Saturday luncheon are all covered in the costs.

PROGRAM: Steve Spangler will be featured on Friday with his amazing Science of Leadership presenta-tion. Additional large group presentations by inspiring and motivational speakers and pa-rade of idea sessions. Choose four workshops (from selected topics) on Saturday. There is something at this conference for every advisor who needs to recharge and renew their enthusiasm for life, education, and student activities.

For additional details go to www.nawd.com

Advisors: This One’s for YouPASC Offers Two Free Registrations to National Conference on Student Activities at Pinehurst

Tee Off on Leadership at This Hole-in-One Event!

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net 5

What I Learned as a PASC Middle Level RepresentativeBy Patrick Moore Kane Area MS

As middle level representative, I have done many things —went to a national conference, attended an amazing summer workshop, and even worked to extend the Middle Level rep’s term. After learning to handle the stress and worrying about the job so much, I can say that this was one of my best experi-ences in my life.

My first year as Middle Level rep was crazy! I wasn’t used to checking my emails daily, or even having an email account. Being in a room with older high-schoolers and wise adults was stressful. I worried about sounding stupid. I spoke up during the meetings, but that was always in the back of my mind. As the year progressed, it got better. After attending the LEAD conference and the Blue Summer Workshop, I became extremely confident, and matured immensely. When the August Board Meeting came around, I wasn’t scared at all. I knew I could say what was on my mind and I even offered many good ideas.

Once the State Confer-ence began in November, it was great to see what I was hearing about throughout the year come together. But, as it arrived, I realized my term as Middle Level rep was coming to an end. It didn’t seem right, because it seemed that my fellow Middle Level rep, Lily Wang, and I had just started to get the hang of it. So we decided to try to convince the PASC Board to extend the term of the Middle Level reps. With the help of the two new Middle Level reps, we devel-oped a proposal. In one night we convinced the members of the Board to approve the pro-posal. Our term was extended.

In the last half of the year of my extended term as Middle Level rep, I emailed more, suggested more ideas, and be-came even closer to the board members. It was a rough ride but now that I see the end, I realize I am ready to be done. I believe I have left my mark on PASC and the people within it. This experience has changed my life. As my term ends, I am happy to say, “I am glad I was a Middle Level rep.”

Candidates for Middle Level Representatives NeededPASC is seeking two teams, each consisting of a seventh grade student and his/her Stu-dent Council advisor, to serve as the Middle Level Representatives on the PASC Execu-tive Board from January 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014. Current board members are Molly Hundertmark and her advisor, Mrs. Amy Kauffman from Emory H. Markle Intermedi-ate School (District 8) and Brynn Martin and her advisor, Mrs. Tressa Heffron from S. R.U. Middle School (District 7).

Please contact Erica Castaldo at ecastaldo@npsd.org with any questions about the posi-tion. The job description, application, and the overview of the selection process can be found at www.pasc.net by clicking on Re-sources/Forms and Applications/Middle Level or by contacting us at PASCInfo@aol.com.

Completed applications for the student and advisor must be postmarked by Friday, Octo-ber 22, 2012. All the student/advisor teams will be interviewed at the State Conference on November 2, and two middle level teams will be selected to serve on the PASC Ex-ecutive Board.

 

 

 

receive one Electoral Vote. The chart to the right shows how many Electoral Votes each district has.

At the caucus, students and advisors will receive ballots and they will cast their votes for the candidate of their choice. Mid-dle school students, high school students, and advisors will each receive a different color ballot so that trends can be tracked about which candidate each age group chose.

During the final general ses-sion on Saturday, a culminating presentation will occur where the election results from each district will be shown one at a time on one large screen, and a running tally will be shown on the other screen.

Our hope for this Mock Election is that students will become more informed about the political platforms and views of each candidate, more engaged in the political process,

and ultimately more aware of the importance of being an engaged, informed citizen in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mock Presidential Election (continued from page 1)

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net6

Ideas for a Yearlong Student Council Activities Calendar Middle level students at the 2012 Blue Workshop held at Leba-

non Valley College developed the following list of activities for a yearlong student council calendar.

n August—Back 2 School Pep Rally to celebrate school spirit on one of the opening days of the new school year held in the gym during the last period of the school day

n September—The 5K Run Back to School held on Saturday 8:00 a.m. to noon. Come have fun running and shopping at the local vendors fair. Money and donations of school supplies will be given to the school for those in need.

n October—Pie Fest Haunted House, pie eating contest, pie bak-ing contest and sale at the high school football field to benefit the United Way

n November—Fall Festival Bob for apples, live music, pie eating contest, bake sale, live music to benefit the American Cancer Society

n December—Winter Wonderland Party Games all night, refreshments, pictures, comfy clothes; all proceeds go to Toys for Tots

n January—Snowball Dance 7:00–9:30 p.m. in the cafeteria and gym. Dinner and chocolate fountain included

n February—Valentine’s Day Gala dress-up dance in the gym, carnations sold for $1.

n March—Pisces Fish Fry Underwater dance in the school pool and a fish fry fundraiser to support clean up of waterways

n April—Moonlight Egg Hunt Free activity on the baseball field, Easter Bake Sale, and Easter Egg Hunt from 9:00–11:00 a.m.

n May—Spring Fling Formal spring dance in the gym or cafeteria

n June—Last Day of School Bonfire At the soccer field, live mu-sic, making smores, “bring old school papers to burn”

n July—Sports Day basketball, dodgeball, flag football, soccer, baseball, Frisbee with refreshments; looking ahead to the start of the new school year.

Middle level delegates at the 2012 Blue Workshop held at Lebanon Valley College worked to brainstorm a possible calendar of activities for a student council year.

Get Students Civically Engaged with a Get Out the Vote Campaign

Middle level and high school stu-dents who will not be 18 years of age by Tuesday, November 6, can still have a tremendous impact on the presidential and congressional elections this fall. Use the “Take Ten Form” found at www.pasc.net to facilitate this civic engagement activity.

How does it work? The Student Council, Class Government, or Social Studies Department could organize this massive “Get Out the Vote” campaign.

• Create a buzz about your “Get Out the Vote” campaign.

• Distribute copies of the “Take Ten” form to students at any grade level in your school.

• Ask students to keep a copy of their form and return the original to the “Get Out the Vote” campaign organizers in your school. Set Tuesday, October 30 as the due date.

• Students turn in completed copies of the “Take Ten” form to the main office, to the Student Council, class advisor, or social studies teacher.

• Tally the names found on all lists and announce the GRAND TOTAL on the morning announcements.

• Encourage students to follow up over the November 3–4 weekend to remind voters of their pledge to vote on November 6.

• Have seniors volunteer to drive older citizens to the polls.

Make This a Learning Experience • Work with your Social Studies Department or local League of

Women Voters to determine the location of polling places, and the voter registration and election processes.

• Learn about the candidates and their positions on key issues. Hold mock debates and mock elections in school.

• Create a poster campaign that promotes the value of civic engagement.

• Demonstrate that there is more to Student Council than run-ning dances and planning Homecoming,

See the September issue of PASC News for additional tips on implementing this civics project.

Have an Impact on Election 2012:

Get Your School Involved!

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net 7

During the Activities Advisors’ Seminar, sponsored by PASC in late June at Susquehanna University, advisors brainstormed and then discussed important responsibilities of student officers. If your council does not have a handbook for officers and members, the following would be a great starting point for creating lists of officer responsibilities. Modify it to fit the needs and operations of your organization.

President• Create a vision of the goals

and objectives for the upcom-ing school year

• Be a good role model of responsible leadership

• Interface with the representatives and other officers of the council

• Be a liaison to and represent the student body to the administration, staff, and community

• Be knowledgeable about meeting procedures and each program or issue being dealt with by the council

• Develop meeting agendas in cooperation with other officers and in consultation with the advisor(s)

• Preside over meetings using effective parliamentary procedure

• Delegate responsibilities to other officers and committee chairs

• Monitor the progress of projects and responsibilities delegated to others

• Create a positive work environment

Vice President• Develop meeting agendas in cooperation with the President and

other officers• Fill in for the president at meetings or functions as needed.

Be knowledgeable regarding basic meeting and parliamentary procedures.

• Follow the President’s lead and be a loyal liaison, but be willing to initiate new ideas and be a problem-solver

• Be “in the know” regarding each program or issue being dealt with by the council

• Help other officers and chair committees as needed• Help in delegating officer duties and then monitoring the prog-

ress of projects and responsibilities delegated to others

Potential special tasks given to some vice presidents:• Oversee fund raising projects• Chair an Inter-Club Council of all vice presidents of school

organizations• Chair “Hall of Fame” Committee• Be the registrar for delegates to all conferences• Be in charge of and a liaison to all representatives.

• Oversee a point system of representatives’ participation if the council has one

• Chair the Student Liaison Committee with the building principal and hold monthly meetings

Secretary

(Some schools have separate offices for Corresponding and Re-cording Secretaries)• Develop meeting agendas in cooperation with the President and

other officers using minutes of previous meetings.• Send reminders to council members regarding upcoming meet-

ings. (school mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)• Take minutes at all meetings. Every motion made needs to be

recorded along with the vote. These are important documents and can be reviewed by school and state officials particularly re-garding the votes cast to spend any funds raised by students. Be sure that minutes of meetings are in order at the end of a school year and are filed with the advisor or with a school administrator as a legal record of the council’s actions.

• Distribute typed/printed minutes to advisor(s) and members promptly after a meeting. Copies can also be given to the princi-pal, faculty, and posted for the student body.

• Create a computer database of contacts for all officers and members to assist with attendance record keeping and

communication.• Record meeting attendance. Reviews record with other officers and advisor(s)

• Receives, reports on, and sends all council correspon-dence (typed)

• Send thank-you notes to anyone who helps with council events and projects.

• Send press releases regarding council events and projects to local media outlets and to school PR director. Have a list of contacts of local newspapers, radio and TV stations that service your school district.

•Special Projects: • Send holiday cards to administration, faculty and staff • Send birthday cards to staff or members of the student body

Treasurer• Develop a budget of potential revenue and expenditures for the

year in cooperation with other officers and advisors. (Thus can be a challenging task the first year it is done, but a very worth-while benefit to the council and future councils.)

• Develop meeting agendas in cooperation with the President and other officers. Be the voice of fiscal responsibility for the officers.

• Utilize basic math skills and learn good accounting skills from the advisor or a business education or math teacher.

• Be responsible and trustworthy with all money.• Take the initiative when it comes to the discussion of financial

matters of the council.

ExpectationsofStudentCouncilOfficers

Continued on page 8

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net8

• Make deposits of all council funds in cooperation with the advi-sor and under the guidelines and expectations of your school district. Learn what is expected.

• Complete all required paperwork for the payment of council’s bills in cooperation with the advisor and under the guidelines and expectations of your school district. Learn what is expected and when your signature is required for use of student funds for the payment of bills. Be sure to have receipts for the expenditure of any council funds before payment or reimbursement is made.

• Make a Treasurer’s Report at all council meetings. Sign and date the report and have it included with the Secretary’s minutes.

• Coordinate or oversee all fundraising efforts and calculate and deposit all fundraising profits.

Other Officer Positions and Job DescriptionsThere are many other positions that could be added to your

officer group if your council was interested in adding more officer positions to give more students leadership opportunities or even to give those opportunities to underclassmen.

School Board Representative• Represent the needs of students to the school board• Attend all school board meetings and participate in discussions

as requested• Prepare a report of all student activities and achievements in the

building and report it to the board in the Student Activities sec-tion of the agenda

• Prepare report of School Board actions, especially ones that directly affect students to Student Council and student body

• Serve as a liaison to the Student Principal’s Advisory Commit-tee, which meets regularly with students and the administration to express concerns and offer suggestions.

• Conduct any surveys or gathering of information requested by School Board members

Other information about dealing with the position

PASC is encouraging schools to approach your school board members and begin dialog about this position. Investigate other schools in your area that have this position and how it was incor-

porated into their system.

Most student school board members are non-voting members, but enjoy all other benefits of adult members.

Most schools have this as an appointed position with the power of an officer. It might be done with an application and then inter-view process due to the nature of the position.

Historian• Keeps track of the history of the council through pictures,

videos, scrapbook of the year in Student Council• Do an online record/scrapbook of the year to share with all

students and staff

Publicity Director• Coordinates all aspects of publicity for the council from tech-

nology, video, photography, posters, flyers, etc.• Assists in the graphic development of the council/school theme

of the year for use on calendars, shirts and other council apparel, letterhead, and other recognition pieces

• Orders supplies for all council publicity needs• Coordinates the development of a council website, Facebook

page, and updates

Students Holding PASC Representative Positions on District Or State Execuitve Boards

Many times because the school is elected to the position, the stu-dent chosen may not hold an officer position that year in council. These students should be recognized as an integral part of your Student Council, and all its planning.• Report information about PASC events and opportunities at

Student Council meetings• Solicit help from your Student Council members to do PASC

responsibilities (phone calls, mailings, emails etc.)• Accomplish all aspects of the PASC Regional Representative/

District Board Representative job descriptions.• Attend student council conferences as a representative of PASC

and your school.

These are a few suggestions of officer positions. If you have any additional ones, please post them on the PASC Facebook page.

ExpectationsofOfficers(continued from page 7)

Advisors attending the Activity Advisor Seminar last June brain-stormed these lists of the responsibili-ties and expectations of each student council officer as one of the activities of the training.

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net 9

By Bill Sebastian, PASC Treasurer

What are the benefits of being a member of PASC? It seems like such a simple question to answer. As I look at that answer, I find a lot of things involved. It all relates to how students are impacted.

PASC’s main activities are conferences—district, state and national—and the Summer Workshop Program. To plan and finance these activities your Student Councils pay dues as well as registration fees. The student and adult members of the State Executive Board work together throughout the year to make sure that these and other programs are successful.

Looking at the pie chart be-low, you will see a breakdown of the PASC expenses for 2011. They are as follows:

n Administration (8.8%) Includes staff honoraria, travel

expenses, postage, office and mailing supplies, computer technology, insurance and legal services.

n Board Meetings (6.5%) The Executive Board meets for two days each in Janu-ary, March, and August. The Board consists of adult District Directors, student Regional and Middle Level Reps as well as ex-officio student and adult members who plan the state conference; run the vari-ous summer workshops; and oversee membership records, website, communications, and other PASC services and programs.

n Programs (20.7%) PASC sponsors the annual State Conference, PAL conferences, the Student Summit in Harris-burg, a pre-trip to the NASC Conference, and takes a student delegation to the NASC Region 2 meeting. PASC also

PASC Finances How PASC Spends the Funds It Receives

coordinates the selection of student representatives on the State Board of Education.

n Summer Workshop Programs (53.1%) Room and board, meals, materials, tee-shirts for delegates, and college fees comprise the bulk of funds expended for workshops. In addition, funds are used to pay honoraria for staff and for their travel expenses to the five dif-ferent sites of the Middle Level and High School Workshops.

n Return of Dues to Dis-tricts (3.3%) PASC receives $75 in dues from each member school, of which $15 is sent to the appropriate district associations to be used for local conference planning, for scholarships, and for other pro-grams sponsored at the local level based on decisions made by District Boards consisting of advisors and students.

n Other (7.6%) Includes

costs of NASC Meetings, producing PASC News, printing brochures, training summer workshop staff, costs of awards, and mem-bership services.

It’s never fun paying mem-bership dues and fees but the benefits to the students and advisors of Pennsyl-vania are some of the very best in the nation and the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils is a model for many other states.

Watch for the November edition of PASC NEWS for more detailed information on the PASC Executive Board, what it does, and how students and advisors in your school can become more involved in decision-making at both the state and district association levels.

PASC News • October 2012 • www.pasc.net10

I was really surprised at the apathy with regard to the upcoming Presidential Election. (Only 57% of high school students reported interest in the outcome of the 2012 presidential election compared to 75% in 2008) I always thought that most youth were interested in events of this significance and was startled to see that about half of America’s youth are not really concerned with the outcome of the election.

Then what do you think is causing youth’s interest in the elec-tion to drop so much from the previous survey?

I feel that many people, not just youth, are less and less inter-ested in the election because of how negative the campaigning has become. I think people begin to start to realize that negative adver-tisements that berate the opposing candidate are usually floating on the margins of truthfulness, and I think that this lack of trust in the negative campaigning really makes people follow the elec-tion less than they would if the campaigning were more positive.

How do you feel that the use of social media impacts your communications?

I believe that social media is a great innovation when used responsibly. I utilize social media and other electronic forms of communication to help me stay in touch with people I have met who live far away. It also is very helpful when trying to publicize a school event or organizing a large group of people. However, I do not feel that these electronic communication forms are substitutes for face-to-face conversations, and I believe that social media should serve as a useful tool rather than a substitute for personal interactions.

How does the survey reflect the change in the way that stu-dents are obtaining news?

The survey definitely shows an increase in the number of students who use electronic online news sources. It appears that youth are beginning to meander away from reliance upon tra-ditional media types and are choosing to use electronic media sources more often. (48% of current high school students identify an online sources as one of their most important means of gather-ing news; a considerable jump from 32% in 2008. 56% of recent high school graduates consider an online source to be their top news source)

What issues are American youth most concerned with in 2012?

The survey suggests that jobs and the economy are definitely the most important things to most youth. This makes sense, since many events have made this a key issue since 2008. Also, youth value education very highly as well. I think this is because most youth deal directly with education on a daily basis, so this is natu-rally a topic of concern since it affects youth so much more than any other age group.

What do you think is the most challenging problem faced by American youth?

American young people definitely face a large variety of problems and challenges. However, I feel that school budget cuts are perhaps the most severe. All across the country, school programs are being cut as a result of state budget cuts to education, and this is severely hurting public education in many areas. I believe that youth gener-ally value their education very highly and are becoming apprehen-sive about future cuts to their school programs.

Interest in the economy and education has increased 22% and 7%, respectively. Additionally, the results indicate that young Americans are 7% more optimistic about the nation’s future than in 2008, and they spend more time with family, get along better with parents, and get better grades in high school than their 2008 counterparts.

State of Our Nation’s Youth (continued from page 1)

Jarrod Cingel participates in a press conference on Horatio Alger’s 2012 State of Our Nation’s Youth survey at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

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