The Newsletter of the New York City Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals®
CHAPTER MEETING RECAP
March Meeting – Productivity Seminar
Are you a ―veteran,‖ a ―pro‖ or simply a ―rookie?‖ Each attendee at the March meeting filled out a simple 18 question self-assessment to assess her own productivity rating. The questions covered nine criteria: setting goals, prioritizing, planning, negotiating your time, managing communications, managing interruptions, overcoming procrastination, meeting dynamics and delegation. After answering the questions and tabulating whether you were a veteran, pro or rookie, Diana Geraci, representative from MeadWestvaco‘s AtA-Glance Division, led us through an eye-opening presentation, offering many tips on how to improve our productivity. While we wouldn‘t give away all of MeadWestvaco‘s secrets for improving one‘s productivity, here are a few tidbits from the seminar. Putting your goals in writing, writing them into your planner and putting them on your ‗to-do‘ list are the top three tips for achieving your goals. Be SMART about defining your goals. Make sure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed. In other words, break down the goal in specific tasks that can be measured achievable and are relevant to the overall goal. Of course, at any seminar run by MeadWestvaco everyone gets freebies, which included – samples of new pens and markers, an assortment of envelopes and a sample planner. http://www.icisf.org/
In This Issue: Meeting Recap
March 2004 Volume 2, Issue 7 Page 1 1
Etiquette, Et Cetera
Public Affairs From the Help Desk To Your Health Upcoming Events Humor Us Board/Headquarters Contact Info
Published by: IAAP New York City Chapter P.O. Box 1136 New York, New York 10018 Website: www.iaap-nyc.org Newsletter Staff: Editor – Jeanine Scaccio
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ETIQUETTE, ET CETERA
HOW TO DRINK IT – Part I A glass of red wine is held at the base of the bowl. A glass of white wine is held by the stem — to preserve its chill. A brandy snifter is warmed by rolling the bowl between both hands, and is then cupped in one hand. The warming brings out the bouquet. If there are olives, onions or cherries in your drink, you may remove them with your fingers; it is easier to wait until all the liquid is drunk, when you can tip the glass back to allow the garnish to slip into your mouth. Never put a glass down on an unprotected surface in someone's house. Ask for a coaster. If you spill liquid, try not to create too much of a fuss. Simply ask the host or hostess where you can find a sponge to clean it up. -- Contributed by Bianca Constance
jscaccio@iaap-nyc.org
Co-Editor – Bianca Constance
bconstance@iaap-nyc.org
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PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The Dirty Dozen
The following are 12 of the most prevalent tax scams circulating now, according to the IRS: 1. Misuse of trusts. While many trusts are legal, the IRS warns against trusts to which taxpayers siphon funds but retain immediate control over the money. 2. "Claim of right" doctrine. In this mother-of-all deductions scheme, people deduct all their living expenses from income, arriving at zero income and zero taxes due. 3. Corporation sole. This statute allows genuine leaders of religious organizations to incorporate as individuals to separate their money from the religious entity. Scammers do this to exempt themselves from federal taxes. 4. Offshore transactions. Illegal offshore accounts are used to hide money or report false deductions. The IRS continues to crack down on illegal offshore bank and credit card accounts and employee leasing programs. 5. Employment tax evasion. In this scheme, businesses are advised to stop paying payroll taxes, but the advice is based on a misreading of the tax code. 6. Paid preparer fraud. Not all tax preparers are created equal or honest. Be sure to get referrals from the person who is going to prepare your taxes. In addition, call the Better Business Bureau and your state attorney general's office to find out whether complaints have been lodged. 7. Americans with Disabilities Act. Promoters of this scam say that buying certain equipment or services will result in eligibility for the Disabled Access Credit. 8. African-Americans' special tax refund. There are no tax credits or refunds related to reparations for slavery, but this scam continues to flourish. 9. Improper home-based business. There are legitimate deductions for a home-based business, but this fraud involves setting up a sham business in order to claim personal expenses. 10. Frivolous arguments. You may hear advertisements proclaiming 'I don't pay taxes, why should you?' Still people pay $49.95 for a seminar to be told they can avoid income tax. 11. Identity theft. A fraudulent preparer may misuse your personal information. 12. Share or borrow dependents. Scheming tax preparers suggest this as a means to reap the earned income tax credit. A taxpayer with more than enough dependents to claim the credit will "give" a dependent to another filer's return, for a fee. For more information on the IRS' "dirty dozen" scams, go to the IRS Web site. If you have questions about a possible scam, call the IRS fraud reporting line at 800-829-0433, or call the regular help line at 800-8291040. For business-related tax questions, call 800-829-4933 -- Contributed by Bianca Constance
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RETIREMENT TRUST FUND
Okay. So, last month we told you all about the Retirement Trust Foundation and why they want your contributions. This month, our chapter president, Jeanine Scaccio, hosted a ―Jewels by Park Lane Jewelry Fashion Show‖ and a substantial portion of the proceeds went to the benefit of the Retirement Trust Fund. There was goldtone fever in them thar‘ eyes – as well as silvertone fever, marcasite fever not to mention eyes bleary from the sparkle of high-quality Russian CZ‘s. While we were still able to focus, Jeanine shared a few tips on the care of jewelry. For instance, did you know that for optimal longevity and wearability, your jewelry should be kept in a jewelry box – not the ―paw and claw‖ type where you throw everything in and then untangle as necessary – but a real jewelry box with spaces for your necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. Along with your jewelry, you should keep a piece of chalk in your jewelry box to absorb moisture and keep your jewelry from tarnishing. If you would still like to contribute to the RTF and add to your collection with some beautiful pieces, please view the Jewels By Park Lane catalog at http://www.jewelsbyparklane.com/pdf/2004spcatw.pdf, then contact Jeanine for ordering instructions.
FROM THE HELP DESK
Word Tip
PRINT MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS FROM THE FOLDER LIST Printing a number of Word documents can easily become cumbersome. Rather than opening each file and printing individually, use the folder list to print them all at once. Follow these steps: 1. Open the folder that contains the Word documents you want to print. 2. Press [Ctrl], and select the files you want to print. (If the files are adjacent, select the first file in the list, press [Shift], and select the last file in the list.) 3. Right-click the selection, and select Print from the shortcut menu. 4. Select the desired print options, and click OK. (The selected options will apply to all of the documents.) Word will print the files in the order they appear in the folder. -- Contributed by Bianca Constance
TO YOUR HEALTH
Five Stupid Health Mistakes
1. You Always Order a Salad: The word 'salad' makes people believe they are eating healthy. The truth of the matter is that a lot of take-out and restaurant salads are nothing more than a burger in a bowl. Only about 10% of your diet should come from saturated fat. For a woman who is eating 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day, these salads contain all the saturated fat she should eat in a whole day.
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The Fix: Don't scratch take-out salad off your menu; just apply a few commonsense rules before you order. For instance, avoid high-fat add-ons such as sour cream, extra cheese, croutons, bacon bits, and high-fat dressings, including Caesar and ranch. Opt for salads that aren't just a fiber-free mound of iceberg lettuce dotted with a few carrot and red cabbage shavings. Ask for low-calorie and fat-free dressing. 2. You Avoid the Scale: If you're trying to lose weight, you may need the kind of feedback the scale provides. If you weigh yourself regularly, you can notice a gain when it's easier to shed--at 3 pounds, say, instead of 15. But it's important not to get so obsessed with the numbers that you're weighing yourself once or twice daily. Scales do lie. Your weight can vary from day to day--even hour to hour. You don't want to be discouraged when you put on 2 pounds between 6 am and 6 pm. The Fix: Stay friendly with your scale while losing or maintaining your weight. If you're trying to lose weight, get on the scale monthly. Do it first thing in the morning, naked, after you go to the bathroom. Schedule your weigh-ins at the same time in your menstrual cycle each month--not when you're likely to have waterweight gain. 3. You Forget to Floss: Gum disease is a serious bacterial infection that attacks the tissue surrounding one or more teeth and the bone supporting them. It's the number one cause of tooth loss in the United States, but it's far from just a cosmetic issue: When periodontal bacteria enter the bloodstream, they can travel to major organs and cause chronic inflammation. In recent years, researchers have come to suspect that such simmering infections in the body may be implicated in some cases of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and even premature birth. The Fix: Floss at least once a day. 4. You're Afraid to Lift Weights: Some women avoid lifting weights because they think they'll end up looking like the female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. They're wrong. "The vast majority of women do not have the genetic capability to develop large, bulky muscles," says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, the organization that certifies personal trainers. Don't think of weight lifting as "lifting weights." Think of it as a way to look more toned and trim without losing an ounce. Once you start, you may even notice that you've put on a few pounds. Don't panic: You're gaining muscle, which weighs more than the fat you're losing. But since muscle is more dense than fat, it takes up less space, helping you fit into your clothes better. And if you lift regularly, you'll eventually start dropping pounds. Additionally, a recent study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that women on a strength-training program for 25 weeks lost significant amounts of belly fat--the dangerous kind that increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. The Fix: You don't have to spend a lot of time pumping iron to get the benefits. Two or three times a week on nonconsecutive days for about 30 minutes per session should do the trick. The American Council on Exercise says that light weights and multiple reps tend to help build endurance and muscle tone, while training with heavier weights generally produces stronger muscles. 5. You Ignore Aches and Pains: If you're knee-deep in caring for kids, managing a household, and holding down a job, you may be quick to brush off a nagging cough, back twinge, or bout of indigestion. You may think fatigue is your natural state. Don't ignore those symptoms. Although women tend to go to doctors more often than men, and though they're the caretakers for everyone from grandparents to the pet parakeet, they're least likely to take care of themselves, says Diana Dell, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. "Personal wellness and preventive care always take a backseat to caring for someone else." The Fix: Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of serious illness, know your risk factors, report anything unusual immediately, and don't let anything get in the way of regular screening tests, which can often detect problems when they're still small and treatable. -- Contributed by Bianca Constance
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Administrative Professionals Week Meeting – April 21, 2004
The annual Administrative Professionals Week meeting of the New York City Chapter will be on th Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at the offices of OfficeTeam, 245 Park Avenue, 45 Floor at 5:30 p.m. Office Team and the New York City Chapter will present a program highlighting this year‘s theme, ―Ambassadors of Excellence.‖ Fees for this meeting are $10 for members, $12 for members-at-large and $14 for visitors. Remember that all first-time guests attend free of charge. RSVP to Bianca Constance.
2004 New York State Division Annual Meeting – May 14-15, 2004
By now, you should have received your registration package for the next New York State Division Annual Meeting, which has as its theme ―Building Bridges to Success.‖ The meeting this year will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, LaGuardia Airport. Program information is on the New York State Division web site, http://www.geocities.com/nystatedivision, but here are a few highlights: Party, party party! There will be a dinner cruise on Friday May 14, which includes open bar, buffet dinner, a DJ, dancing and unforgettable views of the New York City Skyline. Sounds like a lot of fun but you don‘t know anyone (yet – we‘re a networking organization, remember)? Invite your significant other, friends, relatives or anyone else you‘d like to bring along for the ride. Information on this event is on our web site at: http://www.iaap-nyc.org/DinnerCruise.ppt. And the partying doesn‘t stop there. There will also be an Awards Gala dinner on Saturday evening. It‘s not all play though, we will have seminars on ―Sex, Gender and the Job – How our Biology and the Roles We‘re Asked to Play in the Workplace Impact Men and Women,‖ a leadership workshop on facilitation skills and a seminar on the DISC Program by Certified Behavioral Analyst. More details may be found on our web site at: http://www.iaap-nyc.org/ConventionFlyer.ppt Because this year‘s Annual Meeting is being held so close to our front doors and because the InterCounty Council is hosting this meeting, we would like to see all of you attend at least some of the events. And don‘t forget that early bird registrants pay only $170 – an excellent investment.
IAAP 2004 International Convention and Educational Forum – August 1-4, 2004
The next International Convention and Educational Forum will be at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Convention registration brochures will be available in March 2004. However, since many of the rooms for the Convention are already booked, you should register today to assure your place at the Convention. Further information about the Marriott Hotel or DC tours can be found at http://www.iaaphq.org/Convention_04/contents.htm.
HUMOR US
Office exercise program: Jumping to conclusions Climbing the walls Wading through paperwork Climbing the ladder of success Picking up the pieces
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CONTACT INFORMATION FOR NEW YORK CITY CHAPTER OFFICERS
Here are the names, offices and e-mail addresses of the NYCC Board members should you need to contact them: Jeanine Scaccio, President Marilyn Barney, President-Elect Andrea A. Berg, Vice President/Membership Chair Lois Habenicht CPS, Treasurer Millie Montalvo, Recording Secretary Bianca Constance, Corresponding Secretary Alice DeSantis, Board Advisor Karen Lutzker, Board Advisor jscaccio@iaap-nyc.org mbarney@iaap-nyc.org iaap.andrea@verizon.net lois_habenicht@urscorp.com millie.montalvo@aetn.com bconstance@iaap-nyc.org adesantis@arrowshirt.com kla11660@aol.com
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR IAAP HEADQUARTERS
For further information on the International Association of Administrative Professionals®, please contact them at their headquarters location at 10501 NW Ambassador Drive, P.O. Box 20404, Kansas City, Missouri 641950404. The Association's web site is located at www.iaap-hq.org. E-mail inquiries to headquarters should be addressed to service@iaap-hq.org. Jeanine Scaccio, Editor - jscaccio@iaap-nyc.org President/Webmaster Bianca Constance – bconstance@iaap-nyc.org Corresponding Secretary/Co-Editor
IAAP, New York City Chapter Check out our chapter web site at www.iaap-nyc.org
Happy Spring!
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