By Annie Phan, @deca.annie | Decatur High School, WA
Now that all of the DECA association conferences are over, let’s talk about it! You probably miss the fun with your chapter, staying overnight in a hotel with your favorite people, networking and competing. What if I were to tell you that there are other ways to keep the DECA spirit alive…
After conferences, meeting attendance dies down. Which is unfortunate because there is much more to DECA than just competition. There are so many ways to bond with your chapter outside of DECA conferences! The focus is on making sure you end the year strong while still having a lot of fun in DECA.
Game Night
Have a game night meeting for your chapter and bring snacks and your favorite games. Some favorites from the Decatur DECA chapter are Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and Telephone. Before you play, recap some conference highlights and reminisce on the amazing times you had. This is a great way to connect with your chapter and keep your bond strong.
DECA Trivia with Pie
Host a DECA meeting where you have fun with some whipped cream or shaving cream. Ask some DECA trivia questions, and whoever gets the question wrong shall get PIED! This is a great way to test your chapter’s knowledge of DECA and the business world. You’ll laugh and enjoy a sweet surprise.
Pitch Night
To encourage participation in prepared events, host a pitch night where members pitch their own products or services in short presentations. They can be as creative as they want and enhance their presentation and creative thinking skills. By doing this pitch night, members will get the opportunity to try something new, and prepared events won’t seem as intimidating.
Fundraising & Community Service
The year is not over just yet! This is a great opportunity to start gaining funds for the upcoming school year and ICDC. Host a fundraiser at your favorite restaurant. Make it an opportunity to bond with your chapter! For community service, host a school-wide or community-wide cleanup. The incentive could be community service hours or just the feeling that you took action for something good.
End of Year Celebration
For your last DECA meeting, celebrate the seniors who are now ending their DECA journey. Recognize all of the achievements of individual members and the chapter as a whole. Introduce the upcoming officer team and say bye to the previous one. Have everyone bring a snack to share, create a cute photobooth and enjoy it.
