“A Message of Thanks” is the subject line for an email I received yesterday from the Modern Language Association (MLA). The email message explains that I’ve now renewed and am entering my 10th year as an MLA member.
The message is from MLA Executive Director Rosemary Feal (or signed by her, it looks like a system generated message, but that doesn’t detract from the message) and states:
The association depends on the commitment of members like you to promote the study of language and literature and to advance the interests of those who work in our field. Both as MLA executive director and as a teacher-scholar, I thank you for sharing these goals with me.
This is a delightful message and I’m very happy to share the same goals with MLA. I’m also happy to be able to thank MLA for understanding members like me who did not sufficiently engage and understand for some of the time of my membership with MLA. As a professional society, MLA is there to represent all of its/our community, advocating to advance the field and for those who work in the field, and MLA can best do so when supported fully by members. I’m happy to thank MLA for being there as my professional society for all of our community and for doing so when I’ve been there to actively support, and when I haven’t been there enough, for MLA.
Thanks go to MLA for being an incredible professional society as I look forward to many more decades with MLA!