To make sure you receive future emails, please add info@wisclerks.org to your address book or safe list. January 2024 WMCA E-Newsletter Issue 01 - 2024 In This Issue: President's Message 2024 Confeence 2024 Renewal Reminder Mentors Needed Upcoming District Meetings UW-GB Institute Scholarships IIMC News Links: Career Ads WMCA Mission: To be the premier source for the personal empowerment of municipal clerks in Wisconsin through education, professional development, and the promotion of excellence. President's Message Happy New Year! As I write this article I am looking out my office window at the beautiful snow that we received over the weekend. For those of you that aren’t fans of the winter, remember that the first day of spring is March 19th. It’s just around the corner. WMCA Committees have been busy meeting already this year. I am looking forward to a productive year working with our committees and AEG. The Spring Primary is next month. To the clerks that are having a primary, I hope that you have an uneventful Election Day. We are going to have a busy year with Elections. I encourage everyone to review their Election materials and maybe take some additional training. As I told a reporter from the Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Clerks are professional, educated and conscientious. We do our best to make sure that all Elections are handled correctly and we will be prepared for the upcoming Elections in 2024. Enjoy your day, Cindi Gamb MMC, WCPC, CMTW WMCA President 2024 Annual Conference 2024 WMCA Annual Conference Madison Marriott West – Middleton The WMCA announced at the 2023 Annual Conference that the 2024 Annual Conference will be in Middleton at the Madison Marriot West.  While it is too early to announce the line-up of classes, you can get your hotel room reserved now.  The 2024 WMCA Conference will be the shorter 2-day conference with a pre-conference day on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.  Conference will be August 29-30, 2024. Sleeping Room Reservation   2024 Membership Renewals If you have not renewed your membership for 2024 yet, your membership is in a grace period until February 28, 2024. If dues are not received prior to that day, memberships will go expire and will no longer have a current membership with WMCA. The third notice was sent January 9th so please check your emails. If you have not received it, please let us know. There will be a link in the email for all Active and Government Associate Members to pay with a credit card online. To find the renewal link on the website, please see HERE.  If you have any questions, please contact info@wisclerks.org.  Mentors Needed! Have you been a clerk for awhile? Have you often thought how much easier it would have been for you if you had a mentor when you’d first started? If so, we are in need of more mentors. We have a lot of new clerks in the state; particularly in towns. The only requirement is three years under your belt to volunteer to help mentor brand new clerks. With the technology out there now, mentors can be strictly through email and phone calls, it doesn’t have to be in person. It is really important that the best match be made in order to have a good working relationship with your Adopt-A-Clerk. This program is incredibly valuable, just ask any clerk who was mentored. As a mentor— YOU GIVE: Your knowledge of a clerk’s duties. Your advice about the responsibilities of the office. Your support to let a new clerk know that he/she is not alone. As a mentor— YOU RECEIVE: The satisfaction of helping a fellow clerk through the overwhelming first year of their job. Points toward a WCPC certification. A new colleague friendship and member of your clerk network. We need clerks and clerk/treasurers throughout the state to volunteer as a mentor; there are currently more than two dozen counties without a single mentor on the list. This results in reaching out to clerks who aren’t on the list, or asking a clerk that might be several counties away. If you would like to give back to the Clerk profession, please consider signing up. Click here to visit the Adopt-A-Clerk page on the WMCA website and download and submit an application. If you have further questions regarding the program, contact Melissa Hongisto, Mentor Committee Chair, at melissah@lawrencewi.gov. Thank you for giving back to this incredible network of Professional Clerks. Happy Holidays! WMCA mailing address has changed to: 262 W. Main Street Wales, WI 53183 Please mail all membership fees, event registrations and all other items to the address above. For any questions, please reach out to info@wisclerks.org.  Upcoming District Meetings Watch the website for upcoming District meetings! The next one is District 4 on January 25, 2024.  Click here for more information Scholarship Applications Now Available for UW-Green Bay Institute UW-Green Bay Clerks and Treasurers Institute July 14-19, 2024. This Institute is truly the  premiere place to learn the skills you need to be the best Professional Clerk you can be.  WMCA has scholarships available for any Clerk planning to attend the Clerks Institute. Applications must be postmarked by April 12. All members are encouraged to apply for  a scholarship no matter which year of the institute you are in – Year  1, 2 or 3 or Clerks Completion.  Click the button below to fill out the online application! Deadline is April 12, 2024. UW-GB Scholarship Application   IIMC News Scholarship to IIMC 2024 Conference The International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) has some great educational opportunities for municipal Clerks, too. They will be holding their annual conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from May 19 - 22, 2024. Click here to view the conference website for more information. If you are considering attending, you should consider filling out the IIMC/WMCA Scholarship application for a chance at a full scholarship! The online application form must be filled out and submitted by March 22, 2024. Click the buttom below for the online application. Application   IIMC Region VI IIMC Region VI consists of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin and the hosting of the Mid-Year meeting in January rotates states each year. Iowa is excited to be the 2024 mid-year host on January 19-20, 2024. The host hotel for your 2024 meeting will be the:  Hotel Winneshiek 104 East Water Street Decorah, IA 52101 The Hotel Winneshiek is offering a special room rate of $129 double or $129 king plus tax per night for Thursday night and $149 double or $149 king plus tax Friday night. Please make your hotel reservation now. Call the hotel directly at 563-382-4164 and use code: COR149. These rates will only be available until December 22,2023. You are invited to attend the Diverse Conversations Educational Session on Friday and the Region VI Mid-Year Meeting on Saturday morning. However, if your time is limited, you are welcome to attend just one day. Click the button below for flyer and registration details. IIMC Region VI Flyer   Blood Drive ASSOCIATE MEMBER ADS Click on the ad for a direct link to their website. www.wisclerks.org Copyright © WMCA, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association 262 W. Main Street Wales, WI 53183 info@wisclerks.org If you no longer want to receive emails from 2024 WMCA E-Newsletters, please Opt-Out.