What a wonderful time we had at the first meeting for the Piney Woods Counseling Association! The meeting was held at the outstanding facilities of Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches on September 15, 2009. The President-Elect, Phil Edwards, coordinated the day and arranged for the exceptional speaker on “Ethics Counselors Can Use.” Our presenter was Dr. Gay McAlister who not only brought us information we can use, she made it interesting. She is a former member of PWCA. Thank you, Dr McAlister. It was a super day.
Our president for PWCA, Janet Adams, conducted the meeting and reminded us that we have not had an increase in dues and will have to consider raising them. She called for volunteers to work on a committee to investigate and provide recommendations for raising the dues. The meeting places, like Stephen F. Austin have been very generous in allowing us to meet in their facilities free of charge. PWCA provided the lunch at this first meeting.
With the tight budgets of the universities and colleges, we will be providing meals for each of the meetings. Of course, this means that we will have to consider an increase in our dues. We have an exceptional opportunity for each member every year to meet colleagues, hear three outstanding speakers, have three scrumptious lunches, and receive CEU credits at each meeting for a budget price. Our dues are low enough that to increase them a bit won’t hurt our individual pocket books and will allow PWCA to manage more of the cost of future meetings.
There is still plenty of time to register for the next two meetings of PWCA and pay your dues at the current year cost. For those of you who have not yet paid your dues, you can sign up on-line or contact Angele Fanning, our membership chairman. All details are on the PWCA website, which is designed and maintained by Melinda Coker.
Be looking for your next newsletter in the mail before our next meeting of December 8 at Kilgore College. Our outstanding newsletters are designed and sent to you by Joel Jackson. Our third meeting of the year will be at University of Texas at Tyler on March 23rd. We hope to see you all at the TCA conference, 3D in BIG D “Dreams—Direction—Dedication,” November 11 – 14, 2009 in Dallas, Texas.
Leaurme Black
Filling in as Parliamentarian for Cathy Sullivan
