President's Message
Let's have a great 2005!
By Shauna Goya
AAJA-Hawaii Chapter
President
Welcome fellow AAJA-Hawaii members! We would like to increase our
membership and get more members to participate in the many activities
we have. Please make an effort to attend a meeting, volunteer to help
at an event, or contact one of the officers or board members to let us
know how we could improve AAJA, and how we can serve you better.
(President's
message, August
2005)
Talk
about dedication. For 14 weeks, some board members gave up their Sunday
evenings to attend the basketball games in our second annual media
league. And we weren't there as spectators. We were kept busy taking
photos of all the games, passing out information on our organization,
trying to sell chapter T-shirts or promoting our next event. I
sometimes felt like a walking advertisement for AAJA.
But as in everything, there were rewards to this "job." As a non-sports
person, I'm proud to say I've learned how to keep score for a
basketball game, and it was actually fun despite the stress. I've made
some great new friends from the various teams. And best of all, many of
the teams are eager for the next season to start. I've heard many good
compliments about the league and have appreciated the heartfelt thanks
I've received from the players. I want to especially thank Yushing
Ting, who did an amazing job coordinating the league. It's tough to
keep on top of 11 teams while balancing her role as a player and league
staff member. Also, a big thank you to Daniel Chinen, who has put
countless hours into updating our Web site so players could see the
latest standings, scores and photos in a timely fashion. The basketball
links on our Web site have been seeing a record number of visits over
the past few months.
But now that the league, which has raised enough money to almost cover
one summer internship, is over, we can fully turn our attention to our
other chapter activities. Our second annual Sushi & Sake Night is
up next. We're also looking at a fall college night and a professional
development workshop combined with a membership drive.
As the months quickly pass and my terms nears its end, I've come to
realize how important it is to have a board whose members go beyond the
call of duty. It is my hope that next year we can recruit new members
who are willing to serve and help promote the mission of AAJA. There is
so much more the chapter can do with an active membership. Board
members with fresh ideas and the time to commit can help take the
organization to the next level and this is the kind of leadership we
need.
I look forward to seeing some of you at our upcoming events. Whether
you're here for social, professional or networking purposes, AAJA has
something for all.
Sincerely,
Shauna Goya
