MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
MASCA loses a leader
J
ohn (Jack) Walsh, MASCA Life Trustee, has died at the age of 94. Jack was of the early founders of MASCA, serving two terms as its president. He also served as president and secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Guidance Association, and he was a delegate to the American Personnel and Guidance Association. Jack earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Boston University and spent a lifetime serving young people. The Duxbury Clipper wrote about Jack: He served as a physical fitness officer in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, attaining the rank of Captain. After the war, he taught and coached at several New England private schools until 1952 when he took a job at Melrose High School. Walsh was also a head football coach, track and baseball coach, but when his wife was diagnosed with severe emphysema, he had to minimize his time away from home. He finished his Master’s degree at Boston University and became a guidance counselor, then director of guidance and head counselor until his retirement. Walsh also spent more than twenty years directing various summer camps in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts accompanied and assisted by his wife and children. He retired from Melrose School System in 1981 but soon took another job spending the next ten years as an admissions counselor for Merrimack College. Following his second retirement he was a life coach to many, including those with Alpha1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, the genetic lung disease from which his late wife died in 1965, and with which three of his four children have been diagnosed. ■
VOL. 46, NO. 3
NOVEMBER 2009
The Essential Question: What is MASCA? By CHRISTINE EVANS MASCA President
O
ne of the things I enjoy most about serving as a leader in our professional association is the opportunity for conversations with school counselors from many different schools. Since taking on a leadership role in MASCA in July of 2008, I have been lucky enough to talk with school counselors from all over the country— in person, by phone, through e-mail, and via social media sites. The conversations range from answering simple questions and sharing resources and best practices to making referrals to programs for students. We talk about a variety of things that touch on our daily practice as professional school counselors, and I find all of it to be exciting and informative. During a conversation in a meeting last week, I had an “aha” moment. I realized that some things those of us on the Governing Board take for granted are not common knowledge and need to be explained. A perfect example of this is the answer to the question, “What is MASCA?” MASCA is the professional association for school counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and we are an affiliate group of ASCA, the national organization. We are made up of practicing school counselors, graduate student interns, counselor educators, school counseling administrators, and retired school counselors. My point is: MASCA is not a “they.” It is a “we.” And when we follow the ASCA tradition to speak with “one vision, one voice,” we are speaking for all professional school counselors. That is why we are involved in efforts such as promoting the MA Model Curriculum, development of curriculum frameworks, and advocacy efforts in public policy and gov-
CHRISTINE EVANS ernment relations. I remember hearing former Commissioner of Education David Driscoll speak at a MASCA conference several years ago. The point he made has stayed with me and still inspires me. He said that in the past, school counselors did not have a voice in influencing public policy and DOE initiatives that directly affect their daily practice. He also said that if we do not step up and speak out to define our roles in the schools, those who do not know or understand what we do will define our roles for us. MASCA’s effort in pushing for legislation, developing frameworks, and working for DESE endorsement of the MA Model stems from our conviction that the work we do in schools is essential to student success and no one is better equipped to speak to that than school counselors (that is, you and me, the “we” making up MASCA). If you are not satisfied with letting others outside our field tell us how to do our job, I urge you to become more involved in our professional association and our advocacy efforts. Contact me at cevans@ebps.net and I will gladly sign you up to work on the committee of your choice. There is plenty to do, and all are welcome! ■