The most consistent complaint about last year’s Fall Conference was the lack of free time to digest all that had been learned, to rest and relax, and to – you know – network. I heard the word “overprogrammed” several times.
This year, we’ve built more free time into the schedule: a “Happy Hour” Saturday evening before the banquet, and frequent breaks between sessions and activities. You can use this time to take a nap, freshen up, watch some college football, or – best of all – get to know your fellow writers.
I would also like to issue a call to our members with the means to help their fellow members. With the economy in a shambles, donations – inevitably – have declined. The Strowd Roses foundation gave us a grant to offer scholarships to teachers in the Triangle, and we greatly appreciate it, but we are committed to offering more scholarships to more worthy writers, especially those who are members of the Network.
If you register online, you will notice a field in which you can choose to add a donation of any amount to your Fall Conference “bill.” Please give whatever you can. We don’t need a few people to give a lot of money (though we certainly won’t mind if they do); we need a lot of people to give a little money. If 35 of you give $10 each, that provides a full scholarship and one night’s stay at the Hilton to one of your fellow Network members. A little bit can go a long way, if enough of you value what the Network provides.
– Ed