CRETE Magazines April 2014 | Page 6

Π ΕΡ Ι Ε Χ Ο Μ ΕΝ Α μ υ ν ημα π ρ ο ε δ ρ ο υ P re s i de n t ’ s M e s s age CHAPTER SUMMER EVENTS Yes, the PAA has a future! Just look at all these beautiful children with Vickie Sargetis in the middle at our 6th District retreat at St. Nicholas Ranch in the mountains of California. I encourage all our members to actively participate in your chapter’s summer picnic or establish one if you don’t have one. These picnics are all fun and leave everlasting memories for our youth and instill in their mind the pride we have in everything that is “Crete.” We didn’t have a chapter in Sacramento when I was growing up but every year our parents took us to the San Francisco and Modesto chapters’ summer picnics. When our chapter in Sacramento was created we had a summer picnic every year on Father’s Day and I was in charge of the music. (It was cassettes back then and I was the DJ). PAA WEBSITE Under the leadership of our new PAA IT Chair George Vomvolakis, look for our new website to roll out shortly. George will be presenting a detailed PowerPoint presentation at the Salt Lake City PAA Board meeting on May 17 about the creation of our new “user friendly” website. MEMBERSHIP From the time the PAA was formed, the most important topic for it and the chapters has always been membership. Every administration at the national and local level struggles with it. We are fortunate to have a strong membership that has survived while other organizations’ membership has waned. I intend at the Salt Lake City Board meeting to have a comprehensive discussion about membership. I understand that membership is primarily driven by members of the local chapters. However, the PAA as a national organization can help and if we can’t then we should wonder why we have a PAA. I have certain thoughts about this topic, having been involved in the PAA for 40 years, but I will be asking the board, your board that you elected, to come up with a comprehensive plan to not only maintain our membership, but to increase it. The board needs your input and ideas on how the PAA can help. Please V