My Year As Prez: Ivan W's Achievements
As Teen Council President 2007-2008

Dear Bergen and Passaic Teen Council Members,

It's been an honor and a pleasure to serve this group of totally fantastic kids, and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to experience this very interesting year as your president. Thank you for helping to make this year an excellent learning experience for me and a powerful growth opportunity for us as a group.

Thanks for coming out in force to support the projects we've worked on and the speakers who have generously donated their personal time to come speak with us. Thanks for sharing the minute-taking at meetings, for your official participation in every way and for being friends.

Peace,
Ivan W

New Member Recruitment

I've personally introduced new recruits to Teen Council, many of whom became members and are still involved.

I have helped to create more diversity in Teen Council

I joined Teen Council three years ago. Until I became president there were no Jewish, Latino or Afro-American Teen Council members except for me and we had only one Asian member. Currently there are:

  • Jewish members
  • Asian members
  • Afro-American members
  • Latino members

Other 4-H and Teen Council Accomplishments in 2007-2008

  • Built a website for Teen Council and created a logo for us
  • Expanded the website to include Passaic County activities when Passaic's Teen Council joined Bergen County's
  • Established a group mailing list for Teen Counciil and sent out regular email announcements and meeting reminders. The mailing list is now automated.
  • Created and distributed a contact list of members
  • Instituted the practice of emailing meeting minutes to our membership. If you've taken minutes (thank you for helping with this important job).
  • Participated in the 4-H 4-Reel movie making program during July-August 2008 and got a great recommendation from Jennae Dubois, Passaic County Associate, who administered it.
  • Proposed the Jena 6 awareness project and was a member of the Jena 6 Committee. The Committee met several times at members' homes and at Food Festival in February 2008 we brought in Louisiana dishes and joined together to make a presentation about the Jena 6 to the gathered local 4-H membership.
  • Won Best Dish award for my Chicken Jambalaya at Food Festival 2008.
  • Brought Under-Sheriff Ralph Rivera to speak to us about his work in the Bergen County Sheriff's Department and career opportunities for women in New Jersey law enforcement agencies.
  • Brought Harold Burnett to speak about his project to collect used items for Jamaican youths, a project which TC voted unanimously on Sept 14, 2008, to support his project by collecting items.
  • Participated in a county-sponsored highway cleanup as a TC community service project and to earn scholarship funds for NJTC
  • Participated in a county-sponsored cemetery cleanup as a TC community service project
  • North Jersey Teen Conference planning committee member in 2007 and 2008
  • Developed and presented a workshop on promoting interracial harmony and global warming issues at North Jersey Teen Conference 2008
  • Participated in county speech contest for two years and state in 2007
  • Volunteered at County Fair 2007 and 2008
  • Volunteered at Wayne Day 2008 with Hoofers horse club
  • Vice President of Hoofers 2007-8
  • Teen Council President 2007-8
  • Brought 20 members of my Lion Dance Troop to perform lion and dragon dances at 2007 County Fair
  • Citizen Washington Focus participant
  • Visited the Morris County 4-H Fair in Chester
  • As part of my 2008 Public Presentation I built the horsehelperer.com website to help raise awareness of the needless abduction and slaughter of healthy horses for human enjoyment of meat in countries outside the United States. This site is an ongoing project and remains live.
  • I proposed that we make a collection of food items for the mental health community holiday party. My family collected donations made by Teen Council members and delivered them to the county.
  • In 2007 at winter camp become a Sporker and Sporker-trainer
  • 100% attendance at Teen Council meetings and community service projects
  • Have provided, or arranged, transportation to meetings and activities for many of our members