From Alaska in '08 to Maine in '09 - NSTOY remains on the move! The Alaskan conference was both singular and spectacular. The delightful cruise experience provided opportunities for informal conversation and camaraderie as well as hugely successful and productive business meetings. The magnificent Alaskan scenery and wildlife served as the backdrop for one of the most amazing NSTOY conferences yet! Many thanks to Trudy Bendzak AK '75 and husband Jerry AK '84 for hosting such an impressive and memorable conference!
The business on the boat included discussion concerning NSTOY's affiliation with KDP, feedback from the national Day of Dialogue meeting in Nebraska and from the meeting with the Department of Education in Washington DC, updates on our new website, developments with Kay Battista scholarship and the Chasing Rainbow awards, and reports from standing committees.
Additionally, the amounts for annual dues for current and new members were changed, our annual scholarship amounts were increased, and a motion was passed to discuss the possibility of expanding NSTOY membership to include finalists. Articles detailing these changes as well as the pros and cons of expanding membership are found elsewhere in the newsletter.
Many plans are already in place for the Maine conference: Pre-Conference July 6-8 and Conference July 9-12. We are expecting record attendance, and it promises to be a landmark occasion. Be sure to mark the date and make plans now! NSTOY is on the move, and you don't want to miss out!
For access to the Membership Side: Email Charlie Niehaus: webmaster@nstoy.org Tell him you want access to the Membership Side. Send him a password that you want to use. It will be case sensitive and must contain both letters and numbers totaling at least six characters. Keep a record of your password. Then he will email you your login.
Note: Volunteers are needed to work on the NSTOY website.
If interested or to learn more contact Art Peekel at 847.934.6717 or:
a_peekel@yahoo.com
