Dearest CRUSY,
Your newly elected Executive Board has been hard at work since Regional Convention.
You now hold the product of their work: the application for Regional General Board 2015-2016!
The Regional General Board does an enormous amount of work for our region. From planning
T.O. events, to creating the digital yearbook, much of what is accomplished in CRUSY is due to
the dedication of the RGB. RGBers are USYers who care about our region and want to work to
make it better. If you look at this application and thinking, “I just have to find an easy RGB
position to apply for,” you don’t belong on RGB, and this will show in your essay. Being on RGB
takes a lot of time, effort, and honest enthusiasm. Please do not apply unless you are prepared
to commit to your position. This year in particular, the Regional Executive Board is looking for
USYers who will take action for our incredible region. Please consider this in your application.
B’ahava,
Hannah Borow
CRUSY President 2015-2016
**Please note that the General Board might not be limited to the list of positions that are on the
form. If you believe there is a job that deserves a position on General Board that is not listed,
please be sure to include your idea in your application. Creative applications are always
welcome, you can add any extras that relate to your RGB position to the application.
Included in your General Board application should be:
1) The attached questionnaire
2) The essay described in part III
3) One letter of recommendation from your Youth Director or Advisor
4) A recent photo of yourself
5) Optional creative extras
Applications and the letter of recommendation must be postmarked no later than May
11th, 2015 or emailed to me by May 13th, 2015. We will not accept any late, faxed, or
incomplete applications. If you have any complications about the due dates, please contact me
as soon as possible so we can arrange something. You will receive word on the outcome of the
2015-2016 RGB by mail. In case we need to contact you by phone, please include both your
home and cell numbers in your application.
Please mail your applications for Regional General Board to me, and label the envelope in the
following way:
Hannah Borow
CRUSY General Board
3353 Clarendon Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Or, please email me at [email protected]
Regional General Board members are part of a prestigious group, and thus are required
to follow certain rules. The standards for the Regional General Board as stated in
the CRUSY constitution under Article XII, Section 3 are as follows:
A. Continued leadership and 75% participation in Chapter Activities
B. Attendance at 4 religious services a month, at least one being on Shabbat
C. A reading knowledge of Hebrew, or working to attain this goal
D. At least 4 hours of Judaic study a month under a qualified instructor, or active
participation in a recognized Judaic Home Study Program
E. Must submit reports to overseeing officers at the times designated by the Regional
Executive Board
F. Attendance at 100% of all Regional Activities
The above items are NOT optional. They are standards of extreme importance. This year,
actions will be taken against board members who fail to meet these requirements. Missing a
convention will only be permitted if an RGBer has approached me and the excuse is
deemed appropriate. This will not be taken lightly. Please remember this in your decisionmaking process.
Good luck to everyone applying! If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call at
216-644-3713, facebook message me or anyone on regional executive board, or email me
at [email protected].
B’Ahava,
Hannah Borow, 2015-2016 CRUSY president
Application for the 2015-2016 CRUSY Regional General Board
I Basic Facts
Name: ______________________________________
Chapter: _________________________________________
Address:____________________________________
State:____
City:___________________
Zip Code________
Phone Number: ___________________
Email: ______________________
Age: ____
Gender: ____ Grade in Fall: _____
II USY Leadership Experience
A)
Chapter Positions Held (include dates):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
B) Regional Positions Held (include dates):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
C) Jewish Education (include dates and number of hours/week):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
D) Activities other than USY (include dates and number of
hours/week):__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
E) Anything else we should know about you?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
III On an attached sheet of paper, please explain why you want one of the below positions,
why you feel you are deserving of these positions, or of a board position in general. Give
detailed accounts of the actions that you will take in the positions you are seeking. This
essay is the most important part of the application, so please take time in writing it. This
essay should be completed in no less than 300 words, and there is no maximum word limit.
Express your thoughts as completely as you can!
IV General Board Positions Desired:
1) ____________________
2) ____________________ 3) ____________________
VIII If applying for position of Convention Chairperson, please specify which convention you
would like to chair (Regionals and Kadima Kinnus NOT included), and include on an
attached sheet of paper one paragraph explaining why you feel you are deserving of this
position, and an account of what actions you will do in the position you are seeking.
V Are you applying for the position of Convention Chairperson? If yes, specify which
convention: _______________
VI Please reread the standards for a member of the Regional General Board with a parent
and sign below:
I have read and understand the standards detailed in the cover letter for a Regional
General Board member, and I understand that if accepted onto board I must keep these
standards or I may be removed from my position.
Your signature________________________________________
Parent’s signature______________________________________
Advisor’s signature_____________________________________ (providing
confirmation that above standards will be kept)
Please be sure to attach a recent photo of yourself, the letter of recommendation from your youth
director or advisor, and your essay. All documents will be kept confidential. Remember to have your
application postmarked by May 11th, 2015 or emailed by May 13th, 2015.
Positions
President
Alumni Liaison- This person will work very closely with the president to stay in contact with all
alumni throughout the year with emails and newsletters. They will also work to raise money for
the Send a Kid to CRUSY fund. (1 person)
B’Yachad Coordinator – B’Yachad is a program to ensure that teens with special needs are
completely comfortable in CRUSY. The coordinators will work with the president to make sure
all families within CRUSY know about this program and will feel comfortable allowing their
children to participate. In addition, they will work with individual chapters to begin to incorporate
B’Yachad into events. (1-2 people)
Regional Convention Chairpeople – These two people are responsible for the planning and
logistics of Regional Convention. This involves a lot of work and dedication to ensure that
Regional Convention is an amazing experience for everyone. They will need to work with Arlyne
and E-board in the planning of this final convention of the year. This position is generally given
to members of the senior class. (2 people)
Senior Programmers – These programmers are in charge of making sure the senior class is
and stays involved. This includes planning senior programs and late nights at every convention,
and working with Arlyne, the President, and the Mem/Kad VP to plan an amazing Senior
Retreat. (2 people)
Convention Chairpeople – These people are in charge of the planning and logistics of
conventions thoughout the year. Two or three people can chair each convention, and the
convention must take place in their respective home city or chapter. The conventions and
chapters are as follows: Fall Boards/Freshman Kinnus at BITUSY (October 15-18), Fall Kinnus
at BGUSY (November 20-22), and Specialty Kinnus (application will come out later). These
people will work hard to make sure that conventions run smoothly and are fun for everyone. It is
also a MUST that convention chairpeople be present at their respective convention.
Convention chair is the only position that you can hold along with another non-cochair
RGB position. (2 people per convention)
IC Coordinator- This person will promote International Convention all year. They will work on tshirt designs and plan a CRUSY pump up week for IC. This person will also plan mixers and
programs for pre- convention. This person MUST attend international convention and preconvention and it would be preferred if they have already attended an IC. This person will also
work all year with the IA and Mem/ Kad VPs to promoting summer programs. (1 person)
Communications
Newspaper Editor – This individual will be responsible for the producing and editing of the
digital CRUSY regional newspaper Koleinu. Issues will include recaps of recent regional
conventions and summaries of recent chapter events, with pictures to be provided by
photography chairperson and chapter VP’s. Submissions to be included in the newspaper may
be made by the CRUSY region concerning memorable USY moments or upcoming USY
opportunities, and will be reviewed by the Newspaper Editor and Arlyne. An archive for Koleinu
issues, to be displayed on the CRUSY website, is currently being developed. (1 person)
Photography Chairperson(s)- These individuals will be responsible for taking photos at
regional events. They will need to provide the photos to the Communications VP (as well as
post them on Facebook) for use on the website, in the digital yearbook, the CRUSY newspaper
Koleinu, and in the end-of-the-year slideshow. They must be proficient with a camera and have
their own camera. (1-2 people)
Flyer Maker/Pump Up Week Chairperson– This individual will be responsible for creating
flyers for CRUSY conventions and event reminders and deadlines. This person should be very
creative and feel comfortable using photoshop. This person will also be in charge of
coordinating a week full different themed days leading up to the convention registration deadline
taken place on social medias. (1-2 people)
Digital Yearbook Editor – This individual will be in charge of creating and editing CRUSY’s
digital yearbook. The yearbook editor will be required to use computer software to make the
pages, in addition to adding pictures, superlatives, and adds. The editor does not need to have
the software at the moment. Photos will include both chapter and regional events, to be supplied
by the regional communications VP. Once finished, the yearbook will be shown to the region at
Regionals and on Facebook at the end of the year (NOTE: This is not the end-of-the-year
regional slideshow, this is the regional digital yearbook). (1 person)
Israel/World Affairs
Israeli Culture Coordinator - This person will be responsible for incorporating Israeli culture
into free time and other non-programming parts of conventions, such as meals. The Israeli
Culture Coordinator will be in charge of such aspects as a Hebrew speaking table and Israeli
music at meals, Hebrew words of the day, finding Israeli snacks and games for chofesh. This
person should be innovative, bringing new and different ideas about how to integrate Israeli
culture into conventions. This person will also be in charge of communication with CRUSY
about international projects and organizations such as the Coin/Shekel Challenge and
HeChalutzim. (1 person)
Israel Update Liaison - This person will have shared control of CRUSY Israel Affairs Twitter
account with the regional IA. They will be in charge of updating the Region on current affairs in
culture, politics, defense, business, technology and other aspects of Israeli life via Twitter. In
addition, this person will update CRUSY during conventions with interesting and relevant Israel
updates. This person also will assist with the Israel Remind text system by sending out Israel
updates via text in a variety of different categories periodically. (1 person)
Israel Advocacy Chairperson – This person will be responsible for helping to plan, and
potentially help lead, programs or discussion sessions at conventions to teach CRUSY how to
advocate for Israel. These shiurim will focus on promoting and teaching Israel advocacy through
sessions regarding different aspects of Israeli society, including culture, politics, defense,
business, technology, etc. In addition, this person will help plan and potentially help lead the
online shiurim. They will also be responsible for working with the I/A VP to make sure CRUSY
answers the International Israel Challenge. This includes making sure that chapter know about
the Israel Challenge in the first place, and of course, that CRUSY wins. (1-2 people)
**All Israel/World Affairs Regional General Board Members will assist to create Israel
programming for conventions!
Membership/ Kadima
Kadima Programmers- These people will be in charge of connecting Kadima (USY’s middle
school organization) to USY and reaching out to all of the chapters throughout the region. They
will be responsible for communicating with each chapter and making flyers to make sure each
chapter knows what’s going on in the region regarding Kadima. These programmers will also be
responsible for planning programs for 8th graders at Specialty Kinnus and Regional Convention.
The biggest, most important job of these programmers will be to plan CRUSY’s Kadima Kinnus.
(2 people)
Freshmen Programmers- These people will be responsible for planning programs at each
regional convention for the freshmen class. These people will need to program a full day of
activities for the freshman at Fall boards/ Freshman kinnus. These programs are designed to
help the freshmen bond and unite as a class in addition to teaching the freshmen CRUSY
traditions and Ruach. They are expected to call any freshmen that has previously attended a
Kadima Kinnus and keep in contact with them throughout the year to let them know about each
upcoming convention. (2 people)
Mixer coordinator/ Big brother big sister- These people will be responsible for planning first
timer mixers, general mixers and any possible big brother/big sister programs that take place at
convention. These people should also be making an extra effort to make sure everyone feels
comfortable and welcome at each convention. (2 people)
New Chapter Out-Reach Coordinators- This person will work closely with the
Membership/Kadima VP, and Communcations VP to reach out and build connections with
synagogues that have new or non-existent USY chapters. They will correspond with synagogue
staff and parents to help establish a chapter and communicate with Jewish teens in the area to
encourage them to become active in CRUSY. This liaison should be someone who cares
greatly about CRUSY and its future. This person will work with Arlyne to communicate with the
synagogue. This person will also help the President start and run the new big brother chapter
program. This person will work hard to ensure ALL chapters can experience the magic of
CRUSY. (1 person)
*** All Mem/Kad RGB will also be responsible for calling a certain number of USYers and
potential USYers off of the regional calling list prior to conventions and are expected to make an
effort to make sure everyone feels comfortable and welcome at conventions.
Religion/ Education
Creative Tfillot Chairperson- This person will help plan the Sunday morning “projector
Shacharit” and will work closely with the Rel/Ed VP to help brainstorm ideas for Friday morning
Shacharit options. This person will also help the Rel/Ed make sure that Shabbat morning and
Shabbat Mincha services run smoothly. (1 person)
Heschel Chairperson – This person will be responsible for planning and leading a limud for
each convention, on Friday evenings. This person should be passionate and educated on
Judaism. This person should be able and comfortable leading a discussion with many people. (1
person)
Ruach Chair-People – These people will be responsible for leading ruach at conventions. They
will call on people for songs like Dodi Li, as well as reminding people to come into the circle to
lead songs. They will call out songs/page numbers during both fast and slow ruach. Each
applicant must suggest 2 new songs – one for fast and one for slow, as well as suggesting 2
current songs they feel could be cut – again, one for fast and one for slow. (2 people)
Tfillot Workshop Chairperson - This person will help the Rel/Ed coordinate pairings between
various people in the region for our new program “service speed dating”. They will pair up
people who can teach about Judaism with people who want to learn. This person will also be
responsible for making sure everyone who wants to is learning about Judaism. This person
should be knowledgeable about leading services and Judaism. (1 person)
Social Action/ Tikun Olam
613 Coordinator- This person will be responsible for planning and executing 613 Mitzvah
Corps programming for every convention. This person will promote 613 at a chapter level by
creating programming chapters can use at their events. This person will be responsible for
planning the monthly 613 video chats with the SA/TO VP. This person is also responsible for
getting more people to become members of 613. This person should be passionate and
educated about social issues and be ready to lead discussion. This person must be comfortable
and able to lead a program in front of many people.(1 person)
SA/TO Chairperson- This person will be responsible for contacting the shul that is hosting our
conventions to set up a plan to have recycling at conventions. This person will also be
responsible for working with SA/TO VP to send monthly tips to the region about how to live a
greener life and current social issues. This person will also be responsible for making collection
drives for each convention. This includes deciding what to collect, finding somewhere to take
those items, and finding a way to get the items to the necessary location. Also, this person will
organize a buy in or assassin game at each convention. (1 person)
T.O Money Maker-This person will primarily be responsible for creating, planning, and
executing the T.O programs (fundraising) at each convention throughout the year. Another
important job of T.O Money Maker will have is getting the region excited about penny wars both
before, during, and after the convention as well as promoting and selling shabbat- o- grams.
This person should be enthusiastic, creative, and able to encourage the giving of tzedakah. This
person must also be able and comfortable leading a program for many people. (1 person)
***EVERYONE on SA/TO RGB will be responsible for assisting the SA/TO vice president with
SA/TO dealing in general, including getting people to bring donations and money to
conventions, selling shabbat- o- grams, and helping out with penny wars.