Dear Trust Colleagues and Friends,

I love the transition from winter into spring here in Minnesota. I think it is especially nice when April arrives without a blizzard. This year we have early signs of hope for summer buds hinting bright green ahead of schedule. For the Trust calendar, spring brings us Forum and our annual meeting. Both will be extra special this year because of the TRUST’s 25th Anniversary Celebration.

Thursday, May 5, 2005 is the date for our Annual Forum with Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The Forum Committee has done phenomenal in raising funds, planning and marketing for this event. We have received great from our membership and the community. I have been told that Ms. Fadiman’s usually end with a standing ovation. We hope that you will join us on Thursday, May 5th for this important and timely event.

This has been an exciting year of development for the Board of Directors. Last fall, we a finance committee to help position the Trust for continued financial stability. board has also been working on strategic planning with help from Nancy Rehkamp and Jan Cronquist. One outcome of our planning is that we would like your feedback about the Trust. Here you will find a brief survey put together by Nancy Rehkamp and our Board of Directors. We want your comments to help direct future planning for the Trust. The survey will also be sent out by e-mail -- we need to hear from you whether on paper or electronically!

Our annual meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 1st. Your invitation along with the Trust ballot will be sent out by e-mail. We are planning to share the survey results at our annual meeting. At this year’s meeting, we will officially celebrate the Trust’s 25th Anniversary. We hope that you will join us for the fun and festivities.

Best regards,