Happy Holiday season to all.  Once again we are nearing the midway portion of the year and after the holiday break we enter the most valuable learning stretch of the year for our students.  Our conference is scheduled for early February and should prove once again to be a valuable learning opportunity for us in Student Assistance. 

               The conference committee under the direction of Doreen Consulmagno and Sharon Fleischman has been working diligently to acquire the best presenters and educational offerings they can find.  The coordination of an event such as this is a Herculean task and they should all be recognized and thanked for their hard work.

After this conference, we at ASAP-NJ will need to consider the future of our conference and decide its direction.  The economic uncertainty of the State, decisions by the DOE, and lack of an interested committee to run the conference may change the format or preclude its future.

While the conference is one of our most important events of the year, it is not our only focus that requires our attention and action.  In the new year, I believe it is important to work on three goals. The first is to establish ties and support for Student Assistance Coordinators in the State of New Jersey.  We need to get out of our office seats and network with like minded organizations such as MADD, SADD, The HERO Campaign, NJPN, NJ Anti Drug Coalition, Drugs Don’t Work in New Jersey, and any others you can think of to lead us in the direction of our third goal below.     

The second target is bolstering our membership base and increasing our numbers. Recently a State Senator told me the State always finds funds for important issues, and our issue is huge, but silent.  He explained that our numbers are viewed as small, even though the need for it so great, and the issues we deal with effect such large numbers of New Jerseyians. Our 300 plus members need to make an impression much as Leonidas and his 300 did; the difference being that we are left standing after the legislative battle and our numbers are greater.  Trenton needs to hear of us on a grand scale.   

We need a stir created to move forward with our third goal, the reissue of the SAC BILL in the next legislative session.  We have a possibility of assistance in the design of the bill from Bill Kane and the Law Center. We will send our thoughts to the center and their legislative committee will help us  to “tweak” the wording so as to have the best chance of passage we can hope for.  Trenton needs to see and hear from us on multiple fronts and in mass. In the new year we hope all SACs will take up the challenge to be heard in their schools, their districts, their counties and in Trenton. 

Happy Holidays and lets kick off the New Year recommitted to our profession and placing SACs in greater number in our schools.  Remember we are an instant gratification society and prevention is not as quickly satisfied. One dollar in prevention returns $7 to $9 in the future.  What a way to pay down the debt!         

Sincerely,