May Day!
Cecilia Sepp, CAE, ACNP, LPEC
It’s May 1st. That’s right: we are well into the second quarter of 2026. We call the first day of May “May Day” and this has many different meanings.
May Day traditionally is a celebration of spring. Winter is behind us, things are blooming, and the weather is warmer. Some of us get really giddy and dance around May Poles (something I famously did in kindergarten for the local news channel. My flower hat fell off when I ran towards the pole to pick up the ribbon I dropped. I learned that fame is indeed fleeting.)
May Day is also International Labor Day. This is a day when many of us focus on the workers around the world and why we should treat them better than we do. Labor unions successfully use this to promote what they do for their members.
Mayday is also a cry for help, as in “mayday, mayday, the plane is going down!!” This makes it very clear that there is trouble and somebody better do something quick. Some sources say it replaced “SOS” when radios came into broader use, and other sources say it is the anglicized version of the French term “m’aider” which means “help me.”
But the most important thing about May Day to some of our colleagues in the association management professionis this: it’s the first day of the Spring 2026 CAE Exam period! The weeks of May 1 – May 15 are filled with performance anxiety, excitement, and ultimately relief when the exam is completed.
For those of you out there preparing for this exam, best wishes for success! You are doing something most people don’t even attempt. Be proud of yourself for working hard on your professional development. Because of the work you have done, and will continue to do after the exam, you are already making our profession stronger and the world a better place.
And just remember: If you can do adulthood, you can pass the CAE Exam.
Good luck everyone!
