Newsletter
January 2025

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Letter from the Dean

A new year brings new thoughts, and while considering how to greet the year with my ideas, Susan LaGrande submitted the following for my consideration. To me, it seems the perfect way to start January. Thank you, Susan!

Your Dean,

John Vanderlee

Setting Goals for the New Year

I think this is a tradition that many people observe by omission, or at least refer to with self-deprecating humor or even scorn. But I do think it is a good practice to think about what you want to accomplish or at least work on over the next twelve months.

Instead of “resolution”, I prefer the word goal, which connotes progress without emphasizing achievement. Of course we want to achieve our goals, but there may be many detours and obstacles to negotiate before we get there. Think of a hockey game. How often does a puck change direction before it lands safely in the net?In 2007 I began my own list of goals, and I wrote them down. Not just that, I made a mini poster out of them, with a fancy border and an eye-catching font. I posted this for myself where I could read it every morning. And, as my aspirations changed during the year, I also changed my goals poster. (Note that you can only effectively set goals for yourself, not anybody else.)

Doing so follows guidelines often offered to people who want to set goals for themselves. The popular acronym, “SMART “stands for the following attributes:

• Specific. Some people might start their goals with “Eat healthier.” That won’t help much on a day-to-day basis. Instead, say something like, “Restrict salt intake.” (That’s one of my current goals.)
• Measurable. So, if I restrict my salt intake, how much is okay? How do I to track it?
• Attainable. It’s impossible to exclude salt entirely, because sodium is present in nearly everything we eat or drink. For most people, less than 2,300 mg per day, or about 1 teaspoon of table salt, is recommended. I am better off taking in about half that much. 
• Realistic. Can I actually avoid salt? Not if I don’t change my habits. For example, my neighborhood’s water supply is extremely hard, so my family needs a water softener to prevent damage to plumbing fixtures and appliances. But that means the water from my faucet contains more salt than I can tolerate. So, I must invest in, and insist on, and travel with, bottled water. A pain in the neck? Yes. But worth it, if it helps me achieve my goal. 
• Time-bound. When will you start? When do you expect to see a measurable change? I’m guided the old adage, “Don’t just think it, ink it.” Therefore, I wrote down my goals, for a permanent record to refer to frequently.

I hope everyone will at least consider your own personal goals for 2025, and I wish you all a very happy and productive New Year!

Help Wanted!

• Edit and publish the monthly newsletter (time required: several hours, once a month)
• Maintain the chapter web site, particularly:
  - Calendar
  - Sub List
  - Teachers List
  - Position Openings
  (Each of these duties can be accomplished in less than an hour, at various times of the month.)
• Maintain membership records using the new AGO database. (Since this is a new system, there will be a learning curve. After a while the time required for this should be minimal.)
• Sending letters of welcome to new members. (Time required: minimal.)
• Maintain the chapter’s two Facebook pages, one public, the other private, including creating ads for certain chapter events. (This should get more attention than it currently receives.)

Check Your Contact Information

1. Visit AGOHQ’s web site. Click on the “Sign In” tab from the menu bar at the top of the page.
2. Even if you have previously had a username under the old system, you must now create an account with the new system. To do so, click on the “Create Account” link. Here you will enter your email address (not your old username) and create a new password (not your member number as listed on the mailing label for The American Organist magazine). If necessary, sign in with the new information.
3. The menu bar at the top of the page will now display the message “Hi, [your name]”. Click on this option. You will be directed to your personal record, which you can edit as needed.
4. If you have difficulty getting into your personal record, it may be because the email address in AGOHQ’s records is obsolete or otherwise incorrect. If you need help updating your email address or any other information in your personal record, please contact Susan LaGrande.

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