9/18/05 RIAMTA: brief Board Meeting Agenda
Congratulations Christopher Adamo
Retreat Dates Sunday 4/23 or 4/30/06 (9-1 order of business/ after 1 social) 9/18/05 RIAMTA: General Members Meeting Agenda 1. Welcome: Moment of Silence for victims of Katrina and all those effected.
9/18/05 RIAMTA: General Members Meeting Minutes 1. Welcome. Moment of silence for all effected by Hurricane Katrina.
2. Group exercise. Focus: share about MT mentor / mentee experience
3. Kelly reports that the Board Retreat Day, June 12 , 2005 helped us to clarify goals and gave us a key ingredient to success: we need a healthy number of volunteers to be able to act on any ideas we come up with.
4. What Your Board IS Doing For You & Volunteer Opportunities a.) What Your Board IS Doing For You : National Convention : Delegates Carl Stearns and Cate Chapin and President Kelly LoGiudice are going! Carl distributes to members present today the "Recommendations" for House of Delegates meetings at the Convention. Purpose is so that the General membership is represented at the National level. Each state chapter has input, through the Delegates' participation. This way our input is received. Carl reviews the recommendations and any discussion is retained by the Delegates for use at the HOD meeting. b.) What Your Board IS Doing For You: MT Awareness Week : A Key to a Healthier You. •Kelly has committed to reaching the firefighter community. Needs volunteers to sign up with her for Providence. •Frank Rapone is situated at Kent County Hospital. Volunteers are welcome. •Paula is at Pawtucket Memorial Hospital, giving relief to workers there. Volunteers are welcome. Kelly: a press release will be made in coordination with AMTA National Press Release. Please inform RIAMTA if you choose to create an event. Positive public relations build the public's awareness. c.) What Your Board IS Doing For You: Massage Therapy Foundation : President (from RI) John Balletto is stepping down. ? # of years of service? Press release necessary Plaque? Award? Kelly will give recognition (Certificate) at the National Convention Awards Ceremony Massage Therapy Foundation: when was the last time we gave $1.00 per member to our Foundation? This is the norm and policy for the Nation MOTION: Kelly, Second: Deb Luhrs Voted to send $1.00 per member donation for 2005 to Massage Therapy Foundation. Passes unanimously. d.) What Your Board IS Doing For You : Education: Cate Chapin reports that Tom Meyers is teaching Anatomy Trains December 3, 4, & 5, 2005. Ceu credits: 24. Location: CCRI, Newport. Cate encourages attendance. Cate also has Michael Regina-Whitely, specialist in the disabled/special needs population, projected for Spring 2006. Watch the Newsletter. Cate will be stepping down from this Education Chair. Opened position for volunteers. e.) What Your Board IS Doing For You :Video Library: Paula Kochanek makes dvd's/videos available at 2 yearly membership meetings, and by the mail. The roster is on the website and in the Newsletter for members' convenience. Librarian always welcomes suggestions for great purchase-worthy dvd's, and any donations from your viewing libraries! f.) What Your Board IS Doing For You : Sports Massage: Frank Rapone circulates a volunteer list. g.) What Your Board IS Doing For You : MERT: Regina Cobb explains that sice 9/11 and the Station Fire, there has been an elevated need for structure. The RI Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Inc.is focused on a combination of police, fire, nurses, professionals. A healthy discussion has arisen: Do we understand psychological trauma? A blue handbill (entitled “Crisis Massage Team of RI”) now exists to explain CMT to the public. CMT trains how to work with responders. It is organized only for local response. Regina announces that Crisis Massage Team is still looking for MTs to become trained and to be a part of the Team. 50 responders is the goal. There is no pressure to have to respond; it’s open to your schedule. The Team goes out, not individuals. A network exists, but there is no active MERT in RI at this time. h.) What Your Board IS Doing For You : Government Relations: Becky Ellsworth Action component is history-gathering now. There are new faces in government ( a changeover in the Board of Health) creates perfect timing for promotion and to update legislation. Our members will, when informed, need to call/email State Reps and Senators. With approval from RIAMTA, Becky will form a committee whose purposes will be to develop an Advisory Board (which is currently not an established entity) Jay stated that legally we are obligated to have this board in place. A sign-up list was distributed. Kelly states that we have sent resumes at least four time to set the Advisory Board in motion. Topics of (1) Zoning issues, (2) of the Advisory Board and (3) a need for statewide cohesive laws arose today. Becky’s Gov. Rel. Committee need to become “badged”, and to sit in on meetings. When a bill goes forward, this committee will be present and informed, and can then inform the RIAMTA membership. Regina states that Members’ feedback is required to move on to specific task force actions. (4)A more specific definition of what is a Massage Therapist, a bodyworker, a shiatsu practitioner…all need to be explained formally and updated. Ray Moriasu states caution on the definition of Massage Therapy! (5)Regarding National Certification, two choices exist: Massage Therapist and Massage Therapist and Bodyworkers (larger group including Traditional Chinese Medicine. (6) Our State Board of Health has not kept current with the changes to NCTMB exam, we have no National Cert voice in RI. RI does not recognize specific Massage Therapy NCTMB exam. Ray Moriasu gave a history: First law passed in 1976; the Legislature’s initial law included no education requirement, used the titles masseur and masseuse. Standards were instituted. A medical check for communicable diseases was instituted, with no specific types of these diseases listed. Introductions of laws concerning Massage therapy presumably died in committee. The idea of an Advisory Board is to address the rules and regs currently, develop a change and a modernization of laws. Ray says to use history wisely. Kelly states that Title Protection is important because wish to be identified [singularly]; our title is not for use by everyone. National AMTA has a Nat. Gov’t. Rel. Committee to support the State RIAMTA. Bill Brown is named. We can apply for a grant, we can have our own budget for Gov’t. Relations purposes. Also spoken was the notion that not everyone wishes to be regulated. The goal is to establish clear action plans, with the approval of the RIAMTA Board. i) What Your Board IS Doing For You : Newsletter: deadline for submissions is Oct. 15. j.) What Your Board IS Doing For You : Membership New member welcome letter and magnet mailed to entire membership…did everyone receive one? Outreach to schools: CCRI Newport, Career Education Institute, Arthur Angelo all receive 1)newsletter, 2)AMTA Brochure, 3)Fact Sheet. Paula Kochanek and Kelly LoGiudice are contact persons currently. k.) What Your Board IS Doing For You : New England Regional Conference: Jay O’Connor Perry Plouffe Scholarship 2006 Congratulations Christopher Adamo Thank you to the applicants! Dates 3/23-26/06 In 2006, RI will chair Traveler’s Massage at the Conference. This includes volunteers, room readiness and fun!
In 2007, we are Hospitality Chairs. We can create it as we want it! Theme brainstorming is open now: IDEAS are “HOPE” “Better Living Through Touch”, “The Power of Change Is In Your Hands”, “Healing the World One Person at a Time”, “Healing Over Pain Empowers (HOPE)” We organize the teaching offerings roster, the music, the Keynote Speaker. Beginning 18 months before March 2007 = now! Motion/second to close General Membership meeting voted unanimous.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Secretary Jane F.Allard |