AMTA OR Newsletter Summer 2024
Contents:
- Editor’s note
- President’s note
- Government Relations Report
- Education & Events Update
- Membership Report
Editor’s Note:
It’s been a while! I’m excited to bring you AMTA OR’s first newsletter since pandemic shut everything down in 2020. The 2024 AMTA OR Annual Convention was great! The atmosphere created by our community of LMT’s reminded me of how conventions felt pre-COVID. 2023 Oregon Annual Convention, our first held at Edgefield, was also the first in-person event since going virtual to help keep each other safe and healthy. Last year, a community of masked and unmasked attendees tried to figure out just how close we could be to each other and worked to remember how to connect. 2024 Convention had the jovial, relaxed vibe of events pre-COVID. Ruth Werner and Susan Salvo were our presenters and provided a wonderful learning experience. Scroll the newsletter and enjoy photos of Convention throughout.
-In this Issue:
-New Chapter President Devery Broddie says Hello in his President’s Note.
–Government Relations Update from Don Schiff
–Education and Events Update
–Membership Update
Thanks for reading and being a part of AMTA OR,
Aaron Gustafson, AMTA OR President & Editor
President’s Note:
Like all kids, there comes a time when we are asked by a teacher “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. You all may have heard the story about the child who, when asked that question, turned to the teacher and said “ Teacher, I just want to be happy”. The teacher said to the child “I don’t think you understand the question” and the child replies ” Teacher I don’t think you understand life”. 🙂
When I first stepped foot in my massage school we were asked to stand up in front of our new class mates as well as the school faculty and answer “Why are you here?” Answering this question was easy and simple for me because I truly believed I was in the right place – finally.
Massage therapy has been that happy place for me for over 30 years. The aspect of meeting a variety of people can be challenging, delightful, and delightfully challenging. I appreciate the experience and privilege of being trusted to share in someone’s health, healing and happiness.
I’ve found that my connection to the massage therapy community and its professionals has been rewarding and continues to be invaluable.
Oregon is quite unique in its level of ongoing support and involvement for the massage therapy profession. Past volunteers, including previous board members and presidents, quite often offer their support and assistance with ongoing convention activities (as observed at our most recent convention) and offer ongoing support to our AMTA boards. I also see a great number of massage therapists who have moved on to other careers or new levels of education that are still very much connected to the massage community. Overall there is still a genuine expression of support, interest and connectedness within the massage community. Over the years, the levels of joy, outreach and generosity has been impressive on all levels.
As a board member and the current president, I am surrounded by smart, committed board members and volunteer chairpersons. I look forward to continuing a tradition of excellence and member driven service that strengthens and elevates our profession in Oregon. I believe the power and importance of relationships help to maintain a high degree of strength as a profession. The massage therapists that I know are bold, creative, and unique. They strongly believe in the value of what they do.
I would like to live in a world where all massage therapists can simply say “I am a massage therapist.” with the kind of conviction that conveys the weight of the true value of our profession.
Until then I’ll say “When I grew up I became a massage therapist and I’m happy!!”
-AMTA OR President Devery Broddie
AMTA-OR Government Relations Report:
It’s currently all quiet on the western front. The latest activity was the AMTA OR Govenment Relations team made wording suggestions to help clarify OBMT Continuing Education rules. No substantive changes were considered in the latest round of rulemaking.
Anyone interested in the rules and policies which shape our profession is urged to contact the GR chair.
-Don Schiff, AMTA OR Government Relations Chair
Education & Events Update:
We are working on an event for Fall 2024. We’re not quite ready to announce the details yet, but make sure you’ve opted in to our email list here, and follow us on facebook to ensure you know as soon as it’s announced. We had 70+ on our waiting list to get into Edgefield, and it sold out very quickly; don’t delay!
A note from Education Chair Jamin Rak on why convention and events matter:
What I love about our state conventions is the chance to learn together and network. Since I work alone in my practice, these conventions are the only opportunities I have to discuss the current events happening in our profession. Meeting other professionals also gives me a sense of community and has helped me develop my practice even farther by learning and working together with other like minded Massage Therapists. – Jamin Rak
Membership Report:
As of June 2024, The Oregon Chapter has 2,250 active members and is growing. Thanks for being a part of AMTA OR!
Get to know and get in touch with your Oregon Board members by clicking here.
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