Commentary.(National Association of Credit Management - board elections)

On December 16, 1773, a group of men calling themselves the "Sons of Liberty", struck a blow for freedom by dumping 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. April 19, 1775, 70 armed Massachusetts Militiamen stood face-to-face against an advanced troop of the British Army. An unordered "shot heard round the world" marked the beginning of the American Revolution. February 1783, England officially declared an end to the war, and democracy as we know it today was on its way.

In 1920, after 72 years, the campaign to win a Constitutional Amendment to guarantee women's right to vote was successful.

1965 saw the passage of the Voting Rights Act: it survived 57 days of fighting on the Senate floor. Voting requirements such as literacy tests are now against the law, as a result.

As you can see, democracy and the individual's right to vote was a lengthy and hard-fought process. It is our inalienable right--and civic responsibility, to participate in the democratic process, whether it is at the municipal, state, national or association level.

Notice how I segued so slyly to the subject of NACM and the upcoming elections? Four years ago, the NACM National Board passed an amendment to their bylaws, allowing you, the Member, to not only nominate the candidates for the National Board of Directors, but also the right to vote and elect the representatives to your National Board.

NACM was created over one hundred years ago to provide a vehicle for credit professionals to come together, share credit experiences and to improve credit practices. Over the years, our association has evolved into so much more. Today we not only network and share credit experience through industry trade groups, but we also work to improve credit practices through legislation at both the state and national levels. In addition to offering educational seminars ...