AMTA National Convention 2013 – It’s September Already?

Let’s Get in The Way Back Machine

A while back I wrote here about going to AMTA-Alabama Chapter Annual Convention where I was teaching a Facebook class. That all went very well and I’m not sure why I didn’t write a followup on it. There was a lot of news to share following that meeting and I probably meant to write, but life got in the way and well, here it is September and I’m just getting around to it.

The reason I’m finally getting around to letting you know what happened in May is because it affects September. So… here goes…

Way back in May at that AMTA-Alabama Chapter Annual Convention I ran for Board of Director’s Member at Large Position 1. I won unopposed (still surprised). For giggles I also threw my hat in the ring for a delegate position. There was no way I was going to get the delegate position because I am a newer volunteer and there are lots of others who have been around and doing way longer than I have. Well, shocker of all shockers, I won a delegate seat.

Delegate for what?

You may be thinking right about now, “Delegate for what?” Delegate to the AMTA National Convention in Ft. Worth, TX, next week, GULP!

Surely they’re not paying for us to show up and look pretty

I don’t know what I thought a delegate was to do. I ran mostly so I could learn what that part of the process was all about and get a (mostly) all-expense paid trip to AMTA National Convention.

I’ve already taken some online training and am doing my best to keep up with the Google Group for the House of Delegates, but I am drinking from the fire hose. Apparently a delegate’s job is to evaluate position statements and associated research brought forth by members then vote on the position statements to steer the position of the entire AMTA on the massage profession. Who knew it was going to be such an awesome undertaking?

So this week starts the final prep of paperwork and collecting AMTA-Alabama member votes for the different position statements and hoping that I’ve looked at all the right studies. I’m self-conscious about my research evaluation skills as I am pretty sure that Sociological Stats class I took in 1990 has been completely purged from my brain. The only thing I remember about that class is bell curves and a Chinese international student who got to pick her name (Stephanie) when she came to the U.S.

There is more Delegate training to be had when I arrive in Ft. Worth. I’ll be paying close attention as I really don’t want to mess this up.

Surprise! More Classes!

After the House of Delegates meetings are complete I’ll have an all-access pass to the convention. I plan on taking a class with the very well-known James Waslaski and an instructor I do not know for Thai Massage on the Table. I hope to come back with lots of new tools. I’ve been invited to a secret Ashi-sister party where something I’ve been wanting to try for a very long time might be available (this is a teaser 🙂 you’ll have to come back later to find out what it is if it actually pans out).

My goal after the convention is to actually update all you lovely readers on the happenings and highlights of AMTA National Convention 2013. I’ll probably have to sleep for a couple of days before anything will make sense. The schedule is somewhat INSANE! But I do want to get that done before next year’s convention rolls around because, yep, you guessed it, Delegate terms are for two years!

If you want to follow my trip to the convention, I’ll be posting over on the Harvest Moon Massage Therapy Facebook Page, the AMTA-Alabama Chapter Facebook Page, the AMTA-Alabama Facebook Group and if all goes well on Twitter @SharonB013 while I’m gone. If I have an extra moment I may figure out if it’s possible to do some mobile blogging as well.

♥

Harvest Moon Massage is Decatur, Alabama’s Exclusive Provider of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy!