Our Society At Work

I have had the great privilege to attend the first few international committee meetings. The Eunah Temple Holden Fund, the Performance Appraisal Team, the Communications, Program, Personal Growth and Services, Research, and Professional Affairs have all met by now. For many committee members this is their first trip to Austin and a tour of the headquarters building is always a highlight of their visit. It is my pleasure to show them around the building and share our heritage with them. We have a beautiful building, one of which we can all be proud.

Committees do the work of the Society. Most of them leave the meeting with To Do Lists that will keep them on task for the first year of the biennium. Each committee is asked to help Create the Buzz and make our name known throughout the education community. I have already received items to place in the Creating the Buzz scrapbook that I have started here at headquarters. Check out the Communications Committee page on the web site.

Another item that committees are asked to do is to explore how technology can assist them in their work. Committee chairs all received a copy of the Leadership Tools on the Net CD at the planning committee. This CD, which is available at headquarters for $20, describes a variety of electronic leadership tools that can be used. The Ad hoc Online Leadership Committee has scheduled our October meeting using the Go To Meeting tool. I plan to then use that tool to host a program committee meeting in November. Remember folks, if I can learn to use technology, so can you.

I love hearing about important professional recognition of our members. Let’s spotlight them whenever we can. Send me any items that recognize members in their professional lives. I want to congratulate them personally. Let me hear from you.

Carolyn

Theme for the 2008-2010 Biennium

I am so excited. Several of you read my blog about dues and then actually posted your comments. Thank you very much.

From Vision to Action: Advancing the Society

This is the theme for the 2008-2010 Biennium.

What is your vision for the Society? Why did you join?

I joined 46 years ago when I had just completed my fifth year of teaching because a colleague whom I admired invited me to join. I had recently started teaching in my hometown of Hastings, Nebraska and I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this organization by individuals who had been my instructors as I had been growing up.

I did a survey of Generation X members (ages 25-44) in the Northwest Region in 2006. 68% of the members who answered the survey were asked to join by people they knew and 52% replied that they were asked to join by someone they admired. Why did you join?

In this same survey, 87% of the members felt that chapter programs were interesting. They like relevant programs. So program chairs, what are your plans for the coming year? Here are some of the suggestions given.

• Workshops relevant to life--not just Society practicies and policies
• Nutrition
• Women's health issues
• Scrapbooking
• Stress management, relaxation tips, juggling multiple responsibilities
• Technology updates
• Hands-on activities

Did you know that our website offers lots of program ideas? Check it out.

Carolyn

Greetings

What a great international convention we had in Chicago! It was good to see so many of you there.

I promised you I would write a blog....so here goes. This is my first attempt at doing this. I look forward to this being a forum where we can discuss issues and ideas and ask and answer questions.

At the convention many of you were concerned that members might have difficulty paying their dues this year. So I thought I would pass along some of the innovative ideas that were being discussed by chapters.

• Members could pay their dues on the installment plan. They could pay so much a month for three to five months. Only the state and international dues must be paid by October 30.
• Collection of dues could begin July 1 each year so that would give members four months to pay.
• Chapters could waive chapter dues for members who are experiencing hard times.
• Members could pay state and international dues for an individual member who was experiencing hard times.

Does your chapter send out a statement for dues indicating the amount and date they are due? Many chapters find that modeling after other professional organizations in this way, produce effective results. I am sure that many of you have innovative methods of collecting dues. I heard of an Iowa chapter who used the theme "Dew the Dues" and distributed cans of "Dew" (Mountain Dew) to members as they paid their dues. A chapter in West Virginia held a "Dues Tea" in the various counties of their chapter area in August. Members came together for a social event (a finger food picnic in one county and lunch at another) and brought their dues to the event. Many who could not attend even sent their dues with others. Fun and fellowship always help. Share your ideas.

Carolyn