Bloomfield's Beta Club state officer success continues

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- It has become a tradition for the Bloomfield Senior Beta Club to have an officer at the state level. A Beta Club member has held one of those positions for all but one of the last 13 years.

Lindsey Young, a junior at Bloomfield, is now the president-elect of the Missouri Beta Club. She won the position at the recent Senior Beta Club Convention at Branson and will take office July 1. Kendra Elder, a senior, is the current State Secretary, having won the election last year.

The success the Bloomfield Senior Beta Club has enjoyed at the state convention comes from tradition.

"Helping in Kendra's campaign last year taught me how to campaign," said Lindsey of her experience at the state convention. "Kendra helped me a lot this year."

Both Lindsey and Kendra credit fellow Beta Club members at Bloomfield with their success. They also have high praise for sponsor Ann Bye and assistant sponsor Hillary Mayberry.

"We wouldn't have this kind of success without the help of our club members and our sponsors," said Kendra.

Lindsey has been active in Beta Club since she was in the sixth grade. She was in the Portageville School District until two years ago, but Beta Club helped her make a smooth transition to Bloomfield where she continued to be active.

"Beta Club is a lot of fun," said Kendra.

"My Beta Club experience has been life-changing," adds Lindsey.

There is a set procedure for running for a state Beta Club office. Teachers at Bloomfield picked the Senior Beta Club member who would run for state office -- in the most recent case it was Lindsey.

She had to choose a slogan, prepare a campaign speech and put together a skit to perform at the state convention.

"Lind-Z for Prez -- That's A Wrap," was her slogan. The skit featured word plays off rapper/wrappers. Every Bloomfield Senior Beta member wore a T-shirt featuring the slogan and plays off the word "rap," and a gold chain or "bling" to reinforce the rapper theme.

There were five candidates selected to run for president from across the state. The final five were chosen by the State Beta Club Board based on information sent to them by the school clubs prior to the convention. Lindsey was chosen as one of the five.

Lindsey said the entire club arrived in Branson on Thursday morning.

"We took a whole van load of props," said Kendra.

They spent the entire day Friday campaigning for Lindsey. That night they performed their skit and Lindsey gave her two-minute speech.

On Saturday morning Lindsey drew a question, which she had to answer in 30 seconds. Her question was: "If you could be a foreign exchange student anywhere in the world, what country would it be?"

"There were only two questions for which I hadn't prepared an answer, and that was one them," laughed Lindsey. "I had to wing it."

She responded, "Italy. Who doesn't love Italian food?"

That got a roar from the crowd.

The Beta Club students at the convention ultimately elect the officers, and Lindsey won. She will now go on to the National Senior Beta Club Convention this summer in Richmond, Va. Bloomfield will take 48 students to that convention where Lindsey will try to win the national office.

Lindsey is the daughter of Jeremy and Toni Hill and Chad Young. She has two siblings, Dawson Hill and Jake Young.

Before Lindsey, Kenda went through the same procedure to be elected state Beta Club secretary. She was pitted against two others last year.

"Kick It With Kendra," was her campaign slogan.

Kendra doesn't remember the question she drew at the state convention, but she remembers the question she was asked at the National Convention. At the Nationals she did not get to see the questions beforehand.

He question was: "If you could bring anyone back from your past, who would it be?"

"As soon as the guy asked the question, I had to answer it," remembers Kendra. "I answered my grandmother."

Kendra's grandmother died during her freshman year in high school.

"I wanted her witty self around again," said Kendra.

She didn't win that election, but she has enjoyed serving as state secretary this year.

"I have friends from all over the country," said Kendra of her experience at the National Convention. "My prom date was from Ohio."

Kendra is the daughter of Jerry and Pam Elder. She has a twin sister, Rachel, and two brothers, Jerry and Stephen.

Bloomfield earned another honor at the state convention. The 35 members who participated in a talent skit won a first place. Their skit featured a medley of songs from the south and was aptly called, "The South."