The Never-Ending Road from Good to Great

During this biennium, we have traveled the road from good to great. While this road does not have a destination, it has led this Association along an amazing path of many incredible milestones.

Renovation work at our headquarters in Independence, MO is complete . The Bridge-to-the-Future (Donor Wall) is a centerpiece reflecting the spirit of giving inherent in our members . The new member orientation program is offered quarterly . The use of the Education Toolbox and Education Exchange Program is flourishing . The new RP Credentialing Exam (RPCE) is in place creating a new class of Registered Parliamentarians . NAP University stands as a tribute to the investment NAP has in the merging of technology and educational offerings . Students can choose from a wide array of classes geared toward any learning level . Our 2023 Spring Training Conference was a huge success offering introductory and advanced classes in parliamentary procedure . Our new website is now a reality and looks and feels spectacular, I encourage you to spend some time exploring and enjoying the new look and feel . Finally, we have a new strategic plan that will guide us for the next five years as we continue the journey to greatness .

I want to thank all of you who have worked to move NAP along that road of good to great . Whether you have attended a program to advance your knowledge, presented a new class for your Unit, State Association, or NAP, served on a committee, technically hosted a meeting, or served as an officer at any level, your service to NAP has not gone unnoticed . Without you, NAP would never have been able to grow as it has since 2021 . I know everyone will join me in expressing our gratitude for your efforts .

As past president Darlene T . Allen said, “It begins where it ends . ” For my part, I will say just the opposite . It ends where it begins . It has been the greatest honor to have served as your President . Noted author Leonard I . Sweet has said, “The future is not something we enter, the future is something that we create”. We have strived to ensure that NAP stands as a shining beacon of what can be accomplished when members work together to advance our common goal—the goal of bringing parliamentary procedure to the world .

As acclaimed British actress Dame Maggie Smith said once, “There is no such thing as the end of a story, just a part where you leave it, and it’s your story now”. The responsibility of creating the next steps in our bright future belongs to you . I am excited to see what our next steps will be, and I will continue to join you in service and teaching to continue our shared journey from good to great . Together we will ensure that NAP remains the world leader in parliamentary procedure education and service . For some organizations the sky is the limit, for NAP there is no limit—reach for it!

Wanda M . Sims, PRP 2021-2023 NAP President