International President's Messages

• Sep. 2010

Message from International President

September 2010

We're already a month into the Passion and Purpose year. Fill this year with passion for your job, IAAP and continuing education. You can start with Fall Conference (formerly Certification Conference). It's a must-attend conference. Not only will you learn important information about how the Core Characteristics of a Champion can help you win at work, you'll also network and get recharged to be energetic on the job.

You can make the conference economical. Here's how: Gather together three of your co-workers or chapter members and carpool to Louisville, Ky. Once you're there, you'll only have to get two rooms. You eliminate the cost of an airline ticket and cut your hotel costs in half.

Louisville is within driving distance of several cities. This is how the mileage breaks down according to Google:

Nashville: 175 miles, just under three hours drive time
Indianapolis: 114 miles, about two hours of driving time
Dayton: 179 miles, about two and a half hours
Chicago: 295 miles, a little over five hours
St. Louis: 263, about four and a half hours
Cincinnati: 102 miles, not quite two hours

I'm going to Fall Conference, and I want to see you there, too. If you'd like a preview of what you'll hear, we have free podcasts of the speakers. Two are up now and the last will be posted next week. Gather your colleagues and register today! Early bird discounts end on Monday, Sept. 6.

While the fiscal year began on July 1, I know that many of the chapters really don't 'begin' their year until September. If you have a particularly good speaker to help you kick off your chapter year, please be sure to share that information with other chapters on the web community.

We've got a lot of great information and resources in the web community. Does your chapter need newsletter help? We've got a newsletter editor's eGroup. Does your treasurer need support and resources? We've got an eGroup for that. Find out all about eGroups and how they can benefit you and your chapter in the eGroup section of the IAAP Web Community User's Guide.

In late August, members received a "call to action" from the Retirement Trust Foundation about the RTF's Housing Assistance Program designed to support the Trust's mission of providing housing assistance to administrative professionals, age 55 and older, who are in need. The cornerstone of the program is providing rental subsidies for those individuals who qualify for the program. You can review the Housing Assistance Policy, which outlines the program parameters, by visiting the Trust website. If you don't qualify for the program, do you know someone who does? If so, pass along the information.

Passion and Purpose Leadership Opportunities
John C. Maxwell says, "Time after time, success comes down to sacrifice–willingness to pay the price. The same is true of a winning team. Each member of the team must be willing to sacrifice time and energy–He must be willing to sacrifice his own desires. He must be willing to give up part of himself for the team's success."

While you may not be able to sacrifice as much time as others, please consider serving IAAP in some capacity. I cannot begin to tell you of the many, many benefits I've gotten from my 22 years of membership in IAAP. From the beginning, I participated on committees and then moved into leadership roles at the chapter, division and finally international level. I believe that to get the most you can out of an association, you also need to give back through service.

If you have passion for your profession and for IAAP, consider becoming a leader in the association. Take the next few weeks to consider if it's the next step you want to take before the call for nominations goes out. Below is a list of leadership action items and the dates these communications will be sent via email:

October 1: Call for Nominations for International Office and RTF Trustees. Instructions on the nomination process as well as the application forms will be sent to all division and chapter officers and affiliate presidents.

October 15: Procedures for Submitting Bylaws and Standing Rules Amendments. Find instructions for submitting proposed amendments to the International Bylaws and Standing Rules to be considered at the Montreal Annual Meeting in July 2011.

November 1: Request for Committee Volunteers for the 2011-2012 IAAP Year. These will include the necessary forms to apply for positions on the International Committee on Nominations and International Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee for IAAP and for the Retirement Trust Foundation Committee.

Detailed information on the above will be provided in future communications accompanying the individual forms.

With Passion and Purpose,
Mary Ramsay-Drow, CPS/CAP
2010-2011 IAAP International President

© 2010 California Division, Inc., International Association of Administrative Professionals