This Tuesday Tipster is for Secondary chapters only. The weekly updates will probably continue to be long until after all the SLC deadlines have passed. You may want to print this message since there is a lot to read.

UPCOMING DEADLINES
February 24: SLC Housing Change Deadline (Complete the housing change form immediately upon discovery of a change. Contact your assigned hotel directly. Preferably submitted online no later than this date.)

February 24: SLC Registration Refund Request Deadline (Submitted online on or before this date)

March 1: State Service Project Chapter Scholarship Deadline

March 15: Ambassador Torch Awards and National Special Recognition Awards Deadlines

PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENT
The state executive council is proposing an amendment to our bylaws for a dues increase. This message serves as official notice.
Amendment: Amend Bylaw Article V, Section 3 by striking out "eight dollars ($8.00)" and inserting "nine dollars ($9.00)."
Rationale: Michigan BPA has not had a dues increase in more than 10 years. With changes in the economy and cutbacks of state funding, a dues increase is necessary.
State Executive Council Recommendation: Amendment be adopted.

SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER & DANCE
The dinner session continues to be a highlight of the conference. Students are given an opportunity to don their best attire and engage in a professional dining experience which they will remember for years to come.

There will be a dollar dance to support the Salvation Army of Michigan. The state executive council's goal is to raise $500 at this event. We ask that you encourage your chapter members to bring $1.00 to donate as they enter the ballroom. Northwood University is sponsoring the dance which follows the dinner session.

Please inform your students that they will be escorted off the dance floor and out of the dance by advisors and/or alumni for dancing inappropriately. This will not be tolerated!!!

BPA SAFETY PLAN
The Safety Plan for the state conference is available online on the SLC documents page. You may want to familiarize yourself with the plan to know how Michigan BPA will respond in the event of an emergency.

VOTING DELEGATES/STATE OFFICER ELECTIONS
Advisors, please remind your voting delegates that they are voting for the next leaders of the state association and that they need to take this responsibility seriously. Also, they need to evaluate the candidates as they speak at both the annual business meeting and the opening session. Finally, please inform your voting delegates that they may request candidates' test scores from the officer candidate test.

The voting delegates packet has been posted on our SLC documents page. The voting delegates will vote on a proposed bylaw amendment during the annual business meeting.

SLC COLLEGE FAIR
We are pleased to announce that we will continue to have our college fair during the state conference. Colleges are continuing to sign up for the college fair every day. Please make sure your students visit with the various college representatives. In order to receive a certificate of achievement after the conference, students must visit at least three college fair exhibitors in addition to attending at least four legacy launcher workshops.

Representatives from various colleges and universities around the state will be conveniently located in the Center Concourse Foyer near the Courtesy Corps on Saturday, March 24, 2012, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

AMBASSADOR TORCH AWARD DEADLINE
The deadline for submitting Ambassador Torch Award resumes is March 15, prior to our SLC in Michigan. As a result, students will not be able to use any points earned at the 2012 SLC on their Ambassador resumes. Please keep this in mind as your students plan and prepare. We encourage your students to be sure and use points they earned at the 2011 SLC, and use 2012's points next year. As a result of the earlier NLC this year, national staff have indicated that there is no room for flexibility in this deadline for Michigan's members. Please contact the National Center directly with any questions or comments; ALL Ambassador-Award-related review, approvals, deadlines, and procedures are handled exclusively by national BPA staff.

STATE SERVICE PROJECT SCHOLARSHIP
REMINDER: The deadline for the state service project chapter scholarship is March 1, 2012. All applications must be postmarked on or before March 1, 2012. The application is available on the documents page of our Web site. Keep up the good volunteer work!