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	Home > Member's Lounge > INSIGHTS Kids make the best Conventioneers Our 2011 Convention drew young people from all corners of the country, as members accepted our invitation to bring the kids along. And many of our newest convention-goers were active and energetic participants in the weekend's events. The education of youth through hummels On our first official Convention day, three local chapters presented a seminar that was like no other, focusing on young members, their contributions and accomplishments. The seminar was presented by the Northern Virginia, Historic Triangle/Hampton Roads, and Western New York Chapters which all have something in common - teen members. Dean Nelipowitz from Buffalo, New York, is a poised young man who took the podium and addressed the convention, describing his enthusiastic involvement with the M.I. Hummel Club. Dean is 16 years of age, a high school football player with ambitions of becoming an engineer. Through his church, Dean spends many hours volunteering. And as a full-fledged member of the Western New York Local Chapter and a National Chapter member, Dean attends monthly meetings and has hosted a few of his own events including a Valentine's Day program, M.I. Hummels with Hearts. As a result of his Chapter membership, Dean has stepped up his busy volunteering schedule. With the Club he's done everything from baking cookies for a Veteran's hospital to giving teddy bears to hospitalized children. Dean's mom, Lisa Kronbeck and grandma, Elaine Kronbeck, along with his aunts, are all chapter members and M.I. Hummel collectors. So meetings are a family affair - in fact, Dean originally attended just for the dinners! But as he became interested in the topics and events, his involvement blossomed. Fourteen-year-old Ryan Fraga, a ninth-grader from Burke, Virginia, was the next teen collector to speak to the convention. Ryan is a member of the Historic Triangle Chapter and a National Club member. He's an avid volunteer in the club's community service projects, helping out needy families with food and Christmas presents, collecting soda tabs to benefit an elementary school, and lots more. Ryan's mom, Melinda Redman, and grandma, Linda LaFleur, inspired his interest and share his activities. Ryan and his mom gave a presentation together at one of their monthly meetings, showing off the figurines that remind them of each other. One of the activities that Ryan found most satisfying was stitching a quilt for a local boy who was hospitalized. Through his local chapter activities, Ryan earns the community service credits that his school requires. But the experiences have given him a lot more than school credit. He's made friends along the way, and learned how easy it is and how good it feels to make a difference in someone's life. Hopefully, these teens will inspire other young people to participate, and more Local Chapters will be encouraged to get young people involved. It's a chance to share a priceless bond and an enriching tradition. We can't think of a more meaningful way for a youngster to spend his or her time! The younger set takes to the screen Speaking of time well spent, a few hours on Friday afternoon in Orlando may be among the most memorable ever for the participants in our Young People's Seminar. Fifteen kids between the ages of 12 and 16 gathered in a separate room while their parents attended the Club Convention. They spent the afternoon making TV commercials about M.I. Hummel figurines. By the end of the session, they had learned quite a bit about TV production and one another, and were working together as part of a team. The seminar was led by a Disney host who coached the kids about making commercials. After some lively discussion, the youngsters broke into groups and got to work. They had to think up a "concept" for their commercial and assign roles - one participant from each group was the producer, another worked the camera, a few were on-screen actors, others wrote scripts. Everyone helped create sets and props and donned costumes from the colorful garments provided. After some fast planning and camera training, the kids went "on location" to start filming - in the hallways and outside the convention hall in the Florida sunshine. After they wrapped, a professional filmeditor took the kids' footage, made the final cuts, and created the finished spots. The commercials were presented to the convention at the Saturday night gala. It's quite possible that we have discovered some budding Spielburgs and Scorceses! And from the smiles on the kids' faces, we know the youngsters had a blast as they engaged in some hands-on learning. Congratulations to the great work done by the participants in our Young People's Seminar: Taegen Baird, Josh Crosby, Coleman Crosby, Courtney Davis, Eric Decorby, Canada, Elizabeth Decorby, Canada, Nick Ferrigno, Olivia Ferrigno, Sarah Ferrigno, Ryan Frag, Dean Nelipowitz, Danielle Parowski, Katerina Parowski, Abby White, Michelle Wolf. A musical interlude At Saturday's lunch, the entire convention was entertained with some lovely melodies. Our own Little Violinist, Emily Grayce Brown, stepped up to the stage, raised her violin and all our spirits. We were treated to beautiful renditions of America the Beautiful and Edelweiss, representing the kindred spirits of collectors on both sides of the Atlantic. Emily Grayce is a member of the Mo-Kan Chapter and so is her grandma, Evelyn Brown. And it was a delight to listen to her music. Involving children in our Club activities is a fun way of passing on the traditions of artistic appreciation, caring, and joy that our M.I. Hummel figurines represent. We hope you join us in celebrating our latest generation of collectors!

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