Advisors – Frequently Asked Questions

Registering MASC Appointed Staff, Regional Executive Board members, and Workshop Presenters for a Conference:

ONLY AUTHORIZED SCHOOL ADVISORS or school administrators may register students to attend a MASC conference. MASC hosts three major conferences each year: the Fall Leadership Conference (November), the Winter Leadership Conference (January), and the Convention (March). Schools must be members of MASC to participate in the Legislative Session and the Convention.

MASC-appointed staff members are voting members of the MASC Executive Board.  When registering these members for MASC conferences, they should be registered as “MASC ExBd.”  The four elected MASC officers are registered separately by the MASC Executive Director.

For determining the number of voting delegates from your school, MASC ExBd members are in addition to the votes allowed according to your membership in MASC.  For example, if your school is allotted seven voting delegates and has two students serving on the Executive Board (e.g., as a regional president, regional SMOB, regional second vice president, or MASC-appointed staff), these two students would be additional voting delegates.  This means the school could send its full delegation of seven voting students, plus the two additional MASC Executive Board members, who should be registered as “ExBd.”   Additional students may be registered for each conference according to the specific conference guidelines. MASC recommends a ratio of one advisor per 20 delegates for the Fall and Legislative Session. For the Convention, due to hotel and overnight responsibilities, the recommended ratio is one advisor for every 10 students.

For the Fall Leadership Conference,  some students will be selected as workshop presenters. These students will qualify for a reduced registration fee and should be registered under the role of “Presenter.” A list of selected workshop presenters will be emailed to school advisors prior to the opening of registration to ensure advisors are informed.

For the Convention, students wishing to write/facilitate a workshop must have advisor approval before they apply.  These students should still be registered as delegates or ExBd members.  There is no discount for presenters at the Convention

In addition, the MASC registrar posts a detailed checklist on each conference website that will also guide you in the registration process.

Conference Workshops:

For the Fall Leadership Conference, students will be provided a list of workshops and may select up to five preferences. Once registration closes, workshop assignments will be made based on student choices and availability.

For the Convention, students will be provided a list of workshop categories and may select up to five preferences.  Once registration closes, workshop assignments will be made based on student choices and availability.

For the Legislative Session, all middle school and high school students will participate in the same workshop. These workshops are designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of the student member on the Board of Education, the process of how a bill becomes a law in the Maryland General Assembly, and an overview of youth-related bills on which MASC will take official stances.  Advisors may be asked to indicate if a student has previously attended the Legislative Session, as the workshops will be tailored for students who have already participated.

Registering for a town hall, webinar, forum, executive board meeting, etc.

Interested students may register for other MASC events.  These other registrations are done through Google Forms.  For in-person events, parents would sign an emergency/release form, provide transportation, and cover costs for food/materials if required.

Questions? 

Feel free to email MASC executive director  Karen.Crawford@mdstudentcouncils.org