Message from the President – 7 May 2021

09 May Message from the President – 7 May 2021

Hello, FLAVA.
I write to you for three reasons. (1) News about the fall 2021 conference. (2) The logo to accompany our conference theme. And (3) The importance of this week.

1. The fall conference will be virtual. I cannot say that the decision was an easy one, but after deliberations among ourselves and in consultation with legal counsel, the executive board determined that for the best of Virginia’s world language community we had no other choice. The results from our recent survey were also an important part of our decision process. Many said they wanted to attend, but almost as many stated that it would be a financial hardship as funding possibilities seem improbable. Many of our exhibitors were hesitant to make commitments at this time. Some of you will probably be happy with this decision, and others of you will certainly be disappointed. For me and the rest of the executive board, it is a relief knowing that we can move forward without fearing whether we would be able to meet the contractual obligations with the hotel. In this and in all situations, the numbers count. With the present uncertainty, we could not take that chance. The hotel has understood our plea and released us from our contract. The hotel gave us their decision only day before yesterday. But fear not. Though virtual once more, we promise you an extraordinarily meaningful virtual conference in October. Many of you in your evaluations, stated that the fall 2020 (virtual) conference was one of the best that FLAVA had ever had. We aim to meet the standard we established six months ago. Conference dates will be 7, 8, and 9 October 2021. The Call for Proposals will be out very shortly.
2. The theme of our conference is One Virginia, Many Languages. Our logo is here below. It is true that there is only one Virginia; but in this Commonwealth of ours, there are many languages spoken and cultures shared. Talk about diverse…what a land of opportunity to learn about and from others.
3. Do you realize that you are a part of the world’s best profession in this land of opportunity? Does it not thrill you to know that daily, you are there to teach, to comfort, to inspire our youth (and each other)? I think about this all the time. How privileged I feel to be in the classroom. What a great role we play in our society. And to be trained to do it as professionals makes it all the better. I hope you appreciate who you are as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week. You most assuredly deserve a pat on the back!