Lead Volunteers to Superstardom By Mel Haughton, Immediate Past President, Lone Star Community When I took over as Lone Star Community (LSC) president for the 2006–07 program year, I had a very clear goal in mind. I wanted to start a program that recognized our volunteers for the hard work they put in throughout the year. We already had a recognition award—the “You Rock” Award—which is a certificate that we give to a few members every year in recognition of their hard work. But the “You Rock” Award didn’t necessarily create a sense of teamwork and superstardom. We were missing something. Read more... How Can We Attract More Members to Our Meetings? By Suzanna Laurent, Oklahoma Chapter, Associate Fellow Monitoring a discussion on the president’s listserv made me reminisce about my year as a chapter president. The leaders were discussing how to improve meeting attendance, and that was one of my chief concerns as president, too. Presidents of both large and small chapters shared ideas, solutions, and dreams for getting more members to attend. All presidents seemed to think their chapter had a lower percentage than anyone else at meetings. By comparing notes with others, though, they found out that their attendance wasn’t so bad after all! Read more... A Defining Moment for the Eastern Iowa Chapter By Charles R. Crawley, Public Relations Manager, Eastern Iowa Chapter The Eastern Iowa Chapter STC held its first ever Define-a-Thon on November 13, 2007, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Define-a-Thon is a new word game from the editors of The American Heritage Dictionary. The idea is that you can spell a word without knowing its meaning. So why not develop a competition where the contestant has to pick the right word after its definition has been given? Read more... "Thursdays @ STC Chicago" Provide a Unique Networking Opportunity By Russ Friend, Associate Fellow, Chicago Chapter Back in the winter of 2004, coworker and fellow STC member Malcolm Culbertson and I were lamenting the declining numbers of our chapter and the Society. Malcolm—who later became our chapter secretary—had a brain flash: What if there were a way for practicing technical communicators to meet informally to discuss innovative trends in the field, present their latest projects, and network with colleagues? He envisioned folks gathering at someone’s home in addition to the chapter’s monthly meetings and special events. We acknowledged that our declining attendance numbers were in part due to the large geographical spread of the region (known as “Chicagoland”). We thought that an effort like this could help members, past members, and nonmembers stay connected. Read more...

January 2008 Table of Contents Features Lead Volunteers to Superstardom How Can We Attract More Members to Our Meetings? A Defining Moment for the Eastern Iowa Chapter "Thursdays @ STC Chicago" Provide a Unique Networking Opportunity Administration Board Report Posted U.S. Members: Deduct Your STC Dues Tell Us about Your Professional Accomplishments! Elections STC Election Closes April 14 Communities Nonprofit Postal Privileges for U.S. Chapters Begin Making Plans to Attend Leadership Day Submit Nominations for Intercom’s Community Spotlight Feature Conference Early Bird Rates Expire March 17 Events and Calendars Society Events 2008 at a Glance: Calendar for Community Leaders Religious Holidays and Events Planning: Some Thoughts for Communities Honors and Awards Recommend Candidates for 2009 Honorary Fellow STC Scholarship Applications Due February 15 Marian Norby Scholarship Applications Due February 15 PDF Version Leadership Links Chapter resources Chapter finances Tieline knowledge base LCR Web site

Month at a Glance

Mailings from the STC Office

• Speaker registration information for STC’s 2008 Technical Communication Summit will be e-mailed in mid-January.
• Remind members to look for STC’s 2008 Technical Communication Summit Preliminary Program, which will be mailed in February. The program will contain information on all education sessions—certificate sessions, Institutes, and technical sessions—as well as information on the expo, keynote speakers, lodging, and optional events.

Community Leaders’ Monthly Reminders

January

• If your chapter is participating in the Newsletter Competition and has already sent in the completed entry form and the first issue (due October 15, 2007), subsequent issues are due January 11, 2008.
• The first 2008 meeting of STC’s Board of Directors will be held on January 11–12, 2008, in Arlington, Virginia.
• The deadline for your chapter to send entries to the international technical publications, technical art, and online communication competitions is January 18, 2008.
• Be sure to distribute IRS 1099-MISC forms by January 31 to individuals (such as speakers) who were paid more than $600 in the previous fiscal year.
• Students must submit completed applications for STC scholarships offered in the 2008–09 academic year by February 15, 2008.
• Applicants must submit completed applications for the Marian Norby scholarship by February 15, 2008.
• Please remind your community membership to pay dues by February 28, 2008 to be eligible to vote in the STC election.
• The deadline for your chapter to send entries to STC’s Public Relations Competition is March 4, 2008.
• The deadline for your chapter to send entries to STC’s International Student Technical Communication Competition (ISTCC) is March 15, 2008.
• Activate your nominating committee. Elections should be held in time for the new officers to attend Leadership Day on June 1, 2008, immediately preceding STC’s 55th Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• The annual STC election will take place in March and April 2008. Ballots will be mailed in March.

Membership at a Glance

As of December 31, 2007:

Total members: 15,294

Members residing in the U.S.: 12,859

Members residing in Canada: 1,458

Members residing elsewhere: 977

Total communities*: 155

*Includes 104 professional chapters, 30 student chapters, and 21 SIGs.

Masthead

Editor
Cecily Walters

Tieline is published for STC leaders. The purpose of Tieline is to improve communication and serve as a link between STC communities, volunteer leaders, and the Society office. Distribution to other community leaders is encouraged. Reprints from Tieline are permitted if credit is given and a copy sent to the editor. Electronic copy is available at www.stc-cdx.org/tieline.

STC Office Staff

Executive Director
Susan Burton, CAE

Membership Manager
Lynn Anderson

Director of Information Services
Merrick I. Bechini

Meetings Manager
Elaine Gilliam, CMP

Marketing Manager
Erin Heinhold

Director of Communication and Marketing
Maurice P. Martin

Education Manager
Elreatha Matthews

Community Relations Manager
Evelyn McCamey

Membership Development Manager
Stacey O'Donnell

Publications Manager
Ed Rutkowski

Webmaster/Developer
Shafqatullah Syed

Director of Membership and Education
Lloyd Tucker

Associate Editor
Cecily Walters

Member Services Representative
Priscilla Weeks

Staff Accountant
Iyassu Yohannes

Society for Technical Communication
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Arlington, VA 22203-1822
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