A Note from the President
By Samuel J. Supalla
Making a Greater Impact…
I am writing this President's Note with the good news that our bylaws have been written and
approved by the Board of Directors for SASL on December 10, 2017 (please see the bylaws on SASL's
updated website below). I believe SASL is moving towards creating a greater impact on the deaf
community and the larger society in the United States and Canada. SASL is now a non-membership
organization meaning we will no longer require membership. We believe the notion of going ‘public’ will
allow more people to read and enjoy our newsletter as well as circulate our journal. ASL is a public
language, and we do not want to withhold any information to anyone. Thu s our decision not requiring
membership will hopefully increase our impact.
Additionally, the Board of Directors voted in favor of creating a much-needed publication for a
database on ASL literature (see the Editor's Corner in this issue for more information). Any person who
has an interest in ASL literature will enjoy accessing this database comprised of close to 500 works.
After consulting with the current Board of Directors at SASL, the decision has been made to
increase the number of seats on SASL’s Board from 9 to 16. I will begin contacting individuals to invite
them to consider a position on the Board upon release of this newsletter. The nominations were made
by those currently serving on SASL's Board of Directors. We will review the background of each
interested individual and vote to invite them to join the Board for a three-year term. We will not rush to
increase to 16 immediately. Rather, we would like to see a solid and diverse group of individuals join
us, especially those who understand and support the organization’s mission.
For those that have paid for SASL membership into 2018 and successive years, refunds will be
processed as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that the work of the Board of Directors is on a
voluntary-basis, which includes our newsletter, journal, and ASL literature database work. Finally, I will
keep you apprised on future developments through the President's Notes. I appreciate all of your
support and understanding in regard to our growth and helping us find our way towards supporting our
beloved language, ASL.
http://www.societyforasl.org/home.html
The Power of ASL
5
Winter 2017 – Issue 8