History

Delaware Chapter started quietly enough 58 years ago with the arrival in Wilmington of a lady named Dottie McFee. She was able to contact a number of secretaries of leading companies in Wilmington and suggested that secretaries should have an organization of their own. At first those contacted thought she wanted to unionize secretaries. Back in 1947 the word UNION was a dirty word.  Dottie suggested that the secretaries discuss the organization with their bosses. She also told them that a luncheon had been arranged for the following week, and she encouraged them to attend.  Shortly after this luncheon, the Delaware Chapter, National Secretaries Association® , was founded. Our Chapter was organized at a preliminary meeting on December 6, 1949, and we received our charter from National in the duBary Room at the Hotel Dupont. There were 97 charter members and 121 members that first year.

Our first president was Gertrude Witbeck. The purpose of forming this organization then and now was to gain recognition for secretaries/administrative assistants. Back in 1949 this was unheard of, but today the organization has grown into an international organization. Delaware Chapter began meeting regularly in January 1950 at the Hub Tea Room (no longer in existence). In February of 1950, our constitution and by-laws were on the books and still today we are refining and honing these documents. In the Spring of 1950, the secretaries were asked to help address and stuff envelopes for the Easter Seal Drive of the Delaware Society for Crippled Children and Adults. This was the first civic project for our chapter until the advent of the computer.

In October 1950, the first monthly bulletin was published under the name "First State Notes" under the direction of Thirza Keogh. Faith Simpers CPS reinstated the President's Newsletter in December 1995 and every year with the advent of the new president the newsletters name changes but the content is always varied and interesting.

Secretaries/Administrative Assistants cannot be stopped, so by 1952 the Chapter was off and running with their first "Secretaries Week" luncheon at which time there was enough money in the treasury to award a scholarship for a secretarial student to attend Goldey-Beacom College. Many more scholarships were awarded after this first one. The first Secretarial Workshop was conducted in 1953. This proved to be an annual event for many years and the most popular event until 1992. Over the years this workshop was held at the Hotel DuPont, DuPont Company Nemours facility and MBNA.  Also in 1953 the Executive/Bosses Night was instituted. Chapter records show that 1996 was the first year an Executive of the Year was selected. This executive was from the engineering department of Delmarva Power & Light Company, followed in consecutive years by executives from MBNA, JP Morgan and Placers.

In 1957 at National Headquarters, the Certified Professional Secretaries (CPS) program was started, and the first person to receive the CPS rating was Ruth Jenkins of Wilmington, Delaware in August of 1957. Glen Paton followed in 1958 and Ruth Phelps in 1959. Both Glen and Ruth were secretaries from Wilmington. At this point in our history Delaware Chapter has 24 members who have attained the coveted CPS rating with many more studying for the November and May tests. In 2001 the (CAP) Certified Administrative Professional  was introduced to all members.  The first CAP test was administered, at selected testing facilities, and in November 2001 some Delaware Chapter members sat for this portion of their Certification.

In 1999 our chapter sponsored their first CPS study group. We had 17 members sit for the May 1, 1999 exam. 14 members of this group sat for the complete exam and two people sat for one part. It is with a great source of pride that we let you know that 9 members attained their rating at that May 1999 exam.

In 1959, one of our members, Olive Porter, held the office of Treasurer on the International Board.  We have had members active in the Delaware-Maryland-District of Columbia Division also holding office.

The Chapter and its members are very versatile. They were active with the Easter Seal Campaign, the USO, Travelers Aid, prepared books in Braille for the blind, and we are still active with the John G. Leach School Halloween party and Operation Reindeer, along with the Visiting Nurses Association monthly. The Chapter has received Certificates of Recognition from these agencies, and we are very proud of each and every one. Many of our members participate in the Take Your Daughter to Work Day, the McDonald's LPGA and many of our members mentor students throughout the school year. We held fashion shows in our beginning years, and in 1994 we reinstated this fund-raiser and our members were lucky enough to model the clothes at this show, which was a resounding success.

In 1996 the chapter held our first Secretaries Breakfast with Mayor James Sills attending, along with 100 secretaries/administrative assistants from the Wilmington/Newark areas. The breakfast helped us re-establish our scholarship program.  We have held these breakfasts every year since and they have all been resounding successes.

In 1964, we were successful in establishing another chapter in Dover, Delaware called Diamond Chapter and in 1996 we sponsored the DuPont Corporate Chapter thanks to the efforts of Faith Simpers CPS and Lollie Villaneuava CPS. Many of our members have attended various International Conventions & Educational Forums, Southeast District Conferences and the DE-MD-DC Division annual meetings and made many good friends from all over the world.

Members voted by mail referendum to change the name of the Association in February 1981 from National Secretaries Association to Professional Secretaries International, clarifying the identify of the membership in a new decade for the professional secretary.  Reflecting the broader range of job titles and expanded responsibilities held by today's administrative support staff, a vast majority of the PSI^®  member delegates voted to change the name of their organization to International Association of Administrative Professionals ^®  on August 3, 1998 during the 56 year old association's International Convention & Educational Forum in Atlanta Georgia.

We all, at one time or another, came with various titles--clerk, stenographer, secretary, legal secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, technical administrative assistant, to name but a few.  

In May of 1999 Judy Loux/Partlow CPS was elected to serve our Division as Treasurer for the 1999-2000 IAAP year. In May of 2000 Judy was elected to serve our Division as Vice President for the 2000-2001 IAAP year.

In 2000 the Delaware Chapter went global when we published our website.  Our webmistress updates the website on a regular basis to keep our membership as informed as possible.  In May 2001 at the Division Annual Meeting, Laurie Cozens CPS was installed as the DE-MD-DC Division President.  As with everything, nothing stays the same, except the Delaware Chapter -- efficiency, caring and always doing our best seems to be our true nature. 

In May of 2002 Roberta Miller CAP was elected and installed to serve as Division Secretary for the 2002-2003 IAAP year.  In May of 2003 Roberta was again elected to the Division Board as Vice President for the 2003-2004 year.

In December 2002 when the first CAP was administered our Chapter had nine of our members pass the CAP certification ever given.  They are Eileen Mears CAP, Adriane Davis CAP, Sherry Hagerty CAP, Cheryl Hopkins CAP, Jamee McGaughan CAP, Lynn Peters CAP, Carolyn Worrall CAP, Kris Hill CAP and Sally Poultney CAP.  In June 2002 we had three more members pass their CAP exams.  They were Roberta C. Miller CAP, Anne Powell CAP and Sue Bailey CAP.

Our civic program for 2002-2003 was a huge success.  The generosity of our chapter members has truly made a difference in the lives of people in the community, the country and the world.

Towards the end of our 2003 IAAP year the chapter welcomed our first student member.

The 2004-2005 IAAP year started off with a bang.  The Chapter's theme is BACK TO BASICS, and that is just what we did.  We held a successful Impact meeting in October but we called it an Open House.  The committee did an excellent job and our special guest was our International Vice President, Sandy Chandler CPS. 

In our 2005-2006 year our executive board was all new to the positions that they held, there were no second term executive board members.  The full board had 5 new board members and ten returning board members.  Eileen Mears CAP was nominated and elected as Division Treasurer. 

We held our Impact meeting and APW Event on April 25th with Jo A. Peay, immediate past president of IAAP, as our guest speaker and  four of our monthly meetings received re-certification points.

In recent years our Chapter has been fortunate to have either the International President or President Elect come visit and speak to our chapter members at one of our monthly meeting.

For two years Delaware Chapter was active supporting the Ronald McDonald House Charity in Wilmington.  We have made a donation to the house in conjunction with our Corporate Appreciation event.  

We have grown and will continue growing. Some of our activities have been discontinued, some replaced by others and some not yet realized.

Prepared and Updated Annually

by Judy Loux/Partlow CPS, 2008-2009