November 25th, 2020
NAMOA Members, Vendors, and Supporters:
I hope everyone is faring well in such an odd, unique, and challenging year. 2020 has presented some unprecedented health and safety concerns, civil unrest for which has surpass anything from the civil rights era 50 to 60 years ago, and a very isolated and demoralizing world at times.
With that said, I do have some good news and bad news we need to share with you. As we continue to slowly push out of this “dumpster fire” of a year, the NAMOA E-board met a few weeks ago to make some pertinent decisions. We held a virtual meeting to discuss the 2021 Training Conference; and after a full discussion with input from the 2021 Conference hosts, NAMOA has made the decision to cancel the May 2021 Training Conference.
This decision was based on a number of factors; but the reality comes down to the uncertainty of whether or not the borders between the US and Canada will even be open by May 2021. While we hope life is returning back to normal by this May, the E-board needed to make this decision sooner than later. Our 123 sign-up refund process from last year was relatively seamless, but we don’t want to register members for a conference we can’t be certain to deliver on. A conference committee needs to sign contracts with a host hotel, and a variety of other vendors for amenities. However; we don’t want to be financially committed to these businesses as a non-profit, and potentially lose money we don’t have.
Instead we are asking our members to reach out to your state Vice Presidents if you are looking for training ideas, or perhaps partner up with adjoining agencies for a few days of training in May. The sole purpose for NAMOA is to bring agencies together, share training ideas, and challenge each other to achieve a higher level of riding skills.
Now the good news!!! There is no doubt the COVID pandemic will have subsided by 2022. As I see it; we will all have either gotten COVID, chosen to get a vaccinated, or will be a part of some herd immunity. With that said, the conference committee and hosts for the intended 2021 NAMOA Training Conference are eagerly wanting to host in May of 2022 when the borders will most likely be opened up. RCMP has assured us they will be ready to provide a great training opportunity for us all near Vancouver, BC. While the exact dates have not yet been selected for 2022; we will continue to update the web page, and Facebook page as we begin to coordinate for the future.
The E-board would like to ask the membership one favor in the interim. While our association is a 501-C3 non-profit, we still have some minor overhead and operating expenses. We are doing ok financially; and we would ask our members and supporters to log on to the web page in order to renew their annual membership. This $30 annual membership fee is very minimal, but helps fund some of the annual operating costs and contributes to the growing amenities the association provides at each conference. This small renewal fee will help keep NAMOA growing and strong.
Copy and paste the link below to access your membership renewal on the association web page:
https://123signup.com/renew/24791
I want to thank our committed vendors and sponsors for your intent to support this year’s training conference, and we sincerely hope to see you at the May 2022 conference. Without your continued support and understanding we wouldn’t be able to host such a successful conference each year.
Once again; since we will not be able to host a general membership meeting this year, all NAMOA executive board positions will be frozen. In the event we have an E-board member who chooses to vacate their position before the 2022 election year, the vacated position(s) will remain vacant until the next general membership meeting in 2022 (Vancouver BC, Canada).
Lastly, I want to share some final thoughts. This year has been extremely difficult for our profession. We all know how hard we work to serve our communities, and how hard we all try to “do the right thing”. Don’t lose sight of this focus!!! There has been a blanket of darkness thrown over our heads at times during these last few months. However; the vast majority of our community members are huge supporters, and are just as perplexed by all of the decisiveness this last year. No matter what gets thrown our way; I am proud to say we will stand tall, we will stand guard, and we will stand for what is right when things seem wrong. Keep treating our communities with respect, and never lose sight of what service and sacrifice will bring to our futures. 2020 has been a big speed bump, some agencies have had bigger bumps than others; but we are all brothers and sisters and we will be supported by those we serve. Be kind, be patient, be willing to support one another and the members of your community. Most importantly, take care of yourselves and your families. Find the balance in this chaos.
Ride safe, Be healthy, and Enjoy the day!
Sgt. Bret Barnum
NAMOA President