President's Report
by WASFAA President Addalou Davis, McGeorge School of Law

Well, the gavel was passed and tag - I'm it!
My alarm didn't go off the morning of the final conference breakfast. I woke with a start, said some kinda naughty words, and got down to the ballroom in double time. What a way to start the year! Then, as I looked out and saw all the weary faces with their glazed eyes, I realized that the speech I had written was going to be more than the faithful-to-the-end could stand. It got cut to the bare bones. There were smiling faces instead of yawns out there.

What a sendoff Doug got. The San Jose Conference was another "one of the best." The topics were timely, the entertainment was the BEST EVER!!!! (I loved Tina!!!) The weather was wonderful. Doug's stories about Shorty were hysterical. It will be difficult to follow his footsteps - you are also one of the best, Doug.

There was one incident - one of the moderators flaked out- I won't say her name, but her initials are Addalou Davis. It seems that the conference committee thought it would be fun to have me introduce the roller-skating speaker (Dr. Lapinski) with me on roller skates as well. I practiced for the job and was ready until I realized that I was going to have to roller skate on the dance floor - not a rug. I ran to the session and asked Mike McCallum if he could do double-duty as speaker and moderator so I could go practice. He said he would just love to tell people that I flaked out. When I was practicing, one (older) waiter kept shaking his head and asking me "why are they making you do this? You are going to kill yourself!" So Toni DuBois asked me if I wanted James and John to escort me - I said "Yes, and Matthew, Mark and Luke wouldn't hurt either." James held me up and even let me whirl around - what fun!!!!!

That afternoon, the 2001-2002 Executive Council and Committee Chairs met to get the year started off. It is great that everyone is so enthusiastic, willing to go to work, relaxed and cheerful. And it is great meeting, wonderful people. One of the reasons I have always appreciated WASFAA is the casual, friendly and relaxed tone of the meetings and the conference. WASFAA is a perfect example of financial aid "people." We work hard, we spend our play time talking shop, but we do know how to have fun. And we are some of the friendliest people in the world.

I'm looking forward to this new year as the committees get started on their work, the state conferences are being planned and Barb Alm and Brenda Reeser prepare to make the Idaho Conference THE VERY BEST EVER!!!! So, roll up your sleeves and get all your work done this year so you can get to Idaho in April, 2002.