Newsletter (February 2008)

SCACAA President’s Newsletter
February 20, 2008
Brian J. Callahan, 2007-2008 SCACAA President

Introduction

Greetings to all SCACAA members! Let me begin by thanking each of you for your continued support of the South Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents. We, the officers and directors of the SCACAA, want each and every member to know that we are constantly striving to make this organization as valuable as possible.  One specific area on which we are focusing is that of improved communication amongst the members of the SCACAA.  We firmly believe that improved communication will lead directly to increased member involvement, which will ultimately strengthen the association. As part of this effort, the SCACAA is reinstating the President’s Newsletter.  Please take a little time to read about what is going on with the SCACAA…..and enjoy!!!

Membership Drive

In the past year, Clemson Extension has hired approximately 30 new agents. As partnerships with counties, school districts, government agencies, and other groups continue to increase, we are poised to continue this trend of filling vacant and new positions.  Besides the obvious benefits to the Clemson Extension Service, these hiring efforts also provide the SCACAA with a wonderful opportunity to increase membership, outreach, and visibility.   

As of January 1, 2008, the SCACAA membership consisted of 64 Agents/educators, 9 Specialists, 6 Supervisors, and 78 Life Members.  While these numbers are good, we would still like to see them increase.  It is not too late to join the SCACAA!!! The membership rate of $80 can be paid until March 15, 2008.  It is up to the members to assist in recruiting – if you have new employees or nonmembers in your office/area, please make an attempt to encourage them to join the SCACAA.  For further information on joining, or on the SCACAA in general, visit the website listed below: http://www.clemson.edu/scacaa/

2008 SCACAA AM/PIC

Mark Arena, SCACAA Vice President, is planning the 2008 SCACAA Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference, which will be taking on a new format.  The conference will start on June 11, and we are requesting that all participants arrive the night before (June 10 check in date). The host hotel is the Country Inn Suites, located in Summerville, just off I-26. The bus will depart on Wednesday morning at 8:30AM for our first destination. The following day will consist of tours and other events. The last day, June 13, will be a half-day as typically done in the past.

In the near future registration will be sent out. Your cooperation is requested as we will be chartering buses this year to provide transportation.

Schedule tours as of now:

• Baruch Institute, Georgetown
• Kiawah Island “Ocean Golf Course”
• Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI), North Charleston
• Irvin-house vineyard, Wadmalaw Island
• And more to come

If you have any questions regarding this year’s conference please email Mark Arena @: marena@clemson.edu

The North Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents hopes you and your families are planning to attend the 2008 NACAA Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference. It will be held July 13-17, 2008 at the Koury Convention Center and Sheraton Hotel in Greensboro. This facility is easily accessible whether you are driving in or flying, and as Greensboro sits in the middle of our state we hope you plan to come early or stay late so you can take in our mountains or visit our coast.

The theme for the 2008 NACAA meeting is “North Carolina-A Place to Grow”. Visit our website www.ncacaa.org/2008ampic and see what the North Carolina Agricultural Agents have planned for you. As always, we have youth activities, spouses' tours and workshops, and events for our Life Members planned. It's our 34 Professional Improvement tours planned for Wednesday, July 16th that we hope will make your decision to attend the 2008 AM/PIC in Greensboro that much easier.

Agriculture is the number one industry in North Carolina, generating $68.3 billion to the economy of our state. The state leads the nation in total tobacco production, flue-cured tobacco, pig crop and sweet potatoes. It also ranks in the top five in cucumbers for pickles, turkeys raised, blueberries, broilers, strawberries and peanuts. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension is fortunate to have two fine land-grant institutions-North Carolina State University and North Carolina A & T University. From the mountains to the seas, North Carolina has a diversity of agriculture. North Carolina is blessed with wonderful weather, friendly people and a rich agricultural heritage. Ya’ll come and see us July 13-17, 2008 and experience “North Carolina-A Place to Grow”.

NACAA Award Opportunities

NACAA Award Opportunities: Hopefully you have each received your Awards Edition of the County Agent magazine. If you have not, it should be arriving soon. With regards to the Awards Program, please read the following message from Phil Pratt, VP of the NACAA.

NACAA presents many award opportunities to its membership. Some of the awards are accompanied with nice monetary compensation. But more importantly, all of them provide NACAA members three very important opportunities: 1) recognition by their peers; 2) recognition from a respected professional improvement association for conducting successful Extension programming; 3) opportunity to share their successful Extension programming with peers. For many members who must satisfy career ladder requirements, these award opportunities and the recognition provided by NACAA is of great benefit.

I would like to reiterate what Phil Pratt has said. This is a wonderful opportunity for each of you - NACAA awards are also listed on the NACAA website (www.nacaa.com). Click on "Awards and Recognition" listed in left side menu.

Upcoming Meetings

Important Dates to Remember:

SCACAA Board meeting - March 19, 2008 at the Sandhills REC at 10:00 am
PILD (Public Issues Leadership Development) Conference – April 28-30
SCACAA Annual Meeting – June 11-13, 2008 in Summerville, SC
NACAA Annual Meeting – July 13-17, 2008 in Greensboro, NC
Galaxy III – September 15-19, 2008 in Indianapolis, IN

Closing Thoughts and Comments

Closing Thoughts: I encourage each of you to attend the SCACAA Annual Meeting in June. Not only is this a great educational opportunity, but it is also a great time to enjoy some fun and fellowship with your peers. Mark your calendars and join us in Summerville.

I also encourage each of you to give consideration to attending the NACAA Annual Meeting in Greensboro this summer. Proximity-wise, this is as close as this meeting has been to many of us in several years. This meeting includes some wonderful tours that are reflective of North Carolina agriculture and tourism, along with numerous professional development seminars and events. National award winners will share valuable insight on how to strengthen your overall program in multiple areas. This meeting truly is a chance to see some of Extension’s finest at work.

If limited funding is what is preventing you from attending either of these conferences, then you need to know that there are ways of attending both meetings for a reduced rate. For starters, new members get their registration waived for the SCACAA AMPIC. First-timers (those who have never attended the NACAA AMPIC) get their registration fee waived for the NACAA AMPIC. The SCACAA and NACAA Awards Program also provides members with the opportunity to significantly reduce registration costs affiliated with these meetings.

Thank you to all members for your continued support of the SCACAA. The members are what make this association great. With your continued involvement and support, the SCACAA will continue to strengthen! I hope that if you have not already, you will give consideration to offering your services to the SCACAA by filling one of the leadership roles. In the following section of this newsletter, you will see a complete listing of the officers, directors, and committee chairs of the SCACAA. If you see roles that interest you, send an email to the current representative and find out how to best become involved.

2007-2008 SCACAA Officers

President: Brian Callahan
President Elect: Tim Davis
Vice President: Mark Arena
Secretary: Jonathan Croft
Treasurer: Russell Duncan
Past President: Bob Bett

2007-2008 SCACAA Directors

2007-2008 SCACAA Committee Chairs