American Massage Therapy Association, Oregon Chapter

 Today is

AMTA Oregon Chapter
Presidential Notes

May 2010
Mike Blackmore, AMTA-OR President
LMT #6637

Spring in Western Oregon arrives when cold rainy days slowly turn to . . warm rainy days, sprinkled (pun intended) with a little sun. For some of us that may mean our busy winter client base visits us a little less often, and we get a little respite. For others, the warm weather athletes and outdoor enthusiasts begin to punish themselves and our phone starts ringing. Some of us continue to steadily work with our clients without much of a pace change.

Regardless of your niche, it is important to manage your business ethically or work for someone else with the highest of integrity. The AMTA-OR June class brings us Patty Glenn, former Executive Director of OBMT to discuss a variety of ethical business topics and regulatory issues the board has encountered during her tenure. She will be speaking at Oregon School of Massage in Salem on Sunday June 13 from 1-4pm. I hope to see you there. The chapter board will conduct its public meeting beginning at 10am, followed by lunch and networking.

A wonderful group of LMTs and massage students from Lane Community College worked together at the finish line of the Eugene Marathon May 2, providing free 10 minute post-event massages for almost 6 hours. Donations were collected to support local high school cross country, and the response for free massage was beyond expectations. The running community was grateful for the service, we made great connections for future opportunities, and I overheard a fellow AMTA member refer an out-of-towner to the AMTA “find-a-therapist” link on the national website. There are some who feel we shouldn’t give away our services. While I agree with that statement, I also believe that opportunities to communicate the phrase “AMTA massage therapist” will pay dividends in the future. Our fellow members in other states provide the same service to us on a regular basis. Most importantly, we shared the experience with future therapists who worked with eyes wide open to the “scary world of muscle spasm”.

If you love baseball and hanging out with other LMT’s, join us August 15 for a Portland Beaver game! The chapter has purchased 75 tickets and food for AMTA-OR. Last year’s tickets were snapped up immediately, food went fast and many missed out on a good time. 3rd VP Carole Ann Carnese is our fun-director this year. Send her an email if you wish to help or have any questions regarding the event. Her article in this newsletter provides more details.

I will be attending the National Board Meeting in St Louis, Missouri on June 5. The various chapter Presidents and board members that met in Evanston in March will meet again to continue our efforts to help the national BOD in planning the long-term future of massage and AMTA. This is a humbling challenge, and I am honored to represent the Oregon members of our organization. I believe we are fortunate to work in a state with the massage laws we operate under, while some states continue to struggle with laws that effect public perception. Thank you again for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

Mike

 
 

 

Back to Top

 

All Rights Reserved - American Massage Therapy Association, Oregon Chapter
Website design LadyWebPro.com