By Margary Rogers
Summer is here; and so many of us are thinking about vacation, ocean views, sunshine, seafood (me), relaxation, and spending time with family. NCRA membership provides a safe space where you can find your tribe and cultivate your Steno Family. Through NCRA’s networking events, I have met and befriended so many amazing court reporters who have inspired me, supported me, and educated me about aspects of our profession that I would not have known about if I was alone in this profession.
As my pastor always says, there are many fellows in the ship. Without you, our members, we have no Association. One of the reasons why I wanted to serve on the NCRA Board is because I wanted to serve the members. As a Board Member, I have a fiduciary obligation to advocate for you, the Association, and our profession; and I get to do just that because there is a space, an entity, an Association for me to do so. The NCRA Board Members meet many times throughout the year, and our main goal is to serve, protect, preserve, and promote our profession and our members.
I am so thrilled to not only have the opportunity to be a leader in our profession, but also to be a part of an association where the members are so active, knowledgeable, ever advancing, supportive, protective, perseverant, and passionate about their profession and their skills.
I want to spend a few moments with you, my Steno Family, to encourage all NCRA members to vote yes on the $50 adjustment to the NCRA membership dues. Many of us spend $50 in a day on the items that we have in our Amazon cart right now. We can spend $50 in a week at coffee shops. We can spend $50 in a month on delivery fees. So let’s say yes to the proposed membership dues adjustment which is $50 a year. Your $50 will help us stay afloat so that our ship keeps sailing. Inflation is up. I know because I feel it, especially in the grocery store. A carton of eggs that I spent $4 on two years ago is now $8. The prices have doubled for almost everything. NCRA’s operational fees have gone up also because of inflation, and the membership dues have not been increased over the past four years. It’s time for the dues adjustment because, just like I feel the inflation in the grocery store, NCRA feels the same inflation in their operational fees.
Wait a minute. Fact check: Did you know that NCRA certifications are the most widely accepted reporting, captioning, and legal videography certifications in the country? The numbers don’t lie. NCRA membership benefits are endless — from free mental health webinars to discounted certification tests and conference registration fees, from health and pet insurance to ready-to-use promotional material to promote the profession, and the list goes on. And we cannot forget NCRA’s State Government Relations Department and their grassroots efforts to help the various states prevail in legislative matters that relate to court reporting and captioning.
Have you utilized NCRA’s free member savings program? If not, get into it! Visit the NCRA Saving Center. I have saved hundreds of dollars on household appliances with the Home Depot ProXtra discounts through NCRA. I know many of you will be vacationing this summer via all forms of transportation, be it plane, car, or ship. Before you plan your trip, I encourage you to visit the NCRA Saving Center for savings on car rentals, hotels, and even theme park tickets. These NCRA member savings are valued at more than the current NCRA membership fees, including the $50 proposed adjustment.
NCRA’s new hire for the NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program, Lisa Dennison, is absolutely amazing. I have seen the numbers more than double with regard to the interest in court reporting and the number of graduates of the revamped NCRA A to Z program and their marketing strategies. The NCRA A to Z Committee is also doing great work finding ways to create new interest. And what about our new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Committee? They are working hard to make sure that all members feel included, recognized, and treated equitably.
So I encourage you, fellow colleagues, to say yes to the dues adjustment, continue your membership, and talk to your colleagues about the importance and benefits of joining and staying a member of our great association, NCRA. Stay connected through the JCR Weekly that NCRA staff composes weekly. The JCR is accessible, informative, and keeps us current on what’s happening in our industry.
Let’s keep our ship sailing. This year NCRA is celebrating 125 years. Throughout the years we have accomplished so much. We have had some smooth sailing and some rough sailing, but we made it through. With your help we are still going strong, remaining the only organization that protects, promotes, and continues to preserve the stenographic court reporting, captioning, and videography professions, its members as well as nonmembers. So let’s keep our ship sailing. Vote yes on the proposed $50 adjustment in August after our Annual Business Meeting.
We have so much work to do, so many students to welcome into our wonderful profession, so much advocating to do, so many future leaders to cultivate to serve on our Board and committees, so much strategizing to do in an effort to educate others on the importance of having a human stenographer capture the spoken word in the courtroom, boardroom, deposition room, in Congress, on television, and in classrooms as we serve the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
Family, we need each other to continue to make steno go ’round and ’round.
Find more information on the 2025 dues adjustment proposal
Voting on the 2025 dues adjustment proposal will begin within two hours of the Annual Business Meeting taking place on Aug. 1 in conjunction with the 2024 NCRA Conference & Expo.
Learn more about the proposal.
Margary Rogers, RPR, CRI, is an official and CART captioner in Washington, D.C. She also serves as a Director on the Association’s Board of Directors. Rogers can be reached at mfrogers1@gmail.com.
