July, 2010

I often consider July to be an “activity” month. It is a time for trips, family vacations, outdoor concerts and theater productions, pool parties, backyard barbecues and grilling on the patio/deck. Fresh produce is arriving at the farmers' markets in earnest, and for us in the Midwest it often marks the advent of the first homegrown tomatoes. John Denver said it well: “Only two things in life money can't buy That's true love and homegrown tomatoes.”

Perhaps I feel this way because July begins with the “bang” that marks the 4^th of July commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on this date in 1776. This document has been called the birth certificate of our country. Unfortunately, amidst all of the fireworks, parades, parties and picnics that characterize this celebration, it is not uncommon to lose sight of the significance of this event and its consequences over the years.

As John Adams said: "I am well aware of the toil, blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this declaration and support and defend these states. Yet . . . I can see that the end is worth all the means. This is our day of deliverance."

Our nation's history reveals how accurate his words were.

July 1 – Articles and photos for the Clipped Wings® Quarterly due to National Editor Mary Ann Niehus McGarry (LAX).

July 15 – Reserve convention boutique space if your chapter plans to sell items. Joanne Halligan Phillips (MAL) needs to know space requirements.

July 15 – Convention door prize donations need to be sent to Marian Martin Wickersham (STL).

July 22 – Convention registration forms and payment should be sent to Gail Shannon Walker (MAL) in order to qualify for Jr. Suite upgrade drawing and to save you $20.

July 31 – Last day national dues may be accepted by National Treasurer Sheryl Yanken Schubert (DEN).

July 31 – Delegate Credentials due to National Secretary Christel Hasenbring Ilg (CHI).

August 1 – Year-End Reports due. Send a copy to each national officer (plus a few others).

All chapters should have received via email the Proposed Bylaw Amendments, which will be presented for consideration at the Nashville Convention. If you didn't get a copy, please contact Elaine Haley McGann (DEN) and request that she email you a copy. Hopefully members can discuss the proposed amendments at a chapter meeting or via email prior to convention. This will enable chapters to send delegates to convention with instructions for voting that reflect the majority of the chapter members' feelings. A huge thank you to the committee members for their work.

Our participation in Lincoln for the 2010 Special Olympics National Games is two weeks away. Sue Schnieder Dannert (PHX) is taking care of last minute details. There will be a “Wine and Cheese” meeting for all volunteers on Friday evening, July 16. Credentials, Special Olympics volunteer tee shirts, maps, trading pins and work assignments will be distributed at that time. On Tuesday, July 20, at the conclusion of the Parents Reception, we will have another gathering of Clipped Wings® volunteers to enjoy a post-reception party. I'm getting excited about seeing everyone and being able to participate in yet another Special Olympics National Games.

With the 2010 Games in sight, accolades must be given to Patti Jacoby (MAL) and Charlie Wright Petersen (MAL) for heading up the Parent Grants Committee. Their expertise is of great value to Clipped Wings®. All 25 recipients chosen to receive the grants were able to accept them and will make the trip to Lincoln this month. Hopefully we'll get to meet them at the Parents Reception on July 20.

Following the death of our Historian Vicy Morris Young (MAL) in March, many emails were received from members praising her and expressing thoughts of sympathy at the passing of this revered member. A tribute has been developed from these along with a photo slide show and placed on the Clipped Wings® website. It will be posted this week. Thanks to Website Chairman Pamela Pease Berding (OAK) and her helpers Mary K. Doherty Dana (OCC) and Carolyn Supplee Radin (LAX) for this beautiful tribute to Vicy.

National Treasurer Sheryl Yanken Schubert (DEN) and Address Chairman Barb Eichel Dittig (OAK) report that membership is currently at 1271, which includes 61 first-time members. Last year at this time the total was 1294, which included 75 first-time members. The ending membership for 2008-09 was 1299; and for 2007-08 it was 1385. It is NOT too late to encourage previous members to rejoin and first-time members to come aboard. Memberships may be received until July 31.

Chapter Presidents, please contact me by July 15 let me know if your chapter will or will not be performing during the business meeting. We are in the last stages of program planning and need to be able to estimate times allotted for the various activities. Thanks!

I also need to have non-delegate attendees volunteer to help at convention by serving as pages and timekeepers during the business meetings. Please provide me with willing volunteers' names by July 15 so that they may be listed in the convention program.

Other Convention Reminders: Please contact Joanne Halligan Phillips (MAL) at jotphillips@verizon.net to reserve boutique space if your chapter plans to sell items.  Joanne needs to know space requirements by July 15.

All door prize donations need to be sent to Marian Martin Wickersham (STL) by July 15. Contact her at macwicker@aol.com.

Clipped Wings® convention registration forms and payment should be sent to Gail Shannon Walker (MAL) before July 22 in order to qualify for the Jr. Suite upgrade drawing and to save you $20.

If you would like to remember or honor someone in your life, consider a $50 table sponsorship at the banquet. If interested, please send a sample of what you would like printed along with your check, made payable to Clipped Wings, to: Marta Rash, 605 Los Robles Court, Danville, CA 94526. Please do this by July 22.

Hotel pricing is guaranteed until August 22, on an availability basis. Mary K. Doherty Dana (OCC) reports that 85 percent of the rooms have been reserved thus far. Hotel information and convention registration form are on the Clipped Wings® website:
www.clippedwings.com

Now is the time to start preparing for your chapter's year-end report. It is due in one month; but “time flies,” and August 1 will be here before you know it. I suggest you:

• Contact everyone in your chapter to tally their philanthropy hours.
• Make sure your 2010-11 chapter officers are selected.
• Verify your membership counts with the national vice-president.
• Create a month-by-month summary of chapter activities.

By planning ahead, the compilation, completion and submission of your year-end report will be a much easier task to complete.

There was much discussion at the 2008 LAX Convention about the requirement that delegates bring 50 copies of their chapter reports to convention. Many felt that this was a waste of resources and that we should explore ways to “go green” including placing the reports on a website.

In response to these requests, we are doing this with the 2008-09 and 2009-10 chapter reports.

Chapter reports should be submitted as usual (due date August 1). Personal information except for the individual names will be removed from the reports after they are received. The reports may be reformatted slightly to provide a more uniform appearance then placed on an Internet site. There will also be a link to this reports website on the Clipped Wings® website. As a further precaution, this reports website is password protected. The 2008-09 reports have all been posted, and all 2009-10 reports will be posted in August. To view the reports:
(1) Go to the website: http://tinyurl.com/ylzgsn2
(2) Type the user name and password, which was provided in the email cover letter you received with this president's letter.
(3) Follow the directions given on the website.

This eliminates the requirement that chapter delegates take 50 copies of their chapter reports to convention.

Note that this is only for the chapter reports; officers and chairmen will still be required to print 50 copies and take them to convention (to comply with the National Bylaws, Policy 12).

My chapter travel in June was to the Twin Cities (TWC) Chapter. We had a delicious and intimate lunch at Axel's River Grille in Mendota Heights with 75 percent of their members attending. How impressive. The table was decorated with chocolate airplanes and a beautiful fresh daisy plant, which I actually got to take home! I even got to do some pre-convention boutique shopping. You'll love what they are going to sell in Nashville. Jackie Sula Lynch is in charge of these. We had great discussions about many topics including the 1984 National Convention they hosted in Minneapolis. That convention was the first one I attended as a National Chairman, and I've only missed one since then. Thanks to Chapter President Anita Gora Paster for the invitation and June Willey Gilbert for my transportation.

It is always so wonderful to meet up with dear friends from past years and then get acquainted with those members I hadn't met previously. That is what makes the president's chapter visits so very special. You should ALL consider running for president just because of this very rewarding experience.

Policy #9 of our National Bylaws states that the Jacqueline Jos Ceaser Distinguished Service Award shall be given biennially at convention. This is Clipped Wings® highest honor bestowed upon a member for continuous active endeavors with the organization on the local and/or national level. The honoree is selected from letters of nomination sent only to the National President by chapters and/or individual members. A member may receive this award only once. Nominations are confidential, valid only for the year in which they are made and should be sent to me by September 10.

Fundraising Chairman, Cheryl Mullins Jensen (SMF) reports that she and Barbara Boll Bertacini (RNO) will be making another trip to the SFO Domicile on July 3 to sell the Clipped Wings® scarves and ties. They are to be commended for all the time they have put into this project. Cheryl reports the inventory is currently: 175 airplane scarves, 34 stew scarves and 41 ties, and we are not planning to restock when these are gone. The income we have generated from the scarves is well over $35,000 (with a little less than half of that being profit). That has helped us with the many Special Olympics projects we have had this term. This chairmanship has been a mammoth undertaking for Cheryl. Little did she know what was involved when she agreed to chair this committee. We owe her a great deal of gratitude.

Please continue to keep our Clipped Wings® friends who are ill, having treatments/tests, or who have recently lost a loved one in your prayers. Cards, phone calls or perhaps visits are always a special way to bring a bit of sunshine into their lives.

Countdown to:

Lincoln Special Olympics Natl. Summer Games
July 16-24, 2010 — 16 Days

Nashville Clipped Wings® Convention
September 22-26, 2010 — 84 Days

A plane took off and after it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the Captain made an announcement over the intercom: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking.  Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from New York to Los Angeles. The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight.  Now sit back and relax.   OH, MY GAWD!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the Captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier.  While I was talking to you, I accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap.  You should see the front of my pants!"   A passenger in Coach yelled: "That's nothing.  You should see the back of mine!"

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.   ~ Erma Bombeck

I'm proud to be an American,
Where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
Who gave that right to me.
~ Lee Greenwood

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.   ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

As the great American philosopher Dolly Parton says in her song, “Red, White and Bluegrass:”

I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy the bounty of nature along with whatever “activities” July holds for you and yours. Cherish the fact that you have the freedom to do so. Never forget those who made it possible.

To blue skies and smooth landings,

Pam Troutman Ziebarth
2008-2010 National President
pziebarth@cox.net

CC: National Officers
National Chairs
Advisory Council