Letter From the Chair: From CETC to CELEF
Michael Pasquale, michael.pasquale@cornerstone.edu
I would like to thank everyone who has aided in the transition process. As of July 31 we will cease to be known as the Christian Educators in TESOL Caucus (CETC) and will transition into an independent organization to be known as the Christian English Language Educators Association (CELEA). We are in the process of drafting bylaws and applying for 501(c)3 status as a nonprofit organization. One of the primary functions of CELEA is to prepare for the annual TESOL convention. We have been approved by TESOL to be a forum at the 2009 convention in Denver. We will be in the program book as the Christian English Language Educators Forum (CELEF). So for clarification, the organization itself will be the “association” and our functions at the convention will be as a “forum.” At the convention we will have a booth, space, and time for an annual meeting, and also an Academic Session. We are looking forward to our 2009 Academic Session entitled “Identity, Faith, and Practice in ELT.”
We need volunteers to join our association to help move it forward! We will need a new e-list manager, newsletter editor(s), and other functions such as treasurer and membership coordinator. If you are interested in serving in any of these capacities, please contact me at michael.pasquale@cornerstone.edu.
One theme of this last CETC Newsletter is to reflect on the past. We are so thankful for how this group has grown since its humble beginnings at the Houston TESOL convention in 1984. We have transitioned from an informal group in 1984 to a caucus in 1996 and now to an independent association in 2008. Please join us in Denver as we celebrate 25 years as a professional organization of Christian educators in TESOL!
