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6/12/05 RIAMTA BOARD RETREAT DAY

The Stone House Club
122 Sakonnet Point Road
Little
Compton, RI 02837
(401) 635-2222

Attendance: Kelly Lo Giudice, Deb Luhrs, Paula Kochanek, Jane Allard, Carl Stearns, Cate Chapin, Regina Cobb, Celeste MacPhee, Louise Humphrey

Absent: Frank Rapone, Jay O’Connor

 

AGENDA

10-11:00am        Welcome, Ice Breakers

11:00 – 11:15      Break

11:15-12:00pm   Celebrations, Challenges and Mission

12:00-1:30pm     Lunch and Search

1:30-2:30pm       Brainstorm and Goals

2:30-2:45pm       Break

2:45-4:00             Other Business

4:15-4:30             Break

4:30-5:00             Next Contact, Mailing, Affirmations

 

DATES:

Monday, August 29, 2005 7pm Deb Luhrs home: POSTCARD MAILING

Thursday, September 8, 2005 7-9pm CONFERENCE CALL

-Deadline for info provided by each reporting member: Sept. 1

-Deadline for Agenda items: September 1

-Look for Kelly’s email for details on Conference Call: Sept. 6

Sunday, September 11, 2005 All Perry Plouffe Scholarship applications due

Sunday, September 18, 2005 2-5pm RIAMTA Member Meeting

September 21-24, 2005  AMTA NATIONAL CONVENTION

Saturday, October 15, 2005 Newsletter Deadline

October 23-29, 2005 Massage Therapy Awareness Week

December 2-5, 2005 Anatomy Trains (Education) with Tom Meyers

 

         

 

 

Opening Ice Breakers: HOW and WHY RIAMTA?: “I stepped forward,” “I made a commitment,” “it was career-related,” “to network,” I wanted to get more connected state-wide.”

 QUALITIES of a GOOD MASSAGE THERAPIST/a GOOD BOARD brainstorming exercise: They are: good listener, good hands, honesty, integrity, educated, trust, intuition, dependability, health conscious, hygienic, balanced, willing to take risks,

Consistency, committed to improve, adorable, vitality, professional, keeps good records, flexibility, empathetic, accountable, committed, willing to reach out, an advertiser.

 

WHAT ARE OUR CELEBRATIONS? exercise: Sports Team, Newsletter, Video Library, more education, Crisis Massage Team, Website, Chapter Volunteerism – CVOP, e-mail list, rise in activism, History, travel, Conferences, Conventions, Frank’s optimism: to see a bigger vision, Board support.

 

WHAT ARE OUR CHALLENGES?: Keeping the Chapter active; presenting our profession to the public; expanding a volunteer base : We go up into the Board membership more than we go broadly into membership for volunteerism; succession planning: passing on info and instruction to the next Board; using National more; attracting more participation at meetings and functions; clear about responsibilities; willingness to say no; retention of Board and Committee Chairs; communication about overcoming hurdles.

 

We share about the need to have a Mission: the big ideal; a Vision: a guide to where we want to go; Core Values; Priorities: what actions we want to do; Goals. Ask: What do I really believe in? Is it matching me today? How do we set standards? How do we best organize the staff we have? Are we able to handle all of the Committees we now have? The goals  must be S-M-A-R-T-E-R: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timelined, Enthusiastic, Rewarding. This exercise flowed into the next task: we brainstormed to fashion a clear and specific tagline for our letterhead. We had “Building members through community” and we created “Serving our members and advancing our profession.” Discussion in this process included: who are we as a Chapter ‘serving?’… the Massage Therapy community, or the healthcare community? We consider ourselves members who advance the art, science and practice of Massage Therapy. Where are we advancing our profession to? Defining ‘advancing’ as being more accessible, educable, re-evaluating regularly, having future planning ideas. Descriptions of ‘serving’: actively, honorably, meaningfully, responsibly, actually, honestly.  The new tagline will be debuted on the letterhead of our Welcome Letter, to be sent to all members this summer.

Afternoon Workshop #! We each wrote up: “WHAT AM I THE GO-TO PERSON FOR? WHAT AM I NOT THE GO-TO PERSON FOR?”

President Kelly Lo Giudice: Vision, ideas, agenda, lead meetings, filling positions that aren’t voted, attend National Convention, guide, mediator, President’s Message, encouragement, succession planning (a universal one for all), clarity, open honest relations, outreach schools, outreach community and the public, compliancy with AMTA requirements. NOT: Gov’t. Relations, Sports, checks, politics, education, whining, MERT/Crisis Massage Team.

Secretary Jane Allard: Writing and delivering Minutes, spiritual intention, centeredness, clarification of language and meanings in a group setting, sharing, succession planning (hopefully) for 2006. NOT: I try not to take on too many commitments, no small detailed work, let me do what I’m good at, no Treasurer duties; need help with time.

Sports Co-Chair Louise Humphrey: arranging opportunities therapists to do Sports Massage events, getting us recognized as professionals more than community volunteers; I like voicing my ideas and getting my two cents in; succession planning; event organizing. NOT: money-related issues, education, no extra or last minute events.

Web and Treasurer Carl Stearns: Money and e-mail mailings, web page info, old history of AMTA and requirements, and procedures. NOT: everything else! No minutes!

2nd VP Deb Luhrs: Inform Kelly, help President and 1st VP, Sports Historian, membership. NOT: Education and Video Library.

Newsletter Editor Celeste MacPhee: Gathering information and passing it on to our members through the Newsletter in a professional way; asking Board members for articles; organizing images and text on paper; making things organized, readable, appealing, edited, concise. I like to work independently ( for simplicity’s sake.) NOT: responsibilities outside the realm of the Newsletter, leadership, teaching, too many tasks.

CMT/MERT Regina Cobb: RIAMTA/CMT Information, mentoring, setting up CMT training or space for ceu’s. NOT: extra tasks in summer’05.

3rdVP/Video Librarian Paula Kochanek: I rent videos and but them. I do Membership kits, get ideas to new members. NOT: Leadership or education seminars. I will do succession planning.

Education Chair Cate Chapin: give me suggestions about upcoming education events, inquire to me about upcoming events, ask to volunteer to help at educational events, preparer of food, come to me to whine. I will do succession planning.

 

Wallpapers (LARGE SHEETS OF POSTER PAPER) were place around the room and we addressed in writing the areas/committees of importance. They are as follows:

MEMBERSHIP

-actual mailing of welcome Packets

-Chairperson needed, as Rob Allen has resigned as Board member, 1st VP

-clear guide to getting new members: every current RIAMTA member needs to know the

 same  procedure for a prospective member to become AMTA member.

-tap membership and ask: Why aren’t you stepping forward? Value new members ASAP

-Sunday meetings – yes or no?

-volunteer once, not for ever: come once and help me.

-Board Retreat info into the Newsletter

-keep in mind members needs/wants

MEMBERSHIP Goals

GOAL #1 OUTREACH: Members

Action #1:

-offer volunteer opportunities, planning opportunities

            -dates in Newsletter, in mailing this summer

            -contact neighboring Massage Therapists

Action #2:

-Inform members of meetings in Newsletter, e-mail, phone calls, Buddy system: actually taking a  member to the meetings, arriving early, networking and communing

Action#3:  [Start in September to inform about the NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE:]    

            NEC Planning on State level: we need a timeline

-choose Theme for RI ‘07

-Co-Chairs Hospitality ‘07

-Hospitality Chair; Raffle gifts, sales, Welcome

            -attendance encouraged, rallied, attendance challenge for ’06-let’s set a record

            -Mentorship in ’06 for ‘07

Idea: Summer cookout

      

GOAL #2 OUTREACH to Massage Schools and Students

Action #1:

            -DONE: Form a committee (Kelly, Deb, Paula)

Action #2:

-gather resources, check with National

-brochures from National

            -create a Presentation Packet so any Board member can represent us at schools

Action #3:

            -Contact all schools, locally. Next: Bancroft, MTI

            Action #4:

            -Make appointment to present in schools

Action#5:

            -Go, present!

 

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

-PT, OT can take an 8 week class and get a MT license from State of RI

-who do we report ethics violations to?

-do we want unethical MT’s made public?

-Does any convicted MT ever get a license revoked?

-State renewal should ask for National Certification

-RI MT Board needs to meet

-Get word out: AMTA branding instead of negative publicity, “massage parlor” label

-Form letters/ Responses to negative publicity in Projo or on news

-Projo article to refute prostitution and to bring positive light on legitimate professionals, in large number, practicing in the State

-“Food Service License?”

-Need proactive legislature

-need advisory board bylaw

-massage parlor removed from license for good

-no state required to maintain license

-Health Insurance needs to acknowledge Massage Therapy

 

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Goals

Goal #1 HISTORY

Action #1 Done: Brainstorm

Action #2 Collect and e-mail histories and past experiences

                 (Deb, Carl, Regina, Kelly, Jane?)

 

AWARENESS WEEK Dates: October 23-29, 2005

-Theme: A Key to a Healthier You

-need to get the ball rolling

-set up main event for this week

-get Education involved with helping

-opportunity to use!

-get info to July newsletter

-member involvement?

-info in new member Welcome Packet

-announce it in a press release

-offer GC in newsletter or on website

AWARENESS WEEK Goal

Goal #1 OUTREACH to public

Action #1 Press Release

Action #2 Link during other sports events

Action #3 Have smaller events; planners: Deb, Louise, Frank, Paula, Regina

          -soldiers and families

          -outdoor festivals

 

EDUCATION

-New England Conference broke even last year, registration down

- Host State in 2007: ideas needed now for presenters

-each Board member brings a volunteer to education offerings

-each Board member brings a volunteer for NEC ‘07

-electives and/or specialty courses in curriculum

-schools issue, accreditation: COMTA schools and non-COMTA: not a

  competition, but a pairing with COMTA schools, encouragement for

  accreditation

-Massage Therapy in Career and Technical Schools, Health Studies curriculums

-find out what CE courses are being filled elsewhere, bring in courses people want

 :maybe they’re being turned away from full classes? Go with what succeeds

-Perry Plouffe Scholarship notice revamp (in Welcome packet, Newsletter, web)

-Let’s get RI on the map!

OTHER

            -High School visits: “Senior Career Day” –using above mentioned Presentation

             packet ideas

            -Focus group to clarify MT’s role

            -Focus group to learn AMTA Standards in ethics, in practice

-Health Insurance coverage

-Yahoo group established: for the Board to communicate together

-Promotion of AMTA: get students involved early

                                    :share what we offer that is unique

                                    :Brochures needed in hands of Board and all members

                                    :easy access to AMTA

 

end minutes, submitted 8/20/05 Jane Allard Family