Annual Report
July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008

Submitted by: Kathy Armstrong, Chairperson

Board Meetings
The following meetings were held during the year.

Overall Goals

• Improve content of the Front and Center by providing a new feature, Spotlight on a Professional
• Continue marketing our new logo, mission statement, and updated website
• Increase participation in the Senior Lobby with Fred Corbett and Eileen McKenzie-Sullivan
• Offer a variety of group travel opportunities, with new destinations and more trips offered during the year
• Develop new and exciting fundraising opportunities for Senior Centers statewide and for the Association
• Increase total membership and increase member participation in the email group
• Offer a fantastic 2008 Conference

Year End Reports

Marketing Report—Allie Mason and Jen Robinson

FRONT & CENTER

• Spotlight Professional was implemented.
• Newsletter was published 3 times.  It contains our new look, logo, and a variety of content.  Content strives to inform the association of the board’s progress and updates.  It also highlights programs and professionals throughout the state, allowing an opportunity to share and “show off.”
• Future Front & Centers will contain a new section, “Capture the Moment”.  We will ask the association to submit photos of staff and seniors along with a short, fun caption.  As many photos’ as space will allow will be used.

WEBPAGE

• The website continues to be updated with our most current information.
• New features include; counter, many more photo’s have been added to the gallery, enhanced content in the legislative corner, and current and updated list of senior centers and links.

COLLEGE OUTREACH

• Mailings went to Western, WSU, Eastern, and Central with WSASC information, samples of the Front and Center and Conference information.
• A larger mailing will go out in the fall to include the list of colleges Vince provided.

DIRECTORY

• Using Membership’s updated database, a newly formatted directory has been created.  The directory will reflect our fresh new look.

Senior Lobby Report—Fred Corbett
I have been busy advocating for senior issues in Olympia: Senior Oral Health Pilot Project, increasing prevention saving costs and improving health, mobile home buyout programs, and family and caregiver support programs.  I am doing this as an Administrator of The Mason County Senior Activities Center, as a board member of the Senior Lobby, and as a member Washington State of Senior Centers.  The Washington state Legislature passed measures to protect seniors already in nursing homes. If the Adult Family Home decides not to accept Medicare as sole payment the facility must keep anyone presently living in a facility at the current payment level. This was not the case earlier this year. The Oral Health pilot program also passed, and I will speak about other legislation in my verbal report at this year’s conference.

NISC Report-- Antonia Kerney and Marietta Bobba, NISC Vice Chairperson
Senior Centers a main focus of 2008 NCOA/ASA Aging Conference

“Aging in America” was the theme for the 2008 NCOA/ASA Annual Aging Conference held this March in Washington D.C.  The conference had over 3500 attendees with over 25% of the conference goers representing senior centers across the country.

Maya Angelou was sensational as she mesmerized the audience with her stories of growing, living and aging in America. It was a wonderful way to start the Conference.

Over 41 senior center sessions and a full day intensive workshop titled NISC Cutting-Edge Strategies for Senior Centers: A Coming-of-Age Program were offered to often standing room only conference goers. Every year more and more fantastic sessions are being offered by our peers working in Senior Centers. Next year’s conference in Las Vegas should be sensational! You may want to present a best practice yourself.

Capitol Hill Day brought over 400 advocates from across the country to advocate for important legislation impacting seniors and caregivers. The Washington State coalition met with legislative aides from Senators Murray and Cantwell’s office as well as Representative Reichert’s office. The 9% in ’09 campaign was spearheaded asking for a 9% increase in funding for the Older American’s Act. Issue briefs on all the legislation is available on the NCOA website as well as an assortment of tools and prewritten letters for your use and senior center participants use with elected officials.

New members and delegates were inducted at the NISC annual meeting. From Washington State, Marietta Bobba was elected as 1 of 3 vice chairs of the Executive Committee, Patty Kinswa-Gaiser, the Cowlitz Tribe Elders Program Manager from Toledo, Washington was inducted as an at-large delegate and joined the Standards and Guidelines Committee. Antonia Kerney, Senior Program Director of the Greater Maple Valley Community Center continues as the Washington State delegate and a member of the Public Policy Committee.
Additionally the NCOA website offers a Healthy Aging Briefing Series featuring  topics presented by national experts that keep NCOA members from “reinventing the wheel” in their own senior health promotion and community education programming. The briefings combine a teleconference with an interactive Web presentation. Participation is easy. Just dial in on your telephone and log in using your computer. Upcoming sessions are available at the NCOA website by clicking on http://www.ncoa.org/ and then click on events.
Membership Report—Elizabeth Scheid and Julia White
WSASC had 104 members by May 2008, and 30 new members.  This year, several people helped phone previous members who had not renewed, and this approach was successful.

Fundraising Report-- Vince Guerrero and Jacob McGee

Seniors on the Beach 2008 Seaside, Oregon: Jacob McGee
This event/fundraiser went well this year.  Five Senior Centers; Auburn Senior Activity Center, East County Senior Center, Enumclaw Senior Activity Center, Renton Senior Activity Center, and Snohomish Senior Center participated for a total of 44 seniors and 5 staff.  Optional trips included a trip to Astoria, Cannon Beach, and Tillamook.  After expenses, Washington Association of Senior Centers stands to make $ 4014.66 in profit.  Discussions were had with this trip remaining a yearly outing but going to different beaches every year, perhaps Long Beach, WA for Seniors on the Beach 2009.

Waking up very early and staying up too late:              Tiring
Driving over 500 miles on twisty, bumpy roads:          Stressful
Worrying about and planning the details:                      Taxing
Allowing 50 people to be happy about their trip:         Priceless

Vince Guerrero
One of our goals was to work with business and corporations provide the WSASC with grant money and donations.  True North productions provided us with a $500 grant.   We hope to continue partnering with True North.
Another goal was to arrange multiple trips and tours throughout a one year period, rather than one big trip.  For example, we’ve had smaller trips, such as Coeur d’Alene and Columbia Gorge, rather than National Parks.
We’d like the Mariners games to continue as they are, with one section choice only.  The Mariners games have been successful so far and we expect the August games to go well.  The Coeur d’Alene trip’s revenue was only $455, as participation was low.  We do not have revenue amounts for the Gorge Trip or Ireland.  Future trips will include East Glacier National Park and Crater Lake.

Conference 2008-- Shawn Daly and Debbie Little
The 2008 Conference, “Deal or No Deal: Is it Time To Gamble?” was held at the Summit Inn at Snoqualmie Pass.  93 people registered for the Conference, and the Conference Chairs were happy about having 30 newcomers.  Thank you to the Conference Committee and all who made this Conference possible.

Treasurer’s Report—Lisa Garland

End of Year Annual Financial Treasurer’s Report

For the Accounting Period of (January – December 2007)

Current Financial Position of the WSASC Organization:            (as of April 29, 2008)\

1. Bank of America Checking Account ……………………….            $45,756.56     
2. Bank of America Savings Account ………………………..             $  3,024.96

TOTAL CASH ASSETS …………………………………………….       $48781.52

Annual Report for Year Ending 2007

Profit & Loss Statement for January – December 2007 shows a total net income of $996.47. Our Association budget gained $2621.17 and our Conference had a net loss of $1654.70.   The loss was due to higher than anticipated costs for Conference meals, transportation, entertainment, and printing.  The gain in the Association budget was primarily due to a higher than predicted income from Fundraising.
 
Balance Sheet Statement for January – December 2006

Current Assets:

1. Association Checking Account…………………………...               $(400.00)
2. Bank of America Checking Account …………………….                $28,050.94
3. Bank of America Savings Account ………………………               $3,021.92

TOTAL CASH ASSETS ……………………………………..                  $30,672.86

Fixed Assets:

1. Accumulated Depreciation …………………………………….       $(1,685)
2. Capital Equipment ……………………………………………..       $2,458.36

TOTAL FIXED ASSETS ……………………………………………       $773.36

TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY ………………………  $31,446.22

Overall Summary:
This year the board decided to provide for Marietta Bobba as a National Representative of NCOA.  Marietta Bobba is the Vice Chairperson of NISC and substituted for Antonia Kerney at the NCOA Conference because of a conflict in Antonia’s schedule.  Marietta has been able to provide excellent representation for the State of Washington and specifically for our Association.  We are very excited to have her as a Member and a Representative. The Board further decided to not pursue our WRPA affiliation.

Respectfully Submitted by:
Lisa Garland, Treasurer, WSASC

Message from the Chair —Kathy Armstrong

WSASC Members,

I have been honored to serve as this year’s Chairperson for the Association, and I am so proud to represent this group of hardworking professionals.   Senior Centers are fortunate to have such dedicated people, wearing many hats and juggling many responsibilities.  Not only are Senior Center professionals efficient and effective, but they also give the impression that there’s a reason to smile and laugh every day.  The Centers we represent are working miracles every day, improving the quality of life of older Americans. 

Thank you to all past and present Board members, who find the extra time and passion to give to the Association.   Thank you for the incredible opportunity to be a part of something so influential and helpful to our colleagues in the field.