Peninsula Counselors Association

It is indeed a pleasure to have been selected and to begin serving as the PCA President for the 2011-2012 school years. I began my career in the counseling profession and with the PCA Board in 2007, and I must say it has been an awesome experience. Before being elected President, I served as Program Chair and Local Arrangements Chair for the Peninsula Counselors Association.

The PCA offers counselors of all walks of life an opportunity to attend In-Service Workshops and gather information that will be useful to them at their prospective workplaces now and in the future. The PCA also offers an opportunity to network with colleagues outside of your own district and exchange ideas about how to best serve our students and clients and how to make our jobs better.

During the 2011-2012 school year we will again be focused on increasing the membership of PCA and bringing to the In-Service topics of interest that will benefit the work that we do. Food for thought, do you know "the what" of PCA? For instance...

• Did you know that PCA is a chapter of the VCA (Virginia Counselors Association); and therefore you receive a discount when registering for the VCA and VSCA conferences.


• Did you know that it is our purpose to advance the professional and scientific discipline of guidance and counseling; which means that we are here to promote and fight for what we do?


• Did you know that it is our purpose to disseminate information and focus public attention on legislation which would in any way affect guidance and counseling activities; which means that we are here for you, stand behind you, and never give up on our purpose?


• Did you also know that if you are actively engaged or interested in guidance and counseling you may become a member of the PCA and have the right to vote?


• Bet you didn't know that if you are "Sweet 60" and have been a member of the PCA chapter for at least five years you can request "Emeritus Status" and be exempt from payment of dues, and still retain all the rights and privileges of a dues paying member?


• And finally, did you know that you can seek Retired Status after reaching age sixty and retiring from the counseling profession and only pay half the amount of dues paid by regular members?

These are some really good reasons to become a member of PCA, however the best reason to become a member is because you want to belong to an outstanding organization that promotes you and what you do! My challenge to each member this year is to promote PCA to two colleagues and convince them to join. My challenge to our lapsed members is to rejoin and bring a colleague along. For the counselors, graduate students, counselors over sixty, and retired counselors, I dare you to come be a part of a great organization; I promise you will wonder what took you so long to join and you will never want to leave.