Fledgling CAMBS Gets Strong Reaction

The first meeting of the California Alliance of Massage and Bodywork Schools attracted a surprising amount of interest from the massage community in general. Both the AMTA and the ABMP asked if they could send representatives to that first meeting. Since then the word has been spreading, and the ABMP "Journal," "Massage Magazine," and "The Rub" have all mentioned CAMBS in their publications.

Much of the interest was very positive and supportive, and all of these groups and many others who have called for information are very interested to see what direction this new organization will take. While we view CAMBS as a way for massage school administrators to support each other, watch legislation, and work to improve the service we offer, evidently others in the field believe that our organization can have a powerful impact on the field of massage in general.

If some of the most powerful organizations in the field of massage have begun to sit up and take notice, and are vitally interested in what CAMBS might do in the future, don't you think that as a massage/bodywork school owner in California you should be interested also?

We invite you again to make plans to attend the May 8 meeting of CAMBS in southern California, hosted by the Desert Resorts School of Somatherapy.

Since we would really like to have every massage/bodywork school owner and administrator in California attend this meeting, the host school has tried to make the meeting as reasonable and convenient as possible.

Make your reservations today for what promises to be a very interesting meeting. Details are on the reverse side of this page. For additional information on the agenda of the meeting, contact Teresa West at Body Institute, 8331 Sierra College Blvd., #210, Granite Bay CA 95746. Or, call Teresa West's office at 916/791-1951. For information about lodging, directions, etc. please call Ramona Moody French at 800/270-1175.

Mission Statement

Since so much interest has developed in CAMBS, it seems necessary to develop a mission statement to use as a guide for developing our organization. We invite everyone attending the meeting to bring along a list of goals and principles you feel should be included in the mission statement. One goal of the meeting will be to form a group who will take all the information and distill it into a mission statement for CAMBS to be reviewed at the next meeting.

We have researched mission statements on the Internet and submit the following as a sample, offered in the hope that you will find it useful for creating ideas to be discussed at the May 8 meeting.

The California Alliance of Massage and Bodywork Schools is dedicated to providing excellence in bodywork instruction for each student at member schools. Although individual massage/bodywork styles may vary, all schools in the alliance are committed to our students':

1. developing a set of practical skills that demonstrate by objective measures, each student's ability to perform massage/bodywork in a professional manner for the purpose of making a successful transition to the work force and society,

2. forming an intellectual and spiritual insight and appreciation for the power of massage/bodywork and an ethical framework for safeguarding the client while in the altered state produced by massage.

Shared Beliefs

• We celebrate the multicultural diversity of our students and encourage a sense of commitment towards a global community.
• We also hold that a commitment to lifelong learning is essential for successful living in a multifaceted and rapidly changing society, and strive to instill a similar commitment in our students.
• All students can learn. Learning requires high expectations from teachers and administrators, and the active involvement of students.
• Our programs must constantly be examined and refined to make them responsive to the needs of the student population we serve.
• Student outcomes can be defined and measured in alternative ways. Standardized tests are but one way of measuring student accomplishment.
• People are resources, not instruments. They should be challenged, encouraged and supported in making contributions to the group.
• Growth and development does not occur without self-reflection and self-assessment. Encouraging staff, administration, and students to pursue self-reflection and self-assessment is vital to the growth of our industry in a way that contributes the most to the world community.
• Collaboration with other massage/bodywork schools is essential to the success of each member school.

Goals

• Improve our educational programs through development of teaching materials, programs, and education of instructors and administrators.
• Protect and preserve the diversity of massage and bodywork styles and the individuality of member schools
• Develop a means of actively interacting with legislators to guide the enactment of laws that will protect and further the art of massage/bodywork as a vocation
• Develop group marketing plans to draw more students to choose massage/bodywork as a career.

Meeting Agenda

Teresa West, Chairperson

9:30 a.m. Welcome by Teresa West

10:30 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. Shelly Loewen, Learning Specialist How to turn a wonderful therapist into a wonderful teacher

12:00 noon Lunch/Roundtable discussions:*

Student clinic pros and cons

Group Marketing

Conflict Resolution

Sexual issues in the classroom

Writing job descriptions for instructors

*The purpose of the lunch discussions is to identify needs and develop ideas for meeting those needs. Please bring with you any materials on these subjects you would like to share.

1:30 p.m. Jerry Wohlford

Compliance with BPPVE requirements

3:00 p.m. Reports from committees

Reports from lunch discussions

4:00 p.m. What next?

The next CAMBS meeting will be held at the Miracle Springs Hotel in Desert Hot Springs, California. The host for the meeting will be Desert Resorts School of Somatherapy (800/270-1175).

Airports: We are located ten miles north of the Palm Springs Airport and about one hour's drive east of the Ontario Airport. By car, Desert Hot Springs is about 100 miles east of Los Angeles on highway 10, and about 125 miles north of San Diego. Feel free to call us at 760/329-1175 for directions or other information.

Room reservations: The hotel has given us a price of $49.00 per room, single or double occupancy, for the night before and after the meeting. To reserve your room, please contact Miracle Springs Hotel at 800/400-4414 and tell the registration clerk you are attending the CAMBS meeting.

Cost: $20.00 per person to cover lunch and the prorated cost of the conference room. To register, fill out and send this registration form to CAMBS at the Body Institute, 8331 Sierra College Blvd., #210, Granite Bay CA 95746, with your payment of $20.00 per person. Or, fax with credit card information directly to Ramona at 760/329-5925.

May 8, 1998 CAMBS Meeting Registration form
School:
Address:
City/State/Zip
Names and titles of those planning to attend
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2
3
4
Amount enclosed @ $20.00 per person: ___________