Hello Division 44 members! I hope you are all having a wonderful summer. It's been going well here in Chicago.
I know that the APA registration has been open since April. I just wanted to provide you with a couple bits of information. El McCabe and the awards committee have been really working hard to honor those experts in our areas who have contributed to the community and the profession. These awards are listed separately in this edition of the Newsletter.
We were told by APA no one can offer programming within a suite at this convention. What they have done is provide us with meeting rooms in which we will offer all the programming that was previously provided in a division suite. We will offer copies of the books and Division 44 materials there for your interests at Sheraton Grand Seattle, University Room, Fourth Floor - Union Street Tower.
Exciting news: We have had a line item for several years now since COVID shutdown regarding the “Annual Dinner Fundraising” event for the Division. I inquired at the Mid-Winter Meeting if we should continue this line item. I, for several years, chaired this event for the division. It was asked if we could explore this again, which I approved. So, it's going to be happening! SAVE THE DATE for the Saturday of the convention August 10th! I have signed contracts and there will be special entertainment and fun to be had by all. More details will follow. The name of the event is “Celebrating Us, While Fundraising for....” A percentage of the dinner ticket price will go to a local Seattle organization of need in our community. So, a portion will go toward the cost of the plate and the rest to assist a group or entity in our community that the Executive Board (EB) will choose and agree upon each year.
Student sponsorship is more than welcome like in the past, or a donation to Division 44 is always welcome. So please reserve the date. Space will be limited. Please reserve ASAP to Bernie Bishop. If you would like to sponsor a student, please indicate so when you register.
Also, we will, of course, be having a Division Social which you will see on the APA programming as well as a combined ECP and Past-Presidents Brunch.
More good news! We received a 20% increase in our Journal royalties. The total from the Journal came to $103,500 from the royalties alone. Which means we have over 1/2 million dollars in our account.
There is one more topic that we addressed in the EB meeting. In January someone asked why we were on a calendar different from the APA calendar year. I was charged with doing some research, and what those who have been in the division a long time said was it mostly had to do with the academic calendar. Many of our members were involved in academia and still are. We discussed it and gathered thoughts together about what direction we will go regarding this topic. We were asking whether we should just leave it as is or change it to the January calendar. Much discussion is needed to see what makes more sense in the history of Division 44 going forward.
It's been a very exciting year! We have much to celebrate and be grateful for in our community. We need to all get together and celebrate the accomplishments and also continue to work very, very hard at the challenges facing our community. So, we have much to do going forward but for the weekend of the convention let’s all get together and support each other in celebration. Many have worked so hard this year and Division 44 is a place I always feel at HOME. Please come and join us!
Thank you,
Gregory, President Division 44