The receptive audience particularly enjoyed this Tibetan saying: "If you have already fallen down, you cannot help others to get up!" So know yourself and keep yourself on the righteous path to enlightenment within any religious belief you hold, be it Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, etc. Curt said that it was a personal thrill to hear one of the world's great teachers and to have had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
John Snyder (NV 90) has retired. It was not an expected event; he had anticipated teaching another ten or fifteen years, but the Nevada legislature saw fit to say that any teacher who did not retire by 1 September 2008 would not be eligible for the standard state health insurance program.
He has not, however, quit teaching. He now teaches exclusively online for Insight Nevada, an online public charter high school whose parent organization is Insight and is located in Portland, Oregon. Founded three years ago, they are now in twelve states. He will continue to teach computer courses, and his emphasis will now be on game design and production.
Look for his new class website at http://webwizllv.com/faculty/snyder/index.html. Be sure your sound is turned on!
All TOYs need to determine what time and talent they are willing to expend in order to move NSTOY
forward into a promising future. Check out other articles in this newsletter for opportunities to be part of this movement!
Highlights of the cruise included several ports of call, such as Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, each of which offered unique activities and opportunities for exploration. Participants engaged in shopping, whale-watching, fishing, kayaking, and railway excursions and viewed magnificent glaciers and wildlife unique to the area. There were also interesting shipboard activities, including shows, dancing, and even a Champagne Waterfall and Chocolate Buffet. Yum!
At the conclusion of the cruise, many members continued the Alaskan experience by leaving the ship and boarding the Denali Express rail transport to Denali State Park, where they viewed the awesome Mt. McKinley and toured the quaint little town of Talkeetna. They also enjoyed a walking tour to study the wild frontier that still exists in Alaska.
Alaskan governor Sarah Palin had welcomed NSTOY members in a letter by saying that she hoped their visit would be a memorable and enjoyable one and hoping they would "take home warm memories." Members who participated say that those warm memories will live with them for their lifetimes. They will never forget those June days of interacting with Alaska by sea, land, air, coach, and foot alongside NSTOY colleagues, friends, and family members as they planned for the future of NSTOY. They look forward to our time together in 2009 as we gather in Maine. Participants are grateful to the Bendzak family, Don Everhart, NSTOY president Peggy Allan, and all of the TOYs, family members, and friends for the warm Alaskan memories and hope to see everyone in Maine in 2009!
Note: Members who are interested in a more detailed account of the Alaskan conference may access the complete article by the same name on the website at:
www.nstoy.org
.
