The good news bears ... trumpeting.

• Author: McCormally, Timothy J.

One of the URLs that we should perhaps all bookmark is www.goodnewsnetwork.org, which directs you to a site devoted to sharing, not merely those inspirational messages that cynics find cloying or annoying, but genuinely good news related to business, civics, health, the environment, and family life. Need an instant jolt of happiness, or hope for a troubled world?, the site asks. Want uplifting news to shake off the misery of the mainstream media? Do you want the health benefits that a positive attitude guarantees? According to the website, "The Good News Network is the only place you can find NEWS TO ENTHUSE every day--plus inspiring videos, photos, and columns--without all the junk, fluff, and filler found on other websites."

I have not tried to validate the Good News Network's claim that its site is the only place to consistently find and report good news, but I certainly understand the organization's mission of reminding visitors to its website that, challenging as our times might be, there are good things happening.

That is certainly true for TEI. For example, despite the economic downturn, the Institute remains the networking organization of choice for in-house tax professionals. Indeed, TEI's 54 chapters should be commended for their unstinting efforts to deliver high-quality, low-cost education to their members. In these days of travel restrictions and other budget constraints, many national groups (including TEI) have experienced a drop-off in registration for our educational programs, as companies find it difficult to pay airfare, hotel charges, and the program fee. The need of TEI members and other tax professionals to stay up to date, however, is as strong as ever. Indeed, since it is even more imperative to be both innovative and frugal, the need is more pronounced now than in good times.

The good news is that TEI's local chapters have responded: They are holding solid meetings and keeping costs down. Perhaps more important, they are providing a forum for candid exchanges of views (and, if needed, commiseration) that simply cannot be matched by programs hosted by organizations intent on selling services or devoted to making a profit, either through high registration fees or subjecting participants to what some wags call "speed dating for tax executives." Nor can it be provided simply by programs offered over a phone line or Internet connection, which while economical will never be a substitute for the face-to-face contact...