President’s Corner: February 2023

Let’s try something new.

We are looking forward to our state conference at Sun Mountain Lodge. Having the conference at a destination resort is an idea we started planning a few years ago. We thought it would be an attractive get-away to end a busy teaching and school year. Thanks to the WSMTA Board and good financial planning, the room rates are less than you would expect at an all inclusive resort. We probably won’t hold another state conference at a place off the beaten track, so if you’ve always wanted to visit the beautiful Winthrop area of our state during the gorgeous month of June, now is your chance. 

Planning state conferences is challenging. Where to hold them? Universities and colleges cannot put us on their schedules until they have worked out their own calendars for their faculty and classes. This means we can’t sign a contract with them until a few months before the conference and we cannot book a guest artist with any certainty.

If we book a hotel or conference event center, we must bring in the pianos. Perhaps the sound is not concert-hall quality. But these places can be booked years ahead.

We used to hold our state conferences in a different district every year, with a local chapter hosting and doing the bulk of the work. This tradition became unsustainable. In 2016 we moved to a state-wide conference Chair. Now we are trying a Co-chair approach. Laura Curtis co-chaired the 2022 conference with Carol Cross. Carol is co-chairing the 2023 conference with Lois Rhoads. Lois will co-chair the 2024 conference with . . . you? 

We used to have a conference from Monday to Friday. Then reduced the number of days. The conference dates are determined based on several factors including when the facility is available, and somewhat on when school is out. When we included a Saturday, more students participated in Honors Recitals. When we included a Sunday, more teachers left early to get to their church jobs. 

As many of our chapters have discovered, our members have less time to give to programs and events. Members are building their career and business. They have family commitments. They have revised their priorities. The state and chapter must reconsider the value of programs and events. Perhaps it is time to let a particular event go off the calendar. Some chapters are teaming up and holding joint meetings and presentations.

Let’s support efforts to try something new. If there’s an interested, enthusiastic volunteer, let them work on their idea. Maybe it was tried in the 20th century, didn’t last, but now it’s time to bring back the idea. 

Maybe it’s a different problem. There are few volunteers, but the program is important to members and to the organization. Consider hiring a part time assistant or project manager. Try a different type of venue. Limit the number of events that require hands-on, in person volunteers.

Teachers are life-long learners. We know that life is a journey, not a race. We can try something new, learn from our mistakes, and do things differently and better.

Yours in service,
Kathy Mortensen