Friday, September 12, 2008

A new day


OK, I've got a good breakfast in me and a cold diet Coke in hand. That means I'm awake and feeling refreshed. I've also followed my own advice and tackled the hardest chore first -- photographs. I've put an album together and posted it to my Facebook profile as well as the Kansas Professional Communicators group on FB.

For those of you without Facebook accounts, you can see the pics here.

Finally, a quick housekeeping note. Usually, I'd use some shorthand when writing to KPC members. But word has spread through the conference that Cori Dodds and I are blogging, so we may have some readers who don't know us. So... I'll try to follow good journalistic style and spell out all acronyms and use full names on first reference.

Now, back to yesterday's membership meeting. I won't keep you in suspense. The $20 dues increase proposed by the national board passed on an 88-3 vote. I've already told you we spent more than an hour on this issue alone.

We heard impassioned pleas from longtime members Charlotte Schexnayder of Arkansas (later recognized for 55 years of membership) and Marj Carpenter of Texas. Both remembered the days when the only work they could get on newspapers was the women's pages. World War II (and no men to fill the editor's chair) propelled Charlotte into a career that saw her and her late husband build Clarion Publishing Co. in Dumas, Ark.

Marj, meanwhile, pushed to cover cops and city government, but remained on the society pages until the time she placed a holder name in a wedding account, waiting for the bride to call and fill in the name. In those days, hot type had to be set ahead. The bride didn't call; Marj forgot to check again and John Porkchop of Pocatello, Idaho, remained an usher in the wedding. Marj was covering cops the next day and never looked back!

For we younger women at the conference, it was clear that women like Marj and Charlotte paved the way for what we've been able to do (and often take for granted). Both Marj and Charlotte urged us to keep the organization going so others can stand on our shoulders.

Although the vote was overwhelmingly in favor, it was not without express opposition. As instructed by our KPC board, I voiced the support of the Kansas affiliate for the dues increase, but asked that the board not wait another 20 years for the next increase. You told me that you preferred smaller increases consistently over time rather than a large increase every few decades.

The Michigan president, meanwhile, told the group that her affiliate opposed the increase, given the economic conditions in that state. In fact, the affiliate in on the verge of folding, and there's a good chance that the higher dues may mean the 20 members from Michigan end up not renewing.

I was surprised. I know that we in Kansas wring our hands periodically about how to recruit members and keep the members we have vested in the organization. But I didn't realize we had affiliates close to folding. Gwen Smith, a past NFPW president, shared that the North Carolina affiliate will be meeting in a month to address just that question.

Wow. I guess we in Kansas should stop and say thanks that we have 97 members. We still, however, have to work on making sure all of us realize the value we get from our state and national organizations.

And that's exactly what attending a national convention can give you. Idaho is my second national conference. My first was Kentucky in 2004, the year the communications contest drew me in. Before that, I'd never heard of KPC or NFPW.

When you're at a national conference, you meet so many interesting people. Last night, Cori, Jane Lee and I shared a table with Cathy Petrini, a Virginia member and fiction author; Allison Stein of Kansas City, Mo; Cheryl Kohout, Arizona affiliate president and two other Arizona members. (Sorry, I forgot to look closely enough at their nametags... and I'm terrible at remembering names.)

Cathy, it turns out, lives blocks away from where Greg and I had an apartment for three years shortly after we married and before we returned to my native state. And she's known Allison for years because they've collaborated on writing projects together. (Actually, I was shocked to find Allison wearing a 20-year member ribbon. I would have sworn she was only in her 20s and should have a "first timer" ribbon on like Cori's.)

And on that note: two folks so far have thought I'm 10 years younger than I am. I LOVE going to conference! It's honestly fun to interact without all the labels we wear in our other lives. All of you who know me know I'm in my 40s with three boys, age 11, 13 and 15. I really can't hide my age from you (and don't really care to.)

But here in Idaho, we connect on a myriad of levels. Remember the old jokes during college days where your "name, rank and serial number" became name, class and major? Well, here, it's name, state and profession. From there, we move into whether we have kids, how old they are and any other commonalities.

It's six degrees of separation, after all, with the NFPW link to open the door.

We ended our meeting with recognition of membership anniversaries, beginning with 25 years. Kansas members were included. Becky Funke, Joy Patton and Penny Wika were recognized for 25 years; Linda Jerke and Margaret Klenke for 35 years. Again, it reinforced that we don't meet often enough to get to know each other. In my four years in KPC, I've served on the board with Becky and Linda, but I don't believe I've ever met Joy, Penny or Margaret.

Well, diet Coke or no, my brain is hitting fuzz stage so I'm about to sign off. Cori showed up and is writing a column for the Eagle before we head downstairs for the 11 a.m. sessions. We're both headed to the Newspaper Survival in a Technology World with Dean Miller, executive editor of the Idaho Falls Post Register.

I'm really interested in meeting Dean because Idaho Falls was one of the first newspapers to give the Associated Press its required two-year notice of cancellation when the rate-structure changed. I'd love to hear how they're going to replace AP copy in the paper. It's an issue facing many smaller newspapers... the best use of our resources for our readers.

During lunch, our organizers have come up with a unique program... different folks have volunteered to coordinate table topics, so you sit at the table with the topic you want to talk about. I'm going to the state membership table with Marilyn Saltzman of Colorado. I'm hoping to pick up some great ideas for Nancy Lucas, our first vice-president for membership on recruitment and retention.

Cori's headed to the successful COA nominations table with Eva Marie Peason and Carol Sanders Reiner of Arkansas. We'd certainly love to see another Kansas member named national Communicator of Achievement. And tonight, Cori, Jane and I will be holding bated breaths for Liz Kennedy, our Kansas COA nominee. Liz couldn't make it to conference this year, but she's here in spirit.

Well gang, that's all for now. Check out the pics and check back for more updates later.

Gwen

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