Association of Administrative Assistants

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Annual General Meeting

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

Association of Administrative Assistants

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

Barrie/Simcoe County
Calgary
Edmonton
Greater|Grand Sudbury
Hamilton
Members-At-Large
Toronto Charter
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