President's Message: April 2011 -- A Rollercoaster of a Year

Well, here it is.  My last message as your president.  This has been an emotional rollercoaster year for me with two deaths in my family, the loss of my best friend’s mother, plus the loss of Gail Folsom, Jill Hale’s mom. 

The good news was that I watched my oldest daughter graduate from Louisiana Tech University with honors both on the volleyball court and in the classroom.  She took her first trip to Europe in hopes of landing a position for the upcoming pro volleyball season.

And my youngest daughter continues to go to college and was promoted in her work place to a full-time management position.  She amazes me every day with her professionalism at work, her maturity, and the caring and concerns she has for her friends.  Both of my girls were raised in NALS…it has been a part of their lives since they were babies.

And even for myself, I have done a tremendous amount of traveling both for NALS and for my next favorite thing in the world….volleyball.  I was blessed to stay healthy all year, compete on a number of different teams throughout the country and bring home a lot of hardware at every tournament. 

And when I look back on the year, the good and the bad, I realize that there was one common thread in every event ... the presence of my NALS PALS and the CRAZY AZs!  And that is one of the best things about our association.  Little did I know that when I joined Tucson Legal Secretaries Association in May of 1982, 29 years later, I’d still be here and that I would have met so many incredible, intelligent, and beautiful women, all members of NALS.

I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank each member of the Board of Directors of NALS of Tucson:

Audrey, our President Elect, is what I would consider one of NALS up and coming shining stars.  She blew the doors off the attendees at Tulsa and it was absolutely wonderful to see. 

Betsy, our Vice President and Membership Chair is my Ms. Proper, and she quietly will give me the “mom eye” when I start to cross that line. 

Kelly, our Secretary, I consider “the Quiet One.”  She never complains, does her duties as our Secretary, and always gives me a smile. 

Lori, has learned a lot this year taking on the duties as our Treasurer, her first office with NALS of Tucson.  She was my “Rookie” since it was her first year on the Board.  And no matter how crazy things got, she always stepped up, accepted a new challenge, and came through it all with flying colors. 

Bonnie, our Past President, God bless her, was unfortunately MIA for the year to due to health issues and a back surgery.  Bonnie, you were missed.

And to round off the officers of our association, one of my dearest friends, Thelma.  Thelma and I have known each other for over 20 years.  Between the two of us and our years in NALS together, we have literally traveled together across the country as “Thelma and Louise,” seen three children graduate from high school, an enlistment in the Navy, one marriage, the birth of a grandchild, numerous volleyball games, a the college recruiting process of a volleyball player, a college graduation, and numerous family losses.  At one time, we were inseparable.  Life and its events have caused each one of us to take some time away from NALS to be with our children and families in their time of need.  And while we did not see each other for quite some time, despite living in the same time, there was never a moment that passed that I knew if I needed my friend for anything, she was simply a phone call away. 

And for the remaining members of the Board of Directors – Diana Hallman, Melissa Fuca, Nancy Anderstrom, and Sarah Zimmerman, you each hold a very special place in my heart.  Your individual efforts to promote NALS have not gone unnoticed. 

And now that I’ve gotten all the mushy stuff out of the way, you all (and that means those of you who were not on the board this year) need to get registered for the Awards & Appreciation Banquet set for Friday, April 8th.  It is going to be a blast, different than any other A&A Banquet we have ever had, and a great time is going to be had by everyone. 

And with that, here’s the pic of the month.   As always, take time to stop and look around you, enjoy the small things as they may not be here tomorrow. 

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your president.

Christine F. Clayton, PP, PLS, CERT
President (2010-2011)
NALS of Tucson & So. AZ