Editor's Corner

Welcome to the Fall Edition of Aikido East 2007. I hope everyone had a great summer and that the change of seasons provides you with the inspiration to take on that long list of "things to do" that we all put off during the summer months!

As you can see from the table of contents, this is a very successful edition, and I would like to thank everyone who supports, reads, and contributes to the newsletter. This edition introduces a very exciting new chapter heading, Time Frames, with an amazing look back at Yamda Sensei and members of Aikido of Atlanta in the 1970s. If every reader is like me, having the opportunity to look at pictures of people from the aikido community in the past is a treat. I hope you enjoy this new section, and that you too will take the time to search through your old photos and send digital copies to me to post in the future.

I would also like to thank everyone who has helped make the chapter For, By and About Kids such a quick success. There have been more entries than I ever imagined. It's great to see the programs, art work, and thoughts of all the children and adults who are involved with this next generation of aikidoka.

As I mentioned in the spring edition, effective January 1, 2008, Aikido East will have a new name. The USAF has undergone several changes in the recent past, and this community resource should reflect the new, unified organization and its visions for the future, its dojo and individual members. The newsletter will become the USAF Aikido Newsletter, and it may have a new look to celebrate its new beginning. We will keep you informed as we approach the new year.

There are some exciting changes coming to the USAF website, and a notice to chief instructors should be forthcoming. The new-inter active site will include the ability to submit your own dojo information (changes in emails, address etc), submit your seminar information in a new way, and create mailing labels after performing a variety of sort options, as well as email lists. We will also be able to provide all documents in a download format from a central file, which can be accessed with a password. I know these improvements will greatly help the administration of a dojo, and I look forward to being able to announce the launch of these ammenities soon.

The next edition will be online January 15th 2008, so take notes, take pictures and stay in touch!

Laura Jacobs Pavlick, Editor