Section 1 - National Creed, Motto, Opening, Closing Information

The Officer’s Portion of the Opening Ceremony emphasizes the multiple roles members play as family members, wage earners, and community leaders. Through participation, skills for life are developed including character growth, creative and critical thinking, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge, and career preparation.
The Members Portion of the Opening Ceremony presents the mission and vision of the Georgia Association of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

Section 2 - National FCCLA Information

Meaning of FCCLA

  • FCCLA stands for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America.
  • The tagline for FCCLA is The Ultimate Leadership Experience, which was introduced in 2003.
  • The current National Executive Director of FCCLA is Sandy Spavone.

Current Youth Concerns Addressed by FCCLA

FCCLA chapters focus on various youth concerns, including:

  1. Teen pregnancy
  2. Parenting
  3. Family relationships
  4. Substance abuse
  5. Peer pressure
  6. Environment
  7. Nutrition and fitness
  8. Teen violence
  9. Career exploration
  10. Entrepreneurship

Symbolism and Components

  • The flower of the organization is the red rose, which symbolizes the search for beauty in everyday living.
  • The motto of FCCLA is Toward New Horizons.
  • Five components of the planning process (in order):
      1. Identify Concerns
      2. Set your Goal
      3. Form a Plan
      4. Act
      5. Follow Up
  • The official colors of FCCLA are red and white.

Eight Purposes of the Organization

The eight purposes of FCCLA are:

  1. To provide opportunities for personal development and preparation for adult life.
  2. To strengthen the function of the family as a basic unit of society.
  3. To encourage democracy through cooperative action in the home and community.
  4. To encourage individual and group involvement in helping achieve global cooperation and harmony.
  5. To promote greater understanding between youth and adults.
  6. To provide opportunities for making decisions and for assuming responsibilities.
  7. To prepare for the multiple roles of society.
  8. To promote family and consumer sciences and related occupations.

Structure of FCCLA

  • Local groups of FCCLA are referred to as Chapters.
  • The five basic components of an FCCLA chapter include: membership, adviser, leadership, meetings, and projects.
  • There are four kinds of membership in FCCLA:
      1. Active
      2. Alumni
      3. Associate
      4. Honorary
  • Meetings should follow the official ceremonies to be properly opened and closed.
  • All meetings are conducted using Parliamentary Procedure based on Robert’s Rules of Order.

Focus of FCCLA

FCCLA is distinctly focused as the only in-school organization centralized around the family. It facilitates active student participation on local, state, and national levels.

  • FCCLA week is celebrated in February.
  • The 2026 National Leadership Conference will take place in Washington D.C.

Section 3 - National Programs

Membership and Participation

Adults can support FCCLA by becoming Alumni & Associates members.

Partner Contests and Competitions
  • Safe Rides Save Lives is an initiative sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation to encourage safe choices.
  • Take Down Tobacco is a program sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids focusing on understanding tobacco risks.
  • Members can participate in the FCCLA/Knowledge Matters Simulations, which challenges their personal finance or fashion management skills through two rounds of competition.
  • The FCCLA/LifeSmarts Knowledge Bowl is a team competition assessing knowledge across six content areas related to various career clusters.
Content Areas of LifeSmarts Knowledge Bowl
  1. Personal Finance
  2. Consumer Rights & Responsibilities
  3. Technology
  4. Health & Safety
  5. Environment
  6. FCCLA Knowledge
National Programs Focus
  • The program covering health components is called Student Body.
  • Financial Fitness teaches behavior regarding financial management.
  • The four units of Financial Fitness include: Earning, Spending, Saving, and Protecting.
  • FACTS (Families Acting for Community Traffic Safety) promotes highway safety.
  • Families First uses peer education to strengthen family dynamics.
  • Community Service guides local improvement projects.
  • Career Connection promotes job readiness.
  • The recognition program for individual projects is called Power of One.
Stand-Up Program Components

The Stand Up program consists of three units:

  1. Assess current needs
  2. Educate others regarding concerns
  3. Advocate to make a difference in the community

Power of One Units

Five units of Power of One include:

  1. A Better You
  2. Family Ties
  3. Working on Working
  4. Take the Lead
  5. Speak Out for FCCLA

Programs Recognizing Advisors

The Master Advisor program recognizes advisors managing strong chapters.

  • Advisor Mentor is a program recognizing advisors helping new chapter advisors.
  • STAR Events are competitive events recognizing proficiency in leadership and job-related skills.

STAR Events Categories and Participation

The acronym STAR stands for Students Taking Action with Recognition.

  • The Step One program helps newcomers engage with FCCLA, introduced in July 1988.
  • Various STAR event categories address different skills, for example:
      - Focus on Children involves a child development project.
      - Job Interview covers employment preparation.
      - Culinary Arts requires production of meals using food service techniques.
Levels of Participation in STAR Events
  • Level 1: Students in grades 5-8
  • Level 2: Students in grades 9-10
  • Level 3: Students in grades 11-12
  • Competitions occur at local, regional, state, and national levels.

Section 4 - Georgia Information

Georgia Leadership Themes

  • Fall Leadership Rally theme: League of Leaders
  • Fall Leadership Conference theme: Directing Your Destiny
  • State Leadership Conference theme: The Final Production

Georgia Administration and Organization

  • The Georgia Program Specialist for Family and Consumer Sciences is Vickie Rundbaken.
  • The Georgia CTSO Coordinator is Lynsey Singleton.
  • The Executive Director for Georgia FCCLA is Caitlin Roberson.
  • The headquarters of the state association is located in Bogart, Georgia.

State Structure and Representation

There are 9 FCCLA regions in Georgia, finalized in 2012.

  • In 2003, Region 7 was added due to increased participation.
  • There are 11 state officer positions (including 9 state officers and up to 2 National Liaisons).
Current State Officers
  • Hillaree Hankerson – President
  • Sunny Suthar – First Vice President
  • Graham Mull – Vice President of Community Service
  • Lauren Parsons – Vice President of Competitive Events
  • Kamryn Williams – Vice President of Membership
  • Macy Murdock – Vice President of Programs
  • Kolton Brown – Vice President of Public Relations
  • Lisette Crawford – State Historian
Representation at National Level

At the State Leadership Conference, 2 students may run to become National Officer Candidates, positioned as the Vice President of Leadership Development if not elected the following year.

  • The most recent Georgia national officer is Emma Pitman from Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy.

Publications and Recognition

The official publication of the Georgia Association is Georgia News.

  • CTAE stands for Career, Technical and Agricultural Education.
  • CTSO stands for Career and Technical Student Organizations.
  • The Region Officer Teams facilitate membership promotion and serve as liaisons between regions and the state.

Historical Highlights

Georgia was the second state to affiliate with the national association.

  • The first chapter in Georgia was Fayetteville High School.
  • The first state convention was held in June 1946 at the State FFA-FHA Camp in Covington, Georgia.
Milestones in Leadership
  • The first Georgian elected to national office was Pat Randolph from Winder, Georgia.
  • Luck Hendrix was the first and only Georgian elected as National President in 1969.
  • Kathy Chester became the first African American State President of Georgia FCCLA in 1972-1973.
Additional Historical Context

The first male state officer of Georgia FHA was Kenneth Ivory.

  • Georgia has had 13 winners of the Japanese Exchange Student Scholarship.
  • Georgia’s first State Advisor was Mrs. J. Mac (Janette) Barber, the first state to employ a full-time state advisor.
  • The website address for Georgia FCCLA is www.georgiafccla.org.