As Good As You Want Us To Be

Inaugural Address of Placida Socorro “Peachy Limpin, 2002 President

I was a bit sad and disappointed with the attendance, since yesterday and especially today. But I take this as a challenge not only for me as the incoming president but also for the incoming board of directors to work harder, not that we did not work hard for this conference, since we planned for conference way back in July.

My sadness was turned to joy with the generous donation of Dr. Enrique Coralejo. As you can see on our financial report, we hardly have any funds left. Most of the time, we had to pick from our own pockets to fund some of the activities of the Association. Our letterheads and newsletters and anything that needed to be printed were printed using the resources of our offices. Be that as it may, we have struggled in our fiscal year.

What you have witnessed earlier – placing the medallion around my neck – was reminiscent of my graduation. Only this time the medal is way, way, way bigger than what I got when I graduated cum laude.

I can still vividly remember my freshman years while sitting in Social Orientation class, when I vowed to myself I will graduate with honors. This I am proud to say, I achieved. Not a small feat for me then, an aimless teenager. When I started working, I got envious of my colleagues who were active members of their own Library Science alumni associations. So I asked myself, “Bakit ang PNU wala? Bakit nga ba?”

This is all a dream come true, not only for me, but also for the faculty members of the PNU Library Science Department. An alumni association we can truly call our very own.

Our initial foray into the realm of organizing an association was tough to say the least. It was then I realized that it takes a lot, and I mean a lot to run an association. God has been very good to all of us in the Board. Now I truly believe that he grants us our wishes not when we want them granted but in His own time.

I would like to thank Ms. Shirley Nava for nominating me last year, though I had no idead then that I’d be the next president.

I cannot forget,and I’m also sad that she was not able to make it today to receive her Honorary Member Award, our lesson in Library Science 6 under Prof. Elinore H. De Castro. Our lesson then on library management was “A good leader is a good servant.”

So let us, your 2002 Board, serve you in the best way we can. A Board of Directors does not an association make. You, the members, are an integral part of the Association and we can be as good as you want us to be. Let us be of service to you. Let us know what you want and how we can be of help.

In its infancy, the Association has struggled and withstood the birthpains. I enjoin all of you to be one with us as we bring this Association on its own two feet.

Your officers cannot do this alone. We will continue with the brand of service we have provided in the past year. Trust in our officers that we only have the best of intentions for you.

Please continue supporting our activities. One of our projects, which is included in the action plan, is to give scholarships to students to encourage them to major in Library Science and to give research grants to masteral students.

We can only realize these with your wholehearted support. In our earlier forum where members were encouraged to sign up for committees they want to join, please expect a call from us anytime soon.

As we say in customer relation, “It’s nice to be of service.”