April 2008,

The 2008 PHBA Convention is now history, and history making it was in the beautiful Blue Grass Country of Kentucky.  The convention was very efficiently organized by one of our amateur board members, Kara Stewart.  In fact, she was so organized she was able to leave early morning on Friday to give birth to her second child, Bailey, who was presented with a life membership compliments of the Youth Advisors Heather Williams and Sabrina Ainsley.

The Past Presidents, President and President Elect conducted several interviews with many eager candidates for the positions on the Amateur board.  It was a very challenging and thoughtful provoking task to make selections.  I very much appreciated all of those who interviewed and would strongly encourage you to take part in this process again next year.

Our Amateur Association meeting reviewed several rule and by law changes. The results of the 2008 – 09 election of Amateur Officers are:   President, yours truly, Roxann Guthrie, Michigan, President Elect, Amberly Phelps from Missouri, Vice Presidents Peggy Missel, Oklahoma,  Carol Goble, Georgia, Secretary, Kara Stewart, Kentucky, Treasurer, Patria Maulden, Florida, Reporter Ginny Baskerville, Iowa.  However, at the banquet on Saturday evening, Patria was selected as an appointee to the PHBA Executive Board, so following her resignation, we reconvened our amateur board, and with board support I appointed Sherrie Young to the Treasurer position.  My appointees are Paula Diehl, Missouri, Lynn Rohwedder, Illinois and Coco Maulden, Florida.  I want you to know how proud I was to receive the Amateur President’s buckle when presented to me by outgoing Amateur President Barbara Osborne.  It was a very special moment to me.  Thank you for your trust and the opportunity to lead our Association this year.

Our Amateur board began Strategic Planning the evening prior to the beginning of the convention. It has been my premise that, How will an organization improve, grow and flourish unless we develop and specify goals and objectives for our group?  Our group was very task oriented and we dove in.  We adopted the Mission Statement of PHBA and added “amateur” to the vision statement.  We discussed our core values and would like to share them with you, as we encourage input from you for additional core values.  1.  fiscal responsibility  2.  affiliate health  3.  value to membership 4.  amateur status integrity.  I would also be happy to email you our notes from this meeting if you are interested in our Strategic Planning.  It is our intent to finish the goals and objectives, as well develop action plans for those objectives when we meet again in July at the World Show.

We were very successful this year in our fundraising in both our silent auction as well as the live auction.  Thank you all of the individuals who brought the great items as well as the bidders that purchased the items.  In addition to adding to our treasury, the auctions are always entertaining and one of the highlights of our conventions. 

                                                Roxann Guthrie

                                                2008-09 Amateur President