Western District News

I’m pleased to write this first-ever “Western District News” story, which I hope will become a monthly occurrence. The Western District, consisting of the states of California, Nevada and Hawaii, has existed for many years, but we’ve not been in the habit of letting the District’s constituent societies know that we exist, and that your Vice President General is here to serve you. Having been elected at the July Congress to serve a one-year term as your VPG, I have appointed Past President John Ferris to serve as my Secretary. We hope to visit with many of your in the next year, while we also take steps to post meaningful information on our Western District website.

Importantly, our Society’s President General Allen Greenly has made clear to the VPG’s that the Society’s Strategic Plan is a top priority for all of our state societies to implement to the best of their abilities. John and I will therefore be taking active steps to work with the chapters on how best to achieve the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan at the local level. We also plan to coordinate on a regular basis with the Society’s Council of State Presidents, which is taking a lead role in implementing the Plan. There is much to be done, and there will be lots of change from how we’ve operated in the past, but I’m optimistic that if we apply ourselves, we can accomplish the mission we’ve been given.

As for upcoming events, please save the date for a Western District Zoom meeting, which will take place as part of the  California SAR’s Board of Managers business meeting on November 7. We hope to have this Zoom meeting include a “Candidates’ Forum,” at which candidates for our General Officer positions will be given a chance to present themselves to the membership. I will be sending out an agenda for that meeting approximately 3 weeks prior to the scheduled District meeting date, and we will also post the agenda on the District website. I invite everyone to join us!

Let me close by saying that I’m deeply honored to have been elected to the position of Vice President General for the Western District. My predecessor Jim Klingler is a hard act to follow (as are Brian Stephens and Derek Brown before him), but I promise to do my best to be available to you and to assist the state societies in our District to the best of my abilities. In the meantime, enjoy these last few weeks of summer, and get ready for a great America250 year ahead.