Reflections on milestones: impetus for our future.

Milestones, such as the birth of a child/grandchild, wedding, anniversary, graduation, and other important days, provide wonderful opportunities for enriching our lives. These events are special opportunities for us to think of the past, savor the present, and look with enthusiasm toward the future. A major milestone in the organizational life of ACEI took place on October 17, 1998, in Olney, Maryland, when nearly 100 members of our ACEI family gathered at our new Headquarters facility for the Open House. Past Presidents Mary Louise Burger, Robert Gilstrap, A. Esther Morgan, and Verl Short reminisced about ACEI's history, as we all enjoyed a celebration beautifully prepared by Headquarters' staff. Perhaps the most important purpose of this celebration was the boost it gave us as we look toward a better future for ACEI - a future brighter than we could have imagined only a few years back.

During the lean years, we managed to continue supporting so many important programs, such as NCATE, publications, and conferences, while maintaining membership and expanding our Branches, both at home and abroad. While much has been accomplished, much remains to be done. We should not be content with past glory, but rather, we should focus on what might be. Our recent financial good fortune has placed us on the brink of moving our organization ahead with even more vigor than ever before. Yet, as I have tried somewhat unsuccessfully to convey in recent messages, we need YOUR ideas, YOUR connections, and YOUR support as we move toward the the 21st century.

In my last message, I proposed an "ACEI 21st Century Vision Think-Tank," and welcomed ideas via E-mail ([e-mail]), letter, or phone. Your Executive Board to thank the three members who took the time to share their ideas, I have been disappointed with the lack of response from the remaining 12,000 members. Your Executive Board is in place to represent you. If we do not hear from you, we cannot do our job of representation. If you have any ideas for bold, new initiatives for us to consider, or even just ideas for making us a stronger group, please share them with me, or any Board member. You could also bring these ideas to the conference. Our annual Open Forum is an especially productive vehicle for such sharing.

While on the topic of "bold" initiatives, I want to call your attention to the "International Symposium on Early Childhood Education for the 21st Century." This symposium, initiated by ACEI Past President Sue Wortham and National Committee of OMEP Past President and ACEI member Leah Adams, will take place in Zurich this summer. Its purpose is to develop minimum world standards for child care. The potential impact of this ACEI/OMEP-sponsored event is staggering, thanks to the vision and work of these two ACEI members. Your ideas are also important. If you have an idea that would make ACEI stronger for the 21st century, please share this vision. ACEI is YOUR organization. Help us claim an even brighter future.