Comments from the Chair

June '08

All Ya'll,

A lot to report. Can't believe how fast time slips by. Seems like only yesterday...

(1) Chad and I are planning to get things rolling on ISAP-IX in a few weeks. We'll update you as preparations progress. First item on the agenda is to lock-down a hotel in Seattle and start working on an itinerary. Let me say right up front that if you have suggestions for guest speakers - or want to volunteer to become one yourself, now is the time to throw a name in the hat. We're looking. Anyone care to refresh my memory on the dates we've settled on?
 
(2) Attached is a rough of an idea I had a few weeks back. Friend Frank Landrus, who attended his first ISAP get-together earlier this year, edits an e-newsletter for a local IPMS group. He's been sending it to me for a year and I've always enjoyed it. Most importantly, it represents a pro-active approach to communication in his group - and the results are outstanding. Everyone in his club gets it, reads it, and participates actively in the organization. Operative word in that last sentence in "pro-active". I very much like the idea of us going out to our membership - rather than them coming to us hit or miss via our web site.

Anyway, I had a lengthy conversation with Frank about what it might take to do a newsletter of this type. He immediately jumped on the idea and has already dummied up the first issue - which is attached as a PDF. Please take a look and get back to me with your response. Keep in mind this is just a dummy (like me). It's not a finished product at any level. Title, photos, text, etc., are just in place to give you a feel for what might be done.

If the board gives me a stamp of approval on this, I'll move ahead with it immediately. There is NO cost to the organization. Frank said he would be happy to do it voluntarily for the foreseeable future. It would go out monthly to all ISAP members via e-mail.

(3) I know I've said it a hundred times, but I do apologize once again for being such a poor correspondent and ISAP director. Like all of you, my plate has been very full. Additionally, about two months ago I almost had what local celebrity, Kinky Friedman, refers to as a "bugling to Jesus". Won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that a night in the hospital is not one of my favorite ways to spend what little leisure time I have. The only other thing I'll say is - if you're on blood pressure medicine, don't arbitrarily wake up one morning and decide you no longer need to take it...

(4) We've got a good year ahead in spite of the economy, fuel prices, an interesting presidential election, a couple of wars, and a lot of pollution. ISAP remains healthy, membership is solid, and Seattle is looking to be an excellent venue for our next get together.

Let me hear from you on Frank Landrus's dummy. I think it's a winner - but some of you may have reasons to believe otherwise.

Jay