March 2004 | Vol. 22/No. 3

Chapter News

Debbie Pirt, RVT FSVU, Chair, Chapters Committee

The Chapters' Committee is once again asking all chapters to donate a basket for the SVU Silent Auction to be held during the June Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, Last year our efforts raised $1,339.00 for the SVU Government Relation's Fund. It is my hope that this year we will have 100% participation from the chapters. Our first commitment of a basket came from Susan Maguire, president of the Northern New England Chapter. Please contact me at dpirt@yahoo.com if your chapter will be donating a basket for this year's Silent Auction. This really is a fun event and it benefits a worthwhile cause. At the Annual Conference SVU again will be presenting the Chapter Recognition Award to the outstanding affiliated chapter. In addition, we are requesting nominations be sent in for the Outstanding Chapter Individual Award. So if there is an unsung hero in your chapter, please nominate him/her for this award by sending an email to me.

It has been brought to my attention that there are still 11 chapters that have not yet paid their 2004 Chapter Dues to SVU. Dues are considered in arrears after January 31.

The SVU Board of Directors has recommended that all chapter presidents be added to the Chapters Committee. So it is my pleasure to welcome you all to this Committee. We will be formulating two surveys which will be sent to chapter presidents and committee members regarding 1) Funding for chapter presidents to attend the SVU Annual Conference, and 2) Projects this committee is working on so you can choose your area of interest. Input from chapter presidents is vital to make this a successful organization and to promote better communications.

This is the last e-Spectrum column for me as your Chapters Committee Chair. I am very pleased to announce that Shelly Burns, currently our Co-Chair, will become the new Chair. Shelly has worked hard and proved herself a valuable Co-Chair, so I know she will be wonderful in her new role. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Shelly, all the Chapters' Committee regional advisors, current and former chapter presidents, and members for all your support and hard work. I have been lucky to have met and worked with so many SVU members in this role and it has been my greatest pleasure to serve as this Committee's Chair. There is still much work to be done and the continued dedication and support of local chapters for SVU will only make our society stronger.

In closing, one of the things the Chapters' Committee has been pushing for is an interactive area on the SVU website where Chapter presidents would be able to communicate on-line. SVU Executive Director Steve Haracznak informed me he is exploring the possibility of setting up a Chapters listserv for the Chapters Presidents and Chapters Committee on the SVU website in the near future that should help improve communications tremendously.

North Jersey Vascular Association

Jeanette Flannery RVT, RDMS

Our annual spring meeting will be held on April 24, 2004 at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, NJ. The day will be dedicated to aortic endograft, visceral, and dialysis access scanning. Lecturers will include well-known technologists in the tri-state area. "Hands on" scanning will encompass most of the day. Machines from various manufacturers will be used for scanning so technologists can view the new and improved technologies available to them. CMEs have been applied for this meeting. Technologists from the newly formed New York chapter will be invited to attend. Brochures will be going out in early March. For more information contact vasmom@aol.com.