Posted: April 2, 2024
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
by Tony Pieper
It is hard to believe I am already halfway through my second term as president of the Iowa Reading Association! I recently read an interesting quote by Harvey Mackay, “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” Ain’t it the truth! Once again, I have had many tasks to focus on and it kept me busy this year while serving as your president.
In August 2023, the Iowa Reading Association executive board held a budget meeting to plan for the 2023-2024 year. Iowa Reading Association Treasurer Jill Swanson and the executive board worked very hard to make sure that projected expenses would not exceed projected income. Our largest source of revenue is our annual literacy conference held each June, which includes conference registration income and exhibitor/vendor registration income. We always keep our fingers crossed that our conferences will make a profit after all expenses have been paid. Our next largest source of revenue comes from membership income raised from the annual dues our members pay. Unfortunately, like many other organizations, we have been experiencing decreasing membership over the past few years. As a result, our budget has become increasingly tight. Jill and the executive board have done a wonderful job trimming expenses to keep our organization fiscally responsible. What many of our members do not realize is that nearly all of our board members and committee chairs donate their time and pay for expenses out of their own pockets instead of asking for reimbursement from the association. These are the kind of dedicated individuals who are running our organization, and I commend them all!
During fall 2023, the full Iowa Reading Association board (officers, regional directors, and committee chairs) met on September 30 to approve the budget and address all of the business of running our association at the start of a new year. Next, the executive board (officers only) met on a series of invaluable literacy tips. These tips will empower educators to maintain high reading engagement and motivation levels, ensuring that students continue to flourish as readers during the summer break and beyond. These webcasts planned by Dani are being used by several local councils of the Iowa Reading Association as part of their local programs this year. We have been so fortunate to have Dani provide this valuable service to local councils and their members!
As you can see, a lot has happened since my second term as President started back in July. However, I feel that the Iowa Reading Association is headed in the right direction, with great people serving in all of the leadership roles. I am excited for the future of this organization!
Open Our Facebook AccountOpen Our Twitter Account