Celebrating Our Successes at the 
Halfway Point

by Heidi Marr, President

After the long winter we've endured, it's difficult to believe it's already March. What this means in the STC world is we've passed the halfway point. September seems but a distant memory and our annual June BBQ is just around the corner. So, I'd like to take a minute to remind everyone of all that we've accomplished so far this STC year. 

Goals

We're meeting our goals. As you know, our chapter's council met for a strategic planning session in August. We have reviewed our goals and objectives a couple of times throughout the year, and I'm pleased to announce we're on track! In fact, we have met most of our goals, and have identified strategies for meeting many others before the end of the year. I would like to thank all portfolio managers, committee members, and other helpers for making this possible. We've put on a great show. 

Programming

Many of our goals deal with programming and I believe we have managed to host an excellent group of general meetings this year. Once Opal became Program Manager, she took our ideas and ran with them -- and we have had the opportunity to hear from a range of speakers on various worthy topics. Additionally, we have met at different venues, depending on the topic and event. This has served to "liven things up a bit" and we have received some excellent feedback on our general meetings. 

Telephone Seminars

The telephone seminars we host continue to be popular amongst our membership, and we are pleased to offer almost one per month free of charge to STC members. Personally, I've been happy to notice we do not attract the same faces to every meeting or telephone seminar. What this says to me is that we are reaching a wider audience, and more members are finding topics that are relevant to them. 

Workshops

For those of us who are not interested in attending general meetings, we were also pleased to offer not one but two workshops this year, thanks to our Education Manager's dedication. We have heard that local employers appreciate these workshops because they are such great value for the money, and attendees always walk away with new tips and tricks. 

Special Interest Groups

And, our "niche members" have also had the opportunity to become involved in two different Special Interest Groups this year. We have active SIGs for Contractors and Independent Consultants, as well as Managers in technical communication. Both groups meet regularly, outside general STC meetings. 

Communication

We've given ourselves a face lift. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, we have been able to update our website's skin, and offer a monthly electronic newsletter. And, our timely and informative email announcements remind our members about meetings, upcoming events, and so on. Even though I try to keep track of our activities, I still rely on these three media to remind me about where I'm supposed to be and when. Great effort in those portfolios!  

Thank You

I know I'm just scratching the surface on our achievements to date so I'd like to extend a huge thank you to not only the council members I've mentioned here, but anyone who has helped make this STC year possible. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- our chapter successes are all about our volunteer efforts. Thank you, and here's to a great Spring!