SBA's YAA Blog

March 2005 SBAA Program/News Update

This month’s programming update covers several topics:

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*SBAA Annual Conference*
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Spina Bifida Association of America
32nd Annual Conference
Building Bridges to Advance Understanding
June 26 – 29, 2005
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Make plans now to attend! Here’s a sneak preview:

<<<-Sunday, June 26->>>

• First Annual Adult Day, a new day a sessions just for adults
• Group Member Day, training tailored for your needs
• Nursing and Healthcare Professionals Day, continuing education sessions for professionals

<<<-Monday, June 27–Wednesday, June 29->>>

• Distinguished Medical Sessions
• Practical Workshops and more!

<<<-Delegate Details->>>

• Wednesday, June 29: Town Hall – stay tuned for more details
• Thursday, June 30:  annual meeting (estimated meeting time 8:30am-12 pm)
  

We are excited that so many of you are already making plans to join us in June!  We have posted the latest information about the Conference on the SBA Website.  Please tell your members to check often for updates.

With regards to room reservations, the Hyatt and the Millennium are our conference hotels.  Each hotel is working to be as accommodating as possible for rooming that meets your needs.  As in past years of the Conference, there are a standard number of ADA rooms which have been reserved already.  Each hotel is also adapting several rooms which people can ask for now. 

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*National Survey of the Spina Bifida Community*
Take the survey in March!
Visit: http://66.34.105.118/
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The National Survey of the Spina Bifida Community, a biannual project of the Spina Bifida Association of America (SBAA).  SBAA analyzes the findings to help make the case for advocacy projects, educational campaigns and ongoing programmatic efforts.  SBAA is currently conducting the survey during the month of March.  Please pass this announcement along to your members!

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*Monthly Mailings from National*
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Is your SBA receiving the monthly mailing?  Be on the look out for a mailing from SBAA in March which will feature a travel stipend opportunity to attend Group Member Day (Sunday, June 26^th). 

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*SBAA 2005 Annual Awards:
Nominations must be postmarked by MARCH 12, 2005*
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Have an innovative program? An outstanding leader?  Take a few moments to apply for the SBAA 2005 Annual Awards! 

Check out the awards that were given last year and get ideas for your nomination!  More information on the 2004 Award Recipients are available at Leaders Online.  All 2005 award forms are also available online at Leaders Online.  Hard copies of the award forms were also mailed to all Group Members and Clinics in January. 

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to highlight your Group Member’s successes, your Clinic service, and your valued leaders. 

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KidZone – new newsletter
“Congratulations Corner” feature
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KidZone is a new newsletter which will be packaged as an insert to SBAA’s newsletter, Insights into Spina Bifida, and online at www.sbaa.org.  KidZone will be created for kids ages 8 to 13.  One feature we're considering for the newsletter is a "Congratulations Corner." This recurring column would be designed to highlight readers' recent accomplishments, milestones, and events---things like celebrating a birthday, winning a spelling bee, even getting a new dog!

We hope the column will help our readers feel great about their accomplishments and milestones. Plus, kids love to read about what other kids are doing.