Forum - January/February 2010

Leap of Faith Remember the old nursery rhyme, “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick?” It dates back to at least 1842, when Shakespearean scholar James Orchard Halliwell first published it in The Nursery Rhymes of England, his now famous collection of English-language verses. The rhyme describes the tradition of candle leaping, which — believe it or not — was a sport in 19th century England. It also was a curious form of fortunetelling, as anyone who could leap over a lit candle without extinguishing the flame was said to have good luck in the coming year.

The Association Forum of Chicagoland had to be nimble and quick in response to the global economic downturn. We seized this opportunity to examine the way we’re doing business.

different positions (see opposite page for highlights), it found that despite the downturn, Chicagoland associations continue to offer the competitive salaries and benefits that help them attract and retain top association talent. No matter where you’re at in your career — whether you’re a senior executive with an open position to fill or a young professional who’s looking for a new job — that’s good news coming out of a year that was so full of bad.

Whether or not you believe in candlestick-jumping lore, I believe 2010 is ripe with opportunities not only for Association Forum, but for our members as well. And you can feel confident knowing that your association is ready, willing and able to jump on your behalf. Come recession or recovery, our staff and dedicated volunteer leaders are committed to turning obstacles into opportunities, and to continually providing our members with more tools, more resources, more education, more networking and more chances to lead. We’re in this together, and we’re going to advance our profession farther and faster in 2010, no matter what we have to jump over to do it.