Conference time is approaching
By Mary Pat Mueller
I have just returned from our February Board Meeting and annual Day on the Hill in Pierre. It was great to see all the counselors who showed up on the Hill to represent the association. This event again turned out to be highly successful despite the cold weather, snow falling, and closed roads.
This year, our Government Relations Committee planned a luncheon following day on the hill. After meeting with our legislators in the morning, we treated several people from the Department of Education at the Pizza Ranch. This proved to be highly informative and was a step forward in building bonds with the Department of Education. Next year there are some things that we are anticipating may need to be addressed legislatively and this is a first step in having our voice heard. Of course it doesn't hurt that our Executive Director, Kelly Duncan, sit's on the Board of Education as their President. Rick Melmar, Secretary of the Department of Education, spoke highly of the work that Kelly does, as the Board's President. The networking done by our Executive Director and all our members is extremely important to our mission and goal of "promoting recognition of counselors to the public and media." I know there are many of you out there doing this on a community and state level, so let me take this opportunity to thank everyone. Without promoting and supporting our profession on an individual and association level many of our accomplishments over the years would have been impossible.
The night before Day-on-the-Hill we had our February Board meeting. One of the items on our board meeting agenda was our spring conference. I am hoping that you are all clearing your calendars and planning on joining your fellow counselors for this annual event In Rapid City on April 3rd-5th. Besides being a great opportunity for you to pick up all the CEU's you need for one year, it is a wonderful time to reconnect with your fellow professionals. The conference theme is "Counselors, Transforming the world one conversation at a time." Our host chapters in Rapid City have been hard at work with plans to make everyone feel welcome. Rapid City is a great place to plan a few extra days, before or after the conference, to have your family, friends, etc. join you and take in all that the great activities the western half of our state has to offer.
From the three pre-conferences planned to the opening keynote given by J.C. Chamber and Mark Freado on "The Art of Kid Whispering; Connecting with the Inside Kid" to the over 33 content sessions there is sure to be an abundant amount of information for everyone. Being able to learn some new techniques, to relaxing and having fun with your fellow professionals, is an opportunity you do not want to miss. In an age where we are lucky to have the technological abilities to connect and learn (email, audio conferences, home study programs, fax, text messaging, conference calls, etc.) lets take this opportunity to put a face to a name and not forget the importance of face-to-face communications and relationship building. I look forward to seeing you in April, at our annual conference, "Counselors, Transforming the World, One Conversation at a Time."