Ellen Swallow Richards

This weekend I have been preparing for my Spring Tour.  I leave on Wednesday to go to Minneapolis where long time friend Kathy Norquist will pick me up and we will head to the AAFCS Midwest Regional in Okoboji, IA for the weekend.  We will be celebrating the AAFCS Centennial. There will be four affiliates there:  Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa.  I know we will have a great time celebrating 100 years of contributing to improving the quality of life for families and individuals.

I am visiting this week with North Carolina FACS teachers as they plan for their 2008 Summer Conference for Inservice.  They are planning ways that all counties can celebrate the 100th Birthday of Home Economics/Family and Consumer Sciences with many Rich Conversations. They are discovering many opportunities for all communities across the state to focus on FCS history and accomplishments and to promote the profession.  They are determined to set the goals high and challenge other states to plan for these conversations in each of their counties.  If all states can accomplish this, there is no doubt that the entire country will know that this discipline has accomplished tremendous improvements for families, individuals and communities.