January 2015: Chairman's Message

MCAA Convention Is Approaching

Mark Kemp Chairman Mason Contractors Association of America Mark@superiormasonry.com

With the holidays behind us, it is time to start moving forward on all the New Year’s resolutions we have made. I find it funny how when I go to the health club, it is always packed with people who are there trying to fulfill their resolutions right after Jan 1. Fast forward a month or two, and I then find myself with the same familiar faces from the year before.

These familiar faces realize that it takes hard work and dedication to stay on the course. If it were easy, the health club would still be packed. You can apply the same principles in your life, your businesses and your industry: Hard work and dedication will bring success.

One way you can improve your business and industry is by attending the MCAA Annual Convention during the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas, Feb. 1 - 5. This is a perfect time for you to recommit to your business by attending educational seminars, seeing and learning about new materials in the masonry industry, and networking with other contractors. You can find out everything you need to know about the convention by visiting www.masoncontractors.org/convention.

We will also have a key industry leader entering the Masonry Hall of Fame. This individual has given a lifetime to our industry and is well deserving of the award. Make sure you sign up for the South of 40 event to be held at Senior Frogs, and receive your free hat and hoodie. The hat and hoodie will be perfect to wear to Masonry Madness. This year, Masonry Madness has teamed up with Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. We hope to raise awareness of the needs of the families of loved ones who have laid down their lives for our freedoms. Check Masonry Madness out and also show support to the Children of Fallen Patriots.

Some other noteworthy events we are working on are our next Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. We are continuing to build a strong network with Congressmen and Senators, many who are taking on key committee positions in D.C. If you have a particular subject you would like to see addressed, please contact Jeff or myself so we can start preparing our position papers. One thing we have been working on is the Check-Off Program for the masonry industry. While we did not get it done in 2014, we are confident that it will get done – and done early – in the next session of Congress. As I stated above, we need to remain dedicated to staying the course, if we are to accomplish our goal.

The first part of December, Jeff and I made a trip down to Key West, Fla., to start planning for the 2015 MCAA Midyear Meeting, or at least that is what we told our wives. Although this is a work in progress, we are going to have some really fun events for everyone.

A few things on the list are a welcoming sunset cruise, fishing, snorkeling and either a pub crawl or scavenger hunt. Of course, we will have plenty of business to do as well. This is the time when we sit down with the committee chairs and plan your association’s future direction and goals. It was also nice to get away from the cold, Northern weather, even if I had to be with Jeff. Speaking of Jeff, ask him how he liked his walk from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. I have to give him credit; he wanted to take a taxi, but I made him walk.

I close with this thought: It seems we are living in a messed up world. If you turn on your television, radio or pick up a newspaper to read, everything is negative. I actually prefer not to listen to the news, because there is more to look at than all the negativity and spin on what the truth really is. I admit things are not all rosy out there, but sometimes we need to look at the mess to find the beauty. It is there; we just have to look and believe in it.

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