The annual NCFR conference was fabulous, as they all are. However, Little Rock 2008 will stand out in my memory forever. This was the conference at which I earned my double cheese doctorate.

Through fortunate happenstance, I was part of a group of NCFR members that went out for pizza Friday night. This group wasn't just any random assortment of people; these were some of my professional heroes. My friend, Paul Amato, got the group together.  We had a rollicking good time, particularly after the wine arrived.  Now here's the part about the Ph.D.

Paul isn't just my friend, but my mentor.  As I've developed professionally and continued to define what I can offer NCFR, Paul has been the one who's adopted this poor intellectual waif, sharing his wisdom and occasional "atta girl's" at crucial moments. He knows that I've struggled with a bit of scholar phobia. He knows that I've been too busy as a working wife and mom to ever turn my Master's into a Ph.D.  He also knows that I am and always will be a dedicated student of the field, nevertheless.

Sitting around the table was a veritable NCFR Who's Who... and me.  Sensing my anxiety, he pulled out a paper napkin and wrote out a diploma for me for an honorary Ph.D. in Family Studies from the "Amato, Barber, Fincham, Fine and Pryor University."  He signed it and passed it around the table for signatures from the rest of my "committee."  Paul's lovely wife Lu Kaiser, ersatz Notary Public, made it official by signing as witness.  Here is a photo of my "committee," from left to right, Frank "the Provost" Fincham, Jan Pryor, Mark Fine, Bonnie Barber, Lu, and my "adviser," Paul. I'm the one hugging Bonnie and Lu.

My diploma is framed and on display in my office at NCFR.  It's also now my most treasured earthly possession.  

My dear husband was so proud. He told me that if I ever want to go for a real one, he's behind me.

As a part of NCFR's institutional identity project, members were asked to identify what the organization provides for them professionally-the consensus was that NCFR makes us feel "enlightened, affirmed and energized."  Friday night, I got a huge dollop of affirmation.  On the flight home, I took my new diploma out of my purse at least five times. I looked at it again and again, in disbelief.  The guy next to me must have thought I was completely off my rocker; imagine sitting next to a teary-eyed woman who's staring at a cocktail napkin.

The take-home message from today's blog for NCFR members is keep your membership current!  Where else on earth could a scholar-lite, non-profit administrator like me feel the embrace of the field's finest?  Most important is the message for non-members: Join NCFR.  We offer CEUs... and the occasional pizza parlor Ph.D.

Membership information is at: http://www.ncfr.org/member/info.asp