Other News & Articles
Editor's NoteThe executive board and membership is deeply saddened at the sudden passing of David Donald, husband of NEAFCS past president (1996), Donna Donald. David is well-remembered and admired by many NEAFCS members for partnering with Donna at the association's Annual Sessions, where they led the "First-Timers, Spouses and Guests" get-acquainted and orientation receptions.Reflections from the Past: The FCS Educator with the Longest Tenure – Stella McKinstryCurrently retired, Stella McKinstry may very well be the Extension Family and Consumer Science Educator with the longest Extension career, spanning 60 years. Reflections from the Past: Everything Has Changed and Nothing Has Changed"Everything has changed and nothing has changed" succinctly describes the history of official publications for NEAFCS over the past 75 years. Everything has changed — names of the publications, delivery methods, position and role of the editor. Nothing has changed — publications still provide members with current and relevant news relating to the Association and Extension programming in an efficient, cost effective and timely manner. Reflections from the Past: NEAFCS on WWWIt's hard to remember when we didn't have the internet, but it has not been too many years. Our National office didn't have an email address until early 1997. After years of refinement, added technical sophistication and content growth, our NEAFCS website continues to expand and improve to better serve our members. Reflections from the Past: Early Extension FCS Films to be Shown at Annual SessionBetween 1910 and 1940, over 400 black and white silent films were produced by the USDA to educate farm families and community groups, including many wonderful films related to the home! A 30-minute showing of the films will take place at the 2009 Annual Session's Friendship Event in the beautifully restored Alabama Theatre in Birmingham. Tannehill Ironworks Historical State ParkGo back in time as Alabama chapter of NEAFCS hosts you for the Welcome Event at Tannehill Ironworks Historical Park, immediately following the Opening Session of the 2009 Annual Session. Just from JCEP – Roundtable Discussion Review!Recent JCEP Regional Leadership meetings provided valuable insights into such important areas as budget / staffing issues in your state, budget / sustainability issues for NEAFCS and new professional development opportunities. Your NEAFCS Executive Board thanks the affiliate chapter leaders and is closely examining the information you shared. Journal of Extension, New WebsitePlease check out new JOE website and take a little time to browse through the pages and archives while having a cup of JOE. I Wanted to Be Just Like Carol TurnerIn 1977, a coworker told me about Extension. Through a series of life events, Carol Turner served as my role model and mentor from the moment we met. I hope each of you has a Carol Turner in your life. Meet your Board MemberServing as the Co-Liaison to the Board for the 2009 Annual Session has been a thrill because I love my state and Birmingham and can't wait for my NEAFCS friends to get here. We will show you a good time, and I guarantee you will not go home hungry. Ya'll come! AAFCS Celebrates Centennial and Addresses Sustainability Topics at June ConferenceAAFCS will celebrate its Centennial during the 100th Annual Conference & Expo, Celebrating the Past, Sustaining the Future June 25-28, 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.aafcs.org. Do you teach baking? You could win $1,000Each year the Home Baking Association recognizes educators for teaching others to bake. The top award is $1,000 and a trip to the fall HBA annual meeting in Nashville, TN for two. Additionally, all entrants will receive a complimentary teaching resource from the Home Baking Association. |
 |
|
President's Message
How do you define sustainability? It is one of those buzz words that everyone is magically supposed to understand and it often means different things to different people. How you define sustainability depends on your situation. The current economic, energy, and food situation requires a paradigm shift in America's communities. In more formal community development situations, sustainability involves these components:
While working as Family and Consumer Science Educators, we understand these issues from a community standpoint; we also look at sustainability from a family perspective. In this country, we have gone through a period of time when wants became confused with needs; when every want became a need. Through the media, families were (and still are) awash in commercials telling them they could have anything and everything they wanted. The subtext: buy now and pay later - just charge it! We are in leaner times now. Families look at their debt and wonder if they will have a job next month. Families wonder if they are going to have a home. Sustainability has become very personal. As our organization leaders shared at the JCEP Regional meetings, we frequently encountered the pattern that states are facing challenges: some reported hiring freezes, some were furloughing staff, some were working four-day weeks, and some were facing significant travel curtailments. It is not a happy situation for anyone in our country (or on our planet, for that matter) and our members are certainly not immune. As members of NEAFCS and employees of our University Extension, we have an opportunity – at a level unlike any other before – to offer individuals and families self-help programming in family resource management, family health / stress / nutrition issues, and skills in problem solving. Our challenge is how we do it! The answer is by steadily putting one foot in front of the other . . . one family at a time, beginning with our own. I ask that each of you look at your own situation and examine the ways in which you are sustaining yourself. At the PILD meeting, during the NEAFCS afternoon breakout session on Monday, April 22, Dr. Caroline Crocoll (Acting Director-Nutrition and Family Sciences and National Program Leader- Family Science, USDA) will provide the resource of National Program Leaders to look at strategies for family sustainability. PILD early-bird registration is open until March 31, and I encourage you to register! At the 2009 Annual Session, more activities are 
planned on how we can respond. As we move forward, I am going to keep you updated on family sustainability through your affiliate presidents and the eNEAFCS newsletter.
Our NEAFCS Members have the expertise, ability, and concern to give our best toward helping families across this nation acquire the skills and knowledge to help themselves become a sustainable unit. Please join me in the journey. Until next month, Judy
|
|
About the eNEAFCS NewsletterIf you are having trouble accessing the links contained in this newsletter or want to look at past issues of this electronic publication, visit the Newsletter Archives at: enews.asp. eNEAFCS is published monthly by the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. www.neafcs.org, 972-371-2570. The copy deadline for articles, calendar items and announcements for the eNEAFCS newsletter is the first Friday of each month. All submissions must be made electronically to: enews@neafcs.org. Printer Friendly - Click here to view the entire newsletter with all articles. eNEAFCS is edited by Kathleen Olson, NEAFCS Secretary and Dave Beebe, Executive Director. |
Up a Level to: eNEAFCS Newsletter Archives
