Now Is the Time

By Joelyn Carr-Fingerle, CPA

School years, calendar years, busy seasons and fiscal years. We have been attuned to these different cycles all of our lives. We work in many of these simultaneously and look forward to the time when it is a little less hectic, a little less busy—or when we have a little more time to relax. The summer months are often seen that way, but somehow we never seem to be un-busy, maybe just a little less busy. It seems that something always comes around the corner to catch us up short. So maybe we need to not delay those things that we have been putting off until later.

When we decide that, it usually means that we decide to become more active in areas that give us greater personal pleasure, like getting together with friends and family for dinner or sports, going to church more frequently for the homily and friendships, taking up a new interest that has always intrigued us or traveling somewhere that calls to us. Mostly it often means taking more time for fun and laughter, rather than for so much serious business. Well, CalCPA can help.

CPAs are used to serious business. All clients take their money seriously, especially when it seems to be melting away, as has been the case for a while now. No one ever wants to pay more taxes that they have to. Ours is also a constantly changing profession, so we must read and remain updated about a lot of technical information. Because the technical side of our business can get a little dry and boring, many of us look for ways to make it more fun. I suggest that including some of the chapter events in your life is a great way to keep up with those technical changes, learn about some of those serious topics and have some fun and activities at the same time.

The chapter is starting its new fiscal year, and we are planning a full schedule of technical meetings related to accounting and auditing issues, including a major change to SSARS, tax issues, tech (computer) topics and QuickBooks, as well as hosting a full day of low-cost education. We will present scholarship awards to those just coming into the profession (to take our places so we can eventually retire) and hold meetings for those who are new to the profession and eager to learn and figure out in what area they want to specialize, since we all have to specialize to some degree. There will be a golf tournament, and for the last few years, we have hosted an evening of ice skating, so athletics are part of our offerings as well. We have social events where we thank our leaders, recognize our past presidents and celebrate the end of the traditional busy season. Spouses are often at those events. My husband is an engineer, not an accountant, and he looks forward to a number of the chapter meetings, because he has formed friendships with others who attend as well.

This year marks our 60th year as a CalCPA chapter. We have a strong tradition of working with our members to provide all that we need for our professional lives, but we try to not take ourselves too seriously and to have fun while thinking, learning and playing. Please join us. The more the merrier.

I have not been involved at the chapter level for that long, but I have been a CalCPA member for more than 30 years. I have found our chapter to be welcoming, helpful, thoughtful and genuine. It is nice to know whom I can call with a question—which is one of the benefits of active membership. The committees are ramping up activities, and this Bulletin will soon be filled with upcoming events. Please do attend and let us know your interests. We are here for you, the members, with the goal of helping you have a better time as a successful CPA.

This year CalCPA celebrates its 100th birthday and is kicking off the festivities with the Annual Meeting and Gala in San Francisco June 18–19. We are lucky that this event is being held in our neighboring city, and I hope that many of you will be able to attend some or all of the activities. If you cannot attend, please plan to join us for our chapter’s Past Presidents Night July 21, when we will hear a little about our journey as a profession during these last 100 years and what we have to look forward to in the future.
— Joelyn Carr-Fingerle, CPA

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 at 1:41 pm and is filed under President's Message. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.