The success of Fall State this year all began as Governor Jared Macher “rounded the troops,” the pre-con crew, immediately before Opening Session and gave us a bit of a pep talk. We all put our hands together and chanted some JSA jargon. Then the mood switched – we all put our game faces” on, walked single file onto the dais with solidarity, and the whole ballroom fell silent. At that Opening Session, every Program Director and Teacher Advisor’s dream came true:  we started on time, and ended on time. As we announced the start of MAS Fall State, we knew that such a successful Opening Session would mean a perfect Fall State

If I could use one word to describe Mid-Atlantic Fall State this year, it would certainly be: “solid”. It was one of the most fine-tuned JSA events I had ever attended. I can’t say that anything spectacular or out of the ordinary happened, but in a sense I’m glad to be able to say that. Often times at conventions the “best stories” which are perceived as comical in retrospect are not laughable at the time they occur. As Chief of Staff I noticed through the entire planning process that I never had to nag anyone about doing work, and the end product of everyone’s efforts was extraordinary – another occurrence which foreshadowed the successful Fall State.

Although the MAS takes great pride in the number of passionate students that come to debate at conventions, we balance this pride with a strong value for quality.  Quality means analyzing every last debate choice, every logistical plan, and ensuring that the attitudes of everyone planning the convention are positive at all times, no matter the circumstances. I will note that Program Director Elizabeth Venutra stated something vital to us during the planning stages: “your attitude reflects the success of a convention.” Luckily, we never had to fake a positive attitude because the convention was successful every step of the way.

All of these serious matters were balanced with the humor, fun, and charisma that Junior Statesmen and Stateswomen sport. We watched our Assistant Convention Coordinator sing a song from the Little Mermaid and listened to a slight variation on a Miley Cyrus tune, so cleverly titled “Party in the JSA” at JSA Idol. JSA Delegates bought unnecessary hats at the local mall during dinner. Sunday ended nicely with romance when winners of the “Date a Cabinet Member” raffle found true JSA love. I sincerely love the MAS both for our professionalism and the friendships founded upon traditional JSA fun…Let the Winter Congress planning begin!

Dear Junior Statesmen,

Welcome to the 2009-2010 Junior Statesmen school year, and the 13^th year of the Mid-Atlantic State! I hope this will be a year of progress for our state, in a few different areas. I hope that we can progress in the way we host conventions, but also in the way we value chapter activities and programs. I hope that we progress in the expansion of our state, but do not lose grip of the meaning of “active citizenship.”  And I hope that in the midst rising to these feats, we recall how we got here.