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Registrar's Message: Summertime Thoughts
Summertime. And the livin’ is easy. George Gershwin was right.
Summertime used to mean that life and work slowed down a bit. July and August were peak holiday time; there was a moratorium on meetings. No big announcements either, as the media took holidays too. You could count on some time to clean up some of those projects. And of course, you could take some time off to travel and spend time with family and friends. The world was a bit more relaxed, or at least that’s what I remember.
Nowadays things seem different. The world is tense. Economic instability, increased violence, and political unrest. Sometimes it makes you wonder what’s really going on. Is the world really that much different than it ever was? Or is this all just a by-product of the 24-hour news cycle and our addiction to social media?
Work continues at the same frenetic pace that was set in the Spring. I took some time off for vacation in June, and have been struggling to catch up ever since! The email flow is relentless and the meetings haven’t stopped for the summer. Now they are just more challenging to organize, as we all try to accommodate the vacation schedule. And now that it is August, we are ramping up for the Fall! The September Board meeting, our 125th anniversary conference and gala, NAPRA and Registrar meetings; inquiry panels and undoubtedly there will be unforeseen issues to deal with too.
Oh, and I’m also in the process of recruiting a new Deputy Registrar. That in and of itself is enough of a workload, but while we are searching, we still need to keep the work of the Deputy moving forward. In that vein, I want to thank Suzanne Solven for her years of dedicated service to the public, and Ashifa Keshavji for agreeing to serve as my acting Deputy during the recruiting process. It’s an important and tough job, but if you are at all curious about the opportunity, I’d be happy to chat with you about it!
Despite the fact that it may not feel as slow as the summertimes of years gone by, I have to say that we have a lot to appreciate and be thankful for. As we see the events transpiring in the US, UK and Europe, I feel safe, secure and lucky to be a Canadian! Even on my travels, I can confirm that Canadians still hold a great reputation as warm, friendly and compassionate people.
How’s your summer so far? I bet it feels as if it’s flown by already, but I hope that you are able to get some time for rest and relaxation. You deserve it!
Best,
- Registrar