The Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, or FCCLA, is a nonprofit organization centered around family and consumer sciences for youth through grade 12.  This school is home to one of the 5,300 chapters across the United States.  

Over the summer, six members of the local chapter attended the National FCCLA  Leadership Conference in Nashville, TN.  Senior Chesley Strickler, the chapter’s state officer, attended the leadership conference.

“We had the opportunity to gain leadership skills and explore the city,” said Strickler.

According to the FCCLA, the organization is a unique youth based organization with its main focus of leadership and family.

“The (FCCLA) is different from other (organizations) because it is the only student led organization with family as the central focus,” said Strickler.

Unlike many other organizations meant for students and youth, the FCCLA allows students to lead the group rather than adults or teachers. This allows the groups to have collective goals that are relevant to the members and their own goals.

The organization uses travel, projects, and conferences to pull members together and teach as a family.  The motto, “Toward New Horizons,” conveys the FCCLA’s devotion to preparing youth for their futures.

The RCHS chapter follows the eight set purposes of the FCCLA. These purposes, guide FCCLA members through their daily lives. These eight purposes are, to provide opportunities for personal development, to strengthen the function of the family as a unit, to encourage democracy through cooperation, to encourage group and individual involvement to reach collective goals, to promote greater understanding between youth and adults, to provide opportunities for assuming responsibilities, to prepare youth for the individual’s roles in society, and to promote occupations involving Family and Consumer Sciences.

“The chapter members follow these eight purposes when they take part in FCCLA activities. They use the skills they gain at conferences, meetings, and other events to put towards their interactions in real life,” said Strickler.

These skills are addressed, used, and sharpened at the conferences and events that the chapter attends. According to the FCCLA, the skills are meant follow members throughout life and into real world situations..

In terms of plans for the future, the RCHS chapter has kept its sights toward “new horizons.” The chapter attended FCCLA Day on Oct. 4, the 2018 Va. FCCLA State Leadership and Recognition Conference in Virginia Beach, and the 2018 National Leadership Conference in Atlanta.  Just as in Tenn., members and attendees will encounter and be taught skills that aim to prepare them for what life holds in store.