VOICES · Torch:U.S. · Summer 2018
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VO(I)CES
Preparing for Convention
Over the past several months, I have been preparing for the excitement of Convention. With the help of my fellow officers, I have selected this year’s featured speakers who will open and close at each of the General Assemblies as well as the recipient of the Packet Award. I am extremely excited to hear each speaker in July.
I had a short-lived moment of fame on the JCL Instagram page during National Classics Week, promoting the movie Hercules. All the officers and Tim and Collin in particular deserve a shout-out for the hard work they put into NCW and for the incredible success they achieved.
As convention quickly approaches, I am currently writing my opening and closing addresses. I am also working on my President’s Guide for future presidents, still hoping to get a few more submissions for the advice page of the Guide. I would like to have the Guide fully prepared and edited by Convention.
Mark Bechthold
2017-2018 NJCL President
Heading Into the Final Stretch
Friends, thank you so much for yet another invigorating, rejuvenating, and thoroughly uplifting National Classics Week. All across the country, thousands of JCLers came together to celebrate our shared community and our shared language. The spring was long coming and the sun may have seemed loathe to grace us, but your contagious energy and enthusiasm lit up each morning like the shining cities on hills that each of our JCL communities are.
As we round the bases and head into the final stretch of the year before summer - and Convention!!! - let us continue to dive into the JCL. Please continue to send in submissions for the promo video and membership contests (alongside all the other great competitions the other officers are running!). Once more, as we stretch ourselves for the final effort before the summer, let us continue on in the service of the JCL and in the pursuit of the JCLove, in the words of Tennyson that my hero quoted and loved, “to seek, to strive, to find, and not to yield.”
Best wishes for finals and a happy summer. Counting down the days to convention already.
Tim Han
2017-2018 NJCL First Vice President
A Service-Filled Convention
This year’s National Classics Week was preceded by the release of the NJCL board’s fire rap debut- “God’s Plan.” The theme of NCW 2018 was the labors of Hercules. Each officer took ownership of a day and publicized the spirit and service oriented projects associated with the day’s respective labor. Across the country clubs successfully celebrated classics in their schools and communities with service projects, foods, and merriment.
Looking ahead, there are several exciting announcements regarding Spirit and Service at the 2018 National Convention at Miami University. The first of which is this year’s convention service project which will be constructing mats from plastic bags for those less fortunate. The mats will be distributed around the greater Cincinnati area after convention. Leading up to convention make sure to begin collecting your plastic bags, both participation at convention as well as collection prior to arrival will count toward the overall spirit competition for the week. The project will be completed during the convention’s colloquia sessions, make sure to check the convention schedule for the appropriate times and location.
The second major announcement are a reminder of the spirit theme’s which have already been released via the convention flyer. The theme’s are as follows: Monday- N/A, Tuesday- “Oh, hi O JCL! State Pride Day,” Wednesday- “Make new friends but keep the old, one is Purple and the other is Gold,” Thursday- “Cincinnatus had a farm,” Friday- “Rock n’ Roll JCL.” There will be a spirit and service orientation session following Monday’s general assembly to answer and clear up any questions and concerns but please don’t hesitate to reach out ahead of time to [email protected].
Collin Kane
2017-2018 NJCL Second Vice President
Looking forward to an incredible 2018 convention at Miami University!
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