August 2000

As I write this month’s commentary, the summer is rushing by. It began with the NYSSCPA Annual Conference at the Marriott Sea View Resort in Abescon, New Jersey. The feedback from those in attendance was that they had a great time. Those who attended the plenary session, entitled Everyone in the PoolEveryone on the Internet, were treated to an entertaining and informative presentation by Eric E. Cohen and Peter Frank. Their ability to mix information and entertainment went over well with the audience.

This year’s Annual Conference was the last of its kind. Some time ago, the board of directors voted to combine the Annual Conference with the Leadership Forum. Next year’s revised event will take place at the Hershey Resort in Hersey, Penn., from June 10 to June 12. Please mark the dates on your calendar now; we need active participation at this event to continue to grow the leadership of the Society.

In the last issue of The Trusted Professional, we commented on the changes taking place in the profession and the involvement of the AICPA in those changes. We discussed the AICPA’s intent to launch a vertical Internet portal and the XYZ credential. The future direction of the profession has taken an interesting twist this past month. As most of you are aware, past Presidents George T. Foundotos and Alan E. Weiner, as well as the NYSSCPA board of directors and staff, have invested a large block of time and resources in order to see that meaningful legislation was passed relating to the Uniform Accountancy Act. New York state legislators have recessed for summer vacation without passing a bill that incorporates many of the UAA’s provisions. Effectively, this means that the UAA is dead in the water in New York for at least this year. All the players in the accounting profession appeared to have obtained a consensus on the major provisions that should be included in the bill as it affects the CPA profession. We did not concentrate on what the impact would be on other professions, specifically the legal profession. The legislators, however, were concerned about the impact of the legislation on the other professions, and this appears to be the major reason the legislation was not enacted.

Therefore, there are many issues before us this coming year. These issues need input, not only from the officers of the Society, but from as many of past and current leaders as possible. A provision in the NYSSCPA bylaws, Article XIII, provides for the Society’s Senate to convene to deliberate on major policies that will affect the future of the profession and the Society. Given all the discussions in which we are currently involved, specifically concerning a new credential, the UAA, the portal, and our relations with various other professions, particularly the legal profession, I have decided to convene a senate meeting to discuss these matters. The meeting will take place in New York City on July 12, and I will report the results in the next issue of The Trusted Professional .

I would like to focus my remaining commentary on the chapters. As many of you have heard me say over the past several years, chapters are the backbone of the Society. Without them there would be no need for grassroots for the organization. Servicing the chapters is of primary importance, as well as insuring that there are enough chapters to service the membership. Last year, the Society created a task force on chapters charged with responsibility for reviewing the current chapter structure with the ultimate goal of recommending status quo or possible addition of new chapters to more fully service the membership. The task force’s chair, Ronald J. Huefner, is scheduled to report at the August Executive Committee meeting. We will keep you informed on this issue.

By now, many of the chapters have had their organizational meetings for this year’s officers and board. Hopefully, we have provided enough information to assist the chapters in having a successful year. I invite any of the chapter leadership or members to provide e with information on any problems they may have. Finally, we are in the process of scheduling this year’s officer visitations, and I look forward to seeing all of you in person at these upcoming events.

president@nysscpa.org