nanaimo 9 to 5
I NTERNATIONAL A SSOCIATION OF A DMINISTRATIVE P ROFESSIONALS
N ANAIMO 9
TO
5
A Newsletter for Office Professionals N ANAIMO C HAPTER
P RESIDENT ’ S M ESSAGE Whew! What an exhilarating couple of weeks the Olympic Games provided us! I won’t say I was glued to the TV, but I certainly spent more time in front of it than I usually do. At the risk of sounding trite or maudlin, as I was trying to come up with a theme for this month’s President’s Message, I couldn’t help but make comparisons between various aspects of the Games to IAAP:
In his closing speech, Thomas Bach, IOC President, said, “There is no higher compliment than to say on behalf of all of the participants: These were the athletes’ games.” Comparatively, IAAP is the members’ association. The success, the accomplishments, the enjoyment, the hard work—all of this is from the members. There are organizers (HQ staff), coaches (executive at all levels—people who have “been there” themselves) and athletes (the members) who share “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
Sometimes making that l-i-i-i-tle more effort makes the difference between a winning performance and second place. How many of you saw the cross-country and biathlon skiers stretch to get the tip of their ski over the finish line a hundredth of a second ahead of the frontrunner? When we’re overwhelmed with work, family and other commitments, it’s hard to find time for our IAAP commitments. But if we put that one extra little push into it, it can make a huge difference in the success of the Chapter.
Did you see the size of those bobsledders? Extra weight makes all the difference in the momentum achieved to get around those treacherous curves cleanly and safely. “Bulking up” our membership is also the best way to make a strong IAAP Chapter. It spreads the work out, provides opportunity to take on more projects and more learning opportunities, without putting too much strain on too few members.
How about the “Browning’s Best” segments? Former Olympic skater and commentator Kirk Browning highlighted various aspects of competitive skating. One thing he said that stuck with me was that in giving a performance your best, you have to leave the falls and mistakes behind and move on in your performance. That’s not to say you don’t review the tape after and learn from your mistakes, but what’s done is done and you immediately move forward to ensure the rest of your performance is award-winning. So it is with IAAP’s experiential learning. IAAP provides you with the tools to train you for an “award-winning performance.” We hope you will strive to do your best and we will help you move on to bigger and better things.
Have you read your OfficePro Express yet? It ties into my theme beautifully with “Become an Attitude Athlete: The 9 Essential Habits of Mentally Strong People.” Michelle Connolly, CAP-OM
M ARCH 2014 N ANAIMO C HAPTER E XECUTIVE 2013 / 2014 President: Michelle Connolly CAPOM Treasurer: Raquel Parris Secretary: Carol Harrison, CAPOM COMMITTEE CHAIRS Education /Website: Jolene Mackinnon Meeting Coordinator: Michelle Connolly CAP-OM Publicity/Flyer: Katharine Lamoureux Ways & Means: Heather Cooper Membership: Trixie Neufeld Admin Professionals Week: Raquel Parris NEXT MEETING: March 12, 2014 Effective Work Search & Career Planning Presenter: Alexis Beaubier, VIU Campus Career Centre Location: Longwood Brewpub Brewers Dining Room 5775 Turner Road, Nanaimo
CHECK OUT OUR SITE:
WEB-
www.iaap-nanaimo.org
P P AGE AGE 2 2
F ROM
N ANAIMO 9 THE
TO
5
A CTIVE F ILE : IAAP N ANAIMO C HAPTER
B EER & B URGER F UNDRAISER Date: Saturday, March 8th, 2014, 5:30—8:00 PM Location: Old City Station Pub, 150 Skinner Street, Nanaimo Tickets: $15 per person Menu: Your choice of beef, chicken or veggie burger; choice of salad or fries; choice of beer, wine or pop If you haven’t received your tickets to sell yet, let me know immediately and I will ensure you receive them. There will be a prize for the person who sells the most tickets. I will be contacting you on Thursday to find out your numbers so I can let the pub know. This is where I’m asking you to stretch that extra bit to get attendance numbers up to ensure our silent auction is successful. Silent auction items are also welcomed. So far, I know for sure we have a limited edition print; hand-made jewellery; a hockey jersey; a mini cooler; a convertible purse/tote; a lift of lumber; a Forestry Museum gift card; and 2 restaurant gift cards. We’ll need a lot more than that to raise sufficient funds for our scholarships. I’ll be on site at about 4:45 for set-up. If you’re bringing auction items, it would be appreciated if you could arrive before 5:30 so the items can receive proper viewing and we’re not re-adjusting our set-up mid-event. Other fund-raising activities will include a 50/50 draw and a raffled scratch & win ticket board. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
C ANADA D IVISIONS C ONFERENCE I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters the wealth of professional growth, training, leadership development and networking is available through participation in the Canada Divisions Conference (and EFAM, of course). CDC 2014 will be held May 29-31 in Charlottetown, PEI. Registration is now open at http://www.iaap-centralcanada.org/ meetingsevents/canadadistrictconference (sorry, I couldn’t get the hyperlink insert to work). If you need some prodding, look at the latest IAAP E-Newsletter—Connections. Under Perspectives, click onto “The Value of IAAP” blog entry by James Edgar, CAP-OM.
N ANAIMO 9
P AGE 3
TO
5
SOME INSPIRATIONAL STORIES FROM THE 2014 SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS These moments are, in and of themselves, truly inspirational. But given the theme of this month’s newsletter, how do you apply these messages to your everyday life or to your IAAP work? I can think of several! Editor February 12, 2014 10:57 pm· Watching the best-of-the-best compete for gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is inspirational. But beyond the performance of the athletes, there have already been many other inspirational moments at these Olympics.
Helping a fellow athlete Cross-country skiier, Anton Gafarov. Image: Cephas
Russian cross-country skier Anton Gafarov fell and broke his ski during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals. In true Olympic spirit, he tried to keep going, knowing that although he no longer had any chance of winning, he needed to finish the race he had started. However, his ski was broken in half. He would end up limping across the finish line in front of the world, not to mention his fellow Russians who were cheering from the sidelines. From out of nowhere, Canadian ski coach Justin Wadsworth ran down to the stricken athlete, carrying a spare ski. In seconds, he not only gave Gafarov the ski, but took the broken ski from him and snapped him into the borrowed one. Gafarov was able to finish the race with dignity. This event reminded many of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, when Canada’s Sara Renner broke a ski pole. A Norwegian coach gave her a new pole. Renner not only finished the race, but took silver with her teammate Beckie Scott. Eight thousand cans of maple syrup were sent to the Norwegian embassy as a Canadian thank-you to the coach.
Incredible gift from a teammate Speed skater, Gilmore Junio. Image: Canadian Olympic Committee Canadian speed skater Gilmore Junio gave an incredible gift to his teammate, Denny Morrison, this week. When Morrison fell and failed to qualify for the 1000-metre event, Junio gave Morrison his spot in the race. Junio said Morrison had a better chance of winning a medal than he did, so it was in the team’s best interests to let Morrison race. After years of working towards a spot in an Olympic race, it is overwhelmingly generous to allow someone else to take your spot in a race. Morrison didn’t disappoint. He won a silver medal for Team Canada. Now, Canadians are rallying behind Gilmore Junio, saying that he showed true Olympic spirit through his unselfish gift. They say he deserves the honour of carrying the Olympic flag for the team during the closing ceremonies. We will see if Team Canada’s officials agree. [Sorry, they went with the two-time gold-winning two-women bobsled team]
N ANAIMO 9
P AGE 4
TO
5
Cont’d…
Family support The Dufour-Lapointe Sisters. Image: Canadian Olympic Committee No athlete gets to the podium alone. They have their family, coaches and friends to thank for supporting them along the journey. In the case of the three Dufour-Lapointe sisters who all competed in the moguls event this year (with sisters Justine and Chloe winning gold and silver), they have relied on the support of their parents. Their mother, Johane, for instance, holds three academic degrees. However, rather than working outside the home, she chose to stay home and raise her daughters–now Olympians. And many people are inspired by Canadian skier Alex Bilodeau, who won the gold in moguls this year–his second gold in two Olympics. He said he is greatly inspired by his older brother, Frederic, who has cerebral palsy. He said his brother can’t reach most of his dreams, so he feels inspired to do his best to achieve whatever he can for himself–and for his brother. The two are often photographed before and after races, each supporting the other. Author: Joyce Grant Joyce Grant is a freelance journalist and editor. She is the owner of Writing Ink and produces a non-profit children's literacy blog, Getting Kids Reading (www.gkreading.com).
M ORE I NSPIRATIONAL O LYMPIC S TORIES
Escerpted from Jeremy Homan, Buisness Development Manager, GoStrive “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Olympic creed Olympic athletes inspire us to be great, to never give up, and to be selfless and humble. Here are a few inspiring examples of dedication and sportsmanship from the Sochi games. Sacrificing the Olympic Dream—Tracy Barnes gave up her chance to compete in Sochi to allow her twin sister Lanny, who had lost her chance through illness, to take her place in America’s biathlon team. When asked what she would do if she won a medal, Lanny said, “I would not think twice about it. If it happens, I will give it to Tracy.”
Cool Runnings 2—For the first time since 2002, the Jamaican Bobsled team qualified for the Olympics. They overcame lack of funding by raising $130,000 using methods like Crowdtilt and Dogecoin. The team even has their own slogan: Every underdog needs a sequel. The Lone Filipino Winter Olympian—17-year-old figure skater Michael Christian Martinez was the sole representative of the Philippines and had the opportunity to win the country’s first winter medal ever. In order to qualify, Michael had to overcome asthma and a series of injuries. Norwegian biathlete medals in 6th Olympics—40-year-old Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has been called “the greatest Olympic athlete you’ve never hear of.” He entered Sochi with 11 Olympic medals to his name and won the gold medal in the Men’s Sprint.
N ANAIMO 9
TO
5
A Newsletter for Office Professionals N ANAIMO C HAPTER
P RESIDENT ’ S M ESSAGE Whew! What an exhilarating couple of weeks the Olympic Games provided us! I won’t say I was glued to the TV, but I certainly spent more time in front of it than I usually do. At the risk of sounding trite or maudlin, as I was trying to come up with a theme for this month’s President’s Message, I couldn’t help but make comparisons between various aspects of the Games to IAAP:
In his closing speech, Thomas Bach, IOC President, said, “There is no higher compliment than to say on behalf of all of the participants: These were the athletes’ games.” Comparatively, IAAP is the members’ association. The success, the accomplishments, the enjoyment, the hard work—all of this is from the members. There are organizers (HQ staff), coaches (executive at all levels—people who have “been there” themselves) and athletes (the members) who share “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
Sometimes making that l-i-i-i-tle more effort makes the difference between a winning performance and second place. How many of you saw the cross-country and biathlon skiers stretch to get the tip of their ski over the finish line a hundredth of a second ahead of the frontrunner? When we’re overwhelmed with work, family and other commitments, it’s hard to find time for our IAAP commitments. But if we put that one extra little push into it, it can make a huge difference in the success of the Chapter.
Did you see the size of those bobsledders? Extra weight makes all the difference in the momentum achieved to get around those treacherous curves cleanly and safely. “Bulking up” our membership is also the best way to make a strong IAAP Chapter. It spreads the work out, provides opportunity to take on more projects and more learning opportunities, without putting too much strain on too few members.
How about the “Browning’s Best” segments? Former Olympic skater and commentator Kirk Browning highlighted various aspects of competitive skating. One thing he said that stuck with me was that in giving a performance your best, you have to leave the falls and mistakes behind and move on in your performance. That’s not to say you don’t review the tape after and learn from your mistakes, but what’s done is done and you immediately move forward to ensure the rest of your performance is award-winning. So it is with IAAP’s experiential learning. IAAP provides you with the tools to train you for an “award-winning performance.” We hope you will strive to do your best and we will help you move on to bigger and better things.
Have you read your OfficePro Express yet? It ties into my theme beautifully with “Become an Attitude Athlete: The 9 Essential Habits of Mentally Strong People.” Michelle Connolly, CAP-OM
M ARCH 2014 N ANAIMO C HAPTER E XECUTIVE 2013 / 2014 President: Michelle Connolly CAPOM Treasurer: Raquel Parris Secretary: Carol Harrison, CAPOM COMMITTEE CHAIRS Education /Website: Jolene Mackinnon Meeting Coordinator: Michelle Connolly CAP-OM Publicity/Flyer: Katharine Lamoureux Ways & Means: Heather Cooper Membership: Trixie Neufeld Admin Professionals Week: Raquel Parris NEXT MEETING: March 12, 2014 Effective Work Search & Career Planning Presenter: Alexis Beaubier, VIU Campus Career Centre Location: Longwood Brewpub Brewers Dining Room 5775 Turner Road, Nanaimo
CHECK OUT OUR SITE:
WEB-
www.iaap-nanaimo.org
P P AGE AGE 2 2
F ROM
N ANAIMO 9 THE
TO
5
A CTIVE F ILE : IAAP N ANAIMO C HAPTER
B EER & B URGER F UNDRAISER Date: Saturday, March 8th, 2014, 5:30—8:00 PM Location: Old City Station Pub, 150 Skinner Street, Nanaimo Tickets: $15 per person Menu: Your choice of beef, chicken or veggie burger; choice of salad or fries; choice of beer, wine or pop If you haven’t received your tickets to sell yet, let me know immediately and I will ensure you receive them. There will be a prize for the person who sells the most tickets. I will be contacting you on Thursday to find out your numbers so I can let the pub know. This is where I’m asking you to stretch that extra bit to get attendance numbers up to ensure our silent auction is successful. Silent auction items are also welcomed. So far, I know for sure we have a limited edition print; hand-made jewellery; a hockey jersey; a mini cooler; a convertible purse/tote; a lift of lumber; a Forestry Museum gift card; and 2 restaurant gift cards. We’ll need a lot more than that to raise sufficient funds for our scholarships. I’ll be on site at about 4:45 for set-up. If you’re bringing auction items, it would be appreciated if you could arrive before 5:30 so the items can receive proper viewing and we’re not re-adjusting our set-up mid-event. Other fund-raising activities will include a 50/50 draw and a raffled scratch & win ticket board. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
C ANADA D IVISIONS C ONFERENCE I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters the wealth of professional growth, training, leadership development and networking is available through participation in the Canada Divisions Conference (and EFAM, of course). CDC 2014 will be held May 29-31 in Charlottetown, PEI. Registration is now open at http://www.iaap-centralcanada.org/ meetingsevents/canadadistrictconference (sorry, I couldn’t get the hyperlink insert to work). If you need some prodding, look at the latest IAAP E-Newsletter—Connections. Under Perspectives, click onto “The Value of IAAP” blog entry by James Edgar, CAP-OM.
N ANAIMO 9
P AGE 3
TO
5
SOME INSPIRATIONAL STORIES FROM THE 2014 SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS These moments are, in and of themselves, truly inspirational. But given the theme of this month’s newsletter, how do you apply these messages to your everyday life or to your IAAP work? I can think of several! Editor February 12, 2014 10:57 pm· Watching the best-of-the-best compete for gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is inspirational. But beyond the performance of the athletes, there have already been many other inspirational moments at these Olympics.
Helping a fellow athlete Cross-country skiier, Anton Gafarov. Image: Cephas
Russian cross-country skier Anton Gafarov fell and broke his ski during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals. In true Olympic spirit, he tried to keep going, knowing that although he no longer had any chance of winning, he needed to finish the race he had started. However, his ski was broken in half. He would end up limping across the finish line in front of the world, not to mention his fellow Russians who were cheering from the sidelines. From out of nowhere, Canadian ski coach Justin Wadsworth ran down to the stricken athlete, carrying a spare ski. In seconds, he not only gave Gafarov the ski, but took the broken ski from him and snapped him into the borrowed one. Gafarov was able to finish the race with dignity. This event reminded many of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, when Canada’s Sara Renner broke a ski pole. A Norwegian coach gave her a new pole. Renner not only finished the race, but took silver with her teammate Beckie Scott. Eight thousand cans of maple syrup were sent to the Norwegian embassy as a Canadian thank-you to the coach.
Incredible gift from a teammate Speed skater, Gilmore Junio. Image: Canadian Olympic Committee Canadian speed skater Gilmore Junio gave an incredible gift to his teammate, Denny Morrison, this week. When Morrison fell and failed to qualify for the 1000-metre event, Junio gave Morrison his spot in the race. Junio said Morrison had a better chance of winning a medal than he did, so it was in the team’s best interests to let Morrison race. After years of working towards a spot in an Olympic race, it is overwhelmingly generous to allow someone else to take your spot in a race. Morrison didn’t disappoint. He won a silver medal for Team Canada. Now, Canadians are rallying behind Gilmore Junio, saying that he showed true Olympic spirit through his unselfish gift. They say he deserves the honour of carrying the Olympic flag for the team during the closing ceremonies. We will see if Team Canada’s officials agree. [Sorry, they went with the two-time gold-winning two-women bobsled team]
N ANAIMO 9
P AGE 4
TO
5
Cont’d…
Family support The Dufour-Lapointe Sisters. Image: Canadian Olympic Committee No athlete gets to the podium alone. They have their family, coaches and friends to thank for supporting them along the journey. In the case of the three Dufour-Lapointe sisters who all competed in the moguls event this year (with sisters Justine and Chloe winning gold and silver), they have relied on the support of their parents. Their mother, Johane, for instance, holds three academic degrees. However, rather than working outside the home, she chose to stay home and raise her daughters–now Olympians. And many people are inspired by Canadian skier Alex Bilodeau, who won the gold in moguls this year–his second gold in two Olympics. He said he is greatly inspired by his older brother, Frederic, who has cerebral palsy. He said his brother can’t reach most of his dreams, so he feels inspired to do his best to achieve whatever he can for himself–and for his brother. The two are often photographed before and after races, each supporting the other. Author: Joyce Grant Joyce Grant is a freelance journalist and editor. She is the owner of Writing Ink and produces a non-profit children's literacy blog, Getting Kids Reading (www.gkreading.com).
M ORE I NSPIRATIONAL O LYMPIC S TORIES
Escerpted from Jeremy Homan, Buisness Development Manager, GoStrive “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Olympic creed Olympic athletes inspire us to be great, to never give up, and to be selfless and humble. Here are a few inspiring examples of dedication and sportsmanship from the Sochi games. Sacrificing the Olympic Dream—Tracy Barnes gave up her chance to compete in Sochi to allow her twin sister Lanny, who had lost her chance through illness, to take her place in America’s biathlon team. When asked what she would do if she won a medal, Lanny said, “I would not think twice about it. If it happens, I will give it to Tracy.”
Cool Runnings 2—For the first time since 2002, the Jamaican Bobsled team qualified for the Olympics. They overcame lack of funding by raising $130,000 using methods like Crowdtilt and Dogecoin. The team even has their own slogan: Every underdog needs a sequel. The Lone Filipino Winter Olympian—17-year-old figure skater Michael Christian Martinez was the sole representative of the Philippines and had the opportunity to win the country’s first winter medal ever. In order to qualify, Michael had to overcome asthma and a series of injuries. Norwegian biathlete medals in 6th Olympics—40-year-old Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has been called “the greatest Olympic athlete you’ve never hear of.” He entered Sochi with 11 Olympic medals to his name and won the gold medal in the Men’s Sprint.
