PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - June 2010

Greetings,

Hey, Ladies – it’s summer!  Time to work and play hard. As for the latter, don’t forget to add some fun back in your life.  To me, that sounds like playing in the 13th Annual CREW- St. Louis Annual Golf Tournament!  The tournament supports Safe Connections’ mission to provide safer communities for women and youth in the St Louis region.  Held at Forest Hills Country Club in a scramble format on Monday, June 21, this is an event that you shouldn’t – no, you can’t – miss. 

Don’t have a foursome?  No worries. Sign up as a single and get paired with other players. Lynn Goessling with Herzog Crebs and I are both playing as singles and would love to have you join one of us.  Not an experienced golfer?  Once again, no worries. Lynn says that she “wants to play with someone who just wants to have fun” rather than feel pressured about the score.  Plus, it’s a scramble – so it couldn’t be easier.  

OK, golf just doesn’t agree with you. You can still join the fun by signing up for dinner and the auction. This gets you out for cocktails and dinner to support the event and allows you to bid on the auction items.  You then have the opportunity to see all your CREW friends. As an added bonus, you’ll be much better groomed than those of us coming off the course.  Don’t delay. Sign up today for golf or the dinner/auction. Have some fun and be part of our biggest event of the year.  We need you!

And, speaking of working hard, I hope by now that everyone has heard of CREWBiz.  This new social networking tool of the CREWNetwork Web site will dramatically increase your visibility to other CREW members searching for partners for business.  Instead of a regular directory, you can create your own “page” to showcase your talents - your specialty, recent projects or clients, boards and community service, or personal interests.  Take the opportunity to fill in your profile and take advantage of this business-friendly visibility in CREW.  Instructions to set up your page are in our Summer Newsletter.  I use CREWBiz every time I attend a CREW event. This helps me when I meet a member.  How much better if I have a picture and a common interest to talk about when I meet them! 

Your CREW-St Louis Board has been working hard as well.  We welcomed Angela Schisler, an attorney with Carmody McDonald, as a new member.  We also agreed to develop a policy to streamline the application process for members who return after an absence.  A Board review of a national CREW Chapter report indicated that our St Louis dues and meeting fees are in the mean average while our treasury retention is much healthier than other Chapters.  What does this mean to you?  Our Chapter continues to grow. We are working hard to retain new members and assist returning members. Our finances are strong. And our costs to you are moderate. In short, our Chapter is healthy and providing good value to our members.  Are you taking advantage of your membership in CREW?

Summer is a good time to lay by the pool on weekends and think about how you can develop new relationships within CREW to assist your business.  Or if that’s too much thought for a hot day, come play golf with us and meet some new members while supporting a great cause!  It’s bound to lead to something good.

Nancy Rodney
CREW-St. Louis Chapter President