Emergency Broadcasting System

When I was a little girl, growing up in Los Angeles, at least once a week, in the middle of cartoons, the tv channel I was watching would interrupt its programming to air this test.  It would show up on every channel at the same time (we only had four or five channels back then).  The Emergency Broadcasting System test was supposed to prepare everyone for the possible invasion of Communists or Aliens (I kid you not).  Fortunately, representatives from neither group never showed up and eventually, this test was replaced by something less annoying.

So what does this have to do with Notaries?  Well, the next few months will be a test of sorts for me and other Birmingham, Alabama Notaries.  As of today, thirty-one men and women have joined the ranks of Notaries4Alabama Networking Group.  Each member has indicated they are interested in forming a lasting group in support of notaries.  We will hold our third group meeting on Thursday, July 18th at the Homewood Public Library, in Homewood, Alabama.   Group leaders will be selected.  Tasks will be delegated.  Serious planning will start for our November Community Service Event (National Notary Public Day on November 7th).  There's a lot to accomplish.  This is definitely a test.

The members of Notaries4Alabama-Birmingham will find out first hand just how committed we are to this idea.  It sounds good, doesn't it?  What's not to like about notaries getting together once a month to obtain training, listen to professional speakers, meet mentors, and hear about new opportunities? It should work, right?

According to SmallBizTrends.com (http://smallbiztrends.com) small businesses in the services industry have a 47% failure rate within the first five years.  That's almost one out of every two companies.  Granted, this notary group isn't a formal business but there are similarities.  Enough similarities for me to be somewhat concerned.

Time will tell whether or not I'll be a successful leader of this group, and if the members are really up to the task at hand.  I sure hope so.  Just like most new ventures, including personal relationships, as time wears on the excitement starts to ebb just a bit.  It's easy to get distracted.  But instead of allowing these fears to overwhelm us, we should use them as motivation and inspiration. I think Dale Carnegie said it best:

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear.  Action breeds confidence and courage.  If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it.  Go out and get busy".

Notaries4Alabama: The Saga Continues

I just spent the last couple of hours “getting the word out” about the June Notary Meeting. It’ll be our second group meeting.  I was pleased to see that in less than two hours of announcing the date, three notaries had confirmed their attendance.   To be honest, I wasn’t surprised. A lot has changed since my first blog post in April.

More than twenty notaries expressed interest in joining the new Birmingham group.  Sixteen indicated that they would attend our first meeting, on May 23^rd.  I consider that a good sign.  Although we had a few last minute cancellations, notaries who did show up had no problem networking and making their interests/concerns known.  They made it clear that they wanted training and information that would help them feel more confident performing the duties of notary public.

Surprisingly, when the question was asked how much an Alabama Notary can charge for notarizing a document, four people offered four different answers. Their responses ranged from $1.50 to $10.00. I was blown away.  I did not expect that.  In a room with twelve notaries, only four answered the question (the others were unsure) and only one was correct.  And in case you’re wondering, as of February 28, 2011, the authorized Alabama Notary fee is $5.00 (http://arc-sos.state.al.us/PAC/SOSACPDF.001/A0008589.PDF).

I see this as another reason why a Birmingham Notary Group is necessary; not optional.  And, this is one reason why I believe it will be successful.

The challenge will be making sure meetings are scheduled in advance, communicated well, and cover meaningful topics.  Thankfully, several individuals have already offered to work with me in a leadership capacity to help ensure the group’s success.

If you know an Alabama Notary Public tell him/her about this blog and encourage them to connect with us at our monthly meetings.  More information about Notaries4Alabama can be found on Meetup.com, Birmingham365.org, and on www.facebook.com/Notaries-for-Alabama.

 The best news is that it was unanimous that Notaries4Alabama will host a community service event on November 7^th, National Notary Public Day. Within the next 3-4 weeks, we should be able to provide more specific information.  If you have ideas/suggestions, or you’d like to partner with us, email me at notaries4alabama@gmail.com.   Let's do this, Alabama!

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment".

Jim Rohn

 

National Notary Public Day - November 7th

About a month ago the manager where I work asked me if I wanted to contribute some money towards the cost of buying gifts for the support staff in the office, in recognition of Administrative Professionals Day, on April 24th.  I did and was pleasantly surprised to see the variety of gifts that my donation helped to purchase.  While researching the origins of Administrative Professionals Day, I stumbled upon this Internet site:

Notary Public Day

Being the curious person that I am, I wanted more information.  Who is the most infamous Notary Public?  Are there notaries in foreign countries? If so, how do they differ from us in America?  Who was the first female Notary?  Unfortunately, I didn't find much more information, but, that's when the imaginary wheels started turning in my head.

A little background

Some of you may not know that I'm an Alabama Notary Public.  From 2006 - 2010 I ran a small, but successful mobile notary business in North Alabama (d/b/a Huntsville Mobile Notary).  It was hard work but fun and rewarding.  I received calls from attorneys, mortgage companies, parents, and principals requesting my services. What made me a little different from my peers was that I was mobile.  I drove to my customer's location.  Most of the time it was simply a convenience factor.  Other times, it was required.  On numerous occasions, I was called to a person's bedside who was either hospitalized or under hospice care.  There was no way the individual could go out and get a form notarized.  Those days were most memorable and gave me the most satisfaction.

As the owner of Huntsville Mobile Notary, I gained a better understanding about the work notaries perform, and the importance of having them in every community.

Fast forward to 2013

So, why don't more communities recognize November 7th as Notary Public Day?  I can't remember anyone ever wishing me a Happy Notary Day.  I don't even recall seeing or hearing the governor of the state declaring it Notary Public Day.  Do public officials even know about the day?   I doubt it.

So...this blog will chronicle my efforts to help organize the State of Alabama's 1st Annual Notary Public Day event.  In addition to recognizing and thanking Notaries, it could serve as another way to educate/inform the community at large about the role of the Notary Public. I've got seven (7) months to organize an event.  That's plenty of time, right? Right?!

Next steps

Going it alone is rarely fun or as effective as teamwork, so I'm looking for help from other notaries and legal professionals. I really don't care if you're a resident of Alabama or not. If you have constructive feedback or ideas, I welcome your comments.

I created a MeetUp group as one method of connecting with others:   Meet-Up with Notaries for Alabama .  This will be one way for me to communicate with interested parties.

Why Me? Why Now?

I know that this project may not be easy-peazy.  It will take a lot of time and it will require some money.  However, when I reflect on what I'm doing in life right now, so much of my time & effort are centered around one person..me.  I haven't worked on a community service project in ages.  That's unacceptable to me.  Because, I'm so passionate about notary work,  I believe whatever the November 7th event turns out to be, it will benefit someone other than myself.  That'll be good start, right?

In the upcoming weeks and months, when I'll feel overwhelmed and question myself for doing this, I hope I'll remember this quote from Norman Vincent Peale:

Believe in yourself!

Have faith in your abilities!

Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers

you cannot be successful or happy.