Dallas Chapter 2004 Round-Up

I thank you all for making our 2004 year a great success!

For those of you who were unable to attend our holiday event, the evening was filled with networking, eating, dancing, holiday music, fun holiday games, awards and Santa Claus!Yes, there is an AITP Dallas Santa! We topped off the evening by presenting our toy drive donations of a $2,000 check along with a box full of new toys to the Buckner Children's Home representative!

I also want to share a story our new chapter administrator, Kat Vickers, wrote and narrated during the holiday party about your president. Please see below to read it. The creative talent of our members continues to amaze me, and I am honored to have been recognized by this creative (and so true) piece.I have enjoyed working for such a great membership and board this past year, and thank you all for believing in me to lead our chapter again next year. In addition, I would like to sincerely thank the chapter for recognizing my husband, Skip, that evening with an award for all the dedication and support he gives AITP Dallas. It is because of his support that I am able to give the time and effort to our chapter.I appreciate him and am proud that you do, too.

As quoted by Anatole France, "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

This past year, we accomplished great things, for not only did we act, dream and plan, we believed! Our 2004 year successes are proof that this formula works.We held the 2005 planning session, our last meeting this year, on December 4.If you would like to get involved and participate in the growth of your chapter, please join us at future meetings. We will be planning even greater things for our 2005 successes!

Enjoy the upcoming Holidays!

AITP Dallas 2004

A HOLIDAY STORY

About Our President

Written & Narrated
by Kat Vickers
AITP Dallas Member

'Twas the night before the party
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
Except Deborah's mouse.

The badges were arranged
By name with care
In hopes that all members
Would soon be there.

Her husband was nestled
All snug in his bed,
While visions of happy members
Danced in Deborah's head.

With Deborah in her office
And never a nap
Skip was in the car
Reviewing the map.

While going out the door
There arose such a clatter
Deborah's phone started ringing
Vickie cried, "Did it all really matter?"

Away to the Escalade Deborah and Skip flew like a flash
Tore open the doors and threw in the stash.
When what to her widening eyes should appear,
But a call from Charlie, oh dear!

With her thought process, so lively and quick,
She thought for a moment
as her brain began to tick.

More rapid than eagles her orders they came,
She yelled, and shouted and called them by name

Call Ted, or Ray, and Chad, or Dan,
Try Derek, Kat, Marty, Bill if you can.

Let your fingers do the walking, just give them a call
Now call them, call them, call them all.

As Skip drove on like a wild hurricane flies
Deborah's stress levels this year had reached the skies.

So up to the hotel the escalators they flew,
Happy was Skip the year was through.

Then, in a twinkling, they heard from the group.
The gnashing and gnawing of each call was proof.
As she held out the phone, and was turning around
Skip yelled at the receiver and his chest he did pound.

His hair was flying, his suit was his best.
His home was a clutter with AITP mess.
A year he had lived with the meetings and such;
This AITP stuff was just too much.

His eyes were daggers, his temper, Oh very!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll mouth was drown down to his knees
His voice was a whisper,
Oh not again please.

The stump of his cig he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
His heart began to warm and his frown turned around,
He remembered his gal was the toast of the town.

He was tall and handsome, never an elf
And he loved what he saw in her, in spite of himself.
With a wink of his eye and a nod of his head,
Deborah soon knew she had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Brought in all the boxes, then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up to the bar he rose;

He lifted his glass and to his gal gave a kiss
And away she flew so she would not be missed.

But I heard him exclaim, as she ran out of sight,

"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO AITP,

AND TO AITP GOOD-NIGHT!"

A warm thank you to our President, Deborah Lovell, and her dedicated, patient husband, Skip, for our 2004 success and all they do for AITP Dallas.

The AITP Dallas Members