Lots of Room to Grow

By Ralph Speer, Northwest Nazarene University, Far Western Regent

It was wonderful to meet many of you at the convention in St. Louis. I had a chance to meet with several of the sponsors while we were there and shared a few remarks that I hope can be helpful to all of us.

Basically, this is a good time for all of us to make many plans for next year. Here are some really important goals for each chapter in the Far West to keep in mind.

First of all, start planning now for next year’s convention. Push each other; encourage each other. No other honor society hosts a better convention. The very best thing you can do for yourself and your organization is to plan to be an active part of the convention in Pittsburgh.

Opportunities to present a paper or panel at a national level such as at the Sigma Tau Delta conventions are infrequent at best. Don’t be timid or procrastinate. Your group needs to be part of this convention. You need to be part of it. You owe it to your future.

Secondly, take a really good look at the many opportunities for scholarships and honors listed on the Sigma Tau Delta website. We have outstanding groups and individuals in our region. Unfortunately, too few of us take the time and initiative to promote ourselves. THAT IS HARDLY THE FRONTIER SPIRIT. The Far Western Region needs to promote itself better. You need to promote yourself better. Several chapters in the East, Midwest, and South have excellent websites that spell out exactly what needs to be done to be successful in Sigma Tau Delta competition for awards and scholarships. We need to pay attention.

Thirdly, we need to have some regional activities. I’m working on an event in conjunction with the Hemingway Symposium in Sun Valley, Idaho. The group at Dixie State is developing a proposal for a similar activity in their area of Utah.

I know that this leaves out vast areas of our region. I’d like to hear from our California groups. We now have more funding than we have ever had since I became a Regent, and I would be happy to ask for additional funding for activities that get us together during the fall months. That means that we would have to do some summer planning.

If you want to reach me during the summer, perhaps the best way is to email me at home: respeer@q.com. I occasionally check my office email during summers, but I check my personal email daily.