Journey Forward, The

Montessori Life, Spring 2004 by Henderson, Amy

Success depends on self-confidence, on the awareness of one's own talents and of the many possibilities of their adaptation.

-Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence

The direction of the American Montessori Society has held steady through the collective efforts of many individuals. It has been a pleasure to serve as president of the board of directors over the past year. This experience has permitted me the opportunity to witness true dedication in action of the longtime volunteers who give of their time and expertise to AMS. The staff of AMS has also given tremendous support to the members. As we move toward year three of the strategic plan, we are in a position to review the accomplishments that have occurred and predict the challenges that lie ahead. Many of our goals are ambitious, taking time to unfold over the course of years. A very special thank you to our treasurer, Joyce Pariser, and to Carol Monroe, AMS vice president of finance and operations, for their work in helping AMS gain financial security, vis-a-vis the five-year plan. Additionally, thank you to my predecessor, past president Connie Murphy, who initiated the financial plan during her term, and provided constant such support during my own.

As you probably know, Eileen Roper Ast resigned her position as executive director of AMS. Eileen's contributions, particularly regarding the development of AMS's first long-term fundraising plan, the Centennial Campaign, will be remembered in the history of our organization. Marie M. Dugan is continuing the work of the Society as our interim executive director. Marie has long been a loyal supporter of AMS. In her many years as an AMS board member (six as president, and five as chair of the Heads Section), she garnered a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the constituents of the membership, the operations of the Society as a whole, and the management of the AMS office. She has chaired several AMS committees, including the Centennial Fund Committee (which she is now co-chairing with Marilyn Stewart), the Archives Committee, the Annual Fund, and the Founders Fund. She also served for four years as commissioner of the School Accreditation Commission. In addition, as head of Wilminglon Montessori School, Marie helped to develop Delaware's oldest and largest Montessori school from a one-class program into a 440-student school on a 25-acre campus. I am confident that AMS will equally benefit from her direction.

Meanwhile, the search for a permanent executive director has begun. Paulyne Holten-Sinder, Miami Montessori School and a past president of AMS has been appointed chair of the Executive Director Search Committee. Joining her on the committee are Joyce Pariser, Connie Murphy, and Linda Treasure, of Treasure Associates in Dayton, OH. The board looks forward to meeting with candidates for the executive director position in the fall. If you have a nominee for the position, please contact Paulyne at pholtensinder@miamimontessori.org.

In April, the National Conference blossomed along with the trees in Boston thanks to committee co-chairs Renee DuChainey-Farkes (Kingsley Montessori School) and William (Biff) Maier (LexingtonMontessori School). Local volunteers who helped on the committee include Gary Davidson, Marcia Gardere, Christina Gasbarro, Donna Milani Luther, Martha Monahan, Jeni Schmitt, Gail Suparich, and Annika Voynow, along with many other Montessorians in the Boston area. Speaker highlights included the Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambusch Lecturer for 2004, Mike Vance, as well as keynoters Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Dr. Mark Benno, Dr. Beth Hennessey, and Dr. Peggy McIntosh. Patrick Bassett, president of NAIS, was a featured speaker, and Kerry Ruef provided a spotlight address. Bretta Weiss Wolff was honored as the 2004 Living Legacy. It was announced that MECA-Seton's Celma Perry will be honored as the 2005 Living Legacy. Acknowledgements are in order to all the Boston-area schools for their thoughtful contributions to the attendee tote bags. Thank you, as well, to Princeton Center for Teacher Education for publishing the Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambusch Lecture brochures. Special thanks to Mimi Basso and the entire staff of the AMS office, who coordinated the event with the Boston Committee.

The Annual Meeting, which is held each year at our national conference, reviews the significant progress of AMS and provides an overall financial picture through the Annual Report. For members who did not got a copy of the report at the meeting, it is available on our website: www.amshq.org (Go to "The Society" to "Development" to "Current Annual Report.") A special thanks to Marcy Krever, AMS director of marketing and public relations, who was responsible for compiling this important report, as well as for producing the brochures for this year's conferences and symposia. Acknowledgements to Rose and Stephen Shabet, parents at West Side Montessori School, and to WSMS head Marlene Barron, for facilitating the publishing of the Annual Report.