Having returned from a three-day American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences conference in Knoxville, Tenn., I want to share some insight on the centennial theme — Celebrating the Past, Sustaining the Future.
Approximately 1,000 members from across the country convened in Knoxville to participate in a plethora of educational sessions, keynote address luncheons, workshops, panel discussions, networking, research, committee and business meetings.
Being the centennial year, the association has a remarkable history. Nearly 100 years ago, men and women met in the idyllic location of Lake Placid, N.Y., to set the course for a new discipline.
They were all interested in elevating the many areas in domestic science, arts and economy to a level of recognized discipline, with a rigorous, scientific, prescribed course of study at the college and university levels.
Led by Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a recognized visionary, their intent was to begin the process of applying scientific research and study to solve some of the practical health, safety, nutrition and quality of life problems of the times, both in the home and communities.
They formed a coalition, established in 1909 as the American Home Economics Association. As times changed, the name changed, as well, to what we now know as the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Indeed, a look at history and the role played by home economics educators is closely intertwined with war efforts, food preservation and rationing.
Today, AAFCS is the only national not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing leadership and support to FCS students and professionals in multiple practice settings. AAFCS members are elementary, secondary and post-secondary educators, researchers and administrators; Cooperative Extension educators; and other professionals in business and industry, not-for-profit organizations and government.
These professionals help individuals, families and communities make informed decisions about their well-being, relationships and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. With national headquarters based in Alexandria, Va., AAFCS has 52 affiliates located across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Sustainability is becoming a buzzword. One year ago, an internet search for sustainability would yield 2,000 hits. Try a search today. You’ll be pleasantly surprised the topic has become a popular word with 29,500,000 hits.
Family and Consumer Science professionals are prepared with “a capacity to endure” the changing times. For example, let me share the story of one FCS professional working in the corporate world representing the Soap and Detergent Association.
She described a soap which has cardboard packaging. Even the packaging is full of life. Plant it in the garden and watch it grow. The cardboard packaging has 20-30 seeds embedded within the material and when placed in the ground, will grow Gypsophila Muralis, better known as Baby’s Breath.
As president of the Oklahoma Affiliate, meeting with other state presidents from across the nation, we share a common goal and seek sustainability on the local level.
For those FCS professionals who share a passion for the profession, I invite you become a
member of our state association.
