News from Michigan Association for Media in Education

This is it. My year as MAME President is over. The Executive Committee and MAME Board accomplished so much this year. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work so closely with so many MAME members. Thank goodness for Chris Swanson who was always close by to fix things when I botched a parliamentary procedure ("Do I ask for a motion now?") and to Jo Kirkbride who always remembered to bring treats to the meetings when I should have remembered to do so (but never did!). Thank you to Roger Ashley, the Executive Committee and the Board for meeting on your precious Saturdays! Like the U.S. Postal Service you got there through rain, snow, storms, hail and the very worst... Michigan State football traffic!

If you attended the General Membership meeting at the annual conference you heard me read a quick list of MAME's accomplishments this year. You will have to indulge me again. I want all members to know how much the MAME officers and Board have accomplished for you this past year.

· Goals and directions for the association: The MAME Executive Committee and Board, lead by Cyndi Phillips and Dee Gwaltney, looked at where the association is and where it is going. A working document is helping us through this process.

· Professional Development Incentives: Getting to the MAME annual conference isn't always easy. The MAME Executive Committee has provided incentives to help members attend and these include the early-bird registration, team discounts and vendor scholarships.

· MAME Interactive: MAME members now have a "one-stop-shopping" place on the MAME website to go to for links to online courses on technology.

· The 21st Century Media Center Program Video: A collaborative effort between the Library of Michigan, MAME, the MDE and other educational associations and school districts resulted in the production of a marketing video on media center programs. Thank you Nancy Robertson and Sheryl Mase!

· The REMC Video Project: The REMC Association asked MAME to have hundreds of videos viewed and compared to the GLCES and HSCES. This was accomplished by MAME members and their school colleagues.

· The Survey of Michigan Media Center Programs: Roger and Lisa Brakel have worked tirelessly on this project. A survey was created and sent to districts with many followup phone calls. The project is nearly completed and Roger will have more information on the results in the near future.

· The CEGS Button: The MAME website now has a button containing the links to the GLCES, HSCES, METS, the Michigan Curriculum and other standards and guidelines.

· IN PROGRESS: A New MAME Website. Watch for an announcement of the new MAME website in the next few months.

· MAME Professional Development: We recently held our annual conference and the program was excellent. In March we had our leadership conference with Marcia Mardis and Kristin Fontichiaro and in July our summer conference with Marcia, Kathleen McBroom and several other presenters.

· Conference Buddies: Kathleen McBroom offered this new service to MAME members who were attending the annual conference for the first time or who were attending alone and wanted some guidance. Thank you to the Buddies and to those who took advantage of this service.

The Executive Committee and Board made my year as President of MAME a smooth one. I was thinking of two-word phrases that, to me, describe Michigan or remind me of our great but exhausted state. Maybe some of these will mean something to you or give you some memories:

· Motown sound
· Greenfield Village
· Dream Cruise
· Snow Day
· Vernors float
· Petoskey stones
· Up North
· Mighty Mac
· Great Lakes
· Orange barrels
· Pewawbic Pottery
· MAME members!

It has been a pleasure.

Judy Hauser, MAME President, 2008