March/April 2010 issue of the Massage Message

Greeting FSMTA Members… Do something each day that makes you smile – You are worth it!  FSMTA values YOU and appreciates your continued support within your local Chapters by attending monthly meetings and participating at Chapter and State Events;  Legislative Awareness Days in March, Convention in July and Massage Therapy Awareness Week in October and much more. Consider volunteering on a chapter committee; volunteering is a big commitment and it can also be fun! Chapter participation offers excellent resources such as continuing education, networking, exchanging ideas and socializing with fellow therapists.

Chapter Elections for 10 of our 19 chapters have taken place during this first quarter. Each winner will serve a two year term 2010-2012.  A few other officer changes have been made mid-term, refer to the Newly Elected Officer page.  It has been a pleasure to see enthusiastic participation and we invite you to show your support by attending the chapter meetings in your area. Keep in touch with your Chapter Presidents to get the most out of your membership.

State Elections are also happening this year. Congratulations and Thanks to all State Officer Nominees; look for their individual statements in this issue. FSMTA is indeed fortunate to have keen, capable volunteers to stand for State office. Newly elected and re-elected State Officers will be installed during our 2010 Annual Convention. At that time, I will proudly pass the mantle of leadership to the new officers. The Term of office for State Officers begins the day after convention closes.

FSMTA Board of Directors Quarterly Meeting took place on January 30 & 31, 2010 in Orlando. Newly elected Chapter Officers joined the Board for a one day leadership training program created to define and explain the responsibilities of Chapter Presidents and Chapter Treasurers.   The next day your Board enjoyed a very productive meeting conducting association business.  The FSMTA finance committee will meet on March 6, 2010 at Central Office to prepare the 2010/2011 association budget. FSMTA remains in a positive financial position and our membership numbers have remained constant. We would like to see our membership start to grow in the next year. Invite your friends to join and help your association grow. The next FSMTA Quarterly Meeting will take place on April 10-11, 2010 at the Renaissance Orlando Airport Hotel.

Florida Board of Massage Therapy held a quarterly meeting on January 21-22, 2010 in Orlando. A “Board Beat” report will be published in the May/June issue of this magazine. Each January the BOMT elects a chair and vice chair of the Board. We are pleased to announce that Karen Ford was elected as Chair and Bridget Burke-Wammack was elected Vice Chair.   The next BOMT Quarterly meeting will take place April 29-30 in Tampa.

Next Event… You are invited to participate in Legislative  Awareness Days (LAD) March 23 & 24 2010.
Florida Legislative session convenes on March 2, 2010 and the last date of regular session is April 30, 2010. We continue to encourage you to get to know the legislators in your home districts. It does make a difference – if a bill comes before a legislator from your district – he or she will remember that you stopped by to say hello. For more information on how to get involved, contact Scott Hartsfield, State Legislative Chair at MassageJax [at] aol [dot] com
 
REALIZE YOUR POTENTIAL with FSMTA!
FSMTA Convention 2010 – Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
Mark your Calendars for July 7-11, 2010 and plan to attend. Register early to be sure you get the classes you want.  See you there!
Until next time…..smile and enjoy each day!
Maureen