01/08/2025 DFW Writer’s Workshop
Officer Meeting Minutes
Officer’s meeting start: 6:11 pm
Vice President of Membership: Lauren Danhof
President: Sally Hamilton
Vice President of Events and Programs: Rebecca Seifert
Vice President of Digital Media: Lauren Lanza Osias
Vice President of Community Outreach: Jenny Martin
Secretary: Karoline Chapman
Board members present: John Bartell, A. Lee Martinez
Discussion Points:
Sally Hamilton (President):
- NationBuilder Admin Changes: Brooke is receiving emails and phone calls for every sign-up. Admin updates needed.
- Presentation on January 29th: Sally will give a presentation on how "Read and Critique" is conducted. Shared contents with officers for review.
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Room Rentals:
- Suggests switching to quarterly contract with Grapevine Convention Center.
- Cost for an additional room in Q1: $6,500 for two extra rooms, varying by availability.
- Negotiation attempts for cost reductions in the case of unused rooms were declined.
- Investment account can cover the added expense.
- Trial of extra rooms planned for Q1; evaluation based on membership needs.
- March 26 meeting will be held in the library.
Rebecca Seifert (VP of Events and Programs):
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Local Author Book Event:
- Discussed budget and itinerary.
- Proposed ordering branded cookies ($50/dozen) and bakery cookies from Costco to supplement.
- Stamps for $60.
- Plans to coordinate with Library Director for book displays.
- Costco cookies to be scouted by Karoline.
- Reviewing press release drafts, Harry Hall shared contacts for distribution.
- Author headshots and bios will be displayed during the event.
Lauren Danhof (VP of Membership):
- Membership Update: 187 members, up by 5 from last month.
- Room Setup: Smaller groups in additional rooms tonight.
- Volunteer Monitors: Encouraged earlier sign-ups.
- Late Sign-Up Policy: No sign-ups after 7:05 PM.
Lauren Lanza Osias (VP of Digital Media):
- Social Media: Increased views and followers.
- Upcoming Events: Will create events for new dates on the website.
- Website Revamp: Discussion on improvements.
BJ Sloan (Treasurer):
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Financial Report:
- Workshop Account: Over $33,000
- Conference Account: Over $45,000
- CD Account: Over $66,000
Officer Meeting Adjourned: 6:58 PM
Business Meeting Start: 7:18 PM
Treasurer’s Report:
- Total funds: Over $144,000
Announcements:
- Rebecca Seifert: Next Writer’s Block on February 1 at the library. Event will include readings and treats.
- Lauren Lanza Osias: Social media performance is strong. Members can share events via their account sidebar.
- Sally Hamilton: Presentation on rules planned for January 29. Temporary trial of extra room rentals this quarter. Encouraged more monitors and critique participants.
Elections:
- President and Treasurer ran uncontested.
- BJ Sloan was reinstated as Treasurer.
- Matthew Rollins for VP of Events, John Brown for Secretary, and Sally Hamilton for President were elected unanimously.
Membership Report (Lauren Danhof):
- Membership count: 187
- Late sign-up cut-off: 7:05 PM (except business meeting nights).
Community Outreach (Jenny Martin):
- Nothing new to report.
Regular Meeting Start: 7:27 PM
Visitors:
- Jim Koch: Writes fiction; met Sally at a writer’s event.
New Members:
- Brent: Writes fiction; attended last week.
Rejections:
- Ron Soule: Rejected by agent Michaela Whatnall.
- Mark Dye: Rejected by two agents.
- Claire: Rejected by Michaela Whatnall.
Submissions:
- John Bartell: Submitted two poems to journals; submitted "The Elevator Book" to an agent.
- Travis Hightower: Resubmitted his book.
- Ron Soule: Submitted a middle-grade manuscript to another agent.
Acceptances:
- John Bartell: Poem accepted for publication in March issue of a journal.
- David Jones: Won 1st place in the science fiction category of a Writer’s Digest contest (May/June issue).
Book Reviews:
- David Jones: Reviewed The Burning Tree by Helen Dent.
- Christopher Schleiker: Reviewed The Burning Tree and The Forgotten Son.
Additional Announcements:
- Jenny Martin: Hosting voice-writing workshops at Fort Worth Library.
- BJ Sloan: Taking payments for nametags.
- Harry Hall: Guesting on Road Dog Trucking Show this week.
Sally Hamilton:
- Meetings will be held weekly this month, except January 29 (library).
- Reminder to ensure accurate page counts.
Meeting Adjourned: 7:39 PM
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