Bemidji Jaycees Receives Over 50 Awards At State Convention

The Bemidji Jaycees recently took home more than fifty individual, project and chapter awards during the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Minnesota Annual Convention. The convention celebrated the 3^rd Trimester and Year-End accomplishments of all Jaycee Chapters throughout the state of Minnesota.

The Bemidji Jaycees were recognized as the chapter with the largest membership growth and the best programming for the year of 2017. Bemidji Jaycee members Twila Bolte and Crystal Hegg were also recognized as JCI senators. As few as 1,000 Jaycees ever receive this honor.

Several Bemidji Jaycee members will also travel to Denver this September to compete in such as areas as public speaking, composition and debate on a national level. Several projects held in Bemidji were recognized as Jaycee successes, including the Home, Sport and Travel Show held last April and “CarnEvil” held in late October.

A full list of Awards received by the Bemidji Jaycees is below:

Third Trimester Awards
– Gold Chapter
– Gold Chapter President Josh Peterson
– Silver State Delegate Becky Kummet
– Gold Jaycee Jessica Davis
– Silver New Jaycee Larissa Donovan
– Gold Alumni John Kopet
– Silver Alumni Char Blashill
– Outstanding Chapter Vice President Carrie Johnson
– Gold JCI MN State Vice President Twila Bolte
– Silver JCI MN Regional Staff Region 1 Director Eva Fisher
– Chapter Road Runs – 3rd Place
– Chapter Miles – 2nd Place
– Individual Road Runs – 2nd Place Jessica Davis
– Individual Road Run Miles – 1st Place Jessica Davis
– 4th Quarter Chapter with Most New Member Adds – Bemidji (26 new members)
– 4th Quarter Region with Most New Member Adds – Region 1 (33 new members)
– Parade of Chapters – 1st Place Bemidji
– Parade of Regions – 1st Place Region 1

Project Awards: 
– Long-Term Community Development Program: Silver for “Homeless Care Kits”
– Local Economic Development Program: Gold for “CarnEvil” & Silver for “40th Annual Home, Sport & Travel Show”
– Local Personal Skills Development: Gold for “Jaycees Non-Jaycee Social”
– Local Growth and Development: Gold for “WINter ID College”

Passport to Civic Leadership: This program is designed to immerse new members into their Jaycee careers and help them, and veteran members alike, grow and develop their individual, managerial and business skills. Members are recognized as they work through each level. Upon completing the entire program, members receive a 10th Degree pin from the US Jaycees.
– 2nd Degree: Jessica Davis & Larissa Donovan
– 6th Degree: Missy Malone, Sarah Schmidt & Carrie Johnson

JCI MN State Presidential Medallions
– Josh Peterson
– Twila Bolte
– John Kopet
– Larissa Donovan

Year-End Awards
– Henry Giessenbier Memorial Award (Overall Outstanding Chapter Programming): Bemidji
– Les Farrington Memorial Award (Overall Outstanding Chapter President of the Year): Josh Peterson
– Charles Kulp Jr Memorial Award (Outstanding Chapter President of the Year; can be awarded up to 6 Presidents): Josh Peterson
– Sheridan Adams Memorial Award (Outstanding State Vice President of the Year): Twila Bolte, Management Development VP
– Danny Schroeder Memorial Award (Outstanding Alumni of the Year): Char Blashill
– Civic Leadership Certification (CLC): 100%; CLC serves as a guide for running a healthy, thriving chapter. To achieve 100% efficiency, the chapter must turn in a LOT of paperwork!
– Outstanding Annual Report
– Parade of Chapters – 1st Place Bemidji
– Parade of Regions – 1st Place Region 1
– Overall New Members Adds: Bemidji (66 new members)
– Overall New Member Adds: Region 1 (114 new members)
– Highest Overall Growth: Bemidji (+57)
– Highest Overall Growth: Region 1 (+61)

Individual Development Competitions

– Debate – 1st Place Bemidji; Josh Peterson, Carrie Johnson & Becky Kummet
– Write-up – 1st Place Bemidji; Eva Fisher
– Speak-up – 1st Place Bemidji; Carrie Johnson
– C. William Brownfield Memorial Award Portfolio Competition: Larissa Donovan; resume and interview competition based upon a member’s first year of being a Jaycee.
– John H. Armbruster Memorial Award Portfolio Competition: Becky Kummet; resume and interview competition based upon a member’s involvement in the current year after they have been a Jaycee for more than 2 years.

Key Awards: An honor given to a member for their time and efforts and has shown tremendous leadership skills. They have been the “key” to Jaycee success over the course of the year.

– JCI MN Program Manager Key: Silver – Stacey Bahr, First Timers Program Manager
– JCI MN Regional Director Key: Bronze – Eva Fisher, Region 1 Director
– State Delegate Key: Silver – Becky Kummet
– Chapter President Key: Gold – Josh Peterson
– JCI MN State Vice President Key: Silver – Twila Bolte, Management Development VP
– JCI MN Outstanding Contribution to the Organization Key: Silver – Char Blashill

JCI Senator: The highest individual honor that a Jaycee can achieve on the International level. As few as 1 in 1,000 Jaycees ever achieve this honor.
– Senator #76856 Twila Bolte
– Senator #76857 Crystal Hegg