Rekindling the Fire in 2022

Happy Tuesday Everyone -

DISCLAIMER:  This will be a lengthy communication as there is alot to catch everyone up on:

1st and foremost, I need to apologize for the length of time between communication from me and for lack of scheduled meetings thus far in 2022. The first quarter of 2022 has brought many challenges for me.  Sorry for length of this explanation but felt I owed it to you to know what would keep me from leading our chapter to the best of my ability. 1st I lost my email account of 35 years of emails and records including all my INS info, this happened when Windows 11 downloaded automatically to my computer; thus far AT&T have not been able to recover my email or thousands of other customers. I lost all apps, all emails including Microsoft Words. So time consuming beginning new email etc.  Then unexpectedly an opportunity to sell my home and purchase one closer to my children presented itself which I couldn't pass up even though it meant completing it all plus moving in 3-1/2 weeks while working out of town.  In the midst of selling one home and buying another and moving is when my email account etc was lost.  I was just getting settled and thought able to get back to my obligations as Gateway INS Chapter president when after 2.5 years even with traveling for work, staying healthy, COVID free, being fully vaccinated including booster and labs showing immunity; while at an New Orleans hospital for work I contracted COVID.  I am just now getting my energy level back, fortunately I never was seriously ill but was symptomatic and out of commission for couple weeks.

After that lengthy explanation, the short story is I am ready to get the ball rolling and as we did when I first became involved in the Chapter and was 1st President back in 2002? rekindle the fire for our Gateway INS Chapter and get all of you fired up and engaged.  

The board and I have lots of ideas we are working hard to bring to fruition to engage our current members and build our membership.

1st - There are many vendors we have communicated with and are in the the process of getting approval for meetings from now until the end of 2022.  The goal is to get meetings scheduled for the remainder of 2022 and communicated ASAP to our members and perspective members.

2nd - Once meetings are scheduled they will be communicated to members with flyers attached to the communication to be shared with peers, and as many clinicians and facilities as possible by the vendors and our members.

3rd - We will be offering 1 year free Gateway INS Chapter membership to all our present members, new members and vendors and free attendance at all meetings for 1 year.  Currently working with our website to see what process to use to make this happen.  Taking in account those who have already paid for their membership in 2022, how best to add a year free from the date their current membership expires and/or those whose membership will be expiring how to give them 1 year free from that date.

4th - We will be having a drawing at each meeting.  At the last meeting of 2022 we will have a grand prize and each person's name that has attended meetings in 2022 will be entered as many times as they have attended meetings. (ex: you attend 1 meeting you get 1 chance; you attended 3 meetings you get 3 chances to win the grand prize).

As well we are open to any and all suggestions you may have to increase membership, engage present members, topics you would like to see, etc.

My new email address is: darunde8@gmail.com                                                                        My phone # is unchanged:  314-283-1204.

I hope this find you all well and ready for one of our best Gateway Chapter INS meetings yet !!!!

My best always, Dana