Greetings, it is with humility and a great honor for me to serve as your Chapter President again. I accept this position knowing that I can only do this with all of the members" support. I know I can count on that!

As I sat here thinking of what to say to excite and motivate us, I can"t help but think of the two national diasters that we are seeing and hearing about, 9/11 and Katrina. Hearing from other members of AORN who have been affected by the tragedy of the hurricane, I can"t help but think of how important it is for us nurses to network and help one another. Our chapter has decided to answer a call from fellow nurses in Louisiana who have been affected by this diaster. I received a letter fron National Board Member, Nathalie Walker with such a request. We will collect those items at our Septmember 27th meeting. Some of our vendors have extended their generosity and will assist with the shipping of these items. If you have items to contribute please get in touch with one of the officers and we will make arrangements to pick them up. More information is included in this newsletter.

Now more than ever, our local chapter needs to be strong and we can only be as strong as our membership is strong. I know everyone is working so hard and their time is so limited, but I want to encourage each one of you to attend as many of our meetings this year as possible and bring a friend. I promise that the meeting will be worth your time. Don"t forget, dinner is provided.
See you at the meeting,
Dianne Iley, RN, CNOR
President