(continued from page 7 - VASTA Visions)

suggested we journal a bit, have conversations with ourselves, look to our passions, and consider the following:

"If it is in my life,

I create it,

promote it or allow it."

We broke for the day meditatively, mindful of Candace's directive to define and prioritize our five goals - Publication, Training, International, Advocacy and Financial - for the following day's work.

The pace of our work the next day accelerated (i.e."planning with a vengeance"). Candace primed us with remarks about organizations in general and ours in particular, saying that as board members and officers we must hold our members accountable for action. Otherwise we become worker bees or independent burden bearers. We agreed that we need education in delegating tasks and authority. Candace suggested that we use "both/and" thinking rather than "either/or" thinking in our planning. She suggested that it isn't numbers of members which count in our organization, but the "activity, quality and involvement" of our members. She suggested we not focus on "What I am going to do," but rather on "what will have to happen for a specific thing to come into being." She recommended the formulation of action steps and the determination of how much people power it will take to make them happen, using wording such as "Our vision consists of five components, and our call to action is". She advocated that we as "the profession, the organization," target members by specifying avenues and expectations of involvement, stressing that the single most important aspect of this process is "communication, communication, communication." We then broke into smaller groups to create "action plans" and "action steps" for each category.

With crystalline clarity thoughts flew, pens scribbled and pages turned. By late afternoon each small group presented a list of goals and concrete strategies for achieving them, the larger group seamlessly chiming in to fill out details or furnish more practical alternatives. Candace then challenged us by asking "All right, what's your time line?" Back

>>

went each group to the drawing board to set a sequence of target dates, which Candace wrote out on huge sheets of paper on the wall as group spokespersons called them out to her.

A silence fell, a good silence, as we beheld the focused and cohesive plan which we had drafted cooperatively, with Candace's invaluable guidance.

We made VASTA history that day. Those large sheets of paper are in our President's possession, and they will no doubt go into our archives at the appropriate moment.

I hope I have made you curious about their contents, very curious indeed about what is ahead and what role YOU will play in our unfolding future. Please refer to BettyAnn Leeseberg-Lange's letter in the next VASTA newsletter for the particulars which will chart our course for years to come.

LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE AWARD

NOMINATIONS SOUGHT

The Leadership and Service Award is given to VASTA members whose contribution to the advancement of the mission of VASTA warrants this special recognition:

1) Candidates for this award may be recommended by one who has been a member of VASTA for at least two years and 2) each recommendation must be submitted in writing, including the rationale for the choice.

Send recommendations to Chairperson:

Dorothy Runk Mennen
1804 Ravinia Road
West Lafayette, IN 47906

The committee also includes Mary Corrigan and Fran Bennett. Deadline May 15, 1998. 1993 recpients: Barbara Acker and Carolyn Combs; 1994 recipients: Donna Aronson and BettyAnn Leeseberg Lange; 1996 recpient: Bonnie Raphael. No nominations in 1995 and 1997. The Awards are presented at the Annual Conference in August.

The Ballots Are Coming!

This spring we will be electing two members to replace outgoing members on the VASTA Board of Directors.

Watch for your ballot in the mail.

Consider your choices.

Send in your votes.