During the March meeting, Clymer’s Social Justice Club and FBLA presented to the board on a recent trip to Washington DC that the Social Justice Club took, and on the activities of the FBLA so far this year.

Clymer English Teacher, Amber Brunco, is the advisor for the Social Justice Club, and said the trip to Washington DC for the club was funded by the Hebrew Congregation of Chautauqua Institution in conjunction with the Holocaust and Social Justice Education program of Chautauqua County.

Six students from Clymer along with around 86 other students in the county went on the trip. Presenting to the board with Brunco were Jeffrey Perry, Callie Willink and Adelie Jackson.

Brunco said the purpose of the club is to promote social justice, which connected to the theme of the trip.

Pictured is the Social Justice Club as they present on their Washington DC trip to the Clymer Board of Education. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

“Our social justice club is a student organization that aims to foster awareness … related to social issues,” Brunco said. “The goal is to promote a more equitable and just world by addressing systemic inequalities and advocating for vulnerable communities. Fortunately, for a lot of our students in Clymer they haven’t had the opportunity to see racial injustices or antisemitism or issues associated with social justice or injustices because we have such a great district. They were able to experience what takes place outside of their wonderful home town.”

The trip included stops at places such as the National Archives, the People’s House, a replica of the White House, the United States Institute of Peace, the Holocaust Museum, the World War II Memorial, a monument tour, the Jefferson Memorial, the MLK and Lincoln Monuments, and the African American Museum of Heritage and Culture. Students were able to reflect on their experience both during the trip and in the presentation to the board, saying it was able to bring some of the history that they learned about to life.

The FBLA presentation was given to the board by Jeffrey Perry, Vienna Durfey, Matilyn Rhines, Kierdan Nickerson and Kara Collins. Perry, being the Clymer chapter’s president, said the presentation is a representation of everything they have done throughout the year and the activities that they do.

“This is our annual report that I have written the past three years and competed in,” Perry said. “I have a history going very far back with FBLA. I have been with them ever since I was in seventh grade. I have done a lot with FBLA and it has severely changed mine and I would assume all of the other members’ lives.”

The students’ presentation for FBLA included things like the state of the chapter, program of work, recruitment efforts, leadership development, how Perry is working on becoming a state officer next year, how officer installation works, and other activities such as the food truck, yearbooks, school store and coffee bar, business partnerships, event sponsors, chapter fundraising, public relations, and their state and national projects.

One large item of note was the Clymer FBLA chapter earning national champion chapter last year. The chapter was also accepted into the FBLA honor society, which FBLA advisor, Lisa Perry, said they will be recognized for at the upcoming state convention, and that the seniors when they graduate will get academic regalia to wear at graduation, adding that a lot of work goes into getting accepted.

“It’s quite an honor and I’m very proud of them,” Lisa Perry said. “They work very hard to get to that point.”

Additionally, as a smaller school Lisa Perry said the chapter ends up competing against much larger schools, so the fact that the students are able to do so well in competitions is something she is proud of as well.