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This is the last opportunity I will have to communicate in the President's Report of our Chapter Newsletter. At our annual conference in September, a new President will take over and automatically become the quarterly author of this part of the newsletter. After that, any contribution that I may submit for inclusion in this quarterly will be relegated by Janelle Olson, our Executive Secretary and Editor of this newsletter, to a less prominent location. So, while I still have a good spot, I want to use this final presidential perk to share a couple of thoughts about my year as President of our Chapter. First, it is my view that the best thing that happened to our Chapter this past year has been the increased participation by our Canadian members. Of our total 252 total members, 32 end every third sentence with "a." At our General Membership Meeting in Nashville we approved a by-law change to increase the Chapter Board from four to seven members. Two of the three new Board members will represent the five Canadian provinces. This is a significant change for our organization that, in my view, offers a variety of opportunities and benefits for all our members. The third new Board member will be elected from our Corporate membership which also offers unique and exciting opportunities. Second, over the years that I have been a member of AAAE, I have often heard our Executive Director, Chip Barclay, publicly credit the AAAE staff with the successes of our organization. Chip expresses this view after—and usually in response to—someone's attempt to credit or praise his leadership. At a distance, it was difficult to discern whether Chip's comments were a reflection of his personal humility or his view as a seasoned, perceptive manager. However, after this year of working up-close with the AAAE staff I now know the answer. Our staff in Washington are "as good as it gets." In the case of Chip and his staff—it is a classic example of "good people attracting good people." Last, I want to share one regret from my year as Chapter President. Many of you are aware that in 1996 Greg Isbill made a significant contribution to the AAAE Foundation. The AAAE Foundation is currently funded year-to-year through Chapter contributions. Greg's intent and his proposal to AAAE were to change the AAAE Foundation from a pay-as-you-go scholarship fund to a self perpetuating endowment. As proposed, the plan required that each Chapter commit to an additional contribution of $10,000 per year for ten years. Understandably, for a variety of reasons, not all Chapters were prepared to make this commitment. My regret is that we could not reach a consensus on a plan to create an endowed scholarship program. However, the issue is still alive and I am confident that the Chapters will come together on a plan that will realize an endowed scholarship fund. Speaking for our officers and board members, there is a strong commitment to find a plan that works for everyone. In closing, I thank you for the opportunity and privilege of serving as Northwest Chapter President this past year. I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Conference in Whitefish, Montana!! |
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