By Eliezer Rodriguez, Esq. As the month of November came to end, it turned out the way I expected; busy, memorable and exciting month. My calendar included: traveling to San Francisco from November 8th to the 11th to attend the REALTORS Conference & Expo, working on the trade show sponsored by the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors (BMNAR), attending my son's traveling baseball team's playoff - perhaps the championship game too, anticipating the stork delivering a baby to Grace Rivera, BMNAR's MLS/education coordinator, enhancing the promotion of BMNAR's Holiday Party and attending Thanksgiving celebrations. For November, I adopted the theme used this year by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) for its Conference and Expo - "Rise to New Heights." The theme was appropriate as the activities planned or expected for November were to be new experiences that may give rise to new challenges as I grow into my new role as BMNAR's association executive officer. For the past several years, BMNAR's trade show took place at The Bronx Zoo in October. The format was essentially the same and the Show ended by 5:00 p.m. This year, the trade show committee revamped the show by changing the date, venue and format. Our 12th Annual Real Estate Trade Show took place on Wednesday, November 20th, 2013, at the Elias Karmon Gymnasium of the beautiful Bronx YMCA. Dr. Elias Karmon, affectionately known as "Mr. Bronx," was a 40 year member of BMNAR. He passed away on October 21st, 2008 at the young age of 97. The new format for this year's trade show included a 3:00 p.m. start time for the show, a diversified group of exhibitors, two seminars and a cocktail reception. The first seminar was on "Safe Lobby and Fire Codes," presented by American Security Systems, Inc; followed by Karl Eckhart, political director with the National Association of Realtors. Eckhart discussed the mortgage interest deduction, business tax issues, the new future of Fannie Mae, flood insurance and several other political topics of interest to the real estate community. We want to thank our loyal exhibitors who keep supporting us year after year. We also want to thank our members, friends and guests that came out to support our annual event. Finally, we look forward to our participant's feedback so we can continue to mold our trade show to meet the expectations of all involved. As I was promoting our trade show, I knew I had to tear myself away to attend my first Realtors Conference & Expo in San Francisco from November 8th till the 11th. Twenty-two thousand members and guests from around the U.S. and world were expected to attend the annual event sponsored by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Going to San Francisco also meant that I would be missing my son's, Miguel, traveling team playoff game, and perhaps Championship game if they won, and my other son's, Cristian, 9th birthday on November 10th. Needless to say, when I boarded my plane for San Francisco on November 8th, I left my heart in New York City. The Fall meetings in San Francisco was all it was cut out to be. It offered over 100 education sessions, featuring nationally recognized speakers, trainers, and industry experts and nearly 400 industry vendors presented their goods at the expo. The keynote address was delivered by the honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former Secretary of State and Former U.S. Senator from New York. When I boarded my plane back to New York City, I brought with me a lot of information that I will be sharing with my members in the weeks to come. One piece of information I wish to share now is the change in the provision regarding REALTOR Emeritus status. Beginning in 2015, any person who has held membership in the National Association as a REALTOR, REALTOR-ASSOCIATE, or a combination of both, for a cumulative period of 40 years in one or more Associations of REALTORS, will be required to have at least one year of serving on a national committee, which includes serving as a director, or serving as a Federal Political Coordinator (FPC). Also, a provision was approved to begin in 2019 that will allow for state or local association service in lieu of national service for eligibility for National Emeritus status. In case you are wondering, Miguel's traveling baseball team won its playoff game and went on to win the Westchester Baseball Association Little League Championship. Cristian had a wonderful birthday party. Grace Rivera's baby, Liam Isaiah Rivera, was born at 1:11 a.m. on November 11, 2013. Thank God for modern technology as I was able to stay in constant contact with my office and continued to promote the trade show from afar. I also really learned to appreciate FaceTime. It allowed me to communicate with my family. FaceTime is the next best thing to being there. Almost forgot, I ate too much on Thanksgiving Day Now my focus is on our Holiday party. The best Holiday Party in NYC will take place on December 11th, 2013, at the elegant Marina del Rey Caterers, located on the shores of the Long Island Sound, at One Marina Drive, Bronx. Barbara-Ann Benson, Better Homes & Garden Rand Realty, chairperson for Holiday Party Committee, has incorporated some of our member's suggestions into our Holiday Party. If you haven't already reserved you ticket/s, please do so immediately by either calling 718-892-3000 or by sending an email to [email protected]. and then get ready for 4 .5 hours of excitement and surprises. One last thing, please do not forget to bring a new unwrapped toy for our toy drive. As I approach the end of my first year, I have risen to new heights and do look forward to 2014 as it will be our best year yet. Happy Holidays to All! Eliezer Rodriguez, Esq., is the association executive of BMAR, Bronx, N.Y.