Everyone has seen DECA’s posters, their shirts, and their signs. They have heard the announcements for meetings over the loudspeaker and the chatter in the hallways about BC’s busy business club. But what does DECA really do?
For being an organization that is nearly 70 years old, too few people really know the happenings of this club. This year at BCHS, the people of DECA are constantly attributing themselves to a number of pursuits. However, one of the main aspects of this club is the competitions.
Much like in sports, this club competes. Yet, the amount of this is significantly less than in sporting activities, with DECA having only three competitions: Districts, the State Career Development Conference (SCDC), and the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). Districts is only one day, but SCDC is a three day state competition at the Grand Geneva Resort. As for ICDC, it is a five day international event.
In each competition, there are four main categories to compete in: Business Administration and Management, Hospitality, Marketing, and Finance. These groups can further be broken down into a more focused job range, such as fashion or accounting.
Competition can be a tad confusing, DECA’s CO Vice President of Business Partnership, Grace Chaliva (‘18), describes the process. Chialiva states, “After selecting an area of competition, members then go on to compete at Districts, where they take a test around winter break in school and compete in a role play [situation] for their event. This includes having a scenario pertaining to their selected area of competition, and then meeting certain standards. There are five to seven standards depending on the selected event, and these vary based on the event.” As one would see, this process is very complex. In fact Chialiva goes on to say, “It may seem like a bit of a mystery, but the best route is to just join and see what it’s all about; it’s a great experience!”
Another important aspect of the competitions is traveling. For BCHS’s Districts event, the DECA chapter journeys to a location in Wisconsin. For the past several years, it has been at Kettle Moraine High School, but this year the location is still to be determined. As for SCDC, it will be in Lake Geneva at the Grand Geneva Resort. For the ICDC, the location varies based on the year. In 2014, it took place in Orlando, FL. Last year it was Nashville, TN, and this year it is scheduled to be in Anaheim, CA.
Along with competition and getting to know the people in the club through chapter bonding, DECA places a high value on community service. They offer many service opportunities for chapter events and out in the community. For example, one act of service is Trick or Can. In this event, club participants place bags in neighborhoods for people to donate canned goods. Then, in October, the members pick up the bags and deliver the contents to the food pantry. Trick or Can is just one example out of the many service projects that DECA hosts.
Through all these activities, members of the club experience DECA’s mission in action: to ensure that its members get the proper training for their future careers. Additionally, DECA tries to advise future business starters and other rising leaders to a path that fits them best. Whatever path this may be, the organization is determined to improve student’s ability to create their own success.
To conclude, Brookfield Central High School’s DECA Chapter is very involved in many different activities. Whether it is competitions, chapter bonding, or community service projects, this somewhat misunderstood club is aiming to help its members prepare for the future. The next time a fellow student questions what DECA does, let them know it’s not only a business club; it also is a great way to socialize and volunteer. To answer the question many students at Brookfield Central have wondered, in reality, DECA does very much.