FINAL MEETING
The final meeting scheduled for 2012 is tomorrow, December 8th, at Deli-berry. I will be there tomorrow at 3PM. Come join me for a chat over a cup of coffee and I will tell you what's new.
The big news is this is the LAST regular meeting of the Central New Mexico Chapter of the Vasculitis Foundation. No more monthly meetings, and no immediate plans to replace them.
I HAVE BEEN BUSY IN OTHER WAYS
Even though you may not have seen much of me this past year, I also work closely with the Vasculitis Foundation main office. Over the past year I have spearheaded and or collaborated on several projects, including the YouTube Education Channel, the YouTube Awareness Channel, and I have helped develop the newest updates to the Vasculitis Foundation website. That project is still in progress and the first phase will be launched sometime very soon. Watch out for an official announcement from the VF main office.
So many of you have been great to meet, and at various meetings I enjoyed getting to know you a little better, swapping stories, and sharing information. But our chapter is small, and our geography is vast. When compared to some smaller states, we cover a lot more ground. Also, many meetings I would arrive to find the table empty. I know it is hard for you to get to a meeting when you have to measure every ounce of energy you can spend in a day, so it is also out of compassion for that that I agreed to alter the status of our New Mexico chapter.
CHAPTER LEADER BECOMES AREA CONTACT
When the Vasculitis Foundation announced that they were planning to convert smaller "chapters" to "area contacts" I got on board right away. I figure it will not change too much what I am already doing to forward the missions of the Vasculitis Foundation, and I am and will remain, available to any of you should you need additional information.
WHATS NEXT?
Perhaps ironically, this change in status makes me consider doing more when Vasculitis Awareness Month rolls around in the Spring.
I am also working on a deal where I may be able to set up a Skype meeting with some of the big name doctors in Vasculitis Research to a location here in New Mexico. Not quite a symposium, but very much like having them here. If it works out, it would be like attending one symposium session, then you would be able to ask the doctor questions interactively after their talk. There are many details that go into arranging something like this, but New Mexico could be chosen for the pilot project. Please let me know if you would be interested in attending such an event.
Finally, you may see an Email from me inviting you to simply join me at the movies, or go out to dinner. Just to get together with some Vasculitis Friends and share some good times together.
Rest assured, I remain dedicated to supporting the Vasculitis Patients of New Mexico, and in one way or another will continue the missions of the Vasculitis Foundation as we come up with more ways to bring you more and better information about your condition, and perhaps help make your lives a little better in some small ways.
I will also keep this blog and the NMVasculitis.org website. I may even make some time to update the content more often. if you have news or good information to share, please pass it on through me. I have access to pass it to both New Mexico audience and also the the International audience via the main office.
CAN WE TALK?
Yes! If you still want a face to face, remember you can call me anytime, and I will meet you any time that is mutually convenient.
Yours,
Joseph W. Carpenter
Area Contact for the Central New Mexico Area
(presently includes all of New Mexico)
