Mister Secretary

It's been a cold and rainy day here in Charlotte. I can't believe that I'm going to say this, but I think I would prefer snow. There's something about cold rain that seeps into your bones in a way snow doesn't.

The Tapestry Conference is in full swing. We started with a breakfast that actually included a protein choice--a change from past conferences. Yes, we do read the evaluations after every conference.

The morning consisted of our first workshop sessions and the NAECED Annual Meeting. We elected three new board members to replace retiring members, and we elected new officers.

Here are the new Secretary and the new President:

Lisa Flores, who was my predecessor as Secretary is now our very capable President.  She and I already have an excellent working relationship. 

Here are incoming President Lisa Flores and outgoing President Debbi Rodahaffer:

Debbi has been a thoughtful and pastoral leader who has helped the board evolve and grow as we've navigated the waters of a growing and changing organization. Fortunately for us, Debbi still has a couple of years left of her board term, so she will continue to be a loving, outspoken, and treasured colleague on the board.

She gave each of the board members a small gift. When she handed me mine, she commented that a necklace probably wasn't the most appropriate gift for me. Along with the card in my bag was a Louisville Slugger hat (Debbie is from Louisville). Did I wear hats? Yes, Debbi, and this picture is for you:

It wasn't until much later, when I was rearranging things in my brief case, that I found another small package tucked inside the gift bag. It held a magnet that reads "Dream" and small set of black and silver Anglican Prayer beads.

Here is the 2011 NAECED Board:

Standing, L-R: Jenifer Gamber (Vice President), Lyle SmithGraybeal, Andrew Kellner, Lisa Flores (President), Kellee Wattenbarger (Conference Chair), Emily Given, Debbi Rodahaffer, Kathy Graham, and Vicki Garvey.
Sitting, L-R: Malinda Harris (retired; Board Advisor), Laurie Bailey (Treasurer), Cathy Ode(retired; Board Advisor), Wendy Barrie, Jeffri Harre (Secretary), and Lisa Kimball.
Missing: Julia McCray-Goldsmith (retired; Board Advisor).

I look forward to working with this great group of talented and knowledgeable folks during the coming year.

Because I needed my computer to take notes at the Annual Meeting and the afternoon board meeting, I used my new briefcase (a birthday present) to carry things around today.  It's a Lands' End Lighthouse Deluxe Briefcase.  I've used their canvas Square Rigger briefcases over the years and really loved them. On occasion I've even packed for a weekend trip in one.  However, if I end up with a job that requires more travel, I thought the Lighthouse Deluxe might be more practical. It has a lot of pockets, a detachable inner sleeve for a laptop, and a zipper that opens to provide a couple more inches of space. I'm still learning the best way to use all the pockets, and occasionally I end up hunting around for something because it's not where I thought it ought to be. I've had it less than a week, but this trip is proving to be a good test run. So far, I really like it. Thanks, Mom!

Conference sessions ended at 3:00 this afternoon.  The board met briefly before returning to the hotel.  Back at the hotel, I stopped at the Charter Tea sponsored by the Formation Team of the Episcopal Church Center to engage conference attendees in conversations about the Charter for Lifelong Formation. 

After the tea I caught up with one of the members of the Council for Lifelong Formation (formerly the Episcopal Council for Christian Education). She had a gift for me from the Council:  a large sketch book and a set of colored pencils.  They wanted to let me know how appreciative they are of my work with them and say goodbye.  I will miss these folks, but I'm sure our paths will cross as we all move into the next stages of work within the church.

I went out to dinner at one of the local brew houses with Krisan.  We had great conversation and a lot of laughter over a leisurely meal.  It was nice to catch up and see where our journeys are taking us.

Tomorrow is the last day of the conference.  We end with Eucharist followed by a box lunch.  I still have to pack, and there's more going back with me than there was coming down here.