October/November Issue 2021 |
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A Message from your President - Jim Dwyer |
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Love is in the air! Skål love that is, and it is alive and well! After almost two years of Zooms and Rings and other virtual events, Skål USA finally gathered in Chicago from September 10 -12 for our National Committee Meeting. Members from 26 U.S. clubs plus dignitaries from Canada and Mexico joined together at the Rosemont Hilton in Chicago to do business and share in the friendship that is uniquely Skål.
Friday evening, our group of 60 cruised Lake Michigan aboard City Cruises Odyssey. The weather was perfect, and the dining room lit up from the smiles of friends who had known each other for years or had just met. With the stunning Chicago skyline as a backdrop, we cruised for three hours. There were plenty of stories and lots of laughs. By the end, even the local patrons were joining in with our Skål toast!
Our National Committee meeting on Saturday started on a somber note as we held a moment of silence to the victims and families of 9/11. Our NCM lasted a couple of hours, and a highlight was the presentation for next years’ NASC in Orlando by V.P. Administration, Richard Scinta. We devoted the afternoon to two breakout sessions. One focused on Membership Retention and Development, and the other on our Digital Transformation and the importance of understanding and utilizing our skal.org and skalusa.org websites.
Saturday evening, we gathered at Carlucci’s Restaurant for another evening of stories, laughs, and even hugs! Members were meeting more new friends and sharing success stories. The Skål toast was formally presented in our three official languages, French, Spanish, and English, as well as informally in German, Italian, and Ukrainian. Although many of us had early morning departures, no one wanted to leave but promised we would all see each other at NASC next May.
Was the spontaneous lovefest the result of the pandemic? Partially maybe! But I’d like to think it was a word that we Skål members use exclusively, Amicale! There were speeches, and there were toasts, but someone said something that hit the mark. “It’s not so much the words you say but the feelings they convey.” We saw it! We heard it! We felt it! The only thing that was missing was you! Please join us in Orlando for NASC! |
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Harold Jenkins, President SI Chicago, host Club of the NCM presents a commemorative plate to Skål USA President Jim Dwyer, New Jersey. |
| ABOVE: SI Baltimore's Katie Doherty, Skål USA VP Finance Art Allis, Tucson and John Mavros from SI Orange Coast
BELOW: Carla Plaster-Camp from SI New Jersey brought along her granddaughter Hyacinth Coats |
| Skål USA VP PR & Communication Pam Davis, Hawaii; Junior Auditor Robert Lowell, New Jersey; and Deputy Auditor Karen Trevino, Arkansas. |
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NASC 2022 HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED - START PLANNING TODAY May 13 - 15th, 2022 |
Skål International Orlando is busy at work planning your 2022 NASC Congress in sunny Orlando, Florida. From May 13-15, 2022, “Fun In The Sun for you Orlando ‘22” gives Skålleagues from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and their families, the perfect opportunity to conduct business among friends, network, and discover (or re-discover) what makes Orlando and Central Florida world-famous for its hospitality and travel and tourism experiences.
Clubs booking the full congress and staying at the host hotel with a delegate attending NASC will receive a $500 credit for attending. For Early Bird savings register NOW! Put down a deposit and pay in full no later than November 30, 2021. |
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Website Update - We need your help! |
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Skål USA is hard at work building their new website, and we could use your help! For the page that lists all the USA Clubs, we need to put a photo of each location. For example, Skål New York, would their picture be the Statue of Liberty? Would Las Vegas be the strip? We are going to have to make that decision for each and every one of you.... or ... you could send us the image you would like people to see for your city. Looking for City pictures only, not people. If you would like to send us a signature image of your club's location or city, please email it to info@skalusa.org. |
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Our Skål USA Career Center Goes Live October 1st |
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Our new website may not be finished yet, but our new robust job board for Skal International USA membership is now live and available for you to find a job, post a job or fine-tune your skills in resume development or interview skills.
Appropriately named the Skål USA Career Center, developed by Naylor Association Solutions Inc., an organization that assists over 1,000 associations throughout the United States and the Skål USA Membership group. With its proprietary software, Naylor has been helping people secure jobs in their career paths and assisting companies in locating new employees. As part of Skål USA’s introduction, we are offering the core product to you at no charge. The center is easy to navigate, however, we have produced special videos to guide you through the site. You can view the video here.
Navigation Shortcuts to Career Center
For brief how-to videos to get up and going on our new Career Center, click here. |
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SPECIAL OFFER members welcome to post for FREE! |
| From October 1, 2021 through the end of the year (12/31/21), all SKÅL USA Members can post jobs for FREE on the SKÅL USA Career Center. To take advantage of this limited-time offer, please use promo code FREEPOST during checkout with each of your job postings |
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| Fundraiser Email Going Out in December |
Our first Fundraiser email went over so well, we were immediately asked by other Clubs to help them share the word as well, therefore, our next email blast will be at the beginning of December. If your Club is trying to raise money let us know so we can share the news on your behalf at info@skalusa.org. |
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Winter Executive Committee Meeting |
The Winter Executive Committee meeting will be held in North Little Rock, January 27th & 28th, 2022 in conjunction with Skål Arkansas 50th Anniversary event, Friday, January 28th. All Skålleagues are welcome to observe the Executive Committee meeting. The audit will precede the EC meetings on Wednesday the 26th. Events will be held at the Wyndham Riverfront Little Rock. |
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| Let's Get Social Together! |
Please help us cast a wider net to get the word out on your behalf. Is everyone in your Club following us on social media? We need everyone to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. The more people we get following - the better for all. Log on and get social with us! |
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New Member Webinar Oct.14 at 3 pm EST
Open to all New & Prospective Members of Skål USA. - What does it mean to be part of the 13,000 strong Travel & Tourism Skål International members from around the world?
- How can you make a difference in our tourism community?
- Life-Long Friendships. What does that mean to you?
- Be mentored, be a mentor. Real-time networking opportunities
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| Mark Your Calendars for December 9th |
This year Skål International has decided to hold their AGM virtually again. It is imperative representatives from every US Club have representation on this call.
Please mark your calendars for December 9th, 2021 at 11 p.m. EST. More information will be sent as it becomes available. |
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In Memorium We bid adieu to Skålleagues we have lost recently |
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| Rene Schiegg Skål NE Florida |
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Skål USA Journeys is the bi-monthly official publication of Skål International USA. A special edition will be sent out when there is breaking news to share. We want to share your news with SKÅL members across the country. If you have breaking news or Club news for the newsletter, please send them to info@SkalUSA.org. |
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Follow Us on Social Media!! Please click the links below |
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Skål USA Journeys & Lightning News Editor Pam Davis, Vice President PR and Communications, (808) 225-8229 |
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