I want to thank the membership for electing me to the presidency of the Jung Society. I am quite enthusiastic about serving my term in this, the Society's, twenty-fifth anniversary year.
The Society has attained its twenty-fifth year, and this fact fills me with awe. I have spent time reading back issues of the newsletter, and browing through the board minutes as they have been preserved by historian Bunny Brown in the Society's Yearbooks. At the annual meeting, I listened with care to Nancy Alvord's presentation on how she, George Doczi, and others founded the Society in 1973. The Society has seen rough times and smooth, and still it abides, its original mission intact: promoting the the interest in and understanding of Jungian psychology and the current use of Jungian concepts by contemporary thinkers through lectures, seminars, study groups, and the maintenance of a library.
Since the Society has never had any paid staff, it's the dedicated volunteers who are to be credited with its longevity. I thank the volunteers, both past and present, for bringing the Society this far. But there is much to do, and so few to do it. Any skills you can lend to the Society will be warmly welcomed. We are presently seeking two people to fill these board positions: program chair and newsletter editor.
On behalf of the Society, I would also like to thank everyone who participated in making the annual meeting a success, especially Kent and Lucretia Devine for their hospitality. I would like to thank the following donors who contributed to our silent auction: Darlene Hinton for books, wine, a "C.G. Jung" cap, and time spent helping organize the event; Laurene Peterson for handmade jewelry; Lanie Riley, LMT, for the gift certificate for a massage; Suzanne Wagner for two videos about Jung. Thanks also to everyone who contributed books to our used book sale. In all, a little more than $500 was raised, and the board has chosen to reserve this money toward the purchase of custom-built bookcases for out library. Also, Rainier Industries, Ltd. donated a beautiful sign to grace the door of the Jung Society office/Nancy Alvord Library.
At its annual retreat this summer, the board set the following goals: to increase volunteer recruitment, to collect demographic information about our membership, and to revise the Society's bylaws which, after twenty-five years, are outdated.
The twenty-fifth anniversary seems a suitable moment to consider the larger cycles of time. This year our program is forward-looking, with The New Millennium as its theme. Thanks go to Peter Elting and Golda Posey for engaging speakers for the entire year. It promises to be an exciting program. I hope to see you there!
-- Karen Campbell