NAELA News August, 1999 - National Academy of Elder Law ...

NAELA News ● August 1999
President’s Message
(continued from page 3)
of year in which she has presided. Stuart
Zimring, NAELA’s 1999 Symposium
Chair, had also given inspiring remarks
about two cultural icons to whom he
looked for inspiration. But as I started
into my remarks, Stu, while trying to be
helpful, attempted to pour me a glass of
water, spilling it around the podium and
splashing it on me. I commented that Stu
had a rather creative way of getting the
hook. President Morgan then quipped
Calendar of Events
October 9-13, 1999
The National Guardianship Association’s
Annual Conference, “NGA Leading the
Way: Ethics in Guardianship, 2000 and
Beyond,” Chicago, IL at the Holiday
Inn City Center. Contact Jenifer
Mowery at (520) 881-6561, ext. 114 or
by e-mail at jmowery@mgmtplus.com.
October 21-24, 1999
National Association of Professional
Geriatric Care Managers’ Annual
Conference, “Re-Weaving the Fabric of
Care: New Teams, Options and
Partners,” U.S. Grant Hotel, San
Diego, CA. Contact Jenifer Mowery
(520) 881-8008, ext. 114 or e-mail
jmowery@mgmtplus.com.
November
National Family Caregivers Month. For
more information, contact NFCA (800)
896-3650 or visit www.nfcacares.org.
November 11-14, 1999
The National Academy of Elder Law
Attorneys’ 1999 Advanced Elder
Law Institute, “The Next Millennium
of Service: Sharpening the Cutting
Edge,” Hyatt Regency O’Hare,
Chicago, IL. Contact Jenifer
Mowery (520) 881-4005, ext. 114,
or e-mail jmowery@naela.com.
that I had only two minutes, whereupon
I turned to the group and declared, “If
your honor please, in summation…” I
followed with the following:
Been Thinking About It!
Beyond insomnia, deep in a crevasse
of the night, I’m hardly awake,
barely asleep. The soft, warm hues of
our children’s last nightlight stretch from
the hallway in cubist form, dancing surreal
with my night terrors across the bedroom
ceiling. Shouldn’t be, but here at
the beginning of February, 1999, I can’t
stop thinking about it. Been thinking
about it for months. It has crept into my
mental space since September. Now that
it’s February, I’m bordering on terrified,
afraid that I’m already late for it. So late
that there is no time to say hello,
goodbye. I’m late! I’m late! I’m late!
I know just what it is, when it
started, and who started it. It is that feeling
as the leader of NAELA that it all
goes so fast that there is no time to start,
that there is no time to finish. It started
in September. I was warned that it was
not too early to begin preparing NAELA
goals and objectives for 1999-2000, and
to identify those who should be invited
to accept committee, task force and SIG
chair appointments.
President Rebecca Morgan started
it. With her strengths in organization,
planning and foresight, Becky was experiencing
what so many past presidents
have shared with me is a real
struggle with the NAELA presidential
term. Becky, and Bill Overman before
her, and Ira Weisner, Dan Fish, Clifton
Kruse, Cindy Barrett and Vincent
Russo (those past presidents whom I’ve
been able to call and talk with about the
term of president) all mentioned that
much of their presidential terms were
gone before they started directing the
movement and direction of NAELA. The
ever exceptional teacher, Professor Morgan
took the opportunity to offer instruction
to this willing student. Although
the words “start now” settled in
the folder of my “things to do” memory
file, they actually sprouted seeds of torment
in my gut.
Almost dosed off. But just thinking
that I was about to sleep jolted me back
to it. I opened my eyes enough to rejoin
the surreal dance of images and night
terror, brought on by the tormenting gut
check. My night dance choreography
escalated to constant twisting, tossing
and turning. Anne, disturbed from her
restful sleep, asked what was the matter.
In response to my down played, understated
“can’t sleep,” Anne compassionately
offered advice, hoping that it
would at least return her, if not me, to
sleeping bliss.
My worry is more intense this night
than in December when I last struggled
through this surreal dance. Actually, I
had something to show for that night.
In the middle of that sleepless night, I
outlined the goals and objectives for
NAELA during my term as president. I
prepared the outline as a draft memo to
Becky Morgan, Judy Stein and Laury
Adsit. Now, in its final form, I share it
with all NAELA members.
For months, I contemplated goals
and objectives. My contemplation centered
on three areas: (1) Administrative
- NAELA’s organization and leadership;
(2) Practice Development - NAELA’s direction,
training and education of members
and elder law attorneys in ethics
that impact elder law; and (3) Substantive
Law - NAELA’s focus on the substantive
areas of capacity and guardianship.
Administrative -
NAELA’s Organization
and Leadership
The first area is the business and
organizational function of NAELA, identifying
as a goal improved transition and
transfer of leadership from one year to
the next. With assistance and support
from the NAELA Executive committee,
board, and management team, the objective
of this area is the planning of
continuous NAELA leadership education
and training.
To accomplish this goal, President
Morgan appointed the NAELA Leadership
Task Force, chaired by out-going
immediate past president William H.
Overman. The task force is undertaking
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