Ben Kline's Beta Blog

Winding Down...

2009-05-12T15:28:00.002-05:00

So, this is it! It's hard for me to believe that my high school career is officially over. My last day of class was Friday, and I'll be graduating in five days! My Senior year has been a challenge-- there's no denying that-- but it's been so much fun. Balancing Beta, school, family and friends has taught me so much and I wouldn't trade my experiences for the world.

Forgive me, it has been quite some time since I've updated; I assure you that I've had my hands full! Preparations for graduation, college paperwork, never ending scholarship applications and finals...oh, those finals!...While I am a little bit sad to see my high school days come to an end, I've certainly enjoyed the chance to catch up on sleep!! haha

I was so impressed with our Missouri Convention this year. I was very busy juggling competitions and meetings, but my favorite part of the convention was watching the candidates and talking to and meeting new people. I was blown away by the talent, arts and crafts, scrapbooks and banners. I'm amazed at what Betas can dream up and create! I was so proud of every one's hard work. Another pride point I'd like to share: We had 15 officers make the trek to Branson for our Convention (18 if you count Collin, Jonathan and I). I spent some time talking to some folks from the National office, and they said that 15 was a new record for a state convention! I was very proud; it just goes to show that I'm not the only one who thinks that our convention rocks! I'm excited for the newly elected officers, Ben, Brandon and Zach, but I was also sad to be stepping down from my state office; I've grown and learned so much and it's been more fun than I ever could have dreamed. I managed not to cry in Branson, I'm not sure if I'll be able to say the same of Orlando come June!

With school winding down, if you're like me, you're starting to get in the swing of summer! If you haven't already-- look into making the National Convention in Orlando a part of your summer plans... It's going to be a blast-- I can't wait!

Beta Booth Trip Gone Wrong!!

2009-03-01T21:32:00.003-06:00

So, on Thursday evening, my father and I are in the car, driving to the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Missouri for a Social Studies teacher's conference. No, neither of us teach social studies-- we, along with Mr. Doyel (our state sponsor), were going to work a Beta Informational booth Friday and Saturday in an effort to reach new schools and start more Beta Clubs!

I was pretty excited about it; I love talking about Beta and I'm always eager to help grow Missouri Beta. The convention went well, we had a TV set up playing DVDs of past conventions, a laptop set up with our new website, http://www.mobeta.org/, and plenty of promotional materials like pencils, fliers and booklets. Things were going well, a lot of the teachers seemed interested and our booth was busy in between their sessions. It was freezing outside, and the weather man was calling for a bit of snow the next day.

Just like the man said, Saturday morning around eight, snow started falling. It started of really light, and it was actually really pretty! Things were slowing down, so we decided to pack up a little bit early and start the drive home an hour ahead of schedule. At 10:30, dad and I pack up the car, say goodbye to Mr. Doyel, and we're on our way.

At 10:45, we're on the side of the road; you see, while we were loading our vehicle, the snow picked up considerably! About two miles from the Lodge, my dad rounds a corner and is coming down a hill when we see traffic stopped about 100 feet in front of us. Dad hits the brakes, but the ABS locks up immediately, and we can see what's coming. We slide 70 feet, hit the vehicle in front of us, and slide into a low brick wall near the entrance to a condominium at the exact same speed we were at the top of the hill, about 35 mph. (I can't imagine hitting another car at 60!)

I was on the phone with my mom when it happened, ironically enough, and she thought for a minute that dad and I were playing an elaborate trick on her. We explained the situation, and dad and I started in making the appropriate phone calls to the police and AAA.

I've gotta give my dad some props, though; he might've hit a car and run into a brick wall, but he pulled off some fancy driving to get it done. He had three options: 1) T-bone the Honda in the turning lane, 2) Go right, miss the car in front of us, but go off the road and down a hill about 200 feet into the woods, or 3) Hit the car and the wall. It all happened pretty fast, but he managed to pull it off and at least we didn't flip our vehicle or hit someone in the driver's side.

I also want to let you all know what kind of state sponsor you have; Mr. Doyel was two cars in front of us, and he pulled over and stayed with us until everything was sorted out. He then drove us to a hotel where we stayed the night, since all the roads in and out of town were closed. Thank you Mr. Doyel!

Lake Ozark and Osage Beach ended up getting about eight or nine inches of snow last night; I watched it pile up while I sat in my hotel room, catching up on some Spanish IV. My uncle came and picked us up this morning; it was like Christmas came early-- I was going home! haha So, that said, be sure that you drive safe and buckle up. Don't speed, especially in bad weather!

Convention is literally just around the corner! I hope everyone is getting ready and getting excited! I can't wait!

Samantha Green

A-Town Bound...then Tupelo or Bust!

2009-03-01T20:36:00.004-06:00

Hey folks! It's been a crazy, crazy week! I've just been to back-to-back Beta Conventions and lived to tell about it! I had a great time, though; I wouldn't miss my best friend's conventions for the world.

Friday morning after my College Chemistry class, my Aunt 'Nette and I made the trek to Atlanta for the Georgia Senior Beta Convention! We kinda forgot about the time change, and we also got to experience Atlanta rush hour traffic, but I'm happy to say that we made it just in time for the first session! I had a blast and it was so great getting to see all the officers, Mama Anderson and the rest of the Beta crew.

Michael Houck, Peter Liddle and Abby Adams put on a wonderful convention; all of their keynotes were amazing! Peter placed first in group talent, Abby persevered even though she was stricken with mono, and Michael, well, he's just Michael, and that's more than enough! (That's Peter, Abby and Michael in the picture above!)

The campaigns and skit were hilarious, and the talent was amazing! Georgia Betas are exceptionally talented, let me tell you!

Congrats to Natalie Sharp, Grace Lee and Uzma Chowdhury, the newly elected incoming officers! They have big shoes to fill, but I'm sure they'll do a wonderful job-- Georgia always has great officers.

I was very sad to leave, but my Beta duties for the weekend didn't stop there! On Sunday, my aunt and I loaded up and drove from Atlanta to Tupelo for the Mississippi Convention!

We got to catch up on our sleep on Sunday night before the convention started on Monday morning. And wow-- Mississippi impressed me! Not only were there a ton of Betas in the BancorpSouth Arena, but they were talented Betas at that.

I've never seen so many talent entries in my life; I was so glad I had the chance to watch all the talent preliminaries-- I was amazed. Trent Wilkerson, the state's VP, did an amazing job; not only was his keynote awesome, but he also participated in special talent, and his trio made it to the finals! Mallory and Chris, the other two National officers were there, and we had a blast hanging out, catching up and meeting so many new people.

All three of us got to stay with Trent's club, St. Martin; they were so much fun! I also got to see a BLC buddy of mine-- Sid Williams. I haven't seen him since July and it was great to meet up with him again!

After the third session Tuesday night, my aunt and I hit the road to head back to Malden. We got in around 1:30 Wednesday morning, just enough time for me to take a nap before getting ready for school! (haha)

I'll be at school Wednesday and Thursday, but Friday I'm off to another Beta Event-- more on that later!

Take care!
Samantha Green

Welcome Cole County Junior Beta!

2009-02-10T11:24:00.003-06:00

On Friday, February 6th, my mom, little brother and I drove north to Russleville, Missouri for a Junior Beta Rally at the Cole County Middle School! They're starting a brand new Junior Beta Club!

Mr. Jerry Hobbs, our State Council Chair, is the superintendent of the Cole County school district and invited me to speak to their Middle School about my experience with Beta. I talked about my experiences at convention in competitions, running for office and making a lot of friends. I highlighted some of the service projects my club at Malden has done this year. Mr. Doyel, our Senior State Sponsor, was there as well, and he talked about the history of Missouri Beta and our core values of character, achievement and leadership. Mr. Hobbs passed out information about their upcoming meeting and general information about the National Junior Beta Club. After, we had a time for the students to ask questions; that was the most fun part for me! I loved getting to interact one-on-one with all of those potential Betas!

The Junior Beta Rally was a complete success; I'm so glad that I had the chance to come! Thank you to Mr. Hobbs and the Cole County Betas-to-Be for having me! Good luck to the new Betas and their sponsors!

Home from Hot Springs!

2009-02-03T13:06:00.008-06:00

Hey Betas! I'm happy to report that I've made it home from the Arkansas Beta Convention! Let me tell you, Arkansas has a lot to be proud of! For starters, practically every school made the trek to Hot Springs, even through the ice and snow! Plus, the arts, talent and campaigns were all superb-- I was so glad I didn't have to judge!

Six officers visited from out of state, and the three Arkansas Officers put on a wonderful convention for us. Zack Lynch, Hunter Cabe and Karissa Musser have worked so hard all year, and it certainly showed.

Chris Bowman, the Tennessee and National Secretary spoke at the first session; his speech was hilarious and had a great message. I always look forward to hearing him speak! Donnie Thurman, a past National Officer and BLC counselor, was the guest speaker on Saturday morning. It was great to see him, and, as always, he did a terrific job!

I got to speak at Hunter's session Saturday night. Over the past six or seven months, Hunter Cabe and I have become very close; he's one of my best friends, and I was so honored to speak at his session! He made it hard on me though; His keynote was amazing! Titled "Heaven on Earth," he took Hot Springs to church!! He did a spectacular job; it was a hard act to follow!

I'd like to congratulate the three newly elected incoming officers Trey, Kenny and Sloane. Also, thank you Greenwood Beta Club! They provided me a room during the convention. You guys were so much fun and I appreciate the hospitality!

As many of you know, the ice storm that rolled though Missouri has closed a lot of schools and left a lot of us without power. While Malden is slowly getting electricity back, it will be a while before we'll be at school. I hope everyone is staying safe and staying warm! If you need to contact me, you can call or text my cell phone at 573.281.0285!

Baton Rouge or Bust

2009-01-24T19:45:00.002-06:00

Wow! Louisiana Betas can dance!

This week, my dad and I made the trek to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for their Senior Beta Convention. We left around 6pm on Wednesday evening and literally drove straight through, and at 2:30 on Thursday morning, we checked into the Sheraton about a block from the Mississippi River! The next two days were complete chaos, but they were so much fun!

I managed to sneak in four or five hours of sleep before heading over to the River Center the next morning. When I got there, I was shocked at how big their convention was; I'm guessing there was somewhere around 5,000 people there! And there was plenty of activities to keep them busy; there were mini Leadership seminars, scavenger hunts, mega Twister games, pre-session dance instruction and more competitions than you could shake a stick at. Plus, their mixer was a blast! There was aways something going on.

Four officers visited from out of state, and it was so good to see the Louisiana officers strutting their stuff: Wesley Juneau, Mallory Richard and Maggie Joyner! All three National Officers attended this convention, Chris Bowman, Mallory and I, which was pretty cool!

With so much going on, all of us officers got the chance to help out a lot, which was fun. I helped out with a couple of different competitions, and I even got to be a judge! Mallory asked me to give her inspiration, so I got to speak at the second session.

Of course, I want to congratulate the newly elected incoming officers Lauren Lange, Anthony Corner and Jack Fletcher and all the other state winners!

I've got this week to catch up on school work and try to get some rest because on Friday, I'm leaving for Hot Springs-- Arkansas Beta Convention, here I come!

Samantha Green

Everything's Bigger in Texas!!

2009-01-24T17:50:00.006-06:00

On January 9 and 10th, I travelled to Austin for the Texas Senior Beta Convention! My mom came with me, and I we had a great time! There were seven vi sting officers, plus Blake, Sam and Eric, the three Texas officers. Sometimes I forget just how much I miss these guys!

Austin is a pretty awesome city; During a few hours of free time, I had the chance to walk around and get a feel for the downtown area. It was my first time being in Texas, and I love it!

I spoke during the second session, right before Clayton King, the guest speaker, came on stage. He's one of my favorite speakers and he, like always, brought the house down. You can check out his website at http://www.claytonking.com/.

I must admit, I was impressed; Texas has talent! The competitions, talent and campaigns were amazing! It was a lot of fun to watch how other states go about their campaigning process. Plus, the skits were really cute! Congrats to Derek Meyer, Andrew Crosswhite, and Valerie Manning-- the new incoming state officers for Texas!

I hope everyone is gearing up for our convention in March! Can't wait to see you in Branson!

Samantha Green

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T13:31:00.002-06:00

Wow, I can't believe it's 2009! Christmas break is coming to an end and it's almost time to start hitting the books again! (I know, I'm not looking forward to it either!) I hope everyone had a fun New Year's Eve; take advantage of your last few days of freedom-- Sleep in! :)

For my fellow Seniors-- this is it! We'll be kicking off our final semester in high school soon. It's really weird to think about, but also exciting at the same time.

Convention planning is underway, and I hope everyone is getting excited!
I'm heading to the Texas Beta Convention next week, I'll be sure to keep everyone updated!

Samantha Green

Feliz Navidad!

2008-12-22T18:49:00.000-06:00

Hey Betas! I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy start to 2009! Enjoy your time off from school, stay warm and sleep in!

Samantha Green

What's Better than 1,500 Junior High Kids?

2008-12-22T18:09:00.000-06:00

On Friday, Decemeber 5th, 2008, 1,500 Junior Betas from around the state travelled to Poplar Bluff, Missouri for the Sixth Annual Missouri Junior Beta Convention.

It was a very, very busy day for me, so sadly, I didn't get to spend a lot of time talking and meeting people, but we all had a great time! It was great getting to see Mama Anderson, Mrs. Judy (Cummings, the Junior National Sponsor) and Mr. Stribling (Assistant Executive Director) again!

Collin, Jonathan and I were there to offer a helping hand. We had fun helping with door prizes, bingo and Living Literature. Let me tell you though, those Junior Betas were so energetic! I started the day wearing my favorite black heels, and by lunch, I was in the flats I had put in my purse just in case!

The picture I added is of the Malden Junior Beta Club after their group talent win; This year was my little brother's first year in Beta! Darren has been going to Beta practices and conventions with me ever since I joined, but I was really proud to watch him perform at his own convention.

Plus, my neighbor, Sara Wilson, the Missouri Junior Vice President got to preside over her convention this year. She did great! I was also impressed by all the talents and art displays-- I was really glad I didn't have to judge!

I also want to offer my congratulations to the newly elected officers: Ben Story, Michael Babusa, Harley Durall, Makayla LeGrand, Mia Jones. Also, congrats to all the art and academic winners!

Junior Beta's Convention just made me that much more excited for the Senior Convention in March! Any ideas or changes you want to see at convention this year? Shoot me an email!

Take care and stay warm!
Samantha Green

Welcome West Plains Senior Beta!

2008-12-22T17:53:00.001-06:00

Missouri Beta just got bigger!

On December 2nd, I traveled to West Plains High School (Home of the Zizzers!) for a Beta Installation Ceremony. But this wasn't just any old installation ceremony, it was also the Inauguration of the West Plains Senior Beta Club Chapter! Mr. Doyel, the state sponsor, also came; he spoke about our history and all the awesome things that Missouri Betas are up to now! I also gave a short speech; I discussed the many opportunities afforded by Beta Club through conventions, academic and art competitions, leadership academies, Broyhill Leadership Conference, and running for office.

They inducted about 70 students that night! The West Plains Junior Beta Club served cake and punch, they were very nice and did a great job. I had a great time; I got to meet a lot of new Betas that I believe are really excited about convention already.

I know that many clubs are starting to gear up for convention! March is just around the corner!

Samantha Green

P.S: Don't be shy! Look me up on Facebook, or shoot me an email (sam@mobeta.org) or send me a text to 573.281.0285!

Indiana Beta Convention!

2008-12-22T17:08:00.001-06:00

Hello Everybody! Last weekend I got to travel to my first state convention! My mom, Collin and I traveled to Indianapolis for the Indiana State Beta Convention. We had a great time and it was great getting to see friends that I haven't seen since BLC!

I gave a speech during the Second General Session on Saturday morning. Titled "All for One," I talked about how important it is to concentrate your efforts to one cause or one organization. When you do, you always have a greater impact and can make bigger changes!

I also talked about my involvement with the ONE Campaign, an organization that seeks to raise public awareness about global poverty, world hunger and disease. It's something I am very passionate about and devote a lot of time to. You can swing by http://www.one.org/ and sign the ONE Declaration to Make Poverty History. I promise, it will only take you a minute!

Collin also got to give Andrew Trimble's (the Indiana State Secretary) inspiration during the same session. I thought he did a really good job! He spoke about how important it is to be able to keep a sense of humor and just relax sometimes.

Congrats to Hannah Mieure, Robert Swaby and Audra Lannan, the new incoming Indiana Officers! It was really fun watching how another state conducts their campaigning process.

Aaron Woodard, Kritine Lagree and Andrew Trimble put together a great convention and I was very happy I could be there to watch them work. Because of scheduling conflicts and my ACT testing date, I won't be able to make it to the West Virginia or Kentucky conventions. :(
Next stop-- Texas Convention in January!

Happy Thanksgiving!!
Samantha Green

First Annual Missouri Beta Leadership Academy!

2008-12-22T16:50:00.000-06:00

Missouri Beta has got a lot of things going on this year! We recently held the First Annual Missouri Beta Leadership Academy at Camp Allen. It was a lot of fun; Thomas Dismukes, one of my favorite speakers and BLC veteran came to run the show for us.

The theme for this year was Discovering Your Superpowers and how to use your unique strengths to become a more effective leader. We had a lot of fun and incorporated a lot of Broyhill activities into the two day event. All the Betas were divided up into Councils (the sponsors had a council of their own!) and each council had to come up with a Team Name, design a poster and a cheer. We all competed in a mini-Great experience and my council won! We were Council B-- The Beta Bees (We put the "Bee" in Beta!).

Mr. Doyel did an awesome job organizing the whole event! I think everyone had a great time; If you missed out on it this year, be sure to ask your sponsor for information about next year's academy!

Sammie Green

State Officer Workshop and BLC!

2008-12-22T15:52:00.000-06:00

Every year at convention, I've always heard about the Broyhill Leadership Conference and how spectacular it is. Until I about two weeks ago, I still thought it was just a summer camp with really cool people. I cannot even begin to tell you how wrong I was!!

But before I tell you about BLC, let me back up a little.

Collin, Jonathan and I met up with two of the Illinois state officers, Libbie Miller and Kaylin Flamm at the St. Louis Airport. All five of us flew out to Charlotte, North Carolina for our State Officer's Orientation Workshop. Once we landed, we met up with all the other state officers (most of which we'd met at Nationals, but some people didn't run in Myrtle Beach); once we were all safely on the ground, we traveled to Belmont Abby College to start learning about the year ahead of us. Workshop lasted three days, we had meetings with Mama Anderson, Team Building with illusionist/speaker Dave Wilson and activities like Bowling and Mini Golf. We even got to tour the National Headquarters! We all had a great time and got to know each other a lot better.

On Wednesday, we all packed up our stuff and said goodbye to Belmont Abby. We boarded our bus for Queens University, where BLC was to be held. There, we met up with all the Junior Beta state officers, a handful of Senior officers from last year (including Kayla Cunningham, the outgoing Missouri President!) and a ton of other Betas from all over the country!

Upon our arrival, we met Joe Jones, Pia, Donnie Thurman, Jumpin John and the rest of the BLC crew. We were all split up into different councils (I was in Council G!) and had Council meetings twice every day. There were all sorts of activities, awesome speakers, and of course, the Great Experience, but my favorite part was getting to know so many incredible Betas from all over.

I could talk all day about all the awesome stuff we did, but instead, I'll tell you to go experience it for yourself! I'm serious, you won't regret it! I learned so much about myself and the people around me. But more than that, I made so many strong friendships! There might be a lot of space between us, but Facebook is a wonderful thing! :)

How's your summer going? Send me an email to sam@mobeta.org or text me at 573.281.0285!

Take care!

Samantha Green

Myrtle Beach!

2008-12-22T14:50:00.000-06:00

I've just returned home from the 28th Annual National Beta Club Convention in Myrtle Beach the happiest girl in the world! If anyone ever doubted the strength and loyalty of Missouri Betas, the 541 students from 22 clubs that traveled halfway across the country put their doubts to rest.

You guys were amazing!! After talking to Betas from various clubs after state, I knew there were a lot of people planning on making the trek to South Carolina, but 541? I was blown away and so proud to stand up with all of you when our state flag marched in.

With your help, I was elected the National Beta President for the next year! Thank you all for wearing my shirts, cheering my skit and just walking up and saying hi while I was campaigning. It was a stressful few days, but so much fun at the same time! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

I've got to take a second to thank my club specifically. The Malden Betas really pulled out all the stops for me; they worked so hard practicing my skit and helping me campaign before sessions. They made this whole process easier for me and a lot more fun!

This was the first time I had the chance to meet the other incoming state officers; we might have been running against one another, but you never would've known it! We all got along so well and had fun spending time with each other. I can't wait till Broyhill so we can all see each other again!
[Above is a picture of the new National Officers (Chris Bowman, Mallory Richard and I), Mama Anderson (the National Sponsor) and Ken Cline (Executive Director). Here's a link to my speech and skit on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDExK6BaPTY]

I hope everyone that went had a great time in Myrtle Beach! Thanks again...so so much! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Samantha Green

Post-Convention!

2008-12-22T14:07:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's my first Blog Post as the new Missouri Beta President! I'm so excited about the year ahead and I can't wait to get started!

First off, to all the Missouri Betas: THANK YOU!!! You all made my convention and campaigning experience so much fun! I got to meet so many new people! To all the other candidates, you all were really fun and I had so much fun at sessions with you all! Collin and Jonathan-- It looks like we're going to be seeing a lot of each other! I'm totally looking forward to working with you two!

Congrats to all the academic and art winners-- I hope to see you at Nationals! You betcha, I'll be in Myrtle Beach!

If anyone has any good ideas for next year's convention or changes you'd like to see in Beta, or if you just want to say hi, look me up on Facebook or shoot me an email at sam@mobeta.org!
I'm also a text-aholic, you can hit me up at 573-281-0285!

Myrtle Beach or Bust!
Type to you soon!

Samantha Green