The Docket. Newsletter of the Association of Clerks of the District Courts of Virginia. Web page:

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1 The Docket Newsletter of the Association of Clerks of the District Courts of Virginia Web page: February, 2017 Prospects for Pay Increases For those who have been following the news in Richmond, the Legislature appears to be on the verge of approving a 3% pay raise for state employees in If it passes, this will be welcome news but there is still work to be done! The Association continues to work with OES in the hope of revamping the pay structure, and several committee members regularly travel to Richmond to attend legislative hearings and meet with contacts at OES. We will keep you posted on any developments. There was a panel discussing Local Salary Subsidies at last year s conference, but unfortunately, not everyone was able to attend. We will gather information from these sources and others to spread the word on how they succeeded. To those courts that have managed to secure supplemental pay from their localities, please pass along any useful information you gained in the process. We will put together an article for the next issue and share any insights to help those courts thinking about undertaking the effort in their areas. You can to: aocdocket@gmail.com Register Now! Spring Conference & Annual Meeting Hosted by the Association of Clerks, our annual Conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Charlottesville on April 4, 2017, 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Registration from 7:45-8:30 a.m. Opening Session starts at 8:30 a.m. See pages 6-8 for program, details and registration form. Emergency Contact Reminder Is your court s emergency contact list up to date? With the possibility of inclement weather, or an unexpected medical emergency, it is vital to contact employees or family members without delay! Please ensure your court s contact list includes all employees including recent hires! I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E 1 Conference Highlights/Pay/Docket/Emergency 2-4 List of Officers & Representatives 5 News/Website Info/Contact your Rep./Raffle Donations/Mentorship/Performance Evaluations 6-7 Conference Information 8 Registration Form 9 Origins of Valentine s Day 10 Sale Merchandise Form Articles and News for the Docket Do you have information, tips or news you would like to contribute to The Docket? Please any articles or news you would like to submit for publication to: aocdocket@gmail.com February,

2 The following Officers and Representatives were elected by the membership during the April Spring Conference, or have replaced a representative. Your area representative is available by if you would like to contact them with any questions. Association Officers and Representatives (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017) President: President Elect: Vice President: Secretary/ Treasurer Past President Region 1: Beneatha Simmons, Clerk Petersburg J&DR Court bbsimmons@courts.state.va.us Terri Rea, Clerk Harrisonburg/Rockingham J&DR trea@courts.state.va.us Rick Kahl, Clerk Roanoke City GDC rkahl@courts.state.va.us Debra Hill, Clerk Norfolk J&DR dhill@courts.state.va.us Amy Burnham, Clerk Arlington J&DR aburnham@courts.state.va.us Aimee Plocar, Deputy Clerk Norfolk, J&DR aplocar@courts.state.va.us (Accomack, Norfolk, Northampton, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach) Region 2: Gail Fulcher, Clerk Mathews/Middlesex GDC gfulcher@courts.state.va.us (Charles City, Gloucester, Hampton, King William, King & Queen, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Newport News, Williamsburg/James City, York) Region 3: Mariah Belcher, Clerk Franklin City Combined Court mbelcher@courts.state.va.us (Brunswick, Chesapeake, Emporia, Franklin City, Greensville, Henrico, Hopewell, Isle of Wight, Prince George, Southampton, Suffolk, Surry, Sussex) February,

3 Region 4: Rhonda Daley, Supervising Deputy Clerk (Effective March 10) Prince William GDC (Caroline, Essex, Fredericksburg, Hanover, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Prince William, Richmond Manchester, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland) Region 5: Stella Seaborne, Supervising Deputy Clerk Petersburg GDC Court (Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince Edward) Region 6: Lindsey Short, Deputy Clerk Page J&DR (Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Frederick/Winchester, Goochland, Greene, Harrisonburg/ Rockingham, Louisa, Madison, Orange, Page, Shenandoah, Warren) Region 7: Ashley Gatchell, Clerk Fauquier GDC (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fauquier, Loudoun, Rappahannock) Region 8: Tawny Hays, Clerk Lynchburg GDC (Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Buena Vista, Campbell, Craig, Highland, Lexington/Rockbridge, Lynchburg, Nelson, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton, Waynesboro) Region 9: Kimberly McKittrick, Clerk Montgomery GDC (Bland, Carroll, Danville, Floyd, Franklin County, Galax, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Martinsville, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Radford, Wythe) Region 10: Kathy Vance, Clerk Russell Combined Court (Bristol, Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise/Norton) February,

4 Committee Chairs Budget & Finance Committee CATS Committee Historian Legislative Committee Membership Committee Mentorship Committee Nominating Committee Parliamentarian Programs & Education Committee Publications Committee Resolutions Committee Special Issues Committee Ways & Means Committee Technology Committee Debra Hill, Secretary/Treasurer, Norfolk J&DR, Laura Griffin, Chesterfield JDR, Stephanie Stewart, Washington GDC, Steven Spurr, Arlington GDC, Terri Rea, President Elect, Harrisonburg/Rockingham J&DR, Vicki Tate, Wythe GDC, Amy Burnham, Past President, Arlington JDR, Nancy Lake, Fairfax GDC (retired), Rick Kahl, Vice President, Roanoke City GDC, Connie Comer, Tazewell GDC (Chair), Jane Tyler, Prince William GDC, Nancy Lake, Retired, Dean Sprague, Arlington GDC, Amy Burnham, Arlington JDR, Terri Rea, Rockingham J&DR, Crystal Crouse, Tazewell GDC, Laura Griffin, Chesterfield JDR, Association Officers and Representatives February,

5 Performance Evaluation Survey The Association is working on a proposal to revise the performance evaluation format. We appreciate your participation in the recent survey and will update you with any progress on this front! News From Around the State Congratulations to the following employees for their service to the courts and for their accomplishments! Norfolk J&DR: Congratulations to Yvette Council, Deputy Clerk on completing her CCM/CCE programs through the NCSC in Portsmouth GDC: Congratulations to Tana Yung, Supervising Deputy Clerk, and L. Jody Davis, Clerk on their recent retirements! Welcome to Katie Mason and Carol Yeast, new Deputy Clerks at Portsmouth GDC. Prince William GDC: Congratulations to Melody Cox on retiring after 32 years of service! Please let us know of Milestones at your court by ing aocdocket@gmail.com Raffle Item Contributions The region representatives are collecting items for the gift baskets that will be raffled off at the annual Conference. If you would like to contribute, please contact your region representative and they will arrange for the collection of the item. This is an important fundraiser for The Association. Thanks in advance for your participation! Contacting Your Representative As the Association continues to work on behalf of the District Court Clerks in Virginia, we d like to remind you to contact your representative with any questions or concerns you would like us to bring up at the committee meetings. We are not always able to change things immediately but it is only with the input that we gather from you that we can determine which things are impacting your courts on a regular basis. Issues that come up again and again provide information about the types of things the Association should address. Please see the attached list of representatives for your area and feel free to contact your representative with any questions or concerns. Updated Website Check out the updated website at: You can find important links and useful information on a number of issues relevant to the courts. We will continue to update the site regularly so please visit often. You can also purchase merchandise ranging from T-shirts to bracelets with all proceeds going to the association. New Clerk Mentorship Program The Association is implementing a mentorship program for new Clerks of Court to be assigned an experience clerk to mentor them through the early months when they are getting up to speed in their new positions. If you would like to volunteer, or are a new Clerk and are interested in gaining a mentor, please contact Vicki Tate at vtate@courts.state.va.us February,

6 Conference Registration Information Spring Conference & Annual Meeting Tuesday, April 4 th, :30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. MSU Class Managing Court Financial Records Monday, April 3, :30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. DoubleTree Hotel, Charlottesville, Virginia Breakfast will be provided at the Conference DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS MARCH 18, 2017 Return attached form along with payment of $25.00 (members), $35.00 (non-members) to: Connie Comer, Clerk of Court Tazewell General District Court 104 Court Street, Ste. 3 Tazewell, VA ccomer@courts.state.va.us Phone: (276) Fax: (276) ***Tuition assistance may be used for Registration Costs and Mileage IF funds are available. Please submit requests before attending through the eeducation system*** CLE Because of CLE requirements for Grades 10 and above, the Committee on District Courts will grant conference leave for clerks and supervisors who attend and apply for credit. For all others, the type of leave required will depend on approval of local management. SIX CLE credits have been approved by OES for those attending the scheduled program on Tuesday. An additional SIX credits have been approved for the MSU class. DoubleTree by Hilton 990 Hilton Heights Rd. Charlottesville, VA Phone: Hotel Details Reservation Deadline March 18, 2017 Hotel Reservations (use link below) Check In: April 2 or April 3, 2017 (3:00 p.m.) Check Out: April 4, 2017 (12:00 noon) Distance from: Richmond, VA 70 Roanoke, VA 123 Williamsburg, VA 125 Washington, DC 100 Virginia Beach, VA 180 Miles (approx.) Group Name: Association of Clerks of the District Courts of VA Group Code: DCV Link: /index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG Room rates are single or double plus tax for a total of Please reserve rooms by the deadline in order to take advantage of our block of rooms. After March 18 th, rooms may still be available, but not at the above rate! Please use the link to reserve! February,

7 7:45-8:30 Registration Conference Program 8:30-9:15 Opening Ceremony, Key Address & Business Meeting (Grand Ballroom) (Beneatha Simmons, President, Association of Clerks of the District Courts of VA; Karl Hade, Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia; Paul Delosh, Director of Judicial Services) 9:30-10:45 Changes & Challenges in the Court/Where are we going? (Dr. Cyril Miller, Director of Judicial Planning; Kent Pankey, Sr. Planner Dept. Judicial Planning) Bond Forfeitures/Leading Others to Lead-What is Your Succession Plan? (Rhonda Gardner, J&DR Court Services Manager, DJS; Jody Hess, GDC Court Services Manager, DJS) Ignition Interlock (Christopher Morris/VASAP) VCIN/CCRE (Giorgios Room) (Senior Trooper Ben Jamerson & Captain Tricia Powers-VA State Police) 10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-12:15 Legal Advice vs. Legal Information (Judge William E. Jarvis, Chief Judge, Prince William, GDC) 12:15-1:15 Lunch 1:15-2:30 DMV/VASAP/JDR RDL (Florence Jett/DMV &Charlene Motely/VASAP) Social Media (Lt. Clay Robinette, Bristol Police Dept.) Preventing Complaints/Top Complaints Causing Lawsuits/Performance Evaluations/VSDP and FMLA Benefits (Donna Morris, HR Analyst, Supreme Court of VA; Marilyn Taylor, HR Analyst, Supreme Ct. VA) 2:30-2:45 Break 2:45-3:00 Recognition of Clerks (Rick Kahl, Vice President, Association of Clerks of the District Courts of VA) 3:00-4:00 Professional Development/Perception/Employer Engagement & Presenting a Professional Image (Judge Jacqueline Talevi, Chief Judge, Roanoke City GDC) 4:00-4:15 Raffle Baskets 4:15 Adjourn Unless otherwise noted, break-out sessions will be held in the Ballroom after it is divided into sections. February,

8 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM Spring Conference & Annual Meeting Last Name First Name Clerk Supervising Deputy Clerk Deputy Clerk Court: Address: Registration Fee: (Please include your check with your registration form) Association Member $25.00 Attending Lunch Not Attending Lunch Non-Member: $35.00 Attending Lunch Not Attending Lunch Lunch Selection: Acadian Shrimp Fettuccini Grilled Honey Chicken Dijon Tri-Colored Tortellini Will you attend: (The registration fee is the same whether you attend one day or two days) Spring Conference Tuesday, April 4 th. Please select one class in each session. 9:30-10:45 Changes/Challenges Succession/BF Ignition/Interlock VCIN/CCRE 1:15-2:30 DMV/VASAP/JDR RDL Social Media Complaints, Lawsuits Evaluations & HR. MSU Course Monday, April 3 rd Managing Court Financial Records (Cheryl Beam, DJS Court Analyst) Anyone can attend this course however, please note you will be expected to attend the full seven hours whether or not you intend to submit for credit in the MSU program. Lunch is not included. Participants will be given 1.5 hours for lunch. Reminder: Please submit questions in advance to Connie Comer for any of the sessions you have signed up to attend. ccomer@courts.state.va.us or fax to You may also submit your questions using this form. February,

9 The Origins of Valentine s Day By Jane Tyler Anyone who has wandered through a Hallmark store or even the card aisle of their local grocer on February 14th would no doubt be struck by the number of people, young and old contemplating sentimental verses against a backdrop of red hearts and cupids, searching for just the right words to express their love. Even the cynic who rails against every Hallmark Holiday can be seen clogging the checkout aisles, flowers and chocolates in hand, or overheard making dinner reservations for two. Of course, we ve all celebrated Valentine s Day, from that very first card exchange in elementary school, and for some, throughout many years of marriage. Unlike other holidays however, most of us don t know how it came to be. Valentine s Day, by all accounts, is a mixture of pagan and Christian holidays with a little Greek and Roman mythology thrown in. Historians believe Valentine s Day is derived from the pre-roman spring festival of Lupercalia, traditionally celebrated in the middle of February, and intended to ensure fertility and the safe delivery of babies born in the coming year. As Christianity came to predominate in the early centuries A.D., many pagan festivals were outlawed, and during his tenure from A.D., Pope Gelasius abolished Lupercalia after a long-running dispute with the Roman senate. Some scholars believe the pagan holiday, which had traditionally been celebrated during the ides of February (13-15), was replaced by a Christian Saint s Day and named in his honor; Valentine. The problem is that no one seems to know exactly which St. Valentine, as there are several contenders. Among the most likely is a certain St. Valentine who defied the Roman Emperor Claudius II s decree, forbidding any of his soldiers from marrying. Valentine continued to conduct secret ceremonies for the young couples and was eventually arrested and executed. During his imprisonment, he fell in love with his jailer s daughter, penning a love letter the night before he was put to death, and signing it From your Valentine. According to some scholars, the practice of sending a handwritten note of affection to a loved one on February 14 th became common during this time and throughout the middle ages. The modern association of Valentine s Day with romance can be traced back to the middle ages and the poet, Chaucer, who proclaims in verse that February 14 th is the day that birds choose their mates. The holiday grew in popularity throughout England and France over the following centuries and with improvements in printing, the Victorian age ushered in the Valentine s card, full of hearts, lace and cupids. Speaking of Cupid, how did he become the mascot for Valentine s Day? According Roman mythology, as the son of Venus (goddess of love) his golden tipped arrows pierce the heart and cause the recipient to fall deeply in love. It was during the Victorian era that the chubby infant made the leap from mythological paintings to mass produced greeting cards. As we prepare for another Valentine s Day, we may not know exactly who started it all, but we do know the ageless reason we celebrate every February 14th; love. February,

10 Thank you for supporting the Association of Clerks! Clearance Items Order Form Name and Court: Phone: Mailing Address: ITEM ORIG. SALE QTY SIZE PRICE PRICE ID CARD LANYARD WITHOUT LOGO $4.00 $1.00 ID CARD LANYARD WITH LOGO $4.00 $1.00 TUMBLER WITH STRAW $7.00 $5.00 NAVY BLUE POLO SHIRT WITH EMBROIDERED LOGO $25.00 $17.00 WHITE POLO SHIRT WITH EMBROIDERED LOGO $25.00 $17.00 GRAY POLO SHIRT WITH EMBROIDERED LOGO $25.00 $17.00 EXCLUSIVE ASSOCIATION BRACELET $30.00 $20.00 BLACK FLEECE JACKET (L, XL, OR 2XL) $30.00 $25.00 GRAY FLEECE JACKET (L, XL, OR 2XL) $30.00 $25.00 TOTAL PLEASE SUBMIT ANY MERCHANDISE ORDERS TO CRYSTAL CROUSE Shipping costs will be calculated according to weight of the package that is shipped. Cash, Checks and Credit Cards are accepted as forms of payment for Clerks Association Merchandise. There is a 4% convenience fee added to all credit card payments. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT CRYSTAL WITH ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, OR IDEAS FOR NEW MERCHANDISE. ADDRESS: TAZEWELL GENERAL DISTRICT COURT 104 Court Street, Suite 3 Tazewell, VA cyoung@courts.state.va.us PHONE: NEW MERCHANDISE WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT THE APRIL, 2017 CLERKS ASSOCIATION AND JUNE, 2017 DISTRICT COURT CLERKS CONFERENCES February,