Touching the Business and IT Future...
One student at a time.

The Northeast District will have their SwatShop Meeting on October 21 at 4:00 at Catoosa High School. Liberty Shere will be presenting iC@t with the Northeast District members. If others would like to attend, they are welcome. They can contact Sharon Hudson at Oologah High School or Beverly Roden at Tri County Technology Center for questions.

Congratulations to Carol Dvorak at Meridian Technology Center!  She is ACTE's Featured Member. Go to www.acteonline.org to read more.

Membership information has been updated. View the updates by clicking on Purpose on the left menu.

The minutes for the Executive Board Meeting on March 25, 2009 held at the ODCTE in Stillwater. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the document).

The agenda for the Executive Board Meeting on March 25, 2009 held at the ODCTE in Stillwater. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the document).

The treasurer's report given at the Executive Board Meeting on March 25, 2009 held at the ODCTE in Stillwater is now available. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the document).

************

Mutual Benefit Plan update - "Last year's open enrollment was very successful. We were notified yesterday of a member death. The beneficiary will receive $9,150.00 due to the increase in the Mutual Benefit Plan membership." quote taken from Afton Brower, Chair of the Mutual Benefits Plan Board

Looking to become involved beyond a local level? Check out the BITE Officer page for the expiration date of each office currently held. Duties for each office can be found in the BITE Handbook. Another way to get involved is volunteering for a committee. Committee duties can be found in the BITE Handbook.

The 2008-2009 Bylaws and Handbook have been updated and posted. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the document).

The pictures from the 2008 Summer Conference Awards Luncheon & Service Awards have been posted.

***********

A letter from our OkACTE BITE President, Lawanta Ramsey
(posted 12/2/08)

Dear OkACTE BITE Division Member:

As president of the BITE division this year, one of my goals is to help our
membership develop a better understanding of the division's structure and
its role in the overall OkACTE/OATC organization. I believe that there are
many of our members who, like me, have year after year checked "BITE" as
their primary division without fully understanding the impact their choice
has on the overall organization. Through this letter, I hope to provide our
membership with a better understanding of our organization's structure and
the critical role our members, officers and committee representatives play
in the overall organization.

OkACTE v OATC

Although commonly referred to as only "OkACTE", the organization that
Patrick McGregor is Executive Director of, is actually a combination of two
organizations: the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education
(OkACTE) AND the Oklahoma Association of Technology Centers (OATC). OkACTE
is comprised of individual memberships by CareerTech professionals from all
aspects of Oklahoma's CareerTech system. OATC, on the other hand, is
comprised of organizational memberships by the 29 Technology Centers. While
each of these organizations (OkACTE and OATC) operates independently, they
do share the administrative functions provided by Pat McGregor and his
staff.  That is why a "super board" called the CareerTech Administrative
Council (CTAC) was formed and exists to provide oversight and guidance to
the fiscal and administrative functions of the dual organization.

OkACTE Structure

The structure of OkACTE is made up of individual members classified in one
or more of 13 "divisions". These divisions represent broad functions within
the Career Tech system and provide members with networking, professional
development, and recognition opportunities among other OkACTE members who
fulfill similar roles in the CareerTech system. Each of the 13 divisions
conduct annual business meetings at August Conference to elect officers, to
appoint OkACTE standing committees representatives, and to conduct other
business pertinent to their division's role in the system.

Each Division's Role in the Governance of OkACTE/OATC

When looking at each division's input into the overall organization, it is
important to recognize that the officers and committee representatives play
a critical role. They are the voice of the division's membership in
governance and operational decisions. Unless officers and committee
representatives are active participants in committee/council meetings of the
organization throughout the year, their division is left unrepresented.

Under the structure of OkACTE, all division officers are a part of the
OkACTE Advisory Committee. The President of each division also serves on the
OkACTE Executive Committee and the CareerTech Administrative Council.

Each division is also afforded one additional representative on the
CareerTech Administrative Council--a position that is elected by the
division's membership but is not necessarily a division officer.

OkACTE committee representative appointments from each division are also
extremely important in the overall operation of the association. These
appointments are typically multi-year terms and those who agree to serve
should contact the OkACTE office to determine what their specific
responsibilities are and when committee meetings will be held. Committees
typically hold very few meetings throughout the year--this makes it even
more important that representatives attend every meeting called.

In conclusion, please know that if you have ever been confused by the
structure of OkACTE/OATC--you are not alone. It is a large and complex
organization that takes time to understand. I hope, however, that if you
don't fully understand the purpose or the structure of the organization, you
will take some time to familiarize yourself with it. OkACTE plays a critical
role in the success of CareerTech in Oklahoma--and as a member you do as
well. If you have questions, please contact me or the OkACTE office--we will
be happy to try to help.

Sincerely,

Lawanta Ramsey
BITE Division President