This past spring, my longtime colleague Dr. John Schmidt retired after a storied 40-plus-year career in international education. I worked with John for 14 years at the Texas International Education Consortium, where he supervised countless ESL instructors over the years in his role as Academic Coordinator of the Texas Intensive English Program. John has served in leadership roles for TexTESOL3 and TESOL International for many years and is a notoriously detailed recordkeeper, yet it came as a surprise when he unearthed a long-forgotten treasure trove of files going back to the very beginnings of our TexTESOL3 affiliate, of which he was a founding member.

The box contained a variety of interesting historical documents dating from 1984 to 2005, including budgets, meeting minutes, conference programs, and notes from events long passed. I have always had a fondness for historical documents and memorabilia, and I found these to be a fascinating glimpse of our early years. A highlight of the collection is the original TexTESOL3 Articles of Incorporation filed with the State of Texas, dated August 6, 1985, signed by Myra McDaniel, the first African-American Secretary of State of Texas. The list of founding board members reads like a Who’s Who of Austin ESL & Bilingual Education Professionals. There are several draft documents covered in editing marks (no surprise there), and the notes in the margins are in the loveliest cursive handwriting, something rarely seen these days.

The documents spoke to the rich tradition of the affiliate network and the power of continuity. A document from May 1986, lists 62 affiliates with a total of 24,850 members. The TESOL Affiliate Network in 2019 counts “approximately 120 associations... serving nearly 50,000 professionals”, effectively doubling its reach in the intervening years. Another gem in the collection is a single page from a 1988 TESOL Affiliate Newsletter. The page features an article written by editor Mary Ann Christison of Snow College entitled “Encourage Attendance at Meetings,” a summary of tips gathered from fellow TESOL affiliate leaders who are just as relevant today as they were 30 years ago.

Many of the ideas have become common practice in our affiliate, such as providing a variety of prizes, incentives, discounts, and financial support grants to members to promote conference attendance. Other suggestions from our affiliate elders which have proven effective include encouraging members to bring friends, urging presenters to include students in professional development events, and advising conference organizers to exploit technology when possible. We also continue to cooperate with local organizations and school districts, but it remains a challenge now as then to ensure ESL professionals in our region are aware of our organization and efforts. I see that we at one time had detailed contact lists of all ESL-related organizations in our area, so I plan to update the list and reconnect with the groups and institutions we no longer have close ties to.

Today the TexTESOL3 Affiliate remains focused on the mission that was outlined 34 years ago. We continue to collaborate with our fellow TexTESOL Affiliates to support best practices in teaching and to promote the exchange of information and cooperation among the various stakeholders involved in the multi-faceted realm of ESL & Bilingual education in Texas. We continue to advocate for the rights of ELLs in Texas and send our Advocacy Chair to the TESOL Advocacy and Policy Summit annually. We strive to serve as a community of practice for educators and are committed to promoting scholarship by offering half-day, one-day, and multi-day conferences, lunch and learns, happy hours, poster & table presentation sessions, discussions, advocacy symposia, and TESOL in Review events, among others. We still use y’all, even in writing, and still provide refreshments, because what event isn’t better with snacks?

Inheriting this time capsule as the end of my presidency looms this fall has reminded me that we each write our name on the history of our network and impact the future in myriad ways. I feel energized to fight the summer slump and jump into the planning of our fall event, focusing on success stories. I feel inspired to continue the work begun so long ago by my predecessors. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr. Schmidt for introducing me to TESOL, encouraging my participation in conferences, and urging me to get involved in the Regional Affiliate Network. I am honored to serve among such a fine group of leaders.

Angelique Pearson received her MA in Teaching from St. Edward’s University and her BA in Japanese Studies from Earlham College. Angelique was an ESL instructor for many years at the Texas International Education Consortium, where she currently works as a Program Support Specialist.