Dear LKS members,

As my term as your Grand President draws to a close, I would like conclude by offering my thoughts on the final three areas for the Strategic Organizational Plan:

Outreach

When one thinks of reaching out, we often first think of connecting with groups outside of our own immediate group.  That could be a family inviting the new neighbors to a barbecue, a work group welcoming the new employee, a chapter of LKS inviting members of the incoming pharmacy class to a social.  As a result, ideas are shared, questions are often raised.  With any luck, allegiances are forged.

Certainly, LKS has built a foundation on which to continue work with other groups and individuals.  It has a long history of involvement with groups such as Project HOPE, the Professional Fraternity Association, and Merck, to name a few.  The relationships we hold with each of these groups enrich us, both as individuals and as a fraternity.  We can only hope that the diversity of the resulting collaboration enriches the other organization as well.  New learnings lead to additional understandings and subsequent opportunities to reach out to other groups.

Programs and Benefits

If we are going to promote the profession of pharmacy to women and advance women with the profession of pharmacy, there needs to be some planning for events and programs.  So, we offer fraternity meetings every year.  We offer continuing education at these programs, as well as opportunities to network with other members and colleagues outside of our membership ranks, to expand our reach within the profession of pharmacy.  We provide programming on chapter management and self-enhancement topics.  In summary, we listen to what our membership wants, and work to provide the necessary programs and meetings.

Our members have expressed interest in receiving web-based continuing education programs. They want time at our meetings for bringing together the collegiate and alumni members, so we provide joint conferences.  And, we provide these opportunities with an eye on fiscal responsibility. We look for ways to partner with other group for sponsorship opportunities.  The result is one of mutual benefit: For LKS through funds raised or not expensed, and for the sponsors through exposure to our membership.

Preservation and History

We each spend a lot of time in our personal and professional lives cultivating our future.  We do it for our parents and grandparents; we want them to be proud of our accomplishments because, after all, our successes reflect on their lives.  We do it for our children and grandchildren, to provide for their futures and to give them pride in their heritage. 

Every family has a history.  Every person has a history.  So, where would a group such as LKS be without its history?  Every year on October 14, LKS celebrates Founders Day.  Founders Day is a time for reflection on the beginnings of our fraternity.  We do this to recognize those who came before us.  We look to our historical past in order to realize the best future for LKS.

In Conclusion

The members working in the three above areas of the Strategic Organizational Plan bring to the planning table vision, ideas and passion about LKS.  If you are interested in such service, I invite you to join one of these groups.  Contact the International Office to sign up.  Or, if you are traveling to Savannah for the 2008 LKS Convention: "Something to Talk About", we will be happy to get you started in your work!

Thank you for the past two years of service as your Grand President.  I look forward to many great things from LKS in the future.

Lamb For Life,

Jennifer M. Rhodes, R.Ph. - Grand President 2006-2008

2008 Biennial Convention Something To Talk About!
Convention 2008 takes place in Savannah, Georgia, August 6-10, 2008. You can download the registration form. Are you still unsure about attending? Check out the advance schedule of events. This meeting will definitely be "Something to Talk About"! Click here for details.

 THANK YOU CONVENTION SPONSORS!

Merck & Co.

Astra-Zeneca

YOUR Community Pharmacies

SUPERVALU Pharmacies 

Christus St Catherine

Pharmacy Care Staffing

THANK YOU FRIENDS OF LKS!

Cardinal Health

Getaway Seminars, Inc.

Unique Pharmaceuticals

McKesson 

Astellas Pharma US, Inc.

Eisai Co.

FOUGERA

Glaxo SmithKline