Happy New Year!

This is the first Tuesday Tipster for the new year. During the months of January through March, the Tuesday Tipsters will be separate for both the Secondary and Postsecondary Divisions.

UPCOMING DEADLINES
January 18: Statesman Torch Award deadline
January 30: Enter all dues-paying student members in online membership registration system
February 1: Dues payment deadline
February 1: State Leadership Conference registration deadline

UPCOMING EVENTS
February 11: State Leadership Conference (Northwood University, Midland, MI)

CHAPTER STATUS
If you and/or your entire chapter are **NOT** attending the SLC, please let us know.

Also, please pay close attention to the competitive event information mentioned in this and future Tuesday Tipsters. Any information posted in these updates supersedes what is published in the WSAP Guidelines Handbook 2012.

STATE OFFICE COMMUNICATION
As you know, we receive 10 times more e-mail during the SLC planning time. Please be patient as we respond to the many e-mail and telephone messages that we receive at this time of the year.

MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION & DUES PAYMENTS
Schools with any outstanding balances for state and/or national dues or other items will not be allowed to compete at the SLC. If your school fits this category, you will be notified via e-mail on a weekly basis. Please continue to handle these matters expeditiously.

SLC LOCATION
We are pleased that Northwood University will be hosting the 2012 state conference. I’m certain that their team will do a great job planning a successful event. More details about the conference will be sent in future weekly updates.

SLC REGISTRATION BOOKLET & FORMS
The state conference registration booklet was posted online on December 6, 2011. The BPA Scheduler Web site for registering for the conference is not open at the present time. Please stay tuned for more information.

COMPETITIVE EVENT DOCUMENTATION FORMS
Event Documentation/Entry Forms (in Word Format) are posted online at
www.bpa.org/compete.aspx?div=ps&go=eventdownload. You will need the following documents:
*** Individual Event Entry Form and Statement of Originality
*** Team Event Entry Form and Statement of Originality
*** Release Form

Handwritten forms will NOT be accepted and will result in disqualification. Obviously, if there is an area where it tells the student to print or sign his/her name, handwriting is allowed in that spot.

REPEAT: Handwritten forms will NOT be accepted and will result in DISQUALIFICATION.

Remember, if you want to look up your student’s contestant numbers to include on these forms, please logon to the membership registration system at www.registermychapter.com/bpamem/ and click on "Enter/View Your Members” and then “List All.” The 10-digit number that is next to the students’ names will be their contestant # for the SLC.

NOTE: Events are not pre-submitted in advance for the Postsecondary SLC. You will bring everything with you to the state conference.

TORCH AWARD MAILING ADDRESS
Everything for the torch awards program is done online. Do **NOT** mail any torch awards information to the state office.

More information about the torch awards program can be found online at www.michiganbpa.org/torch.

CONCLUSION
Thanks for your attention to all these matters. Please share this information with all your co- advisors.

Good luck as you prepare to attend the SLC!