SC FBLA STUDENTS IN CONTEST

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City business students are just carrying on a tradition when they depart for a national competition this week.

"I haven't missed too many," said Pat Andrews, Future Business Leaders of America sponsor at Scott City High School. In fact, the group has received two national honors over the years.

The club has qualified for national competition almost as long as it has been active, she said.

And this year is not much different. Four FBLA members will attend the national competition this week in Orlando, Fla.

Joey Ruth and Amanda Lomax will compete in the chapter reports category. Aaron and Adam Andrews are attending the convention as voting delegates.

"Thousands of students are there," Pat Andrews said. "There are chapters in almost every state and overseas. It's like a political convention."

FBLA is one of the largest student organizations in the world. The Scott City chapter had a record membership of 131 this year, Andrews said.

The reports qualified for the competition after receiving first-place honors at the state competition in April.

Paul Kester and Lomax wrote the American Enterprise report that explained the chapter's "Buy Local" campaign.

The project was sponsored by the FBLA chapter and the Scott City Chamber of Commerce.

It represents the ways that the chapter tries to educate members and community and about the American enterprise system, Andrews said.

Ruth and Shawn Barr wrote the chapter's Partnership with Business report.

The report detailed the business shadow program, which allowed students to visit area businesses for a day.

It included what businesses were shadowed and what activities the students participated in, Ruth said.

For the first time, students were allowed to shadow businesses in Cape Girardeau because there was such a wide range of occupations, he said.

"It's an honor to go to nationals," Ruth said, and it would be an honor to win an award at that level.

The chapter reports always do well at competition, Andrews said. However, the students will be competing against reports from 80 to 100 other schools.

"When you consider all they had to beat at state, then just to go is quite an honor for these kids," Andrews said.

Placing in the top 10 is just "icing on the cake," she said.

The students received monetary contributions from the school, state FBLA chapter and a community roadblock that was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

While in Orlando, the group plans to visit Epcot Center, Disney World and the beach. They will return on July 4.

The Scott City FBLA sponsors are Andrews, Martha Nothdruft and Donna Lutes.