La Leche League International Presents:
International Mastery Symposium
Washington, D.C., June 30 - July 1, 2005
Finance, Events, Professional Liaison
IMS Open Session Reports (needs Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Leader Department: Quotes from the ACLs
Nikki Julien, WA ACL: “When I had some interesting tidbit of an idea and everyone in the room (the ACL from Italy, the administrator from Germany, the director of LLL New Zealand, the administrator from LLL Great Britain, etc., etc.) turned to me and said with much sincerity, "That's a great idea, Nikki," I felt very valued from this microcosm of an international community! The peak experience of the 2nd day was simply hearing the range of involvement and activities of other Areas. We all had our lows and highs, our fantasies and failures, our every day stuff and our plans for the future. It was like that LLL meeting I came to as a mom and realized that this was the right place to be. Can we meet again next month??? ? I have pages of notes, oodles of ideas, and I hope that I was able to give as much as I was able to receive. Here's a tidbit in my notes, a quote that will go on the wall: "Be prepared to be a surprise."
Gretal St.Onge, Utah: “I was really glad I attended IMS. It was the perfect forum for anyone to reap benefits and take them back to their Areas and local Groups. I made simple goals for each day, this way I felt like I accomplished things but wasn't too overwhelmed. I went to my first International Conference and IMS with an open mind. One day at a time.”
Jen Unger-Kroc. IL: “For me, it’s not about the session topics or the sessions themselves – although a good speaker with a good topic is a wonderful thing. It’s about the personal connections with other LLL people. It’s about finding my place in this community; a community, which stands for, and works to create, all the things I believe in most strongly.”
Barb Magalhaes, IA: “A Peak Experience was being with the other ACLs and learning with and from them. It is wonderful to have a common thread to connect people together but we are still able to appreciate our unique qualities and differences.”
Susi
Yermishkin, MN/DAs. ”When the USWD ACLs got together
this evening, I experienced the camaraderie of being among peers. I feel
isolated in my position as ACL, as if I’m mostly doing computer
work, so it feels great to connect with living, breathing beings who share
my job…. In all three Open Space sessions, I was struck by how we
are united by our passion for breastfeeding. At the same time, we have
so many different approaches to the work we do on behalf of La Leche League.
It gives me hope for the organization, that it will continue to thrive
and grow and be here for our daughters and granddaughters. I especially
want to remember how inspiring it is to be among passionate, intelligent
women… I feel so encouraged by the conversations in our department
meetings. Just discussing my challenges helped me to clarify what exactly
it is that I need and what I don’t need. I also feel armed with
thoughtful, creative suggestions to apply to a variety of existing and
potential situations.