Education for all
More classes available for NJSPBA members
n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
No grades or assessments are given in seminars offered by the
NJ State Education Committee, but Committee Chairman Joe
Dudley is convinced that PBA members are stronger just by tak-
ing the initiative to show up and ask questions.
“This is your career. This is your livelihood,” Dudley says. “All
of this is open to you.”
Ever since the Education Committee released its first schedule
of free classes available to members in May, members have had
the opportunity to gain valuable information on focused topics
from bookkeeping and health benefits to engaging with local leg-
islators.
On Sept. 5, the committee gathered for an essential meeting
to assess the strengths of existing classes and schedule a new
educational agenda for the fall. While booking what the Educa-
tion Committee likes to call its “second semester,” the commit-
tee continues to focus on providing classes that will benefit any
and every PBA member. They stress that while some courses are
exclusive to Local presidents and State Delegates, many of the
courses should be attended by the common membership.
“I don’t care if you’ve got six months on the job or if you’re six
months away from retirement,” stresses Dudley. “I want to make
it very clear to the membership that there are many courses that
are meant for all active members.”
Starting this fall, classes focused on health benefits, officers’
rights and fundraising will provide a wealth of knowledge that
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NEW JERSEY COPS
■ SEPTEMBER 2018
will help all PBA members gain a healthier understanding of in-
formation that is vital to their health, career and future, no matter
how long they’ve been on the job or what rank they hold.
“There are seminars coming up that are absolutely meant for
the general membership,” Dudley says. “These are for anyone
who is a dues-paying, working PBA member in the state of New
Jersey.”
On Nov. 2, the Education Committee will be offering its first
Below 100 Training, led by a former Philadelphia state trooper
who has become an official advocate for the program. The sem-
inar will offer attendees presentations, real-life storytelling and
lifesaving safety tips as part of its mission to help bring the num-
ber of line-of-duty deaths in the nation below 100. Members who
participate will be able to lead the Below 100 program within
their own Locals to help officers avoid complacency on the job
and stay alive. This training is open and encouraged for all mem-
bers.
Other classes exploring officers’ rights and the fundamentals
of successful Local fundraising will be held in breakout rooms
following State Delegate meetings at the 2019 Mini Convention
held in March.
Members are now able to easily sign up and find out details for
any of these free classes on the NJ State PBA website. Simply visit
www.njspba.com and click on “education” under the “members”
tab and take the first step to becoming a stronger, smarter PBA
member. d