Speak Out August 2013

From our President

I t has been the most extraordinary privilege to hold the position of National President for the best part of the last four years, a post I step down from at the end of August. I am incredibly proud of our members, of our achievements and of our vibrant Association. This editorial, my last as President, will be a brief one as so many of the projects I want to draw to your attention are highlighted elsewhere in this edition. In particular, I urge you to take the time to read my call to action for Speech Pathology Week and the International Communication Project 2014. I genuinely believe we are in a powerful position to make a real difference in the lives of people living with communication and swallowing difficulties. More importantly, I believe we must do so. But we cannot achieve this without your sustained and focused support. I’m calling on each and every one of you to embrace your inner activist and step up to this challenge for the sake of more than one million Australians. It was extremely gratifying to see the overwhelmingly positive vote for constitution change at the recent AGM. This project has been a key priority of my presidency and I am excited by the possibilities it brings. This has been a truly collaborative and carefully considered process which has been strengthened by the informative and thoughtful input of members around the country. My personal thanks to everyone who took the time to provide comment or to ask questions. Your input has shaped the final product and, in so doing, the future of your Association. I look forward to our strategic planning workshop in August. Here we will set the strategic priorities for Speech Pathology Australia to 2016. There are so many opportunities, so many needs and such

rapid change on all fronts that we need a sophisticated, coordinated and well informed plan to channel our activity and our efforts. My thanks to all who have provided input through the member survey or via your Branch Presidents and Councillors or other avenues. Your observations and insights will be instrumental in shaping the new plan, just as they were with our current plan which has served us so well. My final responsibilities as President will occur at the International Association of Logopaedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) Conference in Italy which takes place during Speech Pathology Week. Speech Pathology Australia has been invited to join an international panel discussing the implications of the World Health Organisation’s World Report on Disability . This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our approach to influencing systems and policy change in Australia and to raising community awareness through the International Communication Project 2014. We will also be presenting our bid to host IALP 2019 in Melbourne and, of course, participating in the famous flag ceremony! I simply do not have the time, the space nor the eloquence to adequately convey how honoured I have been to hold this role. I have been graced with incredible professional, personal and practical support in an environment so collegial, generous and talented – a truly unique experience. I have been humbled by the opportunity to represent you and your achievements and to speak on behalf of our members and our consumers. And I am thrilled to ‘hand the baton’ to Professor Deborah Theodoros who brings so much to this position. I am excited about our future.

My heartfelt thanks.

Chris Stone National President

Speak Out August 2013

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