President's Corner

AUGUST 2007

NTRWA President, Jen FitzGerald

Dear Chapter Mates,

I hope all of you who attended the conference had a wonderful time. Did you know that over half our chapter attended the conference this year? Wow. And are you now energized with renewed inspiration and enthusiasm for a current WIP or new project? I know I am. My first conference was a great experience. Although it wasn't quite as I expected, I'm already hoping I can make it to San Francisco. I'm sure being away from home and staying in a hotel will add a whole nother dimension to the experience.

I attended some really awesome workshops, and one that was not so great. I met a lot of new and interesting people; some from our own back yard and several folks from Australia. I even got to meet one of my favorite authors at the literacy signing. That was very cool.

But now that the conference is behind us, we can all take a deep breath and get back to our normal schedules. For me, that includes looking ahead to the rest of our NT year. The board and I have been discussing a lot of things this past few weeks and I’m looking forward to seeing things happen.

In looking ahead, there are several important things on the schedule. Most importantly is our NT election. It’s that time of year to consider running for office. All positions on the board are open (although you must be a member for at least two years to run for president, one for all others). If you are interested in running for office but would like more information before making a final decision, please contact the current officer. If you would like info from the Bylaws or the Policy & Procedure Manual, contact me and I will get it to you. Officer emails are available in the newsletter on page two or on the ‘Contact Us’ page on the Web site.

The Writers Roundup is also just around the corner during the second weekend in November. This year, we are planning a more hands-on event, to possibly include plotting, brainstorming, and critiquing sessions; various writers’ exercises; specific topic discussions; and some getting-to-know-one-another activities. This will be a totally wear-your-comfies event. If you have something specific you’d like to do or have general suggestions, please contact Tara Waldie. Her email is on page two of the newsletter and her phone number is on the roster.

Our other big event is the Great Expectations Contest, our main source of revenue. The board has approved Barb Woodward and Micqui Miller to be the contest co-chairs for the 2007/2008 GE contest. We will be utilizing category coordinators again this year, so if you would be willing to help out, please contact Barb and Micqui to let them know. Thank you, ladies for supporting our chapter in such a tremendous way!

The final deadline for the Silver Nuggets Contest entry is just a few days away. All entries must be received on or before August 15, 2007 to be eligible.

We are still looking at putting together a chapter cookbook in celebration of our 25^th anniversary. The board is discussing the options and will present more info to the membership when the time comes to make a decision.

As I mentioned at the July meeting, RWA National has instituted standardized bylaws. Our deadline for making the changeover is May 1, 2008 to coincide with the due date for sending in chapter rosters and paying chapter dues. Our bylaws are up for review this year anyway, so it won’t be a big deal. If you are interested in participating in the bylaws review, please contact any board member and let them know.

Hope to see you at the next chapter meeting…

Sincerely,

Jen