December 16, 2023
The December Kansas Authors club District 5 meeting began with a social time and refreshments in celebration of the 2023 year of writing. At 1:45, president Sandee Taylor called the meeting to order. Guest Tracy Million-Simmons was welcomed. Members introduced themselves by giving words or phrases which held special holiday meaning for them.
Reports:
New Business:
Amy Boyd submitted guidelines for the newly formed position of Refreshment Coordinator. Tyler Henning moved we adopt her proposal. It was seconded by Ray Racobs and passed unopposed.
Election of Officers and Adoption of Bylaws:
The ballot for the adoption of the new bylaws was unanimously approved.
The result of the ballot for officers for 2024 is as follows: President—Sandee Taylor, Co-Vice Presidents—Ann Fell and Janice Northerns, Secretary—Connie White, Treasurer—Tyler Henning, Membership Liaison—Amy Kliewer, Writers in Community Liaison—Gretchen Eick.
Open Mic and Writing Prompt:
The following authors participated in a lively open mic session: Tammy Hader, Tyler Henning, Judy Hatteberg, Judy Oliver, Janice Northerns, Sandee Taylor, Ann Fell, Ray Racobs, and Tracy Million-Simmons.
Members in attendance were encouraged to write a haiku or flash fiction using words we collected during our introductions at the beginning of the meeting. Several shared their rough drafts which ranged from pieces about cats in Christmas trees, dogs in sweaters, to fruitcake.
The meeting adjourned at 3:30.
November 18, 2023
The November D5 meeting was called to order at 1:31. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The presenter this month was Thea Rademacher, and the topic was “Scam or Opportunity”. Ms. Rademacher talked about the different avenues to publishing a book and what red flags to look for when dealing with each type of publishing. She also mentioned how artificial intelligence is affecting the work of authors. She provided an opportunity for audience members to ask questions.
Following a brief break, the D5-specific portion of the meeting began at 2:36. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported the current checking account balance. The library room rental fee has been paid for next year. Connie White made a motion to accept Amy Boyd as next year’s treat coordinator, and Tyler Henning seconded. President Sandee Taylor announced an upcoming event on December 9 at the Winfield Library. New members attending the meeting were welcomed, and the retreat committee gave a brief report about their findings so far. They will next work on a budget and questionnaire to submit to the board. Leaders of local critique groups briefly described their groups and the location and time of their meetings.
President Sandee Taylor reported that the room in Evergreen Library is rented for next year and that she will be sending only one monthly email. Attendees were given copies of the proposed bylaws, and Vice President Gretchen Eick read the candidates for 2024 officers. The bylaws and officers will be voted on at the December 16 meeting. Following a brief writing exercise, the meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Boyd, secretary
Octrober 21, 2023
The October D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The speaker this month was Craig Lancaster, who talked about different paths to publishing. He talked about his experiences with different ways of publishing his books and what he learned from each of those experiences.
Following his talk, there was a brief state-wide business meeting. The meeting started with recognitions of different members throughout the state, including D5 members Nicole Snyder and Ann Fell. Attendees then elected new state officers, and then the newly elected officers introduced themselves to everyone.
Following a short break, D5 President Sandee Taylor started the D5 business meeting. She introduced attendees to the newest D5 member, Willie Washington. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the account remained unchanged in October. The retreat committee reported their findings about possible locations for next year. Congratulations were extended to D5 members Martha Wherry and Connie White for their awards from the state writing retreat, and Nicole Snyder was recognized for her service as webmaster. President Sandee Taylor then announced the upcoming vote on officers and bylaws at the December meeting, told attendees about the various small groups led by D5 members, and encouraged attendees to try doing NaNoWriMo. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30
Amy Boyd, secretary
September 16, 2023
The September D5 meeting was called to order at 1:40. Following introductions, attendees from the August D5 writing retreat gave a brief report from it. There was then a brief discussion of hosting another retreat next year. Tyler Henning, Sam Barret, Connie White, and Ann Fell volunteered to be on an exploratory committee to plan next year’s retreat, which will tentatively be held in August.
Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the account balance. President Sandee Taylor reported that the group has one new member. There was also a discussion of a potential Zoom critique group on Tuesdays. Vice President Gretchen Eick then gave a report from the recent state board meeting.
The program for the meeting was an open mic. Attendees took turns reading pieces they had brought to share, with time for comments and critique in between each one. The meeting was adjourned at 3:35.
Amy Boyd, secretary
August 19, 2023
The D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speakers. The speakers for the meeting were Nancy Kopp and Catherine Hedge, who talked about writing memoirs. Their presentation touched on different ideas about why to write memoirs and gave practical tips to attendees about how to write their own memoirs.
The D5-specific portion of the meeting started at 2:15. President Sandee Taylor welcomed two new members in attendance, Cindy Molello and Tyler Henning. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported the current balance of funds. Attendees were reminded about the upcoming D5 writing retreat and were informed that there were still four spots left.
After a brief break, attendees were presented with an example memoir piece. After it was read, attendees critiqued it based on what they had learned during the main presentation. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Boyd, secretary
July 15, 2023
The July D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30, and the recording was started. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning in to the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Amy Sage Webb-Baza, who talked about writing flash fiction. She went through some of the basics of what flash fiction is and how it can help with other writing. Then she gave attendees a prompt and gave them some time to practice writing.
After the state-wide portion of the meeting and a five-minute break, the D5-specific part of the meeting began. Attendees were reminded that the D7 writing contest ends on August 15. Treasurer Ray Racobs presented the treasurer report. New Member Liason Amy Kliewer reported that the group has four new members. Then President Sandee Taylor and Writers in Community Liason Ann Fell gave an update on the plans for the D5 author retreat on August 26.
Following the business meeting, Vice President Gretchen Eick led a discussion over recent winning flash fiction entries at the state contest. She would read one of the pieces, and attendees would discuss it based on the elements of flash fiction given in the presentation. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Boyd, secretary
June 17, 2023
The June D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The June speaker was Denise Low, who spoke about Embellishing Prose and Poetry with Memoir. She first challenged participants to come up with a six-word memoir and then spoke about different memoir strategies and elements of memoirs. Since the talk was prerecorded, there was no Q&A afterward, but there was a short discussion about the state-wide writing retreat in October.
After the main program and a short break, the D5 portion of the meeting began. President Sandee Taylor welcomed attendees and reminded them of the D7 writing contest that ends on August 15. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the account balance. Then there was a short discussion about the possibility of having a D5 writing retreat. The rest of the hour was dedicated to looking at the winning memoir entries from the 2022 state contest and discussing what elements discussed in the main program were present in each, and the strengths and weaknesses of each piece. Following the main meeting, there was a brief board meeting to discuss a proposal for a potential D5 writing retreat in August.
Amy Boyd, secretary
May 20, 2023
The May 20 D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30, and the recording was started. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state program. The speaker for the meeting was Leonard Krishtalka, and his presentation was “Novel Writing: Excavating Layers of the Human Condition”. He talked about how all novels have an element of mystery within them because sometimes human behavior can be unpredictable, and how all writers delve into these unpredictable elements in their stories.
Following the presentation and a short break, the D5-specific portion of the meeting was called to order at 2:35. President Sandee Taylor welcomed everyone and reminded them about the switch to Mailchimp for communicating with members. She then made a few announcements about the D7 writing contest and the new Ezine. She reminded attendees that the monthly featured presenter videos are available for a month to KAC members and that the next D5 meeting will be on June 17. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the current balance. New member Liason Amy Kliewer reported that D5 has two new members: Mickey Shannon and Dennis Phelps. President Sandee Taylor then walked attendees through the steps required to submit entries to the state writing contest.
Following the main meeting, there was a brief board meeting. Attendees discussed reserving a room for the first half of 2024, obtaining a microphone for the meetings, ideas for the D5 portion of the monthly meetings for the rest of 2023, and activities to increase involvement. The board meeting was adjourned at 3:45.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
April
The April D5 meeting was called to order at 1:32, and the recording was started. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide program. The speakers for the meeting wee Duane Johnson, 2022 KAC Poet of the Year, and Julie Sellers, 2022 Prose Writer of the year. Mr. Johnson and Ms. Sellers asked each other questions and shared excerpts of their work. They also took some time at the end of the hour to answer questions from the attendees.
Following the presentation and a short break, the D5-specific portion of the meeting began with a short business meeting. President Sandee Taylor reminded attendees of how to manage online communications and that the monthly presenter videos are available for a month on the KAC website. She then announced that the May 20 presenter is Leonard Krishtalka, who will be presenting Novel Writing: Excavating Layers of the Human Condition, and reminded attendees that the group will be meeting in a different room that day. Treasured Ray Racobs reported that the D5 budget had no expenditures. Taylor reported that D5 has one new member and she had recently helped judge a contest at Benton Grade School
Webmaster Nicole Snyder led the month's writing activity. Attendees practiced doing writing sprints. A few attendees shared what they had written. The meeting was adjourned at 3:20.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
March 18, 2023
The March D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30 and the recording was started. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Kansas Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall, and she shared how she defines poetry. Within her talk were opportunities for attendees to practice using figurative language.
The D5-specific portion of the meeting began at 2:50 and began with a brief business meeting. President Sandee Taylor reminded attendees of how to manage online communications and that the monthly presenter videos are available for a month on the KAC website. She then announced that April is national poetry month and the April 15th speakers will be Julie Sellers and Duane Johnson, the overall Poetry and Prose winners from the 2022 KAC writing contest. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported. New Member Liason Amy Kliewer reported that D5 has three new members.
Following the business meeting, Vice President Gretchen Eick provided attendees with two different poetry prompts, with time to write and share each one. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
February 18, 2023
The February D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30 and the recording was started. Eleven D5 members attended in person and four attended via Zoom. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning in to the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Cheryl Unruh, and the topic was Writing Your True Stories. She discussed the differences between memoirs and autobiographies, overviewed the different forms memoirs could take, and gave attendees tips on writing their own memoirs.
The D5-specific portion of the meeting was called to order at 2:30. President Sandee Taylor discussed some important things for members to know, such as paying dues and how to manage communications. She then gave a few announcements, including one about an open mic hosted by D3 and D4 on March 4. She reminded attendees that the next meeting is March 18, and the speaker is Kansas Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall. She also reminded attendees that the monthly featured presenter videos are available for a month on the KAC website. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported the current bank account balance.
After the business meeting, attendees were given a selection of prompts and some time to write. Following the writing time, there was some time for attendees to read what they had written. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
January 21, 2023
The January 21 D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. Seven members attended in person, and six members and one guest attended on Zoom. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Paul Epp, who talked about Marketing for Writers. He gave attendees a definition of what marketing is, as well as tools to help them better market their own works.
After the speaker, the D5-only section of the meeting kicked off with introductions. Following brief reports by the Community Liaison and the New Member Liaison, President Sandee Taylor encouraged attendees to sign up to bring treats and plan activities for future meetings. She then announced the upcoming Zoom open mic hosted by D3/D4 on February 14 and gave a preview of the next meeting. There wasn’t time left to do a writing prompt, but attendees did decide to prepare a short setting description for the February meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Following the main meeting, there was a brief board meeting. Board members discussed what needs to be tweaked for the February meeting, a problem with the settings on the D5 Facebook page, and how to improve the website. The board meeting was adjourned at 3:45.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
The December Kansas Authors club District 5 meeting began with a social time and refreshments in celebration of the 2023 year of writing. At 1:45, president Sandee Taylor called the meeting to order. Guest Tracy Million-Simmons was welcomed. Members introduced themselves by giving words or phrases which held special holiday meaning for them.
Reports:
- Treasurer Ray Racobs reported the expense of $300 for the rental of our meeting room at Wichita Evergreen Library for 2024. The bank balance was reported.
- Ann Fell, Writers in Community Liaison, reported on the Winfield Local Authors event held December 9. Several D5 members participated. She shared the front page article which appeared in the Winfield newspaper.
- Amy Kliewer, Membership Liaison, reported two new members.
- Samantha Barrett reported the results of the survey of members about sponsoring one or more writing retreats for 2024. The committee will bring a proposal to the January meeting.
- Members of currently operating critique groups gave updates. Judy Oliver, who is part of the poetry group facilitated by Skyler Lovelace, reported on the activities of this group. This group will welcome poets interested in joining authors devoted to improving their poetry. This group meets every Monday at 4:30 via Zoom. Another group meets viz Zoom on the third Tuesday of the month. This group is devoted to prose (fiction or nonfiction) and welcomes new members. Other groups are operating successfully and are at capacity.
New Business:
Amy Boyd submitted guidelines for the newly formed position of Refreshment Coordinator. Tyler Henning moved we adopt her proposal. It was seconded by Ray Racobs and passed unopposed.
Election of Officers and Adoption of Bylaws:
The ballot for the adoption of the new bylaws was unanimously approved.
The result of the ballot for officers for 2024 is as follows: President—Sandee Taylor, Co-Vice Presidents—Ann Fell and Janice Northerns, Secretary—Connie White, Treasurer—Tyler Henning, Membership Liaison—Amy Kliewer, Writers in Community Liaison—Gretchen Eick.
Open Mic and Writing Prompt:
The following authors participated in a lively open mic session: Tammy Hader, Tyler Henning, Judy Hatteberg, Judy Oliver, Janice Northerns, Sandee Taylor, Ann Fell, Ray Racobs, and Tracy Million-Simmons.
Members in attendance were encouraged to write a haiku or flash fiction using words we collected during our introductions at the beginning of the meeting. Several shared their rough drafts which ranged from pieces about cats in Christmas trees, dogs in sweaters, to fruitcake.
The meeting adjourned at 3:30.
November 18, 2023
The November D5 meeting was called to order at 1:31. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The presenter this month was Thea Rademacher, and the topic was “Scam or Opportunity”. Ms. Rademacher talked about the different avenues to publishing a book and what red flags to look for when dealing with each type of publishing. She also mentioned how artificial intelligence is affecting the work of authors. She provided an opportunity for audience members to ask questions.
Following a brief break, the D5-specific portion of the meeting began at 2:36. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported the current checking account balance. The library room rental fee has been paid for next year. Connie White made a motion to accept Amy Boyd as next year’s treat coordinator, and Tyler Henning seconded. President Sandee Taylor announced an upcoming event on December 9 at the Winfield Library. New members attending the meeting were welcomed, and the retreat committee gave a brief report about their findings so far. They will next work on a budget and questionnaire to submit to the board. Leaders of local critique groups briefly described their groups and the location and time of their meetings.
President Sandee Taylor reported that the room in Evergreen Library is rented for next year and that she will be sending only one monthly email. Attendees were given copies of the proposed bylaws, and Vice President Gretchen Eick read the candidates for 2024 officers. The bylaws and officers will be voted on at the December 16 meeting. Following a brief writing exercise, the meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Boyd, secretary
Octrober 21, 2023
The October D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The speaker this month was Craig Lancaster, who talked about different paths to publishing. He talked about his experiences with different ways of publishing his books and what he learned from each of those experiences.
Following his talk, there was a brief state-wide business meeting. The meeting started with recognitions of different members throughout the state, including D5 members Nicole Snyder and Ann Fell. Attendees then elected new state officers, and then the newly elected officers introduced themselves to everyone.
Following a short break, D5 President Sandee Taylor started the D5 business meeting. She introduced attendees to the newest D5 member, Willie Washington. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the account remained unchanged in October. The retreat committee reported their findings about possible locations for next year. Congratulations were extended to D5 members Martha Wherry and Connie White for their awards from the state writing retreat, and Nicole Snyder was recognized for her service as webmaster. President Sandee Taylor then announced the upcoming vote on officers and bylaws at the December meeting, told attendees about the various small groups led by D5 members, and encouraged attendees to try doing NaNoWriMo. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30
Amy Boyd, secretary
September 16, 2023
The September D5 meeting was called to order at 1:40. Following introductions, attendees from the August D5 writing retreat gave a brief report from it. There was then a brief discussion of hosting another retreat next year. Tyler Henning, Sam Barret, Connie White, and Ann Fell volunteered to be on an exploratory committee to plan next year’s retreat, which will tentatively be held in August.
Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the account balance. President Sandee Taylor reported that the group has one new member. There was also a discussion of a potential Zoom critique group on Tuesdays. Vice President Gretchen Eick then gave a report from the recent state board meeting.
The program for the meeting was an open mic. Attendees took turns reading pieces they had brought to share, with time for comments and critique in between each one. The meeting was adjourned at 3:35.
Amy Boyd, secretary
August 19, 2023
The D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speakers. The speakers for the meeting were Nancy Kopp and Catherine Hedge, who talked about writing memoirs. Their presentation touched on different ideas about why to write memoirs and gave practical tips to attendees about how to write their own memoirs.
The D5-specific portion of the meeting started at 2:15. President Sandee Taylor welcomed two new members in attendance, Cindy Molello and Tyler Henning. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported the current balance of funds. Attendees were reminded about the upcoming D5 writing retreat and were informed that there were still four spots left.
After a brief break, attendees were presented with an example memoir piece. After it was read, attendees critiqued it based on what they had learned during the main presentation. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Boyd, secretary
July 15, 2023
The July D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30, and the recording was started. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning in to the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Amy Sage Webb-Baza, who talked about writing flash fiction. She went through some of the basics of what flash fiction is and how it can help with other writing. Then she gave attendees a prompt and gave them some time to practice writing.
After the state-wide portion of the meeting and a five-minute break, the D5-specific part of the meeting began. Attendees were reminded that the D7 writing contest ends on August 15. Treasurer Ray Racobs presented the treasurer report. New Member Liason Amy Kliewer reported that the group has four new members. Then President Sandee Taylor and Writers in Community Liason Ann Fell gave an update on the plans for the D5 author retreat on August 26.
Following the business meeting, Vice President Gretchen Eick led a discussion over recent winning flash fiction entries at the state contest. She would read one of the pieces, and attendees would discuss it based on the elements of flash fiction given in the presentation. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Boyd, secretary
June 17, 2023
The June D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The June speaker was Denise Low, who spoke about Embellishing Prose and Poetry with Memoir. She first challenged participants to come up with a six-word memoir and then spoke about different memoir strategies and elements of memoirs. Since the talk was prerecorded, there was no Q&A afterward, but there was a short discussion about the state-wide writing retreat in October.
After the main program and a short break, the D5 portion of the meeting began. President Sandee Taylor welcomed attendees and reminded them of the D7 writing contest that ends on August 15. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the account balance. Then there was a short discussion about the possibility of having a D5 writing retreat. The rest of the hour was dedicated to looking at the winning memoir entries from the 2022 state contest and discussing what elements discussed in the main program were present in each, and the strengths and weaknesses of each piece. Following the main meeting, there was a brief board meeting to discuss a proposal for a potential D5 writing retreat in August.
Amy Boyd, secretary
May 20, 2023
The May 20 D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30, and the recording was started. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state program. The speaker for the meeting was Leonard Krishtalka, and his presentation was “Novel Writing: Excavating Layers of the Human Condition”. He talked about how all novels have an element of mystery within them because sometimes human behavior can be unpredictable, and how all writers delve into these unpredictable elements in their stories.
Following the presentation and a short break, the D5-specific portion of the meeting was called to order at 2:35. President Sandee Taylor welcomed everyone and reminded them about the switch to Mailchimp for communicating with members. She then made a few announcements about the D7 writing contest and the new Ezine. She reminded attendees that the monthly featured presenter videos are available for a month to KAC members and that the next D5 meeting will be on June 17. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported that the current balance. New member Liason Amy Kliewer reported that D5 has two new members: Mickey Shannon and Dennis Phelps. President Sandee Taylor then walked attendees through the steps required to submit entries to the state writing contest.
Following the main meeting, there was a brief board meeting. Attendees discussed reserving a room for the first half of 2024, obtaining a microphone for the meetings, ideas for the D5 portion of the monthly meetings for the rest of 2023, and activities to increase involvement. The board meeting was adjourned at 3:45.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
April
The April D5 meeting was called to order at 1:32, and the recording was started. The first hour was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide program. The speakers for the meeting wee Duane Johnson, 2022 KAC Poet of the Year, and Julie Sellers, 2022 Prose Writer of the year. Mr. Johnson and Ms. Sellers asked each other questions and shared excerpts of their work. They also took some time at the end of the hour to answer questions from the attendees.
Following the presentation and a short break, the D5-specific portion of the meeting began with a short business meeting. President Sandee Taylor reminded attendees of how to manage online communications and that the monthly presenter videos are available for a month on the KAC website. She then announced that the May 20 presenter is Leonard Krishtalka, who will be presenting Novel Writing: Excavating Layers of the Human Condition, and reminded attendees that the group will be meeting in a different room that day. Treasured Ray Racobs reported that the D5 budget had no expenditures. Taylor reported that D5 has one new member and she had recently helped judge a contest at Benton Grade School
Webmaster Nicole Snyder led the month's writing activity. Attendees practiced doing writing sprints. A few attendees shared what they had written. The meeting was adjourned at 3:20.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
March 18, 2023
The March D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30 and the recording was started. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Kansas Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall, and she shared how she defines poetry. Within her talk were opportunities for attendees to practice using figurative language.
The D5-specific portion of the meeting began at 2:50 and began with a brief business meeting. President Sandee Taylor reminded attendees of how to manage online communications and that the monthly presenter videos are available for a month on the KAC website. She then announced that April is national poetry month and the April 15th speakers will be Julie Sellers and Duane Johnson, the overall Poetry and Prose winners from the 2022 KAC writing contest. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported. New Member Liason Amy Kliewer reported that D5 has three new members.
Following the business meeting, Vice President Gretchen Eick provided attendees with two different poetry prompts, with time to write and share each one. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
February 18, 2023
The February D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30 and the recording was started. Eleven D5 members attended in person and four attended via Zoom. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning in to the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Cheryl Unruh, and the topic was Writing Your True Stories. She discussed the differences between memoirs and autobiographies, overviewed the different forms memoirs could take, and gave attendees tips on writing their own memoirs.
The D5-specific portion of the meeting was called to order at 2:30. President Sandee Taylor discussed some important things for members to know, such as paying dues and how to manage communications. She then gave a few announcements, including one about an open mic hosted by D3 and D4 on March 4. She reminded attendees that the next meeting is March 18, and the speaker is Kansas Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall. She also reminded attendees that the monthly featured presenter videos are available for a month on the KAC website. Treasurer Ray Racobs reported the current bank account balance.
After the business meeting, attendees were given a selection of prompts and some time to write. Following the writing time, there was some time for attendees to read what they had written. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Amy Ackerman, secretary
January 21, 2023
The January 21 D5 meeting was called to order at 1:30. Seven members attended in person, and six members and one guest attended on Zoom. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to tuning into the state-wide speaker. The speaker for the meeting was Paul Epp, who talked about Marketing for Writers. He gave attendees a definition of what marketing is, as well as tools to help them better market their own works.
After the speaker, the D5-only section of the meeting kicked off with introductions. Following brief reports by the Community Liaison and the New Member Liaison, President Sandee Taylor encouraged attendees to sign up to bring treats and plan activities for future meetings. She then announced the upcoming Zoom open mic hosted by D3/D4 on February 14 and gave a preview of the next meeting. There wasn’t time left to do a writing prompt, but attendees did decide to prepare a short setting description for the February meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.
Following the main meeting, there was a brief board meeting. Board members discussed what needs to be tweaked for the February meeting, a problem with the settings on the D5 Facebook page, and how to improve the website. The board meeting was adjourned at 3:45.
Amy Ackerman, secretary