Forging a better world.

ASAE recognizes associations' service to society.

Students in Arizona burst the myth of political apathy. Plastic surgeons transform a battered woman's face into a work of art. And attorneys fund the endeavors of South Carolina's teachers, shopkeepers, kids, and parents to "Silence the Violence" among their youth.

This world of service is not for the faint of heart. In their quest to serve, associations are daring organizations, and their volunteers daring people. They are people willing to challenge the status quo to offer a better quo - a quo of community, of strength, of humanity - and they'll put their time and talent on the line to prove it.

ASAE salutes these gallant associations in their quest. For they embody the bravest spirits of associations, joining together and forging a better world for everyone. Through its prestigious Associations Advance America Awards program, ASAE annually recognizes hundreds of associations for their contributions to education, standards-setting, research, and community service. Here are the crowns of 1995: the recipients of ASAE's 1995 Summit Awards.

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington, D.C., offers free consultation and surgery to repair the damaged facial features of victims of domestic violence. AAFPRS also works with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and its members shelters across the country to steer the emotional recovery of victims. Since the project began in August of 1994, AAFPRS has received more than 2,000 phone calls and has been praised in the pres for its work.

Through its National Traveler Safety Campaign, the American Hotel & Motel Association, Washington, D.C., has delivered more than 11 million Traveler Safety Tips cards to member properties and their guests. AH&MA expanded this two-year-old program to include new and diverse audiences. It joined with Meeting Professionals International to devise the Meeting Planner's Checklist for Lodging Security, an easy-to-use list of safety precautions for planners to consider when booking a meeting. For international visitors to the United States, AH&MA also created an eight-panel, pocket-sized version of Traveler Safety Tips that is printed in Spanish, Japanese, French, German, and Italian. These cards are distributed by hotels and at U.S. Travel & Tourism Administration offices in several countries.

The Arizona Students' Association, Tempe, launched SAVE (Students Are Voting Everywhere) as a three-pronged effort to establish Arizona university students as a voting bloc with clout in the state legislature. Through SAVE, ASA registers students to vote, educates them about candidates and issues through campus debates, and provides election information and free rides to and from the polls. ASA also hosts gubernatorial and federal office debates. Since ASA consistently has the latest information on candidates and issues, the faculty, students, administration, and local media routinely turn to ASA for information on campus electoral activism.

"Brothers Feeding Others" is a national food drive that teaches Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity members the value of service to others and commitment to one's community. The project joins undergraduate and alumni members in a single effort. The fraternity's goal was to donate more than 400,000 pounds of nonperishable foods. Last November, 174 chapters surpassed their goal by donating 423,300 pounds of food to food banks, missions, and community centers throughout the United States and Canada. The fraternity, based in Indianapolis, estimates that 8,800 members devoted 27,000 hours to the project.

Battling declining math scores nationwide, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Reston, Virginia, has begun the long process of setting standards for the teaching, learning, and assessment of mathematics. It is NCTM's vision to make math accessible to all students, regardless of race, culture, career choice, or academic ability. In 1989 NCTM released its first document, "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics," which set standards for mathematics content and evaluation. In 1991, it published the "Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics," and this year it has unveiled "Assessment Standards for School Mathematics." Since NCTM's effort began, nearly 50 states and the District of Columbia have redesigned their state math curricula to align with NCTM's standards. Test scores released by the Department of Education show that, overall, math scores have risen. Additionally, education leaders from other curriculum areas, such as the sciences, have turned to NCTM for leadership and guidance in setting standards for their disciplines.

The South Carolina Bar, Columbia, joined with Visions for Youth and state departments of Education, Juvenile Justice, and Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services to commence a statewide initiative to "Silence the Violence" among youth. The campaign provides communities with technical support and seed money to develop local anti-violence plans. High school students, educators, parents, and business and community leaders participated in six regional conferences, where they developed plans to reduce or eliminate violent behavior, reviewed successful anti-violence programs already in place, and received applications for Silence the Violence grants. Some $43,000 worth of student projects, funded through donations by the bar association and the state Department of Education, established drug and violence prevention activities, youth summits, and after-school mentoring programs.

Infant-immunization rates in the United States were lower than rates in many Third World countries. So, in 1993, Kiwanis International, Indianapolis, launched the "All Their Shots, While They're Tots" infant-immunization campaign to address the problem. Kiwanis galvanized its clubs across the country to raise public awareness of the need to immunize children by age two and to provide volunteer assistance to public agencies in administering the immunizations. Kiwanis members provided publicity and transportation and entertained children while the children waited to be immunized. With a goal of raising immunization to 90 percent by 2000, Kiwanis clubs have already increased the rate to 70 percent.

The American Toy Institute, Inc./Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc. and the American Foundation for the Blind, both of New York City, produced the first Guide to Toys for Children Who are Blind or Visually Impaired in November 1993. As part of a worldwide effort to educate the parents and caregivers of blind and visually impaired children, Japan, Britain, Sweden, and several other countries have published or are creating their own editions. ATI/TMA and AFB are now working on their third, 1995 edition, and will have distributed more than 180,000 copies by the time it arrives. The guide is distributed through ophthalmologists, optometrists, and pediatricians; hospitals; libraries; research centers; and schools for children with disabilities.

Experience with disaster has shown that people can experience emotional aftershocks as much as 6-18 months following a traumatic event. The mental health crisis and disaster-related stress due to the Midwest floods of 1993 caused the Community Mental Health Centers Association of Iowa, Inc., Des Moines, to establish an intervention program. The program provided 24-hour mental health evaluation services, organized respite care beds for people in crisis, provided stress management training to law enforcement officials, and educated the community regarding disaster responses. In the first nine months of the program, 1,815 people received emergency mental health evaluations. Seventy-three people received 248 days of respite care, and 492 educational sessions addressed 11,244 citizens on the issues common to disastrous events.

This year the Hyatt Regency Dallas received the distinguished Partners Award, presented to association-supplier companies for outstanding community service. The Texas hotel participates in the corporate F.O.R.C.E. project - Family for Responsible & Caring Employees. Hotel employees prepare and serve fresh meals once a month to 100 people at the North Texas Food Bank. Volunteering at the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center for young victims of physical and/or sexual abuse, Hyatt management staff answer phones, file documents, and comfort frightened children. In addition, the Hyatt Regency Dallas cleans and folds more than 600 pounds of laundry and provides a hot delicious meal for families once a month at the Ronald McDonald House.

For Full Story

In addition to these 10 Summit Award winners, 43 associations received an Award of Excellence, and 250 associations will be added to the Associations Advance America Honor Roll.

To receive a complete list of this year's winners or for information about entering next year's awards program, contact ASAE Public Relations, 1575 I St., N.W., Washington, DC 20005, Telephone: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail].

Judd M. Miller is public relations associate for ASAE.