OK folks, this is my third president's letter.  I'm not sure if you noticed yet, but I use this forum to let y'all know what's happening as well as make a call for action.  What's happening is that the January meeting had a killer turnout, and the February meeting beat that.  There were a lot of faces in the crowd that night that made me smile.  I might have been running around like a chicken, but I saw you, and I thank you for making the trip out to Lowe's Motor Speedway.

In the spirit of great momentum, let's do a bottom of the first quarter recap:

In January I wrote that we would follow our mission which is: COMMITTED TO BEING THE RECOGNIZED LEADERS IN THE REMODELING INDUSTRY.  We trust that by doing just that, we will bring more POWER and VALUE and SIGNIFICANCE to your membership in NARI.

Let's see how we are doing by breaking it down.

Committed
I have never seen a more focused, committed and energized group leading the charge.  Committee meetings, Board meetings, and Membership meeting attendances are soaring. Is it time for you to get more involved?

Recognized
We have launched an aggressive PR campaign.  Along with other media, this includes regular radio advertising, telling the public that we exist and to do business with you.  Additionally, we had roughly thirty NARI signs posted at members' booths at the recent Southern Spring Home & Garden Show.  This is up from the typical one NARI booth and countless volunteer hours.  Thanks to all who took the extra effort to show off the NARI sign for the benefit of everyone. Is it time for you to get more involved?

Leaders
Leaders give more, know more, teach more, and frankly, do more.  We are doing all of the above.  We are giving more by writing into the 2008 NARI budget a promise to charitable causes.  Events that raise money to fund the operation of NARI such as the golf tournament, are earmarked to give at minimum, ten percent of the proceeds directly to the NARI Jim Harkey Memorial Fund-the charitable arm of NARI.  That is where we will fund scholarships, and other benevolent community causes in the name of NARI.  We know more and teach more by attending CR classes, coming to mini-seminars, going to the membership meetings with our peers, to learn, help others and network.  We are doing more by being more.  We are people of sound, ethical business practices.  We stand for professional development through continuous education of our members and the public. Is it time for you to get more involved?

After sixty days, we have already moved great strides toward that January goal.  I can hardly wait to see what we will accomplish in the next sixty days!  You can help by getting involved.  Involved can be as simple as attending the next meeting.

In February, I asked you to share the vision with others.  You can do this by contacting someone you already know that shares our mission.  There would be no better time to expose that special someone to NARI than by inviting them to the next meeting on Thursday, March 27 at Crowne Plaza Uptown Hotel.  You and your guests may come to the March meeting at no charge, thanks to Professional Remodeler Magazine.  It will cost you some time, but as outlined above our pledge is to make it time well spent.

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