Sara Womack, AMEA President
Henry Ford was a master businessman who was committed to creating the highest quality goods at the lowest possible price. He paid substantial wages to hire and
retain the best employees who became highly specialized experts on the assembly line. He was innovative and resourceful in all aspects of his life and was able to decrease the cost of his Model T from around $850 in 1908 (about $22,700 today) to around $360 in 1916 (about $7,700 today). From 1915 to 1921, he spent his summer vacations learning with fellow visionaries Thomas Edison,
John
Burroughs, and Harvey Firestone on motor camping caravans. On these trips, Ford and Edison built small dams and explored old mills to determine their power output. Ford was 82 years old when he retired from the company that bore his name and died a year and a half later. He lived as lifelong learner and was quoted as saying, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
As music educators, we can heed the advice and follow the exemplar of Mr. Ford. Whether you are just starting your teaching adventure, you are a seasoned veteran, or somewhere along the educational path, there are innovations and techniques to learn and new connections to make with colleagues. You also have an opportunity to stay relevant with new trends and offer your expertise to others at the 2014 AMEA In- Service Conference in Montgomery. Your Division Presidents have developed an incredible line up of clinicians and performing ensembles, as well as sessions with NAfME President Nancy Ditmer, NAfME Southern Division President Christine Fisher, and Alabama State Superintendent Tommy Bice. See you in Montgomery!
Goalposts Update
The Governing Board has made tremendous progress towards the goalposts of
increasing membership of
underrepresented populations, strengthening relationships with current members, and intensifying advocacy efforts with a strategic design.
Our association has made connections to younger members and potential members
6
We have also built relationships with the music industry in Alabama through membership opportunities. A bylaw change created an industry membership category and added an industry representative to the Governing Board in an ex-officio capacity. To date, we have gained about ten new industry members. Jennifer Freehling- Kazzie and Becky Lightfoot from Art’s Music
are serving as
representatives on the Governing Board.
Additionally, our association has made significant connections to our more experienced and retired members. A Past Presidents Committee has been established to serve as a resource to our Governing Board. Immediate Past President Steve McLendon is serving as chair. Dr. Frank Buck has been appointed as AMEA Historian and has been feverishly working to compile data on past presidents and award recipients, as well as band contest data. Look for his results to be published soon!
To strengthen relationships with current members, President-Elect Dr. Carl Hancock
has
administered a survey that was distributed across the state. The data obtained from this survey details the needs and wants of the membership and will assist in the formulation of
industry
through recognition. The inaugural Outstanding Young Music Educator Award will be presented to Jim Schaeffer, choir director at Hueytown High School, at the 2014 In-Service Conference. This award honors members that have shown a special dedication to and enthusiasm for music education in their third to seventh year of teaching. In the fall of 2014, we will be offering a scholarship for future music educators. The qualifications for the $1,000 award include attendance at FAME and enrollment at an Alabama institution of higher education as a music education major. The application form with more details will be available on the AMEA website.
the relationship with current members is to offer innovative, engaging, and relevant professional development. The 2014 In- Service Conference will definitely motivate all members. Each Division President has developed an amazing slate of clinicians and performing ensembles. Make sure to preregister by January 10. You cannot miss this year’s Conference!
To intensify our advocacy efforts, AMEA has become part of the Alabama Arts Advocacy Coalition (AAAC), along with other state arts education organizations. The mission of the AAAC is to raise awareness of and build support for the arts as an essential component of our schools and communities. I am also serving on the Arts Education Task Force, which will design and present a comprehensive arts education plan to State Superintendent Tommy Bice.
In looking toward the future, the
Nominating Committee has been established to formulate a slate of officers for President and Secretary. Beth Davis is serving as chair of the committee, alongside David Allinder (ABA), Stacy Daniels (Collegiate), Diana Mayhall (AVA), Tim Phillips
(Elementary/General), and Sarah Schrader (AOA). Contact
(HED), Vicki your
representative or Beth Davis
division’s at
Beth.Davis@dcs.edu to contribute to the nomination process.
The AMEA Governing Board will continue the progress toward our goalposts! Please contact me at
saratwomack@gmail.com if you have any ideas or concerns regarding AMEA’s advancement.
Portis
the AMEA
strategic plan, as well as the strategic advocacy plan. You can read the final report of the census on
the AMEA website
(
www.alabamamea.org). Another goalpost to strengthen
Henry Ford with his mentors and friends
Thomas Edison, John Burroughs, and Harvey Firestone on a motor camping caravan
October/November 2013
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