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NASMA President’s Pen
It is my privilege to introduce myself as your new NASMA president.
I would like to thank the membership, the Executive Board and Board
of Directors for giving your trust and support with my appointment
as president. I want to thank past president Terri Wagner for
her dedication and service to NASMA, her terms of office has added
growth and much improvement to the organization. She will be a hard
act to follow.
My husband Rick and I live in south central Illinois. I have a
lifelong background with horses and mules, my parents being avid
trail riders started me on a journey from a pony- crazy girl to a
mule-crazy gramma. I have been a physical therapist for 33 years now
and I know of no better way to relax than on the back of my mule
riding thru the trees and grass of a nice trail. I have had the
privilege of attending the some fantastic organized rides like the
Cross Country Trail Ride in Emminence MO and the Sangre de
Cristo Trail Ride in Salida CO. I have rode the trails in several
states with my own state of southern Illinois Shawnee Forest
as my favorite, and will never grow tired of riding a good trail.
I have shown our NASMA shows for many years and the friendships
formed thru this organization are priceless. I can truly say I have
made best, lifelong friends thru this organization. I attended my
first Shelbyville Great Celebration Show as a spectator in
1996 and then as a competitor in 1997. I was taken by the family
atmosphere, as well as the warmth and camaraderie between
competitors. I was used to the cutthroat world of AQHA shows where
newcomers are welcomed with pleasant skectism but I was not with
acceptance and helping hands of this association. I well remember in
one of my first years of NASMA shows my show halter breaking under
the strain of a yearling throwing a baby fit waiting to go in for
the Champion model mule class and the trainer of the top mule in the
nation whipping a show halter off of her young mule to come to my
aide. This has been one of the traits the organization continues to
exude and probably one of its strongest attributes. This is one of
the main reasons I am so proud to be a member of this organization.
I go into this appointment with a great deal of enthusiasm and some
ambitious plans for NASMA's future. Some of the intentions are to
activate some past committees to better serve the NASMA membership.
The NASMA VTP has been restructured and with the indispensable help
of Cindi Slemp, the committee is putting a new focus on the
trail riding membership. At the annual meeting the board discussed
the need for added emphasis on creating new interest and new
membership to NASMA. This area will be targeted for added focus,
growth and development within the Membership Committee. I am
reintroducing the NASMA newsletter on a monthly basis and the
VTP spotlight has once again been added to acknowledge our members
for their accomplishments. I also will be introducing a spotlight
for our general membership. This will be for any member of NASMA and
will be placed in the mule magazines and on the website. I hope to
add additional interest and diversity for the NASMA membership. We
have several divisions within NASMA and all deserve our time and
recognition. The newest addition to NASMA, the Draft Mule division
is still in its infancy. I have expectations for the addition of
classes for our draft mules in some of the larger shows starting in
2014.
We all have "other lives". I would like to challenge the membership
to put your skills to use within our wonderful association. Your
skills may be in any area....each one could be of a great help to
NASMA. Be it in creative writing, photography, art, business,
computer, advertising, etc....any number of God given talents that
you have interest. I would love to have your input, your criticism,
and your assistance in building NASMA to bigger and better things.
NASMA's Committees are the backbone of the organization. Each one is
indispensable and equally importance to the operation of the
organization. When the organization was founded the committees were
put in place to conduct their own sector within NASMA with the
Executive Board and Officers overseeing their workings thru the
Board of Directors by enforcing the Association's By-Laws, Rules and
Regulations. I would like to have more emphasis on those Committees.
These committees give ANY member, and ALL members a working area in
the responsibility of the association. At the present time we have
committees in need of new members,.... members to add new ideas and
vitality to our committees. To quote one of our past president's,
"the door is wide open for members to become more involved with
the association."
Please take advantage of this
opportunity to join a committee...any member, ...with any
interest...trail, draft, show, breed improvement, youth, amateur.
You can make a difference in the future of NASMA. You can help build
and improve this organization that is all about those longear
animals we love.
Respectfully,
Peggy Hamilton
NASMA President
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