Those of you who attended the NYSSCPA’s open house in December, to celebrate the Society’s return to the Wall Street area where it was founded more than a century ago, received a clever collector’s item: an 1897-styled issue of The Trusted Professional. I found the edition (which can be viewed online, along with video and images from the open house) fascinating for a few reasons. Not only does it reflect the political and economic climate in which the organization, and indeed the profession, came to be—it also contains the actual address that the Society’s founding president, Charles Waldo Haskins, delivered at the NYSSCPA’s first annual dinner, held at the Waldorf Astoria in 1897.

During that first dinner, Haskins spoke passionately about the historical significance of the accountant (“Since the very morning of time, we have had our place, and a very high one, in the affairs of mankind,” he said) and vowed to further elevate the CPA’s position by teaching “the world how valuable are the talents committed to our care.” But he also addressed “the great internal work” that needed to happen within the NYSSCPA, urging members to embrace a spirit of fraternity and cooperation, and reminding them how crucial the exchange of ideas and the development of individual CPAs were to improving not just the organization, but the profession itself.

It was a different time, certainly—the CPA designation had just been established the year before Haskins delivered his speech, and you can imagine a feeling of responsibility and possibility that must have filled the room. But on May 15, when the Society holds its 117th Annual Election Meeting and Dinner, you’ll see that those values Haskins gave voice to still guide our movements as an organization, and the sense of responsibility and possibility remains. After all, we’ve taken some exciting steps within the past few years to innovate and reposition the Society, transforming it in ways that our predecessors could not have imagined.

What’s more, if the first dinner was a celebration for our founding members, it retains that feel today. This year, we’ll be lauding the recipients of two Society honors, the NYSSCPA’s Outstanding CPA in Industry Award, which will be presented to Suzanne M. Jensen, of our Northeast Chapter, and the Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA in Education Award, which will be presented to A. Rief Kanan, of our Mid Hudson Chapter. Both of these inspiring CPAs have a long history of service to the Society as well as their respective fields. We’ll also acknowledge the winners of the NYSSCPA’s Charles Waldo Haskins Gold and Silver Awards, which are presented to the two highest scorers on the Uniform CPA Examination in New York State. Although I do not want to give anything away, I can tell you there are a host of other surprises in store.

I hope to see you, your colleagues and your families at the Annual Dinner. How thrilling it is to think of all the men and women who have come before us, who stood where we stood and worked as passionately as we do to protect the profession and the public. We hail from a fine line. How thrilling, too, it is to think of how we’ll be viewed by Society members a century from now. What will they walk away with when they review the records of our day?

president@nysscpa.org