President’s Message As the VPPA President for 2010, first I would like to state how proud I am to be your president. That’s right, I said your president. The VPPA is not different from any other association. It is comprised of its members along with a Board of Directors. Think of it this way. The membership is the population and the Board of Directors is the United States Congress. Now, the number of members in each organization certainly does not rival one other, but many of the basic fundamentals concerning the operating procedures are, in fact, very similar. Your district governors are elected by the members of their respective districts. They are members of the Board of Directors for at least one year and can be more, if their district elects them to a second term. In most instances, a governor is approached by the nominating committee for a possible higher position on the board for future years. The point is that if any member is truly interested in getting involved in the association’s government, the process is relatively simple. First, attend your district meetings as members should do anyway. Get to know those in your district and make your desires to get involved known to your district governor. The preferred way is to start as district treasurer and move up to district secretary. Next in line would be Lieutenant Governor. Each district’s Lieutenant Governor is automatically required by VPPA bylaws to attend a minimum of one board meeting during their term. This will provide you with first hand knowledge and insight into how the Board of Directors meetings are conducted. You will get to know other Board of Directors members as well as view the procedures and tasks that face each member at every meeting. Now, let’s be realistic as this will invade your time and space somewhat. Travel to district meetings and board meetings requires time and expense. However, I can assure you that, if you are truly interested, the rewards will greatly outnumber the cost of time and travel. . I can personally attest that my journey has been well worthwhile and that there is no way that I would consider turning back the hands of time, even if it were possible. The VPPA belongs solely to its members and they can derive many different types of satisfaction from memberships. We have some of the best photographers in the country right here in Virginia. Get to know them and your association as well. It is truly your association and you’ll be glad you did. I guarantee it. William H. "Bill" Garrett, Cr. Photog., AFP |
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