LETTER FROM THE SECRETARIAT
Dear CLAH Members:
When I inherited the position of Executive Secretary from Ward Stavig in June 1998, I was pleased to find the CLAH office functioning smoothly. I thank Ward for facilitating my transition by providing kind assistance and friendly advice throughout the process.
I have learned that the administration of this organization, fortunately, will not rely on my limited management skills but those of Sandra Kruzel, a highly qualified and underpaid person with impressive experience managing large professional organizations like ours. With Sandy's expert assistance, I am certain that we can continue to refine and improve the management of CLAH and its many activities, from the timely publications of our newsletter to the organization of our annual conferences.
Sandy and I look forward to meeting CLAH members at our convention in January. We would like to make ourselves available to the membership to answer any questions or hear your comments about CLAH-related activities, including our luncheon. At selected hours during our four days in Washington, Sandy and I will staff a CLAH information desk near the AHA registration tables in the Marriott. Given our many duties during the convention, we will not be able to staff the table at all times. I thank Sharon Tune and the AHA for making this table available to us at no charge. The hours of the CLAH information table will be listed in your CLAH program. Please check the program and stop by for a visit.
The CLAH luncheon will be held in the OMNI Shoreham Hotel on Friday, January 8, from 12:15-1:45. Unfortunately, the cost of the luncheon will be $32.50 per person. We had hoped to find a restaurant within walking distance of the hotels that could accommodate 150 people at a lower price. With the assistance of Vincent Peloso, Georgette Dorn, and Barbara Tenenbaum, we explored several possibilities in the D.C. area, but to our dismay, it just was not possible to organize a luncheon under $30. We know it is a bit expensive, but we also know that the CLAH luncheon is often one of the highlights of the entire conference.
On a happier note, I am pleased to note that we have made substantial progress on a formal linkage with H-LATAM. I have already discovered the benefits of this relationship through my work with Jackie Kent, the moderator of H-LATAM. Jackie has facilitated the work of my office by establishing a distribution list for the members of the CLAH General Committee. CLAH will undoubtedly benefit from her expertise. It has been a pleasure to work with Jackie and to learn from her. I hope that CLAH will approve the constitutional amendments required to establish a formal relationship with H-LATAM.
With Jackie Kent's assistance, this newsletter will be posted on the web before it is printed and distributed by mail. We also hope to publish our membership directory on the web as well. We intend to make greater use of the CLAH website in the future, hoping that we may eventually reduce our costs by posting more of our newsletters, directories, and announcements on our website. Please visit our recently updated website at: http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~clah.
It has been a pleasure working with and getting to know Lyman Johnson, Susan Socolow, Jackie Kent, and Sandra Kruzel over the past three months. I look forward to working with them on what promises to be an exciting convention in January. With their help, I am sure that CLAH will continue to grow and prosper.
Paul Dosal
Executive Secretary
