OUR HISTORY

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THE ASSOCIATION'S BEGINNINGS

Formation

In 1951, an enterprising group of 35 women, aided and encouraged by two gentlemen, Mr. W. G. Frisby and Dr. W. J. Dunlop, both prominent in educational circles, took action. The Association they formed was to establish a national standard of qualifications for senior secretaries.

The inaugural meeting of the Association of Administrative Assistants or Private Secretaries was held in Toronto, April 1951.

A Charter was granted to the Association by the Province of Ontario under Letters Patent dated November 24, 1952, and Supplementary Letters Patent, covering education courses, were issued in April 1954.

Qualified Administrative Assistant (Q.A.A.) Designation

Inauguration of the Correspondence Course, conducted by the Extension Division of the University of Toronto took place in October 1957. Upon completion of the three-year course the graduate-member was entitled to use the designating letters Q.A.A.

The "Q.A.A." designation is registered with the Trade Marks Office, Ottawa (1967).

The Association's Crest (Trade-Mark)

The Association's crest was certified as the Association's exclusive trade-mark by the Registrar of Trade-Marks for Canada on November 3, 1961.

No more appropriate design could portray the Association's 'corporate image' than the open book and quill. The book, the mark of the student, the seeker of improvement; the quill, the mark of the scribe, he who executes and puts to use the knowledge acquired.

The official language of the certification states that registration was granted on the basis of the use in Canada by the Association of the crest symbol for the following services:


• (1) the dissemination of Association literature;
• (2) providing its members with facilities for advanced education and a common meeting ground for the exchange of ideas;
• (3) circulation of a bulletin "National Notes" to the membership;
• (4) making available to its members and to the public an educational course by correspondence conducted for it through an accredited Canadian University.

The Association's trade-mark was renewed on September 5, 2006. Again, granted with the exact wording for the four services mentioned above.

Past Presidents

1951-52	Miss Alice Sowerby	Toronto Charter
1952-53	Mrs. Margaret Holway (nee Warren)	Toronto Charter (now Toronto East)
1953-54	Miss Margaret McMillan	Toronto Charter
1954-56	Mrs. Elise Bellavance	Toronto Charter
1956-58	Miss Etta Redden, Q.A.A.	Toronto Charter (Honorary Member)
1958-61	Miss Margaret Stuart, Q.A.A.	Toronto Charter
1961-63	Miss Ethel Mader	Hamilton
1963-65	Miss Helen Entwistle, Q.A.A.	Toronto Charter
1965-66	Mrs. Mary Holmes	Ottawa
1966-68	Miss Marnie Delaney	Toronto West
1968-70	Mrs. Molly Allen	Hamilton
1970-73	Miss Dorothy Osborne, Q.A.A.	Winnipeg
1973-75	Audrey Pember	Toronto East
1975-77	Mary Sullivan	Ottawa
1977-79	Kenny Gryde	Sarnia
1979-81	Phyllis Pilling, Q.A.A.	Winnipeg
1981-83	Monique St.Hilaire, Q.A.A.	Member-At-Large, Bedford
1983-86	Eleanor Caldwell, Q.A.A.	Vancouver
1986-88	Evelyn Brown, Q.A.A.	Hamilton
1988-91	Shirley Rooke, Q.A.A.	Calgary
1991-93	Kathyrn Hart	Calgary
1993-94	Mimma Musitano, Q.A.A.	Hamilton
1994-97	Linda Varsava	Member-At-Large, Mississauga
1997-98	Helen Gordon, BA, Q.A.A.	Member-At-Large, Sudbury
1998-02	Linda Gordon	Member-At-Large, Vancouver
2002-05	Doris Kurtz, Q.A.A.	Edmonton
2005-06	Irene Short	Edmonton
2006-08	Gail Bittorf, Q.A.A.	Calgary

CURRENT NEWS

A resounding success ... the recent national annual events held at Blue Mountain, Ontario were well attended and the professional seminar day on Friday, June 4th was a sellout success. Host Barrie/Simcoe County branch thanks all participants and our two speakers who provided insight into the partnership between employer and admin assistant - "Be The Ultimate Assistant" Bonnie Low-Kramen, pictured above (www.BonnieLowKramen.com) and Deborah Joslin who guided participants' goal-setting and vision-boarding - "Directing your Future" (www.admindesk.ca)

BRANCHES