Sunday, August 20, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006 The occasion will be observed in next month. BOARDMAN — Yo-Mah-O Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals has chosen "60 Years of Excellence" as the theme for its 60th anniversary dinner to be held Sept. 6 at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center, 7440 South Ave. The event will begin with a 5:30 p.m. social hour followed by the buffet dinner at 6:30. The cost is $30, and reservations are required. For reservations or additional information about the celebration, call (330) 793-3316. In the beginning Yo-Mah-O, derived from Youngstown, Mahoning and Ohio, was organized in April 1946 as a chapter of the National Secretaries Association, which was changed to the Professional Secretaries International in 1981 then to International Association of Administrative Professionals in 1998. The chapter received its charter Sept. 6, 1946, with 64 members enrolled. Since then, membership has been consistently around 60 members. Of the chapter's 60 years, Dorothy Evers has been a member for 56 years and 20 others have been active in the organization for 30 or more years. The local chapter consists of individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and are dedicated to furthering their personal and professional growth in their chosen profession. Introduced in 1951 was a Certified Professional Secretary program and in 2001 a Certified Administrative Professional program. Currently 20 chapter members have passed the tests and are certified as CPS and/or CAP. Community service has always been a priority for the nonprofit organization, which supports such endeavors as Easter Seals Society, American Red Cross, the Society for the Blind, UNICEF, Girl Scouts, Salvation Army, Rescue Mission, Special Olympics and Relay for Life. Activities Chapter members held a dinner in 1947 to honor their bosses. The dinner has become an annual event known as Executive Night, at which one boss is singled out for recognition. In 1952, the last full week in April was designated nationally as Secretaries Week, and in 2000 the name of the observance was changed to Administrative Professionals Week. In 1965, Gertrude Bennett, who served as the first president of the chapter, and Lois Fink were hostesses for a dinner for all past presidents. The event has since become a semiannual tradition. An Ohio state meeting, co-hosted by the Warren Chapter in 1951, served as a pilot for the current Ohio Division annual meeting, which was attended by approximately 200 members from Ohio's 28 chapters in June in Dublin. Delegates from the local chapter have attended state, district and national conventions. The chapter has been represented at the annual International Convention and Education Forum held for affiliates throughout the world to plan educational workshops, and the Northeast Ohio Local Area Network meetings, which are held three times a year to discuss programs, fundraising and membership retention. The chapter has sponsored many fundraisers, including an annual card party and style show, arts and craft shows, rummage sales, tax stamp redemptions, a Victorian seminar, a Playhouse Theater Party and a reverse raffle. A portion of the funds raised at these events have provided scholarship awards for deserving students. Yo-Mah-O Chapter meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month and generally consist of networking, dinner, a business and/or informational speaker and a business session.