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Y2K
January - March 1999 Volume 20 Number 1
Letter from the
Chair
Carolyn Olson
A few years ago I attended my first chapter sharing roundtable discussion for CE chairs at MLA. It was an eye-opening experience. I had no idea how different the challenges of our chapter are from the rest of the country. We are large geographically and small in membership. Besides - it's beautiful out here, we are continually reminded that there is more to life than work. So we face some special challenges when it comes to accomplishing all that needs to be done. And we have an easy sell in getting speakers and instructors to come to this beautiful part of the world.
Map Goals Implementation
Last year's board put considerable effort into updating and revising
the Chapter Map, PNC's strategic plan. This year, we focus on
goal implementation. Take a minute and read the map (available
on the website). The goals are intended to assist and empower
us as individuals and as a profession. But we have that PNC challenge
- how do we get it all done?
Simplify
One way is to simplify work and the new Conference Planning Committee
is doing just that. The biggest job each year is the annual meeting
and in the past was entirely done by the local meeting Chair
and Committee. This new committee, chaired by Leilani St Anna,
will organize and develop planning templates for vendor exhibits,
registration and other functions, making it far easier for local
arrangements committees to host a meeting.
- Member participation in committees is essential to accomplishing our goals and we currently need help in many areas. Electronic communication and the web change the nature of our organization. In the past, members who were unable to regularly attend the annual meeting may have felt that PNC did not offer many benefits to them or that they could not participate in the organization. Now, with our web site, there are new possibilities. (As in "Yo, Bob - can I crib your nursing Internet demo?") . Two web projects slated for implementation this year are:
- · Listings of relevant resources for vendor contracts
· Listing of presentations members have made to outside groups - Examples:
- Bob Pringle - Internet resources for nurses
Pam Bjork - Searching the chiropractic literature for the Oregon Chiropractic Board
Many keyboards make light work
We need more participation from members to accomplish this. We
also need the fresh perspective and insight that new participants
bring to the organization. I think most of us are willing to
assist with professional association responsibilities. Electronic
linkages make it possible for members in any location to contribute.
Elsewhere in this issue is a "help wanted" listing.
Please look through it and think about choosing something. It
is worthwhile, fun and a great way to get to know your colleagues
in other institutions.
Finance
The board greatly appreciates the dues increase that an overwhelming
majority of our members approved. This will help to stabilize
PNC finances and, over time, should give us a little more comfortable
cushion for one-time and unexpected expenses.
While the dues increase is important, it does not put us in a flush financial situation and we still need to exert the same cost controls that we have in the past. The economics of PNC has changed. We need to rely more on dues and less on revenue generated from continuing education and annual meeting activities. We now expect that the annual meetings will run a small profit in urban population centers and a small loss in other areas.
Special mention
- Thanks are due to a long list of members who are actively working on PNC activities. I want to call attention to the following members who have made special contributions this year:
- · Betty Jo Jensen, retiring to her vacation
home on Camano Island in May after 24 years in the profession,
was awarded Life Membership by the PNC Board for her substantial
contribution to PNC, including a term as Chapter Chair.
· Mary Ellen Lemon for her excellent work on the annual meeting in Boise last fall.
· Maryanne Blake for her work as last year's chapter chair and for hosting the board meeting in her home this year as well as last.
· Emily Hull for her fantastic work on our chapter web site.
That's all for now - please contact me or any other board member with your ideas, comments and suggestions. Have a great spring!
Carolyn
From the Editor
I want to thank all the numerous contributors to this issue. I am especially want to thank Bob Pringle, Kathleen McCrory and Andrea Ball for their articles. I sat at the last Executive Board meeting and said that I could not foresee any need to publish in a manner similar to the Dragonfly (i.e., print items as they are received and then compile a quarterly issue), since I rarely received original material. If this level of participation continues, I'll have to eat my words -- which would be a very happy meal!
I'd also like to thank Loretta Andress, my Assistant
Editor, for again helping me compile copy and for proofreading
this issue. Any typos will be my fault for continuing to
tweak this issue after she gave it her "red pencil treatment."
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