IAPES LIBERTY BELL Volume 2, Issue 4 July 2001 Calendar Aug. 31: The deadline for articles to be submitted for September Liberty Bell Aug. 25: PA Chapter Executive Board Meeting Nov. 1-3: International Executive Board Meeting Nov. 15-16: Fall Institute Shawnee Inn Shawnee on the Delaware PENNSYLVANIA PROUD! Vicki Bloes Thirteen (13) members of the PA Chapter participated in the 88th Annual IAPES Educational Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 16-20, 2001. The conference provided educational workshops on workforce development topics, chapter enhancement sessions, motivational speakers, and opportunities to network with other workforce professionals from across the United States and around the world. This year’s conference included an IAPES Quiz Bowl competition, which was a test of knowledge about employment and training programs, UC taxes and benefits, labor market information and the history of IAPES. The quiz questions were based on the information contained in the IAPES Professional Development Program (PDP). Representing Pennsylvania were Justin Sweeney and Marcia Levitsky, who joined two members from the NJ chapter to form the District 3 Team. Audrey Bergstresser, Pennsylvania’s first PDP Master, served as one of the judges for the competition. The District 3 Team advanced through several levels of tough competition to finish in a tie for 1st place. Way to go Justin and Marcia!! In addition to educational workshops, the international conference also recognizes individuals and chapters for their activity and achievements. I am proud to tell you that Pennsylvania was among the award recipients this year. • Dianne Bott Bott, Past Chapter President, received the Keeper Korp Award for her membership renewal efforts. • Audrey Bergstresser received the President’s Honor Roll Award for recruiting/retaining 10 members. • The chapter was recognized for being the Most Improved Chapter in calendar year 2000. Chapter President, Alan Williamson, proudly accepted the award on behalf of the chapter. Congratulations everyone! You have made us Pennsylvania Proud!! DISTRICT 3 REPORT Dianne Bott The Business of Doing Business As of the close of the 88th International Convention, Pennsylvania sponsors this year's Representative for District 3 (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware). I have the honor and pleasure to represent the over 300 members from PA and NJ. (Delaware currently has no members.) I took the oath of office at the Banquet and Ball in Little Rock and will relinquish my post at the Banquet and Ball at Salt Lake City next July. The district representative is the liaison between the Executive Board and the members from their district. The first board meeting of the year was held on Thursday and Friday after the close of the 88th convention. At this meeting we all got to know each other and we got quickly down to the business of balancing the budget and figuring out where the previous board had failed in getting its message across to the membership about the proposed changes to the bylaws and constitution. The proposal had been defeated at the business meeting during the convention by failing to get the two thirds majority needed to pass. It was decided that once again, as in so many things, poor communication was to blame. You will shortly be able to read much more about the proposed changes in the Workforce Professional and on the IAPES Web site. Next year at the convention the issue will be voted on again. I will attend an Executive Board meeting Nov 1 – 3 in Nashville Tenn. During that time the Board will be working on figuring out how to continue to function with ever decreasing revenues; how to make our organization meaningful to all of our workforce development partners; on what issues we should be educating legislators, and, of course, how to make the constitution and bylaws conform to Kentucky law (where we are incorporated) and meet the needs of our membership. We will also be making arrangements for judging of the International awards for the 2002 convention. I have been asked to chair the committee for a new award category — Special Services to Customers. I hope Pennsylvania will have entries in all the award categories this year. You can access more information on the awards program and the IAPES Web site www.iapes.org. I have also been assigned to the Legislative Committee and will work diligently with the rest of the committee to formulate a plan to ensure that our legislators know what issues are important to the people in the trenches doing work in the workforce development arena. It is very important to have an ongoing legislative initiative because these Federal legislators control the funding for most of our programs and all of you know that we have had stagnant, if not decreasing funding for many years. If you have any input that you want to get to the Executive Board please e-mail me at dibott@state.pa.us. I will gladly take your concerns to the Board. THE PRESIDENT'S PEN Alan Williamson Value of Reflection and Renewal Many of you will be taking time off this Summer to rest and relax from the daily rigors of the world of work. As I began to think about writing this article I thought of the need for renewal and reflection. Some of my inspiration for this article came about as a result of my experiences at the recent IAPES International Convention in Little Rock, Arkansas. Vacations, conferences and even hobbies provide an opportunity to learn or try new things. It is at times such as this that we should also take stock in what we have accomplished, what we have before us to do and most importantly, determine if we are headed in the right direction to accomplish these outstanding tasks. This last point is a timeless problem of balancing the speed and pace of daily life or operations with periodically stepping back to make sure we’re heading in the right direction. Going nowhere in a hurry at times seems to be the order of the day. As the pace of change quickens, it’s easier to fall into this age-old trap of confusing busyness with effectiveness. Stephen R. Covey in his book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, tells the story of the woodcutter who’s so busy cutting down trees that he doesn’t take the time to sharpen his saw. As time goes on the woodcutter expends more and more energy trying to cut down trees with a dull saw. The woodcutter is so busy working at a frantic pace he does not step back to assess if he is still accomplishing what he set out to do. Many of us could identify with this situation. Stephen R. Covey goes on to explain in his book that the seventh habit is to Sharpen the Saw. To do so we must renew the four dimensions of our nature – physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional. He states we must regularly and consistently exercise these four dimensions in wise and balanced ways. The basic steps for each of these is: PHYSICAL: eat the right kinds of foods, get sufficient rest and relaxation, and exercise on a regular basis. Most of us think we do not have enough time to exercise. In actuality we do not have time not to exercise. SPIRITUAL: There are four introspective steps we can take: 1. Listen carefully – spend time carefully listening to the world around us. While on vacation take time to stop and listen to nature. If you listen intently, the more obvious sounds will soon make way for less obvious but no less important sounds that are often lost in the hustle and bustle of the work day. Soon you should begin to feel a growing peacefulness. 2. Try reaching back — reach back to fond memories of happy times. In remembering, you should begin to feel a growing warmth inside. 3. Examine your motives – this does not mean to focus on your success, recognition, or security. Think about your past happiness and why it made you happy. Upon reflection, many will come to realize that as long as you are serving others, you do your job well. When you are concerned only with helping yourself, you do it less well – a law as inflexible as the law of gravity. 4. Write your worries in the sand – listing your worries in such a manner should help you understand they are not as monumental and all encompassing as you believe them to be. And they will go away with the tide. MENTAL: Continually honing and expanding the mind are vital aspects of keeping our minds sharp, alert and ready to think critically and express our opinions in clear concise terms. There are many ways of doing this including reading, taking continuing education courses and writing thoughtful articles such as the one you are reading. Active people can find many ways of educating and challenging themselves in a constructive fashion. SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL: Renewing the social/emotional dimension is something we can do in our normal daily activity. It is not something that we should relegate to a special time to think about. But to do this as part of our daily routine requires practice and discipline. First you work with another person to find a solution to a problem that is common to both of you but you each are approaching from a different direction. Second take the time to understand their position before explaining the thinking behind your position. The objective is to understand their point of view as well as they do before you explain your position. In so doing you will be better able to understand and explain your position. Third, work together to develop alternative solutions that are better than either of your respective original solutions. Jointly finding alternative solutions brings an inner strength and security that is rooted in your beliefs and personal values. Practicing this on a regular basis results in your daily life reflecting your values. Religious leader David O. McKay once taught, “The greatest battles of life are fought out daily in the silent chambers of the soul.” If you fight and win the battles in the soul you will feel a sense of inner peace. And you will find that the public victories – where you tend to think cooperatively, to promote the welfare and good of others, and to be genuinely happy for other people’s success will naturally follow. Vacations afford us the small luxury of being able to take the time to do the above listed introspective thinking and to assess the direction we are headed. Vacations also give us the time to rest and relax and to sharpen our physical dimension. Addressing the other three dimensions requires a personal commitment to assess and reflect upon them. I close by wishing all of you a safe, happy and restful vacation. And I ask that you consider taking stock in the direction you are headed. IAPES LEGAL ISSUES William Moulfair PA IAPES Legislative Update T he new head of the national employment and training agency may have a Pennsylvania connection. President Bush has nominated NASWA (formerly ICESA) Executive Director Emily S. DeRocco to be US Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training. The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation; and that confirmation was not finalized by the publishing deadline for this newsletter. Mrs. DeRocco holds a B. A. in Journalism from Penn State and a juris doctorate from Georgetown. In other legislative news, the US Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $6.5 billion supplemental spending bill. The measure includes a $217.5 million rescission of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) dislocated worker funds. The legislation calls for $57.5 million of the proposed rescission will come from the US Department of Labor Secretary’s National Reserve, with the remaining $160 million from the states based on their carryover of unspent funding. Final passage of the bill was expected prior to the July 4 recess. US Senator Ted Kennedy, the new Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, is expected to act on legislation that would reform the Unemployment Compensation (UC) system. The Committee reportedly will modernize UC. Nationally, UC initial claims dropped during the week ending June 16 by 34,000 to 400,000. The four-week average of initial claims held steady at 423,000. And President Bush announced that he has signed an Executive Order establishing the Office of the 21st Century Workforce within the US Department of Labor. This office will identify new challenges and new opportunities for American workers. The White House has also sent Congress a set of proposals called the New Freedom Initiative that are targeted at helping Americans with disabilities participate more fully in their communities, including gaining better access to the workplace. The IAPES Liberty Bell is published bi-monthly by the PA Chapter of IAPES and is distributed for the information of the membership. Submit articles and information to Editor: Rich Wertman at rwertman@dli.state.pa.us, E-mail drcs@enter.net or Mail to: Dianne Bott 1405 Labor & Industry Bldg. Harrisburg, PA 17121 Officers: President: Alan Williamson President Elect: Paula Bauer Secretary: Vicki Bloes Treasurer: Jean Vaughn MEMBERSHIP UPDATE Minta Johnson Busman’s s Holiday - Recruiting on the Road WOW, what an International Conference for the Pennsylvania Chapter. A total of 13 members traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, braving torrential downpours, missed flights, lost luggage and rerouted flights, but arriving safe and marginally sound. I attended the workshop “Membership – Your Investment,” which was paneled by the 2000-2001 International Membership Chair, Jean Berry – CA, and Larry Ludwig, 2000-2001 International Development Chair from DC. Larry provided us with an overview of the first District XIX Conference which had Phillip Morris as one of its corporate sponsors. District XIX is comprised of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia/Kaliningrad, Ukraine/Lviv. There was a press conference held and IAPES was featured as one of the non-governmental associations. He distributed a brief history of the IAPES International Development Subcommittee to interested individuals. After Larry’s presentation, Jean asked each attendee to talk about their successes and failures at membership recruitment and retention. There were many interesting activities shared. Many states include IAPES information in new employee packets and employee orientation sessions. Some individual members pay membership dues for the first new member they recruit. If you have an interesting idea for recruiting new members, please e-mail your ideas to me at cgregoryj@netzero.net. All ideas received prior to the next board meeting scheduled for August will be presented to the Executive Board for consideration. Thanks to all of you for making this a successful year for the PA Chapter. We ended the year with 141 members, up from 126 in 2000. As a result of your efforts, we were awarded the “Most Impr Improved Chapter” by International in 2000. Thanks! !!PIZZA!! On June 4, 2001, Greg and I traveled to the Mercer County CareerLink to take the winner of the March Madness Membership Contest to lunch. We arrived at the CareerLink and received a warm welcome by the staff. Site Administrator, Angela Lenzi, and contest winner, gave us a tour of the facilities. What a beautiful site! You would not think that you were entering a building which houses numerous government and private industry agencies. The reception area was very pleasing to look at from the furnishing to the employees greeting individuals. Parking was abundant. Angela introduced us to all of the partners in the CareerLink. Everyone was so happy to make our acquaintance and did not mind us wondering around their facility. It was almost as if they felt that their space was our space. Thank you Angela! Lunch was great! Wonderful pizza and wonderful fellowship with our newest members, Vincent Darcangelo, Roberta Crandall and Lila Savage. Thanks to all of you for a wonderful lunch! FALL INSTITUTE The program for our Chapter's Fall Education Institute and business meeting will appear in the September issue of Liberty Bell. Stay tuned for further details of this event, which is to be held at the Shawnee Inn on November 15th and 16th. BITS & BYTES Steve Grubbs Recalling, Replacing, or Resending a Message Suppose you sent a message in OutLook that included incorrect information. Rather than sending an entirely new message, you can do one of the following: 1. Recall the message you’ve already sent, removing it from the recipient’s inbox.* 2. Resend the same message after correcting or updating it. You can only recall or replace messages to recipients who are logged on and using Outlook and who have not already read the message or moved the message out of their inboxes. First find the message you have just sent by opening the “My Shortcuts” group on the Outlook Menu Bar, opening the Sent Items folder, and double-clicking the sent message to open it. To recall or replace the message, follow these steps: 1. Open the message and choose Recall This Message from the Actions menu of the message window. 2. In the Recall This Message dialog box, do one of the following: a. To recall the message, select the Delete Unread Copies Of This Message option, and then click OK. b. To replace the message with another, select the Delete Unread Copies And Replace With A New Message option, and then click OK. In the new message window that appears, type the new message, and then click the Send button. 3. To receive a notification about the success or failure of recalling or replacing the message for each recipient select the Tell Me If Recall Succeeds Of Fails For Each Recipient check box. To simply resend the message (rather than recall or replace the message), follow these steps: 1. Open the message and choose Resend This Message from the Actions menu of the message window. 2. In the message window that appears, make any necessary changes, and then click the Send button. * *Editor's note: Do not try this at home! Recall only works if Outlook is intalled in the Corporate/ Workgroup configuration and you are on a network using Microsoft Exchange Server. WE ARE ON THE WEB! Vicki Bloes T he chapter now has a website at www.pachapteriapes.org. It is currently under construction but we encourage you to visit the site and provide us feedback on it. The site consists of five primary pages entitled: 1. Home 2. About Us 3. Contact Us 4. Membership 5. Institute Information We are limited to a few paragraphs per page but there is a feature that allows for secondary pages that could contain a membership application or institute registration form. Watch as the site develops! Minta Johnson and Vicki icki Bloes have volunteered to maintain the site and update the information as needed. Requests for additions, deletions or revisions should be submitted to Alan Williamson (awilliamso@state.pa.us), Paula Bauer (pbauer@state.pa.us), and Dianne Bott (dibott@state.pa.us), for review and approval. Upon approval, the request will be forwarded to Minta or Vicki for processing.