1 There simply is no other time which brings us as close to our paradoxical human nature as this particular sea- son. Whether December had signifi- cance for us in terms of religious celebrations or pagan rituals (let the gods of light be appeased by our offer- ings of candles because we need these daylight hours to fight the gloom of winter!), it was also the month with the most social activity and, not sur- prisingly, the highest stress level. Doubtless to say, ATINS was not untouched by all these elements. Its December board meeting was post- poned because half of the councillors had other obligations and most of these were work related. And, as we all know, sometimes it is hard to balance duty according to bare necessity and obligation. Your Board Members Your councillors, dear members, are hard at work. Let me take this oppor- tunity and start introducing you to some of them and their tasks. There is Robert Cormier who is coordinator for the Certification Exam. His role, or should I say roles, involve liaison with CTIC, which provides the exam texts, contacting all candidates, as well as answering to treasurer and secretary in terms of who paid fees and who has not, who is member and who needs to become member yet, organizing place for exam, looking at plan B if there should be weather con- ditions preventing the exam, etc. And, on top of it, Robert has a full time job as translator for Maritime Life. Also working at Maritime Life, Katie Dupont, together with her generous and capable partner Troy Cole, looks after our professional image. The two prepared our new directory with its sophisticated look, our new website, and Katie is our newsletter editor as well. As part of that role, she is also the contact for people who want to advertise in any of our publications. But this is not where that woman stops: she constantly thinks improve- ment, professional development, social events for ATINS, etc. - a true partner on the team! Very importantly, dealing with our association's financial aspects is Tatiana Neklioudova. There is not enough space here to tell you the trials and tribulations of our treasurer. Let it suffice to say, Tatiana is extremely busy trying to keep our funds attended to. Our secretary, Annie St-Jacques deserves a great hand for her initiative and enthusiasm in the different ATINS projects. Unfortunately for ATINS however, Annie has recently taken on a new and demanding job. Translators often end up being considered the ultimate authority (with all the pres- sure implied in that title). Her daily professional duties at work are extending Annie's time needs to 50- hour weeks! As a result, we have to reluctantly ease our hold on Annie as secretary. We will sincerely miss her, but we wish her all the success she deserves in her new endeavors. Vice president Jennifer Strachan will be acting as interim secretary until the position is filled. Another important ATINS position is that of Admission Exam coordinator. This year, Françoise Tetrault has looked after the exam. Unfortunately for ATINS but truly exciting for her, Françoise is leaving for a lengthy stay abroad. She has been most capable in coordinating the event and dealing with all issues, whether familiar or unexpected. Many thanks for their valuable input go to all of those named above as well as to councillors Karima Bushra and Wietske Gradstein, vice president Jennifer Strachan, and past president Sylvain Filion. Is ATINS Worth Getting Involved?   Well, let's just say, I returned from the bi-annual Winter / Hiver 2001 Vol. 8 – No. 2 Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia Association des traducteurs et interprètes de la Nouvelle-Écosse ATINS – P.O. Box 372, Halifax, N.S.  B3J 2P8 info@atins.org    www.atins.org Let ’ stalkabout it! ATINE – C.P. 372, Halifax (N.-É.) B3J 2P8 info@atins.org     www.atins.org Parlons-en! President’s Message Table of Contents President’s Message  . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Business-to-Business Expo  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Upcoming Conferences  . . . . . . 3 Sleep-Killing Suggestions . . . 4 2000 Admission Exam  . . . . . . . 4 How to Retain Your Clients  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2001 Certification Exam . . . . . 5 www.atins.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Get Involved!  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 …continued on pg. 2