What’s Your Plan?
By Brian Wagner
NAPS Immediate Past President
It was an honor to attend the 68th NAPS National Convention in New Orleans as your immediate past president. I want to thank New Orleans Branch 73 for hosting a very enjoyable and entertaining opening ceremony. Congratulations to all the newly elected Executive Board members. I wish you all the best as you lead NAPS during the next two years.
I also am honored to remain on the NAPS Executive Board to complete the last year of my two-year term as immediate past president; my tenure ends Sept. 4, 2023. Meanwhile, my plan is to continue giving 110% to the success of NAPS and our members. As Ben Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” I do not plan to fail, as I have a plan. Here’s the scoop.
As immediate past president, I will attend the 2022 fall and 2023 spring Executive Board meetings, 2023 Legislative Training Seminar and regularly contribute columns for The Postal Supervisor.
Writing these columns is a bit self-serving as I get to continue my ice cream research (eating) to decide which will be the next flavor-of-the-month recommendation. It’s a rough gig, but someone has to do it!
As immediate past president, I previously was assigned to four Executive Board committees: NPA/PFP Advisory, Training & Advocacy, Budget and Membership. I plan to continue doing my utmost in serving NAPS and our members on whichever committee I may be assigned over the next years. Technically, I’m a NAPS Executive Board nomad; my association oversight covers the entire country.
When invited, I plan to support NAPS and our members by attending branch events, providing training at NAPS seminars and actively participating in as many state conventions as possible. I continue to welcome calls, emails and text messages from branch members and respective officers who wish to seek my counsel on topics of parliamentarian procedure, branch taxes and tax-exempt/nonprofit filings, treasury audits, advocacy and officer duties and responsibilities.
My plan also includes being a sounding board for branches and members who just want to talk. If these NAPS activities happen to occur while I am drinking coffee and eating ice cream, then my plan just got better.
Regardless, when my official Executive Board term expires next September, you may always contact me as an association resource. I am always grateful for the opportunity to give back to NAPS and our members, now and in the future. This includes any support I can provide our NAPS Auxiliary at the national, state or local levels, as well.
Just know the rumors are true; you do become busier in retirement. So have a plan to be productive and successful not just during your postal career, but in retirement, as well. Whether you are working or retired, make the most of every day by having a plan—a plan that keeps you focused, motivated and engaged with others, but, more importantly, with yourself.
You even may have many different plans. Whatever they may be, have an understanding of what you want to accomplish, then make a plan to achieve it.
I, too, have many plans. One plan is to be a productive member of NAPS, my community and family. I also have a plan to eat new flavors of ice cream. What’s your plan? I hope it includes my ice-cream-flavor-of-the-month recommendation: Ben & Jerry’s Coffee, Coffee BuzzBuzz Buzz!
Categories: The Postal Supervisor
