Page 6 - spring_2020_exemplar

Spring 2020

conduct professional workshops for members pro bono. I am talking about very busy, prolific and in-
demand individuals, like our current officers and Ed, who are like a “who’s who” list of movers and
shakers of the profession…Jane Myers, Don C. Locke, Thelma Vriend, Sam Gladding, Courtland Lee,
Carol Bobby, Skip Niles, Lorretta Bradley, Vicki Kress, Judy Mirantti, Ted Remley, Craig Cashwell,
and I could easily go on!
Not everyone who nurtured the servant leader example was a CSI officer or leader. I wish to
remember Dr. Don Hood, a private practitioner and assessment expert, who donated $5,000 to CSI
in the 1990’s because he believed in our mission. Hundreds more members have donated whatever
they can afford for similar reasons. We also have had the benefit of donation of royalties. ACES and
CSI had a joint project to produce training videos in our early years. Jan Holden (Texas) donated her
royalties to CSI. The authors of CSI-endorsed books, including the Handbook of Counseling (Locke,
Myers & Herr), Leaders and Legacies: Contributors to the Counseling Profession (West, Osborn, &
Bubenzer), and Professional Counseling Excellence Through Leadership and Advocacy (Chang, Barrio
Minton, Dixson, Myers & Sweeney), have directed all of the royalties from book sales to CSI. We have
invested these funds and, to this day, have never used the principal. All of these contributions equate to
a perpetual gift to future special projects beyond what we could otherwise afford.
This leads us, however, to another distinguished group of servant leaders, CSI Chapter Faculty
Advisors (CFA).

Mentoring
As an association, we have prided ourselves for mentoring new leaders for the profession and
those that we serve. The backbone and real substance of this work is done at the chapter level by
individual faculty members. Contrary to what some may think, Chapter Faculty Advisors often receive
no released time, compensation for extra duty, or recognition for doing the work associated with the
chapter. They mentor as true servant leaders on a day-in and day-out basis.
CSI expects its CFAs to carefully review the applicants for membership, including both
academic performance and promise of developing into a competent practitioner committed to personal
excellence in all that they do. Of course, leadership development and mentoring is a high priority. In
addition to doing what needs to be done for initiations, chapters function for the program, community
outreach, and so forth. CFAs also willingly accept the harder task which is to engender a vision, desire,
confidence and commitment of chapter members to plan and conduct chapter activities for themselves.
This is no small task! Over the years, we have written letters in support of CFA employment, for tenure
and promotion of proven CFAs, and to encourage support of the students and faculty to be able to
attend at least one of our annual meetings every three years.
In addition, each year CSI accepts nominations for CSI Fellows and Interns. A list of recipients
can be found on our website. Many will be recognized as leaders in other counseling associations at the
local, state, regional, national, and international levels. Less obvious are the thousands (yes, thousands,
after 35 years) who are active in leadership within their schools, colleges, agencies, and communities.
No less important now than in our early years, mentoring future leaders is a high priority for CSI.

6 CHI SIGMA IOTA EXEMPLAR