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Over 500 photos from the US National Conference have been posted on Flickr. They are divided into sets according to day. Use them to build your own PowerPoint presentation to show to your church. Or, use some of the photos in others ways, like in a church newsletter.
Bishop Ron Ramsey (right) leads in prayer during the installation service for Phil and Sandy Whipple.
The US National Conference held its concluding service on Sunday morning, June 7.
Phil Whipple will take office August 15. But the Executive Leadership Team took action last fall to allow for a two-week overlap with Bishop Ramsey, prior to August 15. In the past, the changeover happened rather abruptly–one bishop one day, a different bishop the next.
Pray for Phil and Sandy Whipple as they busy themselves with all the arrangements for moving from one state to another. They don’t have a home to sell in Michigan, so that’s a plus. But they will need to find a place to live in the Huntington/Fort Wayne area, and soon.
Additional updates from the US National Conference business session.
The US National Conference business session started at 8:00. Here is what has happened so far:
Clockwise from top left: Steve Dennie, Paul Hammel, Steve and Phil Whipple.
In 2007, we needed lots of easels for the many signs posted around Saw Mill Creek. Unfortunately, we only had a few. So this time, I decided to be prepared. A basic easel costs 30-50 bucks, but I found a place in California that was offering a dozen easels for $120. I decided that, no matter how cheaply made, they would be a good investment for many national conferences to come.
They arrived in a big box, which I didn’t open until yesterday. Inside the big box were 12 smaller boxes. I envisioned opening a box, pulling out the easel, and simply unfolding it and letting it expand to its final glory.
Not so easy. Instead, I found myself sitting on the floor of the Saw Mill Creek lobby amidst eight sticks, a few bolts, a chain, and absolutely no directions. Now, I had to figure out how to assemble these random sticks. We’re talking ME, the guy who is baffled by Tinker Toys. Who can’t grasp the concept behind Leggos. I’m sure somebody in China, while stuffing these sticks into the boxes, was laughing thinking, “Those Americans will never figure it out.”
But never underestimate the ingenuity of the American farmer. Along came Paul Hammel, father of Finance Director Marci Hammel (who’s also an accountant, though I can’t imagine that part being any help). He played around with the pieces, and figured it out. Or close, There was some screwing and unscrewing of bolts, but we got it eventually. Or he did, while I mostly watched. We assembled the first easel together, then tackled the others on our own. Yes, even I could do it. We also pulled in Phil Whipple, who gets credit for four of the twelve.
Bishop Ron Ramsey in front of the entrance to the registration area, which, come tomorrow, will be swarming with over 800 people.
Several dozen people are at Saw Mill Creek (Huron, Ohio), getting everything set up for the XLR8 US National Conference, which starts Thursday afternoon. It’s a lot of work–decorating the hotel in a racing theme, setting up the main conference hall (lights, video, stage, screens, you-name-it), stuffing packets, hanging signs, and much more.
A number of photos have been posted here. You can also follow the UB Twitter feed for updates throughout the days of the conference.
The main hall is a busy place. By Thursday night, it will be set up with 900 chairs, ready to go. But right now, Chris Kuntz and his crew is setting up the stage, lighting, and lots of elaborate computer and video equipment.
Heather Umbaugh and her decorations crew are transforming the hotel with the racing theme. Pieces of actual Nascar vehicles are everywhere. Not to mention all the checkered flags.
Some of the ladies spent hours putting together the packets for all attendees–nearly 900 packets.
The sound table is filled with computer, monitors, and all kinds of gadgetry–not to mention a multitude of cords. And it all needs to work together.
Huntington University‘s Department of Nursing has acquired 11 manikins for lab and clinical classes. Junior nursing majors, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2011, will be the first to use them in the fall of 2009.
Of the 11 manikins at the Nursing Department’s disposal, four are VitalSims, one is a SimMan, and the remaining six manikins serve more basic functions than the others.
The four VitalSims–one male, one female, one infant and one child–are equipped to be as lifelike as possible. Each one, when plugged in, resorts to the default setting and begins to make respiratory sounds and has a heartbeat and stomach gurgles. As the instructor changes the settings, different scenarios can happen. The manikin can have high blood pressure, the respiratory sounds of a person with pneumonia, stitches, and a myriad of other symptoms of various illnesses and diseases.
The VitalSims manikins are programmed so that students can give full head-to-toe assessments. They also have the capability to give students the experience of performing procedures including, but not limited to, catheters and intravenous therapy.
SimMan is similar to the VitalSims but more sophisticated. SimMan can do everything that the VitalSims can do and more. He will be hooked up to all the typical monitoring devices that one would see in a hospital setting, each monitoring an actual function of SimMan, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level and more.
The purpose of SimMan is for students to work with him in simulated scenarios. SimMan has set scenarios and has the option of new scenarios being programmed into him. These scenarios simulate real-to-life timeframes and situations to which students will respond. For instance, during one scenario, a student may be performing a routine procedure when suddenly, SimMan’s blood pressure will spike. The students must make rapid decisions and perform the necessary procedures to stabilize the manikin, or he may simulate a stroke that the student will then have to respond to as well. SimMan is so advanced that his settings allow students to “save him” or “kill him.”
The remaining six manikins are less sophisticated but still useful for training. Each one allows students to become accustomed to performing sterile procedures, moving patients in beds, helping patients to the shower and restroom, as well as other basic nursing functions.
Huntington University will launch a new initiative this summer designed to prepare educators for the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Curriculum development, staffing, and the acquisition of equipment and library resources will begin this month.
The Institute for TESOL Studies and related academic courses are an outgrowth of long-term relationships between Huntington University faculty and educators in China. 
Dr. Luke Fetters (right), who formerly worked 11 years in Macau, is under contract to provide teacher training in Zhuhai City, China. By the end of this summer, Fetters and his team of Huntington faculty, local teachers and volunteers will have trained nearly 400 Chinese educators in English-teaching skills.
The university’s new Institute for TESOL Studies will build upon this foundation and extend new learning opportunities to HU students. Fetters will serve as the director of the institute.
“We anticipate tremendous benefits for Huntington University students, especially those planning careers in education or other professional service in an intercultural setting,” said Fetters. “Future teachers will be better prepared to teach students for whom English is not their first language. Ministry students, social workers and others also may have interest in TESOL training as they prepare to serve various non-English-speaking populations.”
Dr. Terrell Peace (right), chair of HU’s Department of Education, agrees. “There is growing demand for teachers and other professionals who have the ability to bridge cultural and language barriers,” he said. “In our local school corporation, for example, the number of students for whom English is a second language has increased tenfold in the past eight years.”
Pending state approval, the Institute for TESOL Studies will offer English as a New Language (ENL) certification for HU education students and area teachers. Huntington University also will offer a TESOL minor to HU students pursuing a degree in any discipline. Additional formal training and informal consulting in ENL and TESOL methodologies will be available to local, regional and international schools, agencies and social service organizations.
Bishop Ron Ramsey (right) and Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries, in front of the loaded trailer. Among all the supplies, printed materials, etc., are many pieces from actual Nascar vehicles. They’ll be used in set decoration by Heather Umbaugh, who is heading up that part of the conference.
The trailer will head to Huron, Ohio, Wednesday morning, and we’ll spend the day–along with many other volunteers–getting everything set up. Then, Thursday noon, registration starts.
