Maryland Associationof Student Councils
Give your school's delegates the chance to attend MASC events and benefit from MASC's leadership, advocacy, and communication activities! Join Now
Maryland AssociationGive your school's delegates the chance to attend MASC events and benefit from MASC's leadership, advocacy, and communication activities! Join Now
Registering MASC Appointed Staff, Regional Executive Board members, and Workshop Presenters for a Conference – Plus students registering for other MASC events.For questions about the actual registration process, CLICK HERE.
Who can register for a conference? ONLY AUTHORIZED SCHOOL ADVISORS or school administrators may register students to attend a MASC conference. Online registration creates a binding financial contract between the school and MASC. Only an adult duly authorised to act as an agent of the school principal may do that.
Does my school have to be a member of MASC to attend a conference? MASC hosts three major conferences each year: the Fall Leadership Conference (November), the Legislative Session (January), and the Convention (March/April). Schools must be members of MASC to participate in the Legislative Session and the Convention. The Fall Leadership Conference is open to all secondary Maryland schools.
Do students/advisors select workshops ahead of time? Yes and No:
• Fall Leadership Conference – High school students will rank order up to five workshops. Based on the requests and available space, they will be assigned to three workshops. Middle school students will all attend two workshops (one on Parliamentary Procedure and two others to be determined). They will also participate in a Mock General Assembly to practice their parliamentary skills!
•Legislative Session – All students will attend similar workshops centred around the role of the student member on the board of education, how a bill becomes a law, current youth-related bills in the Maryland General Assembly, etc. Advisors will be asked to state if students are new to attending this conference, as workshops will be adjusted according to experience.
• Convention – Advisors will be asked to have students select workshops AFTER registration has closed. Due to the preparations for workshops and the overlap between early-bird registration for the Convention and Legislative Session, workshop choices for all students will be made after registration closes.
What about MASC Executive Board Members? MASC-appointed staff members are voting members of the MASC Executive Board. A list of appointed staff is sent to school advisors after they are confirmed at the May execuive board meeting each year.
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.
How do I determine the number of voting delegates? 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 Leadership Conference and Legislative Session. For the Convention, due to hotel and overnight responsibilities, the recommended ratio is one advisor for every 10 students.
STUDENT WORSHOP PRESENTERSALL students applying to present a workshop at any MASC conference should have PRIOR permission before submitting an application. As it is the school advisor’s responsibility to register and chaperone the student (or secure a school-system-approved on-site advisor), the advisor’s permission should be the first step in the application process.
For the Fall Leadership Conference and Legislative Session, some students will be selected to present workshops. 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 before registration opens to ensure advisors are informed. Do not simply register a student as a presenter because they are certified or tell you that they are presenting. MASC will send the list to all school advisors!
For the Convention, students wishing to write/facilitate a workshop must have advisor approval before they apply. These students will be registered as delegates or ExBd members. There is no registration role or discount for presenters at the Convention.
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 Legislative Session, all middle and high school students will participate in the same workshop topics. The workshops typically will cover the role of the student member on the Board of Education, how a bill becomes law in the Maryland General Assembly, and youth-related bills on which MASC may take positions. Advisors may be asked whether students have attended a previous Legislative Session, so workshop assignments can be tailored accordingly.
For the Convention, advisors will be provided a list of workshops AFTER registration closes and will have students select up to five preferences. These selections will be submitted on a simple Google Form. Workshop assignments will be made based on student choices and availability. The workshop choices are not available until after registration closes due to overlapping preparations and registration between the Legislative Session and the Convention.
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. MASC provides the supervision.
Questions? Feel free to email MASC executive director Karen.Crawford@mdstudentcouncils.org