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In this issue:
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October 10-14, 2005 Court Observance week October 14, 2005 deadline for NALS board ballots to Resource Center October 20-23, 2005 NALS 54th Annual Education Conference, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY |
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We all know that Austin is the capitol of our great state. But did you know that Austin was once home to the Tonkawas, Comanches and Lipan Apache Indian tribes? It also served as a missionary community before the Anglo settlers embarked upon the land. Stephen F. Austin was the founder of Austin, and Edwin Waller was the town’s first mayor. Make your plans now to attend the 2006 Winter Board Meeting, February 2-5, 2006, at the Lakeway Inn, located on the shores of beautiful Lake Travis. Check out the Schedule of Events (www.texasalp.org/calendar.htm). We are offering CLE on both Friday and Saturday – a total of 7 hours. Don’t be left out. Register now. |
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LUBBOCK – THE GIANT SIDE OF TEXAS Site of 2006 TALP Annual Meeting Trivia Question A&E Category: What three famous people have streets in Lubbock named in their honor? Clue: One is deceased, but the other two are still alive and well. Answer to be published in next issue. |
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Congratulations to all of you who took certification exams in the month of September. The Certification Committee will be hosting a cram session for the PP certification exam and PLS certification exam at the Winter Board Meeting in February 2006 in Austin, Texas. If you are planning on taking either of these exams in March, this will be a great way to get in some last minute study time. The registration form with all of the details will be posted on the Texas ALP website soon. Don't forget all of the great study resources that are out there. One great way to study is to study with someone else. Check to see who in your chapter is interested in studying for one of the exams and pair up with them, or if there are several of you, start a study group. If you are preparing to take the PP, PLS or even the ALS, check out the Online Learning Center on the NALS website at nals.org/onlinelearning/Index.html. Each Tuesday a different topic is covered. The next chat is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25th at 8:00 p.m. central time. The first topic will be on ethics. Even if you can't do the online chat on Tuesdays, you can still print out the questions and do them on your own. Within a few days of the chat on Tuesday, the answers to the questions are posted so you can check your answers against them. I hope a lot of you are planning on taking a certification exam in March and I hope to see a lot of you at the cram session in Austin in February! |
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Leadership - Character and TraitsBased on Excerpts of Leadership Styles taken from Big Dog's Leadership Page Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. - Warren Bennis, Ph.D. On Becoming a Leader In any organization, a leader's actions set the pace. This behavior wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organization's continued vitality. One of the ways to build trust is to display a good sense of character composed of beliefs, values, skills, and traits. Beliefs are what we hold dear to us and are rooted deeply within us. They could be assumptions or convictions that you hold true regarding people, concepts, or things. They could be the beliefs about life, death, religion, what is good, what is bad, what is human nature, etc. Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. For example, you might value a good car, home, friendship, personal comfort, or relatives. Values are important as they influence a person's behavior to weigh the importance of alternatives. For example, you might value friends more than privacy, while others might be the opposite. Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person gains throughout life. The ability to learn a new skill varies with each individual. Some skills come almost naturally, while others come only by complete devotion to study and practice. Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while character is the sum total of these traits. There are hundreds of personality traits. A few that are crucial for a leader are listed below. The more of these you display as a leader, the more your followers will believe and trust in you. Traits of a Good LeaderCompiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group:
Almost everything you do will have an impact on your organization. You should always be aware how your actions and decisions might affect it. It is also important to develop what is called “esprit de corps” which means team spirit. It is the consciousness of the organization that allows the people within it to identify with and feel a part of. Is your organization a place where people cannot wait to get away from; or is it a place that people enjoy spending a part of their lives? Allowing your team to be part of the planning and problem solving process helps with their development and allows you to coach them. Secondly, it motivates them -- people who are part of the decision making process become the owners of it, thus it gives them a personal interest in seeing the plan succeed. Thirdly, communication is clearer as everyone has a better understanding of what role they must play as part of the team. Next, it creates an open trusting communication bond. They are no longer just the doers for the organization -- they are now part of it! Finally, recognition and appreciation from a respected leader are powerful motivators. Keeping the communication channel open allows a person to have a sense of control over their lives. While leaders’ actions set the pace, much of the success of an organization comes from the people who surround the leader. An association can succeed, or fail, based on a leaders’ ability or inability to lead. The important thing to remember is the behavior and traits of a leader helps to ensure an organization’s continued vitality and success. |
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Great Expectations When members pay dues to join your association, they expect a lot in return. A method of pinpointing your member’s needs is to develop and send out a questionnaire. Once the feedback is analyzed, your chapter will then be able to structure a membership retention campaign that addresses your member’s expectations. Following are some tips for developing a questionnaire. 1. Include a brief introduction for the questionnaire and how it will be used. 2. Decide on open-ended or multiple-choice questions. Our chapter chose open-ended questions because it gave the member an opportunity to express their needs in more detail. 3. Limit your questionnaire to ten questions or less. 4. The most critical question on your questionnaire is the first question. 5. Some sample questions:
6. Reassure participants that their responses will be kept confidential. 7. Assign a committee to develop a report incorporating all responses and then begin analyzing and planning. Remember to keep an open mind and to consider all responses. Once you know what your members expect from your association, you can begin to plan effectively for the years to come. |
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Types of Motions A main motion is one that is made to bring before the assembly any particular subject. No main motion can be made when another motion is pending. A subsidiary motion is one that may be applied to a main motion, and to certain other motions, for the purpose of modifying them, delaying action upon them, or otherwise disposing of them. Privileged motions are such that, while having no relation to the pending question, are of such urgency or importance as to require them to take precedence over all other motions. An incidental motion is one that arises out of another question which is pending or has just been pending, and must be decided before the pending question, or before other business is taken up. Incidental motions have no fixed rank but take precedence of the questions out of which they arise, whether those questions are main or subsidiary or privileged. The previous question does not refer, as its name would imply, to the previous question, but is the name given to the motion to close debate and at once to take the vote on the immediately pending question and such other questions as are specified in the motion. A substitute is an amendment where an entire resolution, or section, or one or more paragraphs, is struck out and other resolution, or section, or one or more paragraphs, is inserted in its place. Back to Top |
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The minutes you prepare typically contain routine information. For example, the first paragraph of the minutes should include: (a) the kind of meeting (regular, annual or special); (b) the name of your chapter; (c) the date/time/place of the meeting; (d) whether the meeting was called pursuant to notice as required by your bylaws; (e) a notation of the presence of the regular presiding officer and the secretary or the name of their substitutes; (f) whether a quorum is present; and (g) the action taken on the minutes of the previous meeting (approved as read or as corrected). A list of the officers and committee chairmen present at the meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors should be included as well. If a special meeting is called, the purpose of the special meeting will need to be stated. |
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The Spirit of Texas - touching tomorrow today Texas ALP is known for its excellence in leadership. In keeping with this year’s theme of recognizing and celebrating the leadership of Texas ALP, the Docket Committee is soliciting nominations recognizing outstanding leaders. Nominations may be submitted by a chapter or an individual member. Those nominated will become part of a collection to be published later this year called “The Spirit of Texas—touching tomorrow today.” Chapters are encouraged to nominate two current or former chapter members whose leadership impacted the path of the local, state, and/or national associations. Members may also submit nominations, but are limited to one nomination per nominating member. Nominations should not include past presidents of Texas ALP as they will be included in a separate category. Attached is a nomination form which is also available on the Texas ALP Web site. Please complete one form for each nomination and e-mail the form to me, along with a photo of the nominee, at the above e-mail address. If you cannot scan the photo, please mail the completed form and photo to me at the above address. Our past leaders have nurtured us through the first 50 years—they are the key to the future of Texas ALP. The Docket Committee encourages you to participate and make this collection of memories worthy of The Spirit of Texas. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS DECEMBER 31, 2005. |
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Do have a need for certification? The future is today—tomorrow may be too late! TISC now offers specialty certification for the legal support professional in both Texas real estate and Texas civil litigation. For information regarding qualifications to sit for an exam, exam dates, and study courses, check out our website at www.txisc.org. Back to Top |
