A message from the Director…..
January 2000
Happy New Year!
The hustle and bustle of the holidays is behind us, and we are gearing up for a New Year filled with unbridled creativity! We are planning a wonderful New York State tournament fo r your teams on March 11th, and are looking forward to Destination 2000 (D2K) in May. It promises to be the BIGGEST, MOST EXCITING creative problem solving tournament on the planet! Teams from all over the world are vying for the oppo rtunity to travel to Ames, Iowa to compete in the ULTIMATE CREATIVITY SHOWDOWN. Because our membership numbers in New York are small this year, we will have the best opportunity EVER to send a large percentage of our teams on to D2K.
Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete at the international level! Register your team today for New York Destination Imagination™. Registration deadline is January 15, 2000. Please contact D ee Urban, [email protected] or (716) 675-7566 if you have any questions regarding State registration.
Don’t forget that you must also purchase a membership through Destination Imagination™. Visit the Destination Imagination™ website, www. dini.org for membership information. While the Challenges have been available at no charge for several months it is critical that you obtain a membership in Destination Imagination™ in ord er to participate at ANY tournament!
As we plunge headlong into the competition season let me take a moment to wish each of you a very Happy and Healthy New Year – my wish for all is that EVERY team tie for 1st place and advance in competition.
Now on to business….. JANUARY REMINDERS:
1) Each of you should be checking our state website at least weekly for the latest up-to-date information about Destination Imagination in New York. You can access our website homepage at http://nydi.org
2) Every team should be checking the Destination Imagination website at least weekly for current Challenge Clarifications. You can access the DI website from the MAIN MENU on our state w ebsite homepage, or of course you can access it directly at www.dini.org
3) Your National and State membership fees are due by 1/15/00. Please check with your membership coordinator to make sure that these are being processed.
4) TEAM CHEER ads for our State Tournament program are due no later than 2/15/00 to be included in the tournament program. You can access information about these ads, and an order form at our website by scrolling down on the homepage to the LATEST NEWS section and clicking on “Looking for a way to raise funds for your membership? Click here!”. This information was included in our November Newsletter.
5) For those who ordered the special limited edition DI Pins, I have been informed that the pins will be shipped to me during the last week of January. I will get them out to you as fast as possible once I receive them!
6) We are taking PRE-ORDERS on New York State DI Pins until 2/15/00. Pins are available for pick-up at the state tournament or for shipping. GUARANTEE your team will not be disappointed by pre-ordering your pins now! While we will be pl acing an additional pin order after the tournament for those teams advancing to Destination Imagination International Finals, if your team wants pins on State tournament day you should consider pre-order….we will have a limited number of pins available for sale at the tournament. To order pins (and see our pin designs) go to the website homepage, scroll down to the LATEST NEWS section of the page and click on “CLICK HERE TO PREORDER YOUR NEW YORK DI PINS!”
7) WESTERN REGION teams should be sending in Team Registration forms for our tournament. These are due by 1/15/00. EASTERN and CENTRAL REGION Teams should check with their Regional Director for information about registering your team fo r regional competition.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need additional program information, or if you have difficulty accessing any program materials or information on this website, or on the Destination Imagination™ site. I can mail or fax information and forms directly to you.
Once again, I’d like to thank each of you for your support and for working to offer this outstanding educational opportunity to New York students. The Destination Imagination™ program helps students learn skills for life. These sk ills can help students improve their classroom performance and help them become more productive and involved members of their schools and communities. By fostering an environment that encourages creative problem solving, confidence, team-work, and excellence, you are helping to make the world a better place for today’s students and the generations that will follow them.
I know that all of us are getting excited and tired during the home stretch — my best wishes to each of you for your teams…..may every team amaze and delight every judge…..may all our challenges be met with creativity — and most of all may each team member discover a new sense of pride and accomplishment during this tournament season.
A Plea for help…..
In preparation for next year (I can hear you all groaning now!!!) I would ask that each of you consider taking on a critical role within our fledgling State organization. We a re in need of board members representing each area of our state, as well as a State Tournament Director. We very much want to have a “real” State Tournament in 2001 but this can only happen when we have more dedicated volunteers to assist in making this a reality — I cannot do all of it alone and am asking YOU to consider how you can help make our organization grow and flourish in the coming years….. if you are willing to take on a role within our organization please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Again, let me wish each of you a Happy and Healthy New Year and a successful tournament season…..
Dee Urban, Affiliate Director
73 Minden Drive
Orchard Park, New York 14127
Telephone (716) 675-7566
e-mail: [email protected]
