From the 2006-7 NALS
President, Cathy Hankins, PP, PLS
"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some
stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And
we are never, ever the same."
You never know what kind of impact you will have on another
member. Two
days before the start of the new year my local chapter lost a very special member. Helen
M. Watkins was 95 years young when she left us. Although I knew she wouldn't
be around forever, she had been around forever - for as long as I have been a
member. Over the years she had mentored and encouraged so many members
to get involved and become active NALS members. In fact, if not for her
encouragement (and insistence), I probably wouldn't be serving as NALS president.
Helen was a legal professional through and through. Computers weren't around
when Helen started her career as a legal secretary. She never hesitated
to tell you about revising a pleading over and over again "with all those
carbons" (that's carbon paper which was how you got your copies back then)
and having to type on electric typewriter. It was a more formal time in
those days, too. When she talked about her former bosses she always referred
to them as "Mr." and she they always called her "Mrs. Watkins." Listening
to her stories, I never had any doubt that Helen was in charge of any office
she worked at.
In 1960, Helen brought NALS to Columbus, Ohio. She was one of the charter
members of NALS of Central Ohio, which when it was "born" was known
as the Columbus Association of Legal Secretaries. Helen, aka "Den
Mother," was without a doubt a leader - a ringleader if you will. She
not only served as chapter president, but was active on the state level and served
as state president, as well. Her participation didn't stop there. She
never hesitated to tell stories about the NALS conferences she attended and the
members she met who became her friends…friends from all over the country.
Helen had been my friend for 20 years. She was 75 when I met her and you
would have never known her age if she didn't tell you. Helen was feisty
and rambunctious and young at heart, but most of all, she was something special. They
broke the mold when Helen was born. As a NALS member, you wanted to be
Helen Watkins when you grew up!
Even after she retired, Helen remained an active member. She always went
to meetings and seminars. She never stopped learning. She never stopped
asking questions (and you better have had the right answer!). The one thing
you could always count on was if Helen attended a local or state meeting she
always had something to say. She couldn't just sit there and say nothing,
and we would have been terribly disappointed if she had. When Helen spoke,
everyone listened!
Her health had failed her little by little in recent years,
which finally precluded her from joining us at our monthly
meetings. However, if she was able,
she would always join us for our award of excellence program held each May, where
she was treated like a queen. Helen was the first award winner in 1961. She
was a queen.
Helen was someone you listened to, admired and respected. Even if you didn't
agree with what she said, you respected her opinion because you knew she thought
through the situation and believed in what she said. On the other hand,
she respected your opinion. With progress comes change. As we became
more "progressive" as an association, Helen knew that we had to move
forward as well. It was hard, but Helen knew we could not continue to do
things the way we had always done them in the past and she accepted it.
Helen loved to tell stories and she had some good ones. She could tell
you anything and everything you ever wanted to know about our local and state
associations, and the early days of NALS. She could keep you entertained
for hours and hours.
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Helen stayed for awhile
and left footprints on the hearts of the Ohio members. And because of her,
we will never, ever be the same.
