A Great Meeting, Inc.

12/11/2018

Gown? check. Hood? Check. Velvet tam and tassel? Check. USMC veteran stole? Check. Phi Kappa Phi medallion and cord? Check. All is ready.

On Saturday, December 15, I will receive a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from University of Maryland University College. It’s been four years of hard work, severe anxiety attacks, writing papers in hotel rooms, and wondering how I was going to get everything done. Through it all my friend Marie Wilson was there, editing papers, commiserating about professors and assignments, and keeping me going.

There were many challenges. I had to revisit algebra 47 years after my last math class, and ended up taking a statistics exam while still suffering the effects of a concussion from an auto accident. One memory I’ll cherish was the staff of the Pittsburgh Omni Hotel. The Internet signal in my room was poor and I had statistics homework to solve and upload. The engineer who came to check the problem got me another room to do my homework in. The hotel sent up dinner - and sent up dessert when I got the stats assignment submitted and went back to my room!

I have faced personal demons and anxiety attacks, and by choice kept this journey intensely personal, only sharing with a few special people. I maintained a 4.0 average, received and accepted an invitation into Phi Kappa Phi, and was a finalist to be the commencement speaker (alas, I was not chosen – my one “failure”). I’m proud of my accomplishment.

Saturday night friends and family will celebrate with me at the Dubliner Irish Pub in DC. I still can’t imagine what life will be like not having to do papers on holidays and weekends, but another project is in the works and I’ll share it when it’s ready. Till then, don’t forget that learning is a lifelong activity, and although sometimes things take a long time, let the journey begin. You won’t regret it.

09/07/2018

11/16/2017

I don't usually let people take my picture, but I'm so happy to have this one with Cathy Catrambone, the 2015-2017 president of Sigma Theta Tau, International - who did a GREAT job presiding over the house of delegates! And, this picture was taken by an excellent photographer in Indianapolis - Neil King. Thanks, Neil!

11/01/2017

My apologies to Snippet followers everywhere - we are a little late this month. Back to back great meetings in two different cities and time zones had me hopping! We're working to get it up as soon as we can.

07/05/2017

Our July Snippet: "Reconsider" is up (and those who get our snippet reminder emails already know this). But we also have a bonus this month! On the Downloads page there's an article I've been percolating for a while: "How to Tell if You've Been Traveling Too Much." It's all true - check it out at https://www.agreatmeeting.com/library/links-and-downloads/

The files on this page can be downloaded at no charge and are categorized as articles (information), tools (things you can use) and templates (things you can modify for your needs). Articles and tools are in pdf format and can be shared with friends or colleagues, but they must be printed in their e...

06/04/2017

The June snippet is up - it's called "The Unsimple Majority" and it's already getting lots of clicks, downloads, and compliments! You can get it at www.agreatmeeting.com - just click on the snippet scissors on the home page to find this month's snippet.

04/06/2017

You may have noticed a new picture on our page. It's to celebrate the successful launching of our new website! We've been up for a few weeks now and think we've found any nagging broken links, but if you find something please let us know right away!

We are especially excited about the launch of the newly organized snippet niche. Now you can search for snippets by number, title, or by keywords. As always, if you think of a snippet that you'd like to see, click on the contact button and let us know!

11/11/2016

It's time for the U.S. "every four year" call to get rid of the electoral college. We expected this before the election and wrote our latest snippet to explain plurality voting. You can get it at www.agreatmeeting.com/snippet. Also, get the facts about the electoral college, its purpose, and the protections for less populated sections of the country. Go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/ to learn about the electoral college. Be informed!

06/03/2016

The latest snippet is out, and we're getting lots of great reactions. It's called "Don't SAY That!" We highlight deadly phrases to avoid if you want to be effective in your meetings.

These phrases have crept into meetings and taken root like the nasty little weeds they are. We offer these alternatives to help you cultivate your verbal garden for a rich harvest of communication. Happy Spring!

04/19/2016

So much talk about the Republican National Convention possibly using Robert's Rules instead of the U.S. House of Representatives rules. Here's another good reason to make the switch. There's no app for the House rules, but anyone can learn to use Robert's Rules by getting our app: the Magic Gavel. And it's available for Android and Apple devices. See it at www.magicgavel.com, on the Apple Store, or at Google Play.