AWSDA’s Blog

The AWSDA conference in Mesa Arizona was a success. The classes were terrific and the participants shared they came away with lots of new skills, perspectives and enthusiasm. We were smaller in number than usual due to the later start on organizing this conference, but we already have the dates and place for next year.

News from this years Conference:
1. Biggest news…AWSDA has an official name change…we are now..Association for Women’s Self Defense Advancement as voted on by the members.

2. New board members…Illsa vonLeden and Albert Ortiz, Susan Baldwin was appointed by the board, ran for this term and remains on the board for 3 years. All terms are 3 years.

3. Regional Representatives are doing a great job. They are really supporting the promotion of AWSDA and stepping forward in many situations to help with various aspects of the running the organization. More RR are needed!!

4. Check out the new and improved website!! awsda.org Our new webmaster, Cristina Eriksson is doing a fabulous job. We are online and functional now, but still adding many more areas to the site. All members can now log in to their own members section, change and update all your information, list yourself, register for seminars, apply online, become a vendor or sponsor, and soon you will be able to pay online totally. The Fisted Rose will be available online as a PDF download or to be read online. It’s all very exciting, so check it out!

5. The E-Update…I work to get the latest news and updates from AWSDA out to all the members about once a month to every 6 weeks. We are working to keep you informed. We need your help too…correspond with us, tell us what you need, and offer to help. We all want to see AWSDA grow and expand, especially now with a more world wide presence.

6. Help needed—more regional reps…folks to write or submit articles for the Fisted Rose. These 2 areas we really need some help! Remember this is your organization..help make it better, help us to reach  more women.

Andrea and I are back home safe and sound in northern Illinois after attending the 2007 seminar. 

We spent some time while waiting between planes in the Denver airport thinking of ideas to promote AWSDA.  One idea we have is to copy back issues of "The Fisted Rose" and mail them out to our local small town libraries. We also plan to look up some of the YWCA’s in the area and ask them to post issues of the "Rose" on their bulletin boards.

There is a "Curves" (women’s only work out facility) in one of the towns near us. Andrea is going to approach the management there to see if they will put up info about AWSDA and let us send info to other "Curves" in the area.

More later if we come up with anything else.

Allen Reed