ACQ Vol 10 No 1 2008

F rom the P resident

A s I write this, the first ‘From the President’ for 2008, I can’t help reflecting on the speed with which 2007 has flown past. My first year as President was exciting and challenging, full of travel, meetings and learning. During the year I had the opportunity to meet with members at forums and meetings in the Northern Territory, Tasmania, the ACT, Victoria and South Australia, as well as at the National Conference in Sydney. All of these experiences are memorable – memorable for the enthusiasm and commitment shown by members, for the learning which takes place, and for the social contacts made. No one who was at the opening session of the conference will easily forget the keynote address by Dr Christopher Green – a moving, entertaining, thought- provoking address, which had more than one person in the audience in tears. The Association made progress in many areas during 2007. The decision was made to pursue national registration when the time is ripe. We ran our first lobbying campaign in the lead-up to the federal election – and aim to continue these efforts through 2008. It’s a learning process, and we are developing useful skills in the area. We revised and updated a number of policies, and finalised some important projects. Talks around the Mutual Recognition Agreement were held in Copenhagen in July, and we look forward to finalising this revised agreement later in 2008. A strategic planning workshop was held in December, and work continues on the revision of the plan. Look out for the new and improved version in your mailbox soon – if you haven’t seen it already! There have been some significant changes to Council, and we enter 2008 with a number of new councillors in place. Lisa Shaw-Stuart (Vic.), Tania Innes (Tas.), Anna Kwan (NT), Leone Carroll (WA) and Corinne Roberts (NSW) all retired

from Council. All of them have made significant contribution to Council, and all will be missed. But Council goes on, and as we say farewell to one group, we welcome another. Gillian Dickman (Vic.), Natalie Elston (Tas.) and Amanda Dunne (NT) all took up their portfolios with enthusiasm and confidence during 2007. Leone Carroll will be replaced in the Vice President – Communication position by Jacinta Evans (ACT), and Jade Cartwright will take on the position of WA Councillor for 2008 and Beth King is the incoming NSW Councillor. The staff at National Office, and paid staff in the various branches and positions around Australia, have continued to manage the operations of the Association efficiently and well. Special mention must be made of our CEO, Gail Mulcair, who brings to the position a truly formidable vision and energy, and who plays a crucial role in our lobbying activities. Special mention must also be made of the editors of our quality publications – Sharynne McLeod, Chyrisse Heine and Louise Brown. And of course, we must gratefully acknowledge the many hours of volunteer work contributed by members across the country. The Association is a complex organism, greater than the sum of its parts, but one which requires all parts in order to function. What lies ahead for 2008? When you read this you will know the outcome of the federal election. Will it affect what happens within the profession, and within our daily lives? Only time will tell. We do know that the Association will continue to represent the interests of its members, to provide quality member services, to actively lobby on behalf of people with communication disorders and to build the profile of the profession. It promises to be another exciting year! Cori Williams

Reflecting Connections Conference Auckland 25-29 May 2008 Registrations now open – Early Bird Closes 6 April

For the full program listing of all workshops, papers and posters please go to the following website: www.reflectingconnections.co.nz The website also includes further details about the keynote speakers, accommodation options and tourism ideas. The Conference Planning Committee is excited to be providing you with a wonderful program and looks forward to seeing you in Auckland! Research Paper Submissions – International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Speech Pathology Australia will publish the Conference proceedings as a supplementary issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Only the best 7-8 papers will be published. Papers should be no longer than 6,000-7,000 words and follow the author guidelines found at http://www.informaworld.com/ijslp. Therefore, for those of you who submitted a Research Paper, we invite you to submit a manuscript of your paper to the Manuscript Central site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tasl and clearly indicate that it is to be considered for the Speech Pathology Australia Conference proceedings issue. All submitted papers will be considered for publication. Correspondence regarding the 2008 Conference proceedings should be directed to the editor, Associate Professor Sharynne McLeod email: ijslp@csu.edu.au. The deadline for manuscript submission is 29 June 2008. Alternatively, you may wish to submit a manuscript of your work (2,000 words) to ACQ uiring Knowledge in Speech Language and Hearing. The author guidelines for ACQ can be found at: http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au under publications / ACQ . Manuscripts submitted to ACQ will be considered as a general paper submission.

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