GALAXY II CONFERENCE INFORMATION IN THIS ISSUE!
Register by going
to the ESP website: http://espnational.org
Come to Galaxy II !
What is Galaxy II?
Galaxy is the joint meeting of four of the Extension
professional organizations – Epsilon Sigma Phi, the National Association of
Extension 4-H Agents, the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer
Sciences and the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals. Galaxy II will serve as the National
Conference for Epsilon Sigma Phi for 2003.
Why Should I Attend?
In addition to the keynote speakers, there will be over
250 concurrent session, research report and super seminar presentations covering
a broad range of topics and subject areas.
Many of the super seminars will be provided by invited presenters who
have unique information to share. The
following is just a sample of some of the super seminars to be presented:
What Else Is There?
If you want more than the educational experience, then
Galaxy is for you! Sunday morning
will feature a repeat of last year’s successful life member and first timer
reception, followed by a rare and special performance by the world renowned
Mormon Tabernacle Choir who will be performing specially for Galaxy
participants. The opening session on
Sunday will feature music and food in the setting of the big band era of the
40’s complete with a celebration for the 75th Anniversary of Epsilon
Sigma Phi. Monday evening will
feature the “Friendship Event” of fun, food and friends at historic Heritage
Park. Tuesday there is time for
state’s night out to have fun with Extension colleagues from your state. Wednesday
there will be more food and the opportunity to “shop ‘til you drop” at the ESP
sponsored fund-raising auction.
Remember, the proceeds go to support scholarship opportunities for you,
our members. Finally, join in the
opportunity to honor the best of our Extension colleagues at the Regional
Awards Banquet on Thursday evening.
If that is not enough, remember, we will be conducting the business of
ESP with committee meetings, the national council meeting and national awards
for the Friends of Extension.
How Do I Share in the Fun and Professional Development
Opportunities?
The National Board of Epsilon Sigma Phi and the Planning
Committee for Galaxy II invite you be a part of Galaxy II by registering for
the upcoming Galaxy II Conference, which will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah,
September 21 – 25, 2003. The preferred
method of registering for the conference is to go to the web site http://www.cnr.usu.edu/galaxy2/ . (You will save $10 by registering electronically). If you do not have Internet access, you may
contact the ESP National Office to request a registration form. Whether you register electronically or by
mail – just get registered and join in the celebration!
A Word of Advice...
Be sure to register for your housing first, as you will
need to have your housing confirmation number to avoid paying the $100 facility
fee, which is required for those people not staying in one of the four
conference hotels.
To save on registration fees, be sure to register by the
Early Bird Deadline of June 15. Regular
registration is from June 15-July 31, and you will pay Late Registration after
August 1!
Your
Support is Needed for the Galaxy II Auction!
Gretchen Ferenz, 2003 Auction Coordinator
Here is
an opportunity to support services, such as professional development, provided
by our professional associations for you and your Extension colleagues.
Your contribution to the Galaxy II Auction can do just that! The Silent
and Live Auctions will take place on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 during the
Galaxy II Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, and proceeds will benefit your
professional association!
Consider
donating an item -- something unique that represents your culture, community or
geographic area, hobby or special interest -- to the Auction. Items
valued at $30 or more are appreciated. More information on submitting an
item(s) to the Auction, shipping instructions, etc., will be coming soon.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the
Galaxy II Auction Coordinator, Gretchen Ferenz, at <gsf4@cornell.edu>.
Your
individual contribution, along with those from State Chapters, will ensure a
successful fundraising effort and a good time for all!
Ideas for Celebrating the 75th
Anniversary of ESP
Laurel Kubin, Chair, 75th Anniversary
Committee
·
Make a quilt or wall hanging for
display or raffle
·
Have a combined chapter and national
celebration, e.g. a chapter that's having a 75th celebration, too
·
Make ESP postcards for sale or to give
to members
·
Make chapter bookmarks about ESP
·
Use the CD PowerPoint Galaxy
presentation at a chapter meeting or with others external to their membership
·
Create chapter trivia game
·
Go to
http://Puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com
to make a word search, cross word puzzle or maze for members to enjoy at
a meeting
·
Sponsor a speaker at a statewide
meeting
·
Sponsor a meal or break at a state
annual conference
·
Put major effort to building the
endowment campaign
·
Have newer ESP members interview
long-time ESP members about their careers and assemble a booklet
·
Eat birthday cake!
·
Make a collage of photos of ESP members
in your chapter, reflecting 75 years of excellence
In 2004, the Association of Natural Resource Extension
Professionals will be coordinating the regional leadership workshops. The
following [tentative] dates and locations have been identified:
Northeastern Region, January 29-31, Baltimore, MD
Southern Region, February 1-3, Atlanta,
GA
Western Region, February 19-21, Las Vegas, NV
North-Central Region, February 22-24, Chicago, IL
The National Member Services Committee Asks: DID
YOU KNOW?...
·
That the purpose of the committee is to
administer and provide leadership to ESP's scholarships, mini-grants, and
recognition programs?
·
That the committee reviewed and scored
four applications for ESP Public Issues and Leadership Development Conference
to be held in Washington, DC in May? We
wish we had had many more!
·
That the committee met in February, via
teleconference, to volunteer for or be assigned committee responsibilities?
·
That in March the committee reviewed
and scored eleven nominations for ESP National Friends of Extension and eight
applications for the ESP Professionalism Scholarship Program?
·
That ESP Chapters may apply for a
Professional Development Mini-Grant at any time? ESP will provide up to 4 grants of up to
$1,000 each to stimulate the professional development of Extension faculty in
those states. The planning team must be
interdisciplinary and the project should provide model professional development
events or materials that could be replicated or adapted by other ESP
chapters. That the committee is urging
everyone to attend the Galaxy and ESP's 75th anniversary in September at Salt
Lake City?
The Professional Development Committee is normally tasked
with the organization of the ESP National Conference. Since the Galaxy Conference has replaced the
ESP National Conference in 2003, the committee has had a bit different set of
tasks this year. Committee members have
served as reviewers for a portion of the 750 plus proposals that were submitted
to the Galaxy II Program Committee for concurrent sessions. In addition to that task, the committee
solicited and selected five proposals that were allocated to Epsilon Sigma Phi
to address topics of interest to our organization. The committee identified six areas as
potential topics for presenters to submit proposals. Fourteen proposals were submitted for
consideration.
On behalf of the National Professional Development
Committee and the National Board, I am pleased to announce the following five
individuals whose proposals were selected for presentation at the Galaxy II
Conference on behalf of Epsilon Sigma Phi.
Selected in the category of “Marketing” was “Program
Marketing: Are You Selling What People Are Willing To Buy?” submitted by Kathy
Reiser, Marketing Specialist from the University of Illinois Extension
System. Selected in the category of “Mentoring” was “Exceeding Expectations
Through Professional Mentoring” submitted by Rita Natale Saathoff,
Regional 4-H Agent from Rutgers Extension System. Selected in the category of “Diversity” was “Who
Belongs Here?” submitted by Theresa Wimann, Nutrition Program
Coordinator from the University of Wisconsin Extension System. Selected in the
category of “Adult Learning” was “Facilitating Adult Learning” submitted
by Dena Wise, Assistant Professor from the University of Tennessee
Extension Service. Finally, selected in
the category of “Dealing with Financial Shortfalls” was “Revenue Generation”
submitted by Lois Hunt, Area Extension Education Director from Iowa
State University Extension System.
First, thanks to all who took the time to submit proposals. We had a short time frame for proposals to be
submitted. Next, congratulations to the
five who were selected to make presentations at Galaxy II on behalf of Epsilon
Sigma Phi. The five primary presenters
will receive a $200 stipend from the Professional Development Committee to
assist with the expense of travel to the Galaxy II Conference.
Federal Benefits Preserved for Extension's Civil Service
Appointees
Chester Fehlis, Ph.D., Chair, ECOP and Director, Texas Cooperative
Extension
A year
has passed since legislative action was taken to preserve the retirement
benefits of about 7,000 employees in the Cooperative Extension System. Those
are the employees hired nationwide into "Schedule A" USDA
appointments before January 1, 1984.
Under
original partnership agreements with USDA, certain employees in the Cooperative
Extension System held a dual appointment with the respective University and
USDA and qualified for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). However,
this "Schedule A" status was later limited to Extension employees
hired before 1984.
The
benefits of Schedule A appointees were jeopardized because of problems USDA had
with the complexity of managing dual federal-state appointments. The
Department’s Office of General Counsel was particularly concerned about
providing procedural protections under the Civil Service Due Process Amendments
of 1990. The Department proposed eliminating all Schedule A appointments and
all benefits associated with them.
Protection of the benefits came from an amendment in the Senate version
of last year’s federal Farm Bill. After significant counsel with the USDA
Office of General Counsel, Office of Personnel Management and many legislative
friends, the amendment was carefully crafted by a group of Extension Directors
and supported by the legislative committee of the national Extension Committee
on Organization and Policy (ECOP).
Under
the amendment, affected employees are no longer recognized as federal Schedule
A appointees. However, they continue to have federal benefits and access to all
benefit programs available to other federal retirees, while also continuing to
have the same rights and responsibilities of all other Extension employees.
I can
assure you that the Farm Bill amendment was the best solution for salvaging the
CSRS benefits of affected Extension employees and ensuring accrual of those
benefits until retirement. I’m confident the actions of ECOP and land-grant
institutions produced long-term protection of the benefits promised to some
7,000 employees who now have 19 years or more in service to the Cooperative
Extension System.
Professional Development Scholarships Awarded
Duane P. Johnson, Chair Member Services
Epsilon Sigma Phi is pleased to announce the recipients
of the 2003 Professional Development Scholarships. The recipients are:
Rita Natale Saathoff, New Jersey - Rita
will use her scholarship to attend the 2003 Outreach Scholarship Conference,
October 12-14, 2003 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Rita has primary responsibility for providing faculty development
opportunities to county 4-H faculty in the area of scholarship related to
programming and promotion and tenure.
Judith Villard, Ohio - Judith will
use her scholarship to participate in the National Lifesavers Conference in San
Diego, California in March 2004. Judith
specialty in Extension is safety education.
The focus of the conference is on data and research, impaired driving,
law enforcement and pedestrian/bicycle safety.
Janeen Tramble, Kentucky - Janeen will
be participating in the 2003 Coordinator Global Education Study Tour from USA
to Japan October 6-20, 2003. Janeen has
special interest in cultural diversity and plans to use this experience to gain
understanding in the Japanese culture, to respond to growing population of Japanese
moving into Kentucky and also to build Kentucky's participation in the 4-H
Japanese Exchange Program.
Virginia Bourdeau, Oregon - Virginia will
be attending the 2003 National Interpreter Association Workshop, November 7-12
in Sparks, Nevada. Virginia provides
leadership for training adults to teach youth about the natural world. This conference also allows for her
re-certification as an NAI Certified Interpretive Trainer.
Congratulations to each of these professionals. We look forward to sharing your
accomplishments in future issues of "ESP Connection."
National Board Hosted by Alpha Phi Chapter
The National ESP Board
The National Board held its Mid-Year Board Meeting in
Charleston, South Carolina, March 29 through April 2. While in South Carolina, the Alpha Phi
Chapter and Frank FitzSimons, President-Elect of the National Association of
County Agricultural Agents, were gracious hosts by providing an afternoon tour
of local attractions and finishing out the day with an old fashioned “low-country
boil” dinner.
The event made the
board’s trip to South Carolina a very special one that capped off a very
productive meeting. Thanks to the Alpha
Phi Chapter and to Frank for providing us a great experience in South Carolina.
The ESP National Board is seeking candidates from the
Northeast Region for Second Vice President – Chapter Relations. This position rotates on a pre-set regional
schedule. The elected candidate will
serve a four-year term on the National Board in the capacity of Second Vice
President, President-Elect, President and Past President.
Criteria for national officers are based on visionary
abilities, leadership skills as well as roles serving in state or national
committees and offices. Specific roles, responsibilities, and nomination form
are outlined in the ESP Handbook, Section J, located on the website
http://espnational.org.
ESP members from county, regional and state positions are
encouraged to apply. Support from the state chapter and State Director of
Extension in the state where the candidate holds membership is required.
Please submit nominations to Linda Cook, ESP Executive
Director, and PO Box 357340, Gainesville, FL 32635-7340.
The National Initiative to
Internationalize Extension is a three-year program funded by CSREES-USDA to
assist states and the national Extension System in bringing an international or
global focus to programming with the domestic audiences. Specifically the initiative hopes to bring
attention to the need for engagement with American audiences around global issues
and interdependencies.
To emphasize the importance of this initiative a National
Conference--Global Perspectives:
Internationalizing Extension--was held from March 24 – 27, 2003 on
the campus of Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. The conference provided an opportunity for
approximately 100 attendees from throughout the United States to participate in
seminars, panel discussions, a poster session, exhibits, and informal
discussions. Through these opportunities
participants explored the potential of global related research and learned of
and discussed issues related to global events, and opportunities for global
experiences.
Epsilon Sigma Phi
was an active participant in this conference.
Individually numerous members of the ESP organization were involved in
the conference as planners, presenters, and participants. Specifically, Ellen Burton represented the
Global Relations Committee on the panel, which presented the Plenary Session: Partnerships and Opportunities to Build
Capacity for Internationalization Efforts.
Additionally, the Global Relations Committee participated in the poster
display session with a poster focusing on the ESP Global Relations Web site.
To learn more
about the Global Perspectives:
Internationalizing Extension Conference visit the ESP Web site at http://espnational.org and
then click on the Go Global icon.
At the Go Global Web site you will find a link to the
Global Perspectives: Internationalizing Extension Web site.
Pubic Issues Education (PIE) is emerging as a critical component in our
“bag” of educational offerings through Extension. Providing education on public issues such
as land use, water quality, food and hunger related issues, health care and
economic development can be challenging for Extension professionals. Public issues education prepares citizens to
engage in complex public issues of widespread concern in ways that lead to
better-informed decisions.
Where does one get trained to be an
Issues Educator? Help is on the
way! Here are some resources you might
find helpful in expanding your knowledge on PIE.
PILD. . . this year’s PILD Conference will
feature a session on Planning and Delivering Educational Programs on
Controversial Issues.
GALAXY II. . . the National Public Policy/Issues Conference will
be held in conjunction with Galaxy II.
All Galaxy participants will be able to attend PIE/PPE seminars in Salt
Lake City.
This is
a great resource for learning more about Public Issues Education: Check out: www.publicissueseducation.net
Your ESP Board has expanded their commitment to Public
Issues by providing a link to the National Public Policy/Public Issues
Education Committee. We (ESP)
acknowledge the importance of this emerging subject area and will continue to
provide learning opportunities for our ESP members.
ESP Connection
On-Line
The ESP Connection is now on-line. To increase timeliness and save dollars, the
ESP National Board has determined to move ahead with providing the ESP
Connection in an electronic format to the membership. Each quarter, you will receive an
announcement of the ESP Connection with a link to the website. A hard
copy will continue to be provided to members who do not have internet access
and/or prefer the hard copy format.
If you wish to be removed from the hard copy mailing
list, please notify the National Office by returning this form or e-mailing
your name and membership information to the National Office at espoffice@espnational.org.
Request
Removal from ESP Connection Mailing List:
Name:
_____________________________________________________
Chapter and
State: ___________________________________________
Current E-Mail
Address: _______________________________________
Submit
to National ESP Office, PO Box 357340, Gainesville, FL
32635-7340.
Planning for Success in the Annual Membership Drive
Although the “big push” of the annual membership drive is
over, the work of your membership committee needs to continue year-round. A timeline, like the following one we use in
Wisconsin, may help keep your work “on track” as you proceed through a busy and
short year!
July
·
The president-elect recruits new
committee members to serve three-year terms.
One-third of committee members are new each year.
August
·
The Membership Chair calls the first
Committee meeting of the year to:
·
Set goals for the number of members who
will renew or join for the first time.
·
Decide how many potential members each
committee member will personally contact, and how we will contact current
members to renew.
·
Identify a chair-elect, who will assume
the committee chair role next July.
·
Plan to recruit new members at events
such as New Colleague Orientation. We
have a display and conduct a drawing for a free one-year membership.
October
·
The Chair or a member writes a letter
of invitation and mails or e-mails it to all employees. A member writes an article for the chapter
newsletter, encouraging members to renew and to invite one colleague who does not
belong to join.
November
and January
The Committee
meets by conference call to:
·
Assess fall membership recruitment and
renewal results
·
Identify additional new membership
contacts that should be made, and who will make them.
·
Plan new member initiation ceremony for
the annual ESP Chapter meeting
·
Plan for spring events at which you can
recruit new members, such as New Colleague Orientation
March
·
The Chair prepares the budget request
for the following year, and orders paperweights and certificates for new
members.
April
·
The ESP Alpha Sigma chapter annual
meeting is held as part of the Wisconsin Association of Extension Professionals
conference. The Chair reports on
Committee activities for the year to the entire membership. New members are initiated and the Chapter
President welcomes them.
Summer
·
The Committee enjoys the fruits of its
labor, and rests for another busy year of membership recruitment and retention
beginning in late August!
·
Planning your membership recruitment
efforts, and spacing out the work by having a committee that meets throughout
the year, will maximize your chances for success. You might need to modify this timeline for
the time of your annual meeting or other differences, but it will get you
moving in the right direction!
The “$75 ‘n 75” campaign is one way that you can help
endow the ESP Development Fund in this ESP’s 75th anniversary
year. The goal is to have a $500,000
endowment to support the ESP Development Fund.
Contributors of $75 or more will receive a beautiful green and gold
embossed enamel anniversary pin. The
only way to get the commemorative pin is to make a $75 or more contribution to
support the national endowment campaign.
There are a limited number of pins and they will not be re-ordered.
Gifts to the
Foundation Endowment fund are fully tax-deductible. The goal is to have all ESP members make an
endowment contribution by the 2003 Galaxy II Meeting in Salt Lake City. All payments should be mailed to: Epsilon Sigma Phi National Office, PO Box
357340, Gainesville, FL 32635-7340.
Checks should be made payable to: Epsilon Sigma Phi, Development Fund.
Webstreaming of 2002
National Conference Speakers now available on the ESP Website:
Mark Your
Calendar….
2004 National
ESP Conference
September
14-19, 2004
Quad Cities, IL
2005 National
ESP Conference
November 8-13,
2005
Broadmoor,
Colorado Springs, CO
ESP CONNECTION
Epsilon Sigma Phi, Inc.
The Cooperative Extension Professionals’ Organization
A Newsletter
Published four times a year -
January, May, August and November
Editor: Linda D. Cook
Epsilon Sigma Phi National Office
PO Box 357340
Gainesville FL 32635-7340
352-378-6665 FAX 352-375-0722
espoffice@espnational.org
natlboard-mg@ces.ncsu.edu
ESP Connection Layout: Jeana Kienzle
Twin Falls County Extension Office
Twin Falls, ID