My fellow communicators...

I'm looking forward to the coming year and beyond. I was quite surprised to be elected your president and know how Rupert Hall, our first International president, must have felt back in 1939. He returned to the first Society Board Meeting after a quick trip to the little boys' room to find he had just been elected. He didn't even know he was running. I'm thrilled to find PROBE healthy and ready to begin the new century with a new can do attitude and primed for new challenges. I can assure you that each of your PROBE officers is dedicated and skilled and ready to make this organization better serve you the PR officer and bulletin editor and thereby, better serve the Society members.

I did my first chapter bulletin as a new Barbershopper in Lubbock, Texas, in 1976. I was enthusiastic and curious to learn about this hobby and report my findings to my members. I was possessive of my publication creatively entitled The Barbershop Gazette (yeah, I thought it was more original back then). I used a dirty electric typewriter, no justified margins, lots of typos and cut and paste shadows everywhere. Someone even asked how much time and effort it took to color in all the letters. I quickly learned from my fellow editors and swapped bulletins with anyone who would exchange. The next year I won the SWD editors' contest thanks to the support and friendships I had made through PROBE. What a time that was.

I believe PROBE is starting fresh this year while still using all we've learned to make it a major contributor to the future of the Society. I'll soon be meeting with your officers and establishing short- and long-term goals. I'm confident we'll find many new ways to improve communication on all levels. I'm very interested in YOUR ideas. Please feel free to e-mail me and I'll see your thoughts are shared with the board and even offer them for publication in future issues of the PROBEmoter.

You can be extremely proud of PROBE. I am.

Now, Let's Get Busy!