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MIDYEAR MEETING RECAP – ONTARIO, CA APRIL 19-22, 2007
The Red Hat Society doesn't have anything on Legal Secretaries International! Forty-two secretaries from fifteen states plus a delightful young lady from Russia, descended upon Ontario, California's Marriott Airport Hotel for the last Midyear Meeting of Legal Secretaries International Inc. The theme was “Here's Your Hat, What's Your Hurry.” Shirley Vanderbeck and her team of California ladies did an excellent job. Those registrants taking advantage of the organized tour ventured southward to Temecula Valley where some chose to gamble at the Pechanga Resort & Casino while others chose to shop at the boutiques and antique stores in downtown Temecula. Wine tasting was also on the agenda for those who elected to shop Old Town! A few members ventured out on their own taking in sites in the Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Newport Beach areas. The restaurant in the hotel was closed to other guests on Thursday night to accommodate the Dutch Treat Dinner. As always, the seminar speakers were great. The first speaker on Friday, Jay Gallagher from McKenna, Long & Aldridge, LLP, spoke on Homeland Security. As most of us know, Shirley Vanderbeck is a certified parliamentarian, so it was no surprise that parliamentary procedure would be on the agenda. Chuck Nolan's presentation was entertaining and made parliamentary procedure seem easy. The Honorable Martha Bellinger, Pomona Superior Court Juvenile Department, spoke on the elimination of bias from the legal profession during lunch. Olga Fabrick and Sandra Baldonado (Shirley's boss) followed with a family law presentation. Our final seminar of the meeting was presented on Saturday morning by the Honorable Allison Daw, on the subject of immigration. The stuffed animals for our Leave a Legacy program were presented to the House of Ruth, a shelter for battered women and children. Legal Directories Publishing Company sponsored the Friday night Welcome Reception. President Sally Jarvis called the business meeting to order on Saturday. After the usual opening ceremonies and credentials reports, we got down to business with the Officers and Directors updating their written reports published in the official Meeting Program. Edwina Klemm and Teresa Brown, co-chairs for the 2007 Annual Meeting to be held at the Embassy Suites at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN, provided members with hotel brochures and an information packet containing the meeting menus, places to visit, and helpful Nashville websites. Since there is so much to do in Nashville, there will not be an organized tour. The hotel is within walking distance of Music Row and over 50 restaurants. The theme of the meeting is “In Tune with the Future.” Audrey Weir, Meeting Chair for the 2008 Annual Meeting in Hartford, CT, reported that Legal Professionals of Connecticut had secured the Hartford Hilton Hotel with the assistance of Sabrina Alexander of 21 st Century Group. The meeting dates are October 22 – 26, 2008. Two different organized tours are in the works; one to the Butterly Conservatory and Yankee Candle Shop in Old Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the other to the Mohegan Sun Casino. Tim Tolmachoff flew in from Hawaii to present information on MedChoice Plus, a medical discount program now available to our members. The card provides immediate savings on high quality health care including doctor visits, hospitals, prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, hearing, diabetic supplies and more. Members can sign up through our website. Could a new corporate sponsor be on the horizon? Alina Doskanova issued a special invitation from St. Petersburg Legal Secretaries to attend their conference in Russia in 2008 or 2009. Carol Wilson will do some research on travel agencies and report her findings in Nashville. The Saturday night banquet provided some delightful entertainment. Thanks to the generosity of Shirley's boss, Sandra Baldonado, we dined to the music of The Doo-Wop Allstars singing acappella. Much to our surprise, The Doo-Wop Allstars weren't the only group on the playbill. Marilyn McCabe-Kohler and the "Sizzlin Seniors," (ladies all over the age of 65) performed. The group consists of Susan Cashman (Ms. Senior Palm Desert 2006 and 1st runner up Ms. Senior California); Dr. Klyda Hill Mahoney (Ms. Senior California 2002 and 4th runner up Ms. Senior America); Margaret Brown (Ms. Senior Orange County 2004 and two-time World Champion in Country Dance); and Marilyn McCabe-Kohler. Marilyn is from Orange County and is a former legal secretary. She is now the California Director of the Ms. Senior Citizen Pageant. Put your boots on and get ready to do some boot-scootin' boogie in Nashville! Hope to see you there! Teresa Brown, PLS Director of Meetings
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