The Firearms Instructor Issue 50 3 The President’s Message September 2011 What a thrill it is to be writing this President’s Message for the 50th issue of the Firearms Instructor Magazine. This 50th issue represents another great milestone in the history of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors®. This past year has brought several new things to the Association in terms of the way we conduct business. Last year, the Association implemented “Electronic Balloting” which will again be utilized in the spring of 2012 for our next election. With the implementation of this program not only did we save the organization a great deal of money, but most importantly we increased the participation of our membership.. In the spring of 2011 we implemented the “Electronic Magazine.” This change will enable us to produce the magazine in a more timely fashion without the worry of print deadlines etc. As long as you, the members, continue to submit quality articles, we can produce the magazine quarterly once again. Having the ability to get the magazine out on schedule not only benefits the members who enjoy the quality of the publication, but also our corporate sponsors who want to see their ads in print. In this issue you will notice a sponsor page has been added (page 5) that will allow our corporate partners the opportunity to showcase their new products. It is our hope that more companies will take advantage of this opportunity and showcase more products in the future. Another great addition to the work of IALEFI® is the development of the “Master Instructor Program.” Mike Boyle has done a great job of implementing this new program. This program has already been conducted several times and is scheduled on the website for an additional five times in the upcoming months. Reviews from this program have been great and agencies have already asked for return engagements. Thanks, Mike – and keep up the good work. As this issue is produced I would ask you to keep a close watch on both the website and the weekly newsletter. In the very near future, two items will be posted in these publications: the location and dates of our next Annual Training Conference, and the solicitation of instructor proposals for the 2012 Annual Training Conference. Start thinking now of what you might like to teach or please post any ideas that you might have for classes you would like to see taught on the “Forum” of the IALEFI® website. It seems like only yesterday that we were in West Palm Beach, Fl enjoying the hospitality of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and enjoying another great conference. I would like to once again publically thank Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Lt Sean Murray, Sgt. Mark Evans, Sgt. Stephen Dickenson, and Facilities Manager John Costello and all the other fine men and women of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work and dedication in making the 2011 ATC such a success. Last but not least, you the member, keep up the good work. Remember, be more than just a member – be a working member by organizing a Regional Training Conference, writing an article for the magazine, voting, attending an RTC or the ATC. Finally, and most importantly, BE SAFE. Steve Johnson