Proceedings of the Sixty-first Annual Meeting of the Northeastern ...

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PUBLIC RELATIONS
Brent Lackey
Activities during the year included writing NEWSS news articles that were forwarded for
publication in the WSSA and SWSS spring newsletters. Coordination was provided with all
Executive Committee members and other members for submitting articles and photos for the
NEWSS Newsletters. Newsletters were prepared and forwarded electronically for April, August,
and November. Working on website and other issues, we continue to progress on efforts to
support electronic communication with the membership. Electronic publishing of newsletters
and periodic communication with the membership has continued since August 2003. Electronic
copies of the annual Proceedings were made available for purchase beginning at the 2004
meeting and were also made available at the 2005 meeting. A newly constructed on-line
membership database, integrated within the new web site, will improve both accuracy and
functionality of member information. Website development has been slow and at times difficult
with the server, Host Depot. By mid-year we were finally able to edit site content which
facilitated faster and more efficient communication and website maintenance.
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Kathie Kalmowitz
Certification Credits: The states were contacted for the pesticide recertification points for the
specific state pesticide license. I have heard back from most states. I did receive a rejection
from New York and I have re-filed with them. At this time I do not know if my exception
additional letter and information will be accepted. Most all states now use electronic notification,
a few states require their own forms to be used and these I have received. I have also filed for
CCA (Certified Crop Advisor) accreditation from the Agronomy Society. I have not heard the
response yet but do not anticipate any problems with my application.
Other activities during the year which included education and outreach were as follows:
Aquatics Symposium: Early in the year GCSAA and Education coordinator Diana Kern were
contacted to ask if an aquatics symposium would be acceptable to GCSAA as an educational
opportunity for golf course superintendents. Following the program details and time segments
GCSAA was sent all the appropriate paperwork and the outreach activity received both 0.4
credits for our symposium and the Allied Partner logo from GCSAA. A flier was designed to
advertise the event, and GCSAA listed our activity on the education link of their website.
Outreach efforts began following the October Executive Committee meeting. All golf course
superintendent associations in New England and New York were contacted via phone calls and
emails. The following organizations agreed to place the Aquatic Symposium flier in their hard
copy newsletters or electronic newsletters and to place on their websites: Vermont GCSA,
Rhode Island GCSA, Northeastern GCSA, GCSA of New England, Maine GCSA, GCSA of
Cape Cod, Metropolitan GCSA (NY), and the Connecticut Association of GC Superintendents.
All Executive Secretaries for the associations that I spoke with were very supportive of getting
this educational opportunity advertised for their members. One association required 500 hard
copies of the flier and these were provided at no cost to the society.
General Session: Working with the Program Chair, names were solicited as potential keynote
speaker for the General Session. The desired speaker was identified from the leads supplied
and the Program Chair made the contacts to get the commitment and theme of the
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