............Hello everyone! It’s another start to a new school year. Here’s hoping to a smooth beginning after an energizing summer!  I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces, as well as meeting some new ones.  In most schools, the onset of fall means setting goals for yourself, and sharing them with your principal.
            As President of your organization this year….I have set some goals for myself in that arena as well. I hope to get the word out about our School Counseling Association, to let people know some of the good work we do! One of my goals is to increase our membership. As far as I can tell, we have about 600 School Counselors statewide, and less than 200 of them are members of our organization. We need to change that!  My challenge to you is, please speak with colleagues about what we do!  Maybe you don’t know!
            We maintain a wonderful website, with a new webmaster, and it is being improved all the time! It will provide information pertinent to our field, both locally and nationally. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, you will be able to locate any school counselor in our state with a click of the mouse on our web page!  As well, we keep you informed about legislative issues that you need to be aware of, and hopefully take action on! Our wonderful conference, including links to presenters and resources are maintained there as well.
            Another benefit to membership is the wonderful conference we put on every fall. The last few years we have been able to attract presenters from the national scene, and this year will be no different!  Jim Bierma, President of ASCA will speak to us, traveling all the way from St. Paul, Minnesota.  I have had the privilege of learning from Jim at the past few ASCA conferences. A humble, soft-spoken man, I believe he will continue to lead our profession in the pursuit of reaching all learners and making a positive difference in the lives of others.
            Peggy Moss will be with us. I use her wonderful children’s books Say Something and Our Friendship Rules in my classroom guidance lessons. We had the honor of her training at our Middle School a few years back. She wowed that faculty, and that wasn’t easy! Wendy Schneider and her award winning film on cutting will be presented. We always love to learn from our own…and Paul Pinette and Cathy Lounsbury from the Maine Psychological Trauma Institute will help us do just that. Please plan on attending, and bring a friend!  You will be energized, I promise!
            Westbrook High School and Junior High set a lofty goal for themselves, and were rewarded during a special ceremony at the ASCA conference in Atlanta. Under Tim Walker’s direction, they are now a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP).  The RAMP commendation is awarded to schools that align with criteria set in the ASCA National Model. These schools are recognized as being committed to delivering comprehensive, data driven school counseling programs, and an exemplary educational environment. Tim and his staff are to be commended for their dedication to servicing all students and demonstrating how effective school counseling programs can make a difference in the lives of students! Kudos to you, and many thanks for the important work you do.
            MESCA sends a school counseling representative to Capital Hill each spring. Counselors from all 50 states meet with their state reps, sharing the good work that we do, and asking for their continued support in legislative issues. I had the good fortune to travel to DC last March to do just that! I look forward to doing so again this spring, to make sure our voices are heard!  Just another service your membership helps to provide!
            Each year for two days before the national conference, MESCA sends the President and President Elect to the National Delegate Assembly.  Kathy Locker and I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia at the end of June, to learn about issues confronting the school counseling profession on a national as well as state level. We also learned about ASCA’s response to meet those challenges, and were encouraged to share ideas pertinent to our state.
            Each summer, MESCA sends the President and the President Elect to the Leadership Development Institute that is run by ASCA.  David Klippert and I attended this past July in Arizona. There we learned about the current legislative issues pertaining to education, and how to stay current on these issues. We had the wonderful opportunity to learn from school counselors from all 50 states. While some of the issues school counselors face are unique to their state, most of us have the same struggles and triumphs! How wonderful to pull from the best of the best ideas nationwide! While there, we also were taught how to speak with the media, how to promote our profession on both a state and national level, and how to best advocate for those children we are all about. Again, brainstorming in a room with Presidents and President Elects from all over the country was not only a fabulous learning opportunity, but a lot of fun!
            Speaking of fun……I have to say, being on the MESCA board has been just that! I am honored to work with a group of people of like mind, who work hard every day providing the services you do, and know how to laugh! I mean, belly deep, tears in your eyes laugh! It makes doing what we do, aligning all the above services I mentioned, so much more enjoyable!  We have a few positions on the board open….High School Vice President, for example! Any takers….? Come on…..add that to your goals this coming school year. Get involved!  Or maybe you want to present at our conference, so we can learn from the best in our own State of Maine!
            Here’s to a wonderful start of another fall in Maine.  Please, think about setting a goal for yourself in regard to our profession. Maybe it is as simple as convincing one colleague to join MESCA and support the good work we do in the name of our profession.  Maybe it is taking the challenge, and submitting a proposal to present at our conference in November. Maybe it is stepping up to the plate, and joining our board, to help continue the hard work we do in the efforts of all!  I challenge you to do something….set a goal….aim high!  I look forward to serving as your president this year. I would love to hear from you!