WOW - Tulsa ROCKED!

If you missed the Professional Development and Education Conference, you missed another great conference. The CLE was exceptional, and the professional development and leadership sessions were fantastic.

I read each and every one of the evaluations that were completed by the attendees. Some of the comments were "Absolutely wonderful with very valuable information," "This was a very enjoyable and educational. Fun Too!" "Awesome conference as usual!" "What a wonderful group of women." "As always, the conference was exhilarating and exhausting!" "The membership sessions had excellent speakers, slides, and handouts. Lots of really good information. Helpful ideas to take home and share." "The keynote speaker’s presentation was excellent. Very timely. Now I can understand where my children are coming from."


I traveled to Houston on March 21 to attend a chapter event honoring their past presidents. Their incoming president, Kip Hall, is still buzzing with everything she saw and learned - especially all the valuable information from the NALS University sessions for chapter and state presidents. Rita Murray (keynote speaker) was also mentioned at this chapter event. If you have never been to Tulsa, start planning NOW! It'll be here before you know it.

ARE YOU THINKING BIG? I hope so. I've seen some really great ideas coming from the regions since returning from Tulsa. If you have no idea what the THINK BIG project is, check it out on the new NALS Community - www.nalsnet.ning.com/group/thinkbig. Continue to think big.

President-elect Patti Infanti has posted a question for discussion purposes in the NALS Community's Think Big area. Your feedback is very much desired and the leaders of NALS will review and discuss those ideas within the next months. Continue to check back with the Community for other questions throughout the next months.

New Oceans

"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

What a great quote. While in Tulsa sharing a piece of Dove Chocolate, the inside of the wrapper contained this quotation. How apropos in light of the THINK BIG! concept rolled out in Tulsa and now sweeping through NALS.

Think Big. Change your association. Change yourself.

And NALS is thinking big with its first Webinar (Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner? by David Horowitz, Esq.) on April 16, 2009, at 8 pm CT. Then there's the new NALS Community at Ning - it's awesome! (nalsnet.ning.com) I mean, just check out the NALS Web Site these days. But I'm getting off track here.

I suffer sometimes from the "that's the way we've always done it" malady - have you? This "sickness" is the very mistaken idea that something new cannot possibly work and that the only way to tackle a project is by following the same tried and true procedure used many times before.

Why do we do that? Probably because it is comfortable and predictable to maintain the status quo. However, it also kills the enthusiasm and morale of the person proposing a new and different way of doing something. More importantly, perhaps, is the fact that it is a new era and if NALS and all of its regions, states, and chapters wish to remain healthy and relevant (especially to Generation "X" and the Millennial "Y" generation), we have to embrace "new oceans" -- meaning, new ways of doing everything.

When I feel a recurrence of the "malady" starting to come back, I ask myself, "What is the absolute worst thing that might happen?" and "What is the best thing that could happen?" It is the antidote to counteract the malady's poison. The good outweighs the bad, and I make every effort to stay out of the mix and let the good take place.

We have to cast off and lose sight of the shore, my friends. Use the talents of all members and don't be afraid to try something exciting, different, and new. Change procedures around and shake things up. Be Brave. Be Bold. and . . .

THINK BIG!


Patti PP
a/k/a
Patricia E. Infanti, PP, PLS
2009-10 NALS President-Elect

Comments...we need comments!

Okay so we are doing this blog as well as the blogs in the NALS Community and even my Marketing Blog so that we can communicate with you guys. We would love to get feedback and comments on these posts so that we know how you feel and if there is something that we can do to help you out.

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS!

Just a short post...thanks!

PS: Tulsa was great by the way so anyone that couldn't make it really missed out...it is very much worth the time and money to attend one of our conferences...don't take my word for it, ask anyone that made it to this one!

Jay Moore
NALS Communications Manager