Letter from the Board

AATIA President Tony Beckwith

This letter is the first in a series of updates that the 2016 Board of Directors intends to publish periodically throughout the year to keep our members apprised of the matters that are currently of concern to the Board and to AATIA in general.

Dear Members,
The new Board has settled in and has met a couple of times this year, as prescribed by the Association’s bylaws. The Board’s basic objectives are very simple; they consist of increasing membership and revenue. The first takes care of the second, of course, but there are other things to consider as well.

It would appear that our recent website upgrade caused a little confusion, and some members are not sure if they are current with their dues or indeed if they are still in the AATIA system. We will be sending a letter to everyone on our membership list, advising each person’s membership status and, in cases where things have slipped through the cracks, providing instructions on how to rejoin AATIA. The website is now functioning well and, once everything is made clear, we sincerely hope everyone will take a minute to visit, renew their membership, and update their profile. The whole point of being listed in a directory of this kind is to present a clear picture of one’s credentials so that prospective employers can be adequately informed.

In pursuit of our second goal, to increase revenue, we are planning a fundraising event for the next general meeting on May 14. It will take the form of a “garage sale,” as described in the AATIA News section of this website. We are asking members to donate their old dictionaries and other reference works to the Association so that all the proceeds of the sale will go into helping to shore up the AATIA’s finances. Why do we need the money? Website upgrades and maintenance require infusions of cash, the hotel charges to use their meeting room, and the refreshments served at meetings don’t grow on trees.

We need your support, so if your membership is not current (contact Director of Membership Ruth Arellano to find out if it is), please renew – and bring a few books to the next meeting or come ready to shop for great books at bargain prices!

Many thanks, and we’ll be in touch.

The Board