communication department

Volume XX Number 3

Administration

Ask the Office: Can My Chapter Hold a Senior Member-only Event?

Editor’s note: The following information is intended to be helpful and should not serve as a substitute for legal or tax counsel.

Q: My chapter would like to hold an event to recognize our senior members, associate fellows, and fellows. Does STC allow us to hold an event only for members at these levels?

A: The following information is provided by Susan Burton, CAE, STC Executive Director.

The STC Bylaws prohibit chapters from holding meetings that are not open to members of all levels. According to Article III, Section 3A of the bylaws, “Individual members, regardless of grade, may at the membership rate, attend any meeting, convention, conference, or workshop sponsored by the Society or its communities.”

Your chapter should instead invite all members to the event honoring senior members, associate fellows, and fellows. Doing so adds value to these designations and is a good way to encourage regular members to advance to higher designations.

Please note that this requirement regarding opening events to members of all levels will no longer be the case once the new STC Bylaws are adopted in fall 2007.

Selling STC to the Boss

Having trouble selling the idea of STC membership to your boss? Get it paid through your corporate training budget.

Dictionary.com defines training as follows: “to make proficient with specialized instruction and practice.”

Training happens when . . .

• a chapter workshop on XML helps you develop superior company documents—faster and more efficiently.
• an STC live Web seminar teaches you and your colleagues the basics of single sourcing—and thereby streamlines your company’s production processes.
• a technical session at an STC annual conference shows you how to develop a usability plan that returns valuable feedback on your company’s product—resulting in a better product and more satisfied customers.
• an article in Intercom or Technical Communication shows you how to translate a company Web site to reach an international audience.

If an STC- or chapter-sponsored event or activity shows you how to improve your company’s products or processes, that’s training. Nonmembers often pay significantly more for STC programs, conferences, and workshops than do members. And STC membership provides training with a bonus: a vibrant professional community that offers numerous opportunities for networking.

STC helps you make career opportunities happen. For information about joining STC or renewing a membership, visit the STC Web site.

Send Contact Info to STC Office

If the STC office does not have an updated list of your community leaders, please send these names to the membership department by fax at +1 (703) 522-2075 (fax) or by e-mail.

The office must have current information on the following chapter positions: president (or student chapter advisor), first vice president, secretary, membership manager, treasurer, newsletter editor, employment manager, and webmaster. The office also tracks the following SIG positions: manager, newsletter editor, secretary, webmaster, and membership manager.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Online Leadership Training Coming Soon

The LCR Training Planning and Development team is nearing the finish line on creating STC-specific community leadership training materials for anyone currently in or considering serving in a community leadership role.

Modules include introducing leadership, leading your community to success, knowing your direction and destination, working as a team toward goals, growing volunteers, reaching out to your community, establishing local and global Society relations, and planning for the future.

For more information, e-mail Jackie Damrau.

Ever Thought about Virtual Council Meetings?

If your community has members who are geographically dispersed, virtual council meetings might be the solution for you. The Leadership Community Resource (LCR) can connect you with a SIG manager to coach you through the process. Contact Mary Kabza, Director of Marketing and Membership, at +1 (571) 366-1912 for more information.

The LCR will officially launch on May 13—the day that Leadership Day will be held at STC’s 54th Annual Conference.

Moving? File Change of Address with STC

Please remind members who are changing residences to send their new address to the STC office to avoid interrupted delivery of Intercom and Technical Communication. Some members assume that informing the post office of their new address is enough to ensure that all of their mail is forwarded. However, the United States Postal Service forwards only first-class mail; mailings such as Intercom and Technical Communication are not forwarded.

To file a change of address with STC and ensure continuous delivery of Society publications, members can use the online change address form.

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STC Election Opens

Online voting has opened for STC’s 2007 election.

Members may vote at the secure online election site. The election closes at noon ET on April 12, 2007.