MARCH 2004

On being a Delegate…

George Eynon

On behalf of the House leadership -- and, more importantly, on behalf of the individual members -- I want to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to each and every one of you who are serving as Delegates in the 2003-2004 House. Thank you for agreeing to stand for election, and congratulations for being selected by your peers to represent them. The members of your local societies and regions owe you a debt of gratitude. Volunteers like you are the heart and soul of our association.

Now that electronic communication is commonplace we are able to conduct the business of the House more effectively and efficiently, making volunteering as a Delegate less onerous. That's the good news. However, the recently mandated changes in the structure of our House committees mean that more Delegates are required to actually perform the work of the House in committees. This has mixed implications. The good news is that, since the work is more widely shared, the committee work is less onerous. The flip side -- that's an obsolete technology reference, if there ever was one -- is that all Delegates must expect to serve on committees at some time during their three-year terms.

So what I am now asking you to do -- all of you who are continuing your House tenure into the 2004-2005 session and those who will begin terms anew on July 1, 2004 -- is to contact Valary Schulz, the incoming Chair of the House Delegates, to let her know where you would like to help. Take a look at the committees the House operates and let Valary know where your interests lie. I cannot promise that you will get your choice of assignments, but I do know, whatever the task you are asked to perform, you will find it a rewarding experience. And the sooner you tell Valary what your preference is, the more likely you are to get it.

The Delegates' Voice is the House's primary communications vehicle. The more we communicate -- and the clearer we communicate -- the better we can serve the members. Thank you, Steve Goolsby and the newsletter committee, for your efforts on our behalf this year.

There is one individual on that committee I want to especially thank, however. Mike Party and I ran as the candidates for Chair-elect. Immediately after the results were announced -- and I do mean that quite literally; it was seconds after the election result was announced -- Mike told me that he would serve in any capacity to help. I owe Mike -- a "gentleman and a scholar" and a true professional, and someone I am honoured to call a friend -- a special debt of gratitude. This acknowledgement will embarrass him deeply, I know, but it is his attitude, like those of many other members and Delegates, that makes our association such a satisfying experience for all of us who volunteer. Thank you, Mike.

So again, with his example in mind, I want you all to let Valary Schulz know how you would like to help her to make the next term of the House a great success. I look forward to seeing all of you in Dallas.