Hello, SWATA Members,
As you may be aware, we are in the middle of our annual election. If you are up to date on your dues and your contact info is up to date with the NATA, you should have received your election notification in your e-mail. That e-mail has a link and instructions on how to vote electronically.
Traditionally, SWATA elections have only about 250 ballots cast. I'd like to challenge the Membership to at least double that number this year. Please follow the link, review the candidates bios, and make an informed decision.
Casting a vote is the #1 way you can "be involved" in your professional Association. Please take the time to do so before the June 1 deadline.
Thanks, and have a great finish to the spring semester.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Constitutional Revision - IMPORTANT
Dear fellow SWATA Members,
Please visit SWATA.org to find a proposed revision to the SWATA Constitution, as well as the current Constitution for comparison.
More than three years ago, SWATA began reviewing the Membership regarding the governance structure of the Association. Using information gathered through a series of Member surveys, Task Forces, and work groups, totaling the input of over 200 Member responses, Constitutional Review Committee convened and drafted the Member's requested changes into the proposed document.
The SWATA Membership will be voting on this proposed Constitution at our Annual Business Meeting, Saturday, July 25 in Arlington, Texas. I ask that you review the proposed document in comparison to the existing document to prepare for this important vote.
Over the entire history of SWATA, the Constitution has been rewritten approximately every 10 to 15 years; it has been over 25 years since the last major rewrite. The Committee and the Board believe that this proposed revision is necessary to ensure SWATA's continued growth and success. The proposed changes will allow for an Association that is more flexible and responsive to Member needs.
Lorna Strong is the SWATA Parliamentarian and Chair of the Constitutional Review Committee, and Vice President Mike Carroll is the current Board liaison to that Committee as well as the former Chair of one of the task forces involved in the collection of information. They have undertaken a Herculean task, and I thank them both personally and as President. Please contact one of them if you have any questions about the proposed wording or rationale for this revision.
Thank you for your involvement in our Association. I wish you all a safe and happy spring, and I look forward to seeing you all in San Antonio in June and in Arlington in July.
Sincerely,
Dan O'Connor, ATC, LAT
President, SWATA
Please visit SWATA.org to find a proposed revision to the SWATA Constitution, as well as the current Constitution for comparison.
More than three years ago, SWATA began reviewing the Membership regarding the governance structure of the Association. Using information gathered through a series of Member surveys, Task Forces, and work groups, totaling the input of over 200 Member responses, Constitutional Review Committee convened and drafted the Member's requested changes into the proposed document.
The SWATA Membership will be voting on this proposed Constitution at our Annual Business Meeting, Saturday, July 25 in Arlington, Texas. I ask that you review the proposed document in comparison to the existing document to prepare for this important vote.
Over the entire history of SWATA, the Constitution has been rewritten approximately every 10 to 15 years; it has been over 25 years since the last major rewrite. The Committee and the Board believe that this proposed revision is necessary to ensure SWATA's continued growth and success. The proposed changes will allow for an Association that is more flexible and responsive to Member needs.
Lorna Strong is the SWATA Parliamentarian and Chair of the Constitutional Review Committee, and Vice President Mike Carroll is the current Board liaison to that Committee as well as the former Chair of one of the task forces involved in the collection of information. They have undertaken a Herculean task, and I thank them both personally and as President. Please contact one of them if you have any questions about the proposed wording or rationale for this revision.
Thank you for your involvement in our Association. I wish you all a safe and happy spring, and I look forward to seeing you all in San Antonio in June and in Arlington in July.
Sincerely,
Dan O'Connor, ATC, LAT
President, SWATA
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Flip Flops, Sunblock and Powerflex??
What are your plans this summer? As the school year winds down for many of us, the countdown has begun to summer vacation. I would bet that a good number of you know how many school days are left until summer break – if you don’t, just ask a senior. For many of us, a summer of beaches, fishing and relaxing is ahead and we can’t wait to enjoy the time with our families. A big part of many athletic trainers summer plans usually involves continuing education conferences and family vacations usually depend on these trips.
We are lucky this year in the fact that the NATA Convention is coming back to District 6 – athletic trainers in Arkansas and Texas get the rare chance to share the hospitality of SWATA to the entire nation as people converge on San Antonio. As plans to travel to San Antonio start to take shape, family trips to SeaWorld, Fiesta Texas, the Riverwalk, the Alamo and baseball games are going to entice many families to make the NATA conference their family vacation.
So now the big question : if I am taking my family to San Antonio for the NATA Convention, why do I need to go to Arlington for SWATA in July? As SWATA registration is currently on-line, I am going to give you a few reasons why the time honored trip to Arlington in July is worthwhile to every athletic trainer in District 6.
* More Bang for your Buck – SWATA registration fees have not changed for many years now. As a member, you pay $80 for registration to the symposium and have the opportunity to earn over 20 CEU’s. I don’t know of many continuing education conferences where you get so many CEU’s for that type of price.
* Diamond Dreams – While the Rangers are out of town, things are taking shape for a free evening of, shall I say, an interesting competition on a beautiful baseball field. You will probably not want to miss the welcome reception on Thursday evening – if there is a video camera running, you might be able to send in the tape to Americas Funniest Home Videos. More details to come.
* Early Registration Packet Pickup – A new addition to SWATA is the Wednesday evening packet pickup. If you have pre-registered and are in town, the exhibit hall will open on Wednesday night for an informal social to allow prime access to many of our great vendors. From 5 – 7, you can mingle, have a few cocktails and visit with the vendors who have continued to support our organization.
* Awards Banquet – If you have never attended the SWATA Honors and Awards Banquet, I encourage you to give it a try this year. A wonderful evening to recognize some of our peers always leaves us with priceless memories and wonderful speeches. It is a wonderful event and I encourage you not to miss it.
* Trailblazers Forum – This will be the third year of the Hall of Fame Roundtable and I think this is a session that all members should make an effort to see. Great stories, wonderful memories and a lot of laughter will accompany this session, I promise you.
* Arlington, Arlington, Arlington……..Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, The Temple (the Ballpark in Arlington), the new Cowboys Stadium, the Stockyards, the West End………what else is there to be said?
* Socializing – Catch up with all of your friends and have a good time with your family as the summer winds down and 2-a-days are staring many of us in the face.
* The Name Game – You get the extreme pleasure of seeing what our host hotel is named this year…..Wyndham? Marriott? Sheraton? What is it this year? You have to come and find out!
I could go on and on with good reasons to come to SWATA. So, go to http://www.swata.org/ and register for the 55th Annual SWATA Symposium and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I hope to see you in San Antonio in June as well as Arlington in July. Have a terrific spring and, as always, never hesitate to let us know what your Executive Board can do for you.
We are lucky this year in the fact that the NATA Convention is coming back to District 6 – athletic trainers in Arkansas and Texas get the rare chance to share the hospitality of SWATA to the entire nation as people converge on San Antonio. As plans to travel to San Antonio start to take shape, family trips to SeaWorld, Fiesta Texas, the Riverwalk, the Alamo and baseball games are going to entice many families to make the NATA conference their family vacation.
So now the big question : if I am taking my family to San Antonio for the NATA Convention, why do I need to go to Arlington for SWATA in July? As SWATA registration is currently on-line, I am going to give you a few reasons why the time honored trip to Arlington in July is worthwhile to every athletic trainer in District 6.
* More Bang for your Buck – SWATA registration fees have not changed for many years now. As a member, you pay $80 for registration to the symposium and have the opportunity to earn over 20 CEU’s. I don’t know of many continuing education conferences where you get so many CEU’s for that type of price.
* Diamond Dreams – While the Rangers are out of town, things are taking shape for a free evening of, shall I say, an interesting competition on a beautiful baseball field. You will probably not want to miss the welcome reception on Thursday evening – if there is a video camera running, you might be able to send in the tape to Americas Funniest Home Videos. More details to come.
* Early Registration Packet Pickup – A new addition to SWATA is the Wednesday evening packet pickup. If you have pre-registered and are in town, the exhibit hall will open on Wednesday night for an informal social to allow prime access to many of our great vendors. From 5 – 7, you can mingle, have a few cocktails and visit with the vendors who have continued to support our organization.
* Awards Banquet – If you have never attended the SWATA Honors and Awards Banquet, I encourage you to give it a try this year. A wonderful evening to recognize some of our peers always leaves us with priceless memories and wonderful speeches. It is a wonderful event and I encourage you not to miss it.
* Trailblazers Forum – This will be the third year of the Hall of Fame Roundtable and I think this is a session that all members should make an effort to see. Great stories, wonderful memories and a lot of laughter will accompany this session, I promise you.
* Arlington, Arlington, Arlington……..Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, The Temple (the Ballpark in Arlington), the new Cowboys Stadium, the Stockyards, the West End………what else is there to be said?
* Socializing – Catch up with all of your friends and have a good time with your family as the summer winds down and 2-a-days are staring many of us in the face.
* The Name Game – You get the extreme pleasure of seeing what our host hotel is named this year…..Wyndham? Marriott? Sheraton? What is it this year? You have to come and find out!
I could go on and on with good reasons to come to SWATA. So, go to http://www.swata.org/ and register for the 55th Annual SWATA Symposium and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I hope to see you in San Antonio in June as well as Arlington in July. Have a terrific spring and, as always, never hesitate to let us know what your Executive Board can do for you.
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