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The 1944 chartering of Fresno Chapter, then called Poppy Trail Chapter, in Fresno brought the National Secretaries Association (NSA) to California, and one month later, the chartering of California's second chapter, Lado Del Rio in Riverside. With that early membership, began a record of accomplishment worthy of the pride of all our members.
During our first ten productive years, we built NSA into the professional life of more than 15 cities, and from the original 15, 11 chapters have remained active, while those in four cities have been chartered a second time. From 22 chapters in 1954, when we were given the official status as the California Division, NSA, we have expanded to as many as 50 chapters throughout the state, and our membership figures and total number of chapters have not remained constant.
Our Spanish language gave us the name of several of our chapters, and place names followed: Golden Gate in San Francisco; Lake Merritt in Oakland; Queen Beach in Long Beach; and cities of Hollywood, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Santa Monica knew our early pioneers.
As membership motivated us and our mutual interest mounted, these very early chapters sought unification through Inter-Chapter Council (ICC). Each chapter sent representatives to the first two ICC meetings, held in 1949 in Fresno and at Reno. These meetings introduced an interchange of operational procedures, orientation of officers and members, and the subsequent formation of the development of the California Division.
After 1954 these same meetings were known as Public Relations Representative Meetings, with locations alternating in northern and southern California. The meeting formats were varied to meet current requirements, with the resultant refinement of the Leadership Forums, established in 1968. At the Annual Meeting in 1971, the Leadership/CPS Forum was inaugurated, thus combining these two events. In 1972, the NSA Forum was established, and allowed for a more diverse format while retaining the CPS Awards segment of these meetings.
As chapter numbers grew in California, our interests were not restricted to California. Our Division installed the Mexico City Bilingual Chapter of 30 charter members on November 7, 1959. This gala occasion was attended by 29 members from California, the NSA International President, the United States Ambassador, and the Mexican Minister of Education. Another foreign affiliate in Helsinki, Finland, was originated by the interest of Berkeley Chapter members. And a former member of the Sacramento Chapter was instrumental in promoting an affiliate at Chateauroux Air Base, Indre, France. This chapter, installed in 1964, has since dissolved with the withdrawal of American personnel at the military base.
We should not overlook the enthusiasm of the traveling member of the San Fernando Valley Chapter. Through her friendships in Anchorage, Alaska, came the installation of the Billikin Chapter on February 22, 1961. At that formal occasion, NSA's Northwest District Vice President installed 49 members, then the largest chapter ever to be installed by NSA.
Our growth brought us recognition. From the designation of Region in 1949 to 1953, to that of State Organization and hence to Division in 1954, we have been active in the Southwest District of the association. We attended the first of the regional meetings in January 1949, in San Francisco, hosted by Golden Gate Chapter in San Francisco and Lake Merritt Chapter in Oakland. In 1955 these meetings came to be known as the California-Arizona-New Mexico Regionals, with the inclusion of the New Mexico chapters. A member from Tracy (Altamont Chapter) was elected Southwest District Vice President for the term 1949-1951. Two additional Southwest District Vice Presidents have been elected from California, a member of Lake Merritt Chapter (1957-1959), and a member of San Francisco Chapter (1965-1967). When the title was changed to Southwest District Director, a member of the Hollywood Chapter was elected to serve the term 1973-1975.
In 1975, this member of Hollywood Chapter was elected to International Second Vice President. In 1976 she served as International President-Elect, and at the International Convention in Detroit in July 1977, she was chosen to serve as NSA's International President, the first to hold this office from the Southwest District and California Division.
California has hosted one National and two International Conventions, in Los Angeles in 1948 and 1961, and in San Francisco in 1971. In San Francisco all members of the California Division served as hosts to the more than 1800 registrants.
The first state organizational meeting was held in Los Angeles in 1953 with Jo Maes Knoerr of Queen Beach Chapter as first State President. Her fellow officers were members of Fresno, Lake Merritt, and San Diego Chapters. From these four officers (president, vice president, secretary and treasurer), our official roster has been expanded to include a second vice president and corresponding secretary.
At the conclusion of her term as president, Jo Maes Knoerr created the Jo Maes Knoerr Award, a trophy given annually to the chapter having the greatest attendance at the Division Meeting. San Jose was the first winner, and Glendale Chapter accepted the trophy for three successive years, earning the right of permanent possession.
When the Institute for Certifying Secretaries became a reality in 1950, a member of Santa Monica Chapter was appointed as an NSA member of a three-year term, while the business-educator member was from Sacramento State College. A member of the University of Southern California faculty served the term 1951-1955. Three additional NSA members serving were members of Los Angeles Chapter (1955-1958), Satellite Chapter (1961-1964), and Mission Trail Chapter (1974-1977).
In 1959, the business-education member from Muncie, Indiana moved to San Francisco near the beginning of her first term. This educator was eventually named Assistant Dean of the Institute, and later served as Dean for the term 1963-1965. California business-management has been typified by gentlemen from Douglas Aircraft and Ramo-Woodridge Corporation (1957-1959). Our most recent representative in business-management was from the Irvine Company (1972-1975).
The first CPS examination in 1951 counted Los Angeles City College as the only test center on the Pacific Coast. Of 13 candidates, two passed the examination that year. Test centers in California have been established throughout the state, and the incentive to sit for the exam has kept pace with the availability of the test. The Division first dignified the achievement at the CPS Award Luncheons in 1956 by presenting CPS certificates to those who had achieved the CPS rating that year. These luncheons were held in both northern California and southern California. The program was expanded to the CPS Forum in 1965, to the Leadership/CPS Forum in 1971, and subsequently to the NSA Forum in 1972.
Other accomplishments of California NSA secretaries have personified the "International Secretary of the Year." In 1955, a member of Airborne Chapter was selected, and in 1964 a member of Queen Beach Chapter was honored. Three additional California Division "Secretary of the Year" selections have been named Southwest District winners.
In 1968, the California Division members were honored with International recognition when the president of the Aerospace Corporation of El Segundo was chosen as International Boss of the Year, a first for our Division and the Southwest District.
Of the many projects our members have supported, Secretaries Week has always held our enthusiasm. Since the initial pronouncement in 1954 by the Governor of California, Secretaries Week has been proclaimed statewide as an annual observance. California was the first division to broadcast the special preferment via billboards up and down the state, and now each year billboards appear with the blowup. Our celebrations have presented our esteem of our employers as well as fellow secretaries, and the special week has included seminars, scholarship presentations, and community activities.
When the Future Secretaries Association Department of NSA was inaugurated, California members began efforts to organize FSA chapters in the schools. The first such chapter was organized by Hollywood Chapter in 1962 at the Los Angeles City College; Pasadena Chapter came next at Pasadena City College. From these two, the number has grown steadily. The Division held its first FSA Seminar at Lynwood on February 22, 1969, and Stockton hosted the first FSA Seminar in northern California in 1970.
Since the Research and Education Foundation's Scholarship Program for FSA students was established, three of our Division "Future Secretaries" have received the title for the Southwest District. In 1977 a member of the Fullerton Jr. College FSA Chapter, sponsored by Valencia Chapter, was awarded the International Scholarship, a first for California Division.
Recognizing the need for membership retention in our Division, the Chapter Membership Orientation Committee Meetings were established in 1969. These meetings, now known as Membership Meeting, are held in both the northern and southern sections of the state, and have been instrumental in improving the quality and quantity of membership in California. They have also utilized the talents of past Division Officers.
Members of the California Division, NSA, can be proud of all these achievements, projects, and goals. From an early beginning in 1944 to now, NSA in our state has been a potent force in the association. We are known for our ability to look ahead with renewed energy and anticipation, and we are among the leaders of the organization. We have a share in the future of the National Secretaries Association (International).
(Prepared in 1979)
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