[stylist] President's Update

Wed Mar 30 20:44:46 UTC 2011

Hi Robert,
I think you're doing a great job, and if we're a little quiet now and 
then, it may just be that our noses are to the grindstone. 
Congratulations on all of your leadership positions.

Thank you for putting together the call on Sunday about computer issues. 
I've been having fun using the new information I received.

You mention a letter you sent out about writing to our favorite authors. 
I don't remember receiving that. I have someone in mind, so if you could 
send it or re post it, I'd appreciate it.

I'm looking forward to next year working more closely with the Jernigan 
Institute; I don't know what that will mean, but they are an awesome 
bunch, as I've learned during my coverage of the Blind Driver Challenge.

Donna

Read Donna's articles on
Suite 101:
www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
Ezine Articles:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=D._W._Hill
American Chronicle:
www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885

Connect with Donna on
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/dewhill
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
FaceBook:
www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.

Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
Apple I-Tunes
phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244374

Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project
Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
www.padnfb.org

On 3/30/2011 11:27 AM, Robert Leslie Newman wrote:
> Hope this message finds you all in good health and spirits.
>
>
>
> It is early morning, I am in a reflective mood and need to assure myself
> that I'm keeping you all in the loop to Writers' division happenings. I will
> provide you with an update of upcoming events, and a question needing your
> input.
>
>
>
> ***
>
> 2011 National convention --- How many of you are planning to go to Orlando?
> I am and here is what the Writers' Division has going:
>
>
>
> -July 3rd, Sunday: The Division does not have a planned event. This is the
> day when many workshops are going on. and as your President, keeping you in
> the know of my involvement, I am on the Employment Committee and there will
> be scheduled activities throughout the day.
>
>
>
> -July 4th, Monday: The Division has 2 events scheduled. The first is a
> writing workshop that we will put on for teens, as a joint effort between us
> and "Youth Track." It will start at 4:00 PM and end at 5:00 PM. Three of our
> members will be the instructors- Bridgit Pollpeter, Allison Hilliker and
> Chelsea Cook. (We will provide the participants with handouts on writing and
> conduct discussion and some writing instruction.)
>
>
>
> -Second for this day, is our "Story Telling Idol." This will be the second
> year for this fund raising event. It costs $5.00 to get into the door and
> $1.00 to tell a story; winners share in the pot. (At this writing, it is
> still early in the planning and right now I know we will need help. We
> should have 3 judges, a barker outside the door, a person to take money. Any
> volunteers?)
>
>
>
> -July 5th, Tuesday: This will be the day for our annual business meeting. It
> starts at 1:30 PM and runs until 4:30 PM. Besides a small amount of normal
> business to conduct, including elections, we will have at least one guest,
> an author and radio journalist, Beth Finke. If you wish to read about her,
> here are 2 links web site: www.bethfinke.com
>
> Blog: http://www.bethfinke.wordpress.com
>
>
>
> -Later this day, I personally will be engaged in 2 more meetings: (More
> about my involvement outside the Writers' division) I am the new Chairman
> for the Newsletter Publication Committee. This committee will meet at 6:00
> PM until 8:00 PM. (One sneaky little thing on my part is --- here I will
> have opportunity to promote the Writers' division and attract some new
> members.)
>
>
>
> -Later yet- I am on a panel for the Access Technology Trainers. (Using the
> ribbons in the newer versions of Microsoft Office.)
>
> ***
>
> For those of us on STYLIST (a worthy list to be part of), I would say that
> the flow of interaction has been slow of late. I most enjoy it when members
> bring samples of their work for helpful suggestions, or if it is to provide
> writing related information and/or links to new resources. An update on
> writing projects and/or other blindness related projects can also be
> interesting and enlightening.
>
>
>
> What are all you folks working on? Personally, I thought I would be able to
> pick up one of my partially completed books, but not yet! Though, I am
> working through the creation of 2 new creative non-fiction pieces (2000-3000
> words).
>
> ***
>
> Another NFB related job that needs mentioning, is that I am now for the
> first time the President of the Omaha Chapter of the NFB. This too is taking
> up some time to get onto. For our April meeting, our special guest is Doctor
> Tessa Wright, the head of Nebraska's only college program to produce Vision
> Teachers within our state. (I am making an effort to get to know all the
> major players within our community who have anything to contribute to the
> well-being of the blind.)
>
> ***
>
> My first writing project for this morning was to put some finishing touches
> to my "From the Keyboard of the President." This is my expected contribution
> to each issue of our division's quarterly magazine, "Slate&  Style." And
> yes, and working on it certainly reinforced my need to write this. Below
> I'll paste in a paragraph that I am working through. My motivation is not to
> seek out assistance in its "writing," but more --- I am looking for your
> feel for what we've got going here within the Division. And note that I say
> "we." This is our Division it is not my brain child, it is bigger and better
> than that, it is our creation. Take a read and give me your straight shot of
> thought- what is working, what do we need to do different, are you willing
> to help more with any part of this?
>
>
>
> ".Where I see my stewardship of the Writers' Division: Cutting to the chase,
> I am feeling good about what I/we have accomplished thus far, however I am
> not fully satisfied. My leadership began three and one half years ago, in
> July of 2007. This was my first experience in being the President of any
> group. In taking on this responsibility I knew that there would be much for
> me to learn. Also, I knew that the Division's membership would need to learn
> of my intent, and become aware of where their personal vision might fit the
> collective awareness within the Division. And the point or vision I am
> word-building here, is a group sense of being connected, being "of" a group.
> > From the beginning, my approach to re-building the Division was to greatly
> increase communication among the membership, provide a forum for improving
> our knowledge and skills as writers, discover what members need, attract new
> members, assure that we have the funding to do the projects we may wish to
> take on and foster pride in what each member feels about themselves and in
> their membership within this Division."
>
> ***
>
> Speaking of "Slate&  Style:" Watch for the next issue of our quarterly mag.
> It will have a new look and feel. We have a new editor, Bridgit Kuenning
> Pollpeter (BKP) and she is taking our all-ready good mag and is applying
> some BKP magic to it. And as always when it comes to our Division's own
> publication, we need worthy material for its pages. Do take the time to
> write "how-to-do" writing articles and/or poetry or fiction and/or creative
> non-fiction for it.
>
> ***
>
> Our 2011 writing contest for youth and adults closes in 2 days, April 1st.
> Submissions have been slow in coming in; more toward the end. I'd say that
> for now, the adult categories will be populated with --- Poetry- in the
> mid-to upper twenties; Fiction- in the mid-teens; in the new creative
> non-fiction- in the mid-single digits. Youth --- Elementary Poetry- in the
> mid-single digits; Elementary Fiction- in the lower-teens; High School
> Poetry- in the mid-single digits. (I know I have 4 more emails of contest
> submissions already waiting for my attention and there are 2 more days to go
> before the deadline. (For next year, relating to the youth contests, we will
> be working more closely with the Jernigan Institute.)
>
> ***
>
> Please do take the request letter that I recently sent out and get it out to
> your favorite authors. (Asking for a signed copy of one or more of their
> books. We then will auction them off on EBay.) The monies we take in from
> this effort will be set aside and we will work toward being able to give out
> a scholarship to a college student enrolled in a writing program.
>
> ***
>
> For now, this is my report.
>
>
>
> Robert Leslie Newman
>
> President, Omaha Chapter NFB
>
> President, NFB Writers' Division
>
> Division Website
>
>   <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>  http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
>
> Chair, Newsletter Publication committee
>
> Personal Website-
>
>   <http://www.thoughtprovoker.info/>  http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org<http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
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