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By Ken & Rita Moffitt • GWRRA 2008-2009 International Couple of the YearOkay, let’s get back to basics.Remember this phrase? The facts,ma’am, just the facts. Well that’sexactly what we’re going to give you nowabout GWRRA’s Couple of the Year Programbecause there appears to be some misconceptionsabout the program.Chapter LevelLet’s start at the Chapter Level. TheChapter Couple of the Year is an honor, anaward. It is a way to say “Thank you for beingan outstanding Member and doing all that youdo for the Chapter”.That is all! You don’t haveto travel, take on extra duties, dressdifferent, or anything else. You havebeen honored for what you arealready doing and who you alreadyare. All you have to do is keep onbeing you! That is all! To quote theCouple of the Year Manual:“At the Chapter Level, being selecteda Chapter Couple of the Year is anhonor bestowed on a deserving Couplewho has shown dedication and commitmentto their Chapter. Being selected asChapter Couple of the Year is just likebeing presented an award.”Continuing on and representingyour Chapter at District Level in theDistrict Selection process is a choice.Obviously, we would like for allCouples to participate. I believe thatif you were to ask any Couple that has participated,they will tell you that it was an experiencethat they will cherish for a lifetime.However, if you choose not to participate, itdoes not make you any less special.We are stillproud of you and GWRRA is fortunate tohave you as a Member.District LevelIf you do choose to continue on to theDistrict Level, let me again quote the manual:“The responsibility comes if and when aCouple chooses to participate in the DistrictCouple of the Year Selection process. Being selectedas District, Region or International Couple ofthe Year brings with it the expectation that theCouple will represent the Association asAmbassadors and spokespersons, with particularemphasis on “spreading-the-word” outside theAssociation. Additionally, when a Couple participatesin the selection process at the District Level,they make a commitment, should they be selectedKen & Rita pose for theirRegion Couple of the Yearphoto at Wing Ding 30,before the InternationalCouple of the YearSelection was made.Ken & Rita are congratulatedonstage immediately after theannouncement that they werechosen as GWRRA’s 2008-2009International Couple of the Year.there, to participate at the Region Level, and then,if chosen again, at Wing Ding for the InternationalSelection.The Couple must realize that, if chosenat the District Level, this could lead to a four-yearcommitment.”Region and International LevelHaving said this, I want to emphasize somethingelse. Couples chosen at the DistrictLevel will be expected to participate in theRegion Selection. The Region Couples will beexpected to participate at Wing Ding. That iswhat is expected, whatever else you do is totallyup to you. It doesn’t matter what the lastDistrict or Region Couple did. Everyone is different.The real key is to do as much as you canbut still keep it fun—with the emphasis onFUN! Keep within your budget. If the lastCouple traveled to 40 Chapters and you canonly travel to 10, you are still just as much aCouple of the Year as they were—their circumstancesjust may have been different.How You Can Assist This ProgramWhat we are saying here is that we hopeeveryone will embrace this program and theopportunity to be a part of it. Push it in yourChapters. Honor those special Members whoare so vital to your Chapter.Don’t stop there, though. Make them feelspecial. They have been selected as yourCouple of the Year for a reason. They are anasset to your Chapter. Most likely, they are thecore of enthusiasm and vitality for yourChapter.However, don’t make them feelspecial just for one day. They areyour Chapter Couple for 12months, so make them feel specialfor 12 months. Introduce them at allyour functions, put their picture inyour newsletter and on your website,let them in free at yourChapter functions, and do anythingelse that you can think of to makethem feel as special as they are.Theydeserve it, and it will make otherCouples want to be your nextCouple of the Year.Our Own Experience, andMoreRita and I feel that the ChapterCouple of the Year is the highesthonor that you can receive in GWRRA. Don’tlet your special couples miss out on it by notdoing this in your Chapter. I’m sure that coupledoesn’t do all they do specifically for anaward. But everyone still likes a pat on theback and to know they are appreciated.If you are unsure about the program, go tothe national website (www.gwrra.org) andclick on “Couple of the Year”. On that page,you will find links to Power PointPresentations, the Couple of the Year Manual,and several other informative links.Rita and I are going to spend this yearembellishing this program. What we haveexperienced through this program—thefriends we have made, the people we’ve met,the fun we’ve had—is absolutely priceless.They are all memories we hold in our heartsand will carry with us forever.Hopefully you—or someone in yourChapter—will get the chance to experiencethese kinds of memories as well! ●30 Wing World