January 2016 - District 5 Meeting Minutes
Dear KAC District 5 Members,
Here's a summary of January's meeting for your reading pleasure.
Minutes January 9, 2016
The meeting was held in the conference room at Larksfield Place 7373 E. 29th St. North. We have been meeting for several years at the Ford Rockwell branch library on East 9th St, but suddenly found that another group had been scheduled for that room on our meeting date. Susan Howell is a resident at Larksfield Place, and as such has been able to obtain a meeting room for us at no cost. Further, there are several rooms that are possible choices, depending on the size of meeting space needed. Therefore, we have scheduled Larksfield Place for our meetings through January of 2017. Meetings will continue the second Saturday of each month from 2-4 PM.
Treasurer’s Report (Prem Bajaj): Currently on hand: $7,212.28.
There was some discussion that in two years it will be our turn again to host and annual KAC Convention, and it looks like we are sitting well Discussion regarding our turn to host KAC Convention in two years: We need members to be thinking seriously about joining in the planning and work to make our convention the best one ever. Time seems to pass so swiftly that we will need to get serious with the planning by the end of 2016.
The purpose of today’s meeting was to brainstorm meeting ideas for the coming year. Many members stated they would like more “popcorn” writing in the meetings, i.e. that we be given a prompt and then a few minutes to write a poem or short story. Others wanted more read arounds with helpful critiques given by members. It appears that we also want some topical programs such as “designing of characters”, plot planning, step-by-step tips for self-publishing, ways to advertise our books, etc. Diane Wahto suggested that a planning committee be formed to solidify program plans, and Cindi Kerr, Connie White, and Dan Close volunteered to join Diane for more planning, time and place to be determined.
Also discussed was how to attract new members. Various ideas were to contact universities and colleges in the area to speak with English and Journalism teachers to make them aware of the group and invite students to attend. We should also contact English teachers at the High Schools in Wichita as well as surrounding small towns, and also librarians especially in the outlying towns within travel distance of meetings.
We discussed the need for the social time during the meetings, and it was suggested that we need some people to be “greeters” to make sure that newcomers are acknowledged and encouraged to return. So please don’t be shy. If you see someone you don’t know, please greet them and introduce yourself and help them find someone who is interested in “their” genre of writing. Someone mentioned that Roy
Beckemeyer (who was absent from this meeting) has made up a brochure, and suggested that we make up a “visitor packet” to hand to newcomers. I also am suggesting at this time that perhaps we could take these with us when we speak to teachers, librarians, and others who might be interested in our membership.
Dan Close suggested that in approaching teachers, we suggest that they assign students to write toward entering the KAC State contests, so we should be prepared to discuss some of the possible contest genres.
Griz Racobs also stated that Vasuma Chaparala, the East High Freshman who won State contest with her “One Simple Wish” for global peace, is now a Youth Advisor for KAC District 5. He also mentioned that we would like to have a Youth Advisor from at least every High School in the Wichita area, with the intent to draw in these young writers as members.
Here's a summary of January's meeting for your reading pleasure.
Minutes January 9, 2016
The meeting was held in the conference room at Larksfield Place 7373 E. 29th St. North. We have been meeting for several years at the Ford Rockwell branch library on East 9th St, but suddenly found that another group had been scheduled for that room on our meeting date. Susan Howell is a resident at Larksfield Place, and as such has been able to obtain a meeting room for us at no cost. Further, there are several rooms that are possible choices, depending on the size of meeting space needed. Therefore, we have scheduled Larksfield Place for our meetings through January of 2017. Meetings will continue the second Saturday of each month from 2-4 PM.
Treasurer’s Report (Prem Bajaj): Currently on hand: $7,212.28.
There was some discussion that in two years it will be our turn again to host and annual KAC Convention, and it looks like we are sitting well Discussion regarding our turn to host KAC Convention in two years: We need members to be thinking seriously about joining in the planning and work to make our convention the best one ever. Time seems to pass so swiftly that we will need to get serious with the planning by the end of 2016.
The purpose of today’s meeting was to brainstorm meeting ideas for the coming year. Many members stated they would like more “popcorn” writing in the meetings, i.e. that we be given a prompt and then a few minutes to write a poem or short story. Others wanted more read arounds with helpful critiques given by members. It appears that we also want some topical programs such as “designing of characters”, plot planning, step-by-step tips for self-publishing, ways to advertise our books, etc. Diane Wahto suggested that a planning committee be formed to solidify program plans, and Cindi Kerr, Connie White, and Dan Close volunteered to join Diane for more planning, time and place to be determined.
Also discussed was how to attract new members. Various ideas were to contact universities and colleges in the area to speak with English and Journalism teachers to make them aware of the group and invite students to attend. We should also contact English teachers at the High Schools in Wichita as well as surrounding small towns, and also librarians especially in the outlying towns within travel distance of meetings.
We discussed the need for the social time during the meetings, and it was suggested that we need some people to be “greeters” to make sure that newcomers are acknowledged and encouraged to return. So please don’t be shy. If you see someone you don’t know, please greet them and introduce yourself and help them find someone who is interested in “their” genre of writing. Someone mentioned that Roy
Beckemeyer (who was absent from this meeting) has made up a brochure, and suggested that we make up a “visitor packet” to hand to newcomers. I also am suggesting at this time that perhaps we could take these with us when we speak to teachers, librarians, and others who might be interested in our membership.
Dan Close suggested that in approaching teachers, we suggest that they assign students to write toward entering the KAC State contests, so we should be prepared to discuss some of the possible contest genres.
Griz Racobs also stated that Vasuma Chaparala, the East High Freshman who won State contest with her “One Simple Wish” for global peace, is now a Youth Advisor for KAC District 5. He also mentioned that we would like to have a Youth Advisor from at least every High School in the Wichita area, with the intent to draw in these young writers as members.