It was February of 2011. I was looking forward to serving our association as incoming President having learned from some of our state’s best leaders. The winter conference was being held in Kalamazoo and all was well… until it wasn’t… weather reports went from just cold to a blizzard on the way! Schools state wide were cancelling classes, businesses were preparing to shut down for the blizzard of 2011, or as the following headlines read in this article…

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Leadership past and present gathered informally to decide, do we move forward or cancel the remaining days of the conference? We were torn. Some attendees were not waiting for the official word, they were packing it up and heading out! At the last minute, an announcement was made that those who felt they needed to leave should do so, those willing to brave it out could stay. The hotel was more than accommodating for those of us who toughed it out one last night. They afforded us our planned dinner, didn’t uphold us to our room count for that evening and just prior to everyone ducking out, I officially took the gavel. Those that stayed entertained themselves with karaoke and storytelling, and from that evening new friendships blossomed!

Create new memories by registering for winter conference today!