Volunteering with the Rochester Chapter of STC

Have you ever wondered why people volunteer? Why do people give of themselves when there are so many other things to do with their lives?

Personally, I believe it’s something in the water or maybe in the air – especially in Rochester, New York. Rochester is a great volunteer town! It seems like everyone you talk with is involved in something that puts demands on them beyond their 8 to 5 schedule and they seem to love talking about their experiences. They willingly give up their personal time so that they can spend an evening or the occasional Saturday or Sunday being with other like-minded people. But if it’s not in the water or air it must be something that they inherited from their parents or possibly contracted from their children. You know what I mean, all those nights and weekends helping with homework and school projects – that must have something to do with it.

So what do they get from this volunteering?

Well I can assure you it’s not anything monetary. Most volunteer jobs even seem to cost a bit; you understand – for the person to get there – with the price of fuel or at least the cup of $4 coffee while participating in the meeting. And in many volunteer organizations there is always a need for a PC or MAC so you can communicate with others, so there is that cost and of course the price on the Internet provider, that could be a small fortune. So volunteering is not a moneymaking deal, quite the opposite when you come down to it.

So why do so many people volunteer?

I believe it’s personal! It’s a lot like breathing and drinking water – you really need to do it to stay alive. Not alive in the physical sense but more of a personal pride and personal value sense of being. It gives you that feeling that you have made a difference. Like watching your children grow and succeed because you helped nurture their growth. Plus I think it’s a very selfish thing, it makes them feel good about themselves. And while they are feeling good they don’t think about the cost, they do however reflect on the value that their personal contribution has added to the good of the project they supported.

So have you volunteered lately?

If not, the Rochester Chapter of STC is a ‘great’ organization made up of very talented people who have so much to share. Your skills and experience can add so much to the chapter that it is hard to imagine not having you as part of the team. Volunteering with STC will add value to the Chapter and give you a sense of accomplishment for something you personally believe in and it would not have gotten done without your help. Plus, if you’re not careful, you may make some new friends and learn something along the way. Because when you’re involved you add value and make a significant difference.
—Joseph Uhal is the President of the Rochester Chapter.

“I Link, Therefore I Am”
The Nuts & Bolts of Blogs and Social Media

Yvonne DiVita & Tom Collins
February 21, 2007
5:30 – 8:00 pm

Holiday Inn Rochester Airport
911 Brooks Avenue
Rochester, NY 14624

Many people know what a blog is (or think they do) and many have
visited blogs (often without realizing it), but many still wonder what
a blog could do for them or their business. And most wonder how they
should go about it, if they’re considering blogging.

To help answer questions like these, Yvonne and Tom will show examples
from their own experience and others across the blogosphere. And –
internet connection willing – they’ll “blog the event” live on their
own blog to demonstrate some of the tools, understandings, and skills
needed.

Yvonne DiVita is the founder and president of Windsor Media
Enterprises, LLC, a local company with its main divisions engaged in
book publishing and blog consulting. After publishing her
ground-breaking book, Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women
Online, she began blogging early in 2004. Her main blog, Lip-Sticking
(www.lipsticking.com), has helped establish her as an internationally
known thinker and speaker on topics related to online marketing to
women. She writes and helps others write dozens of blogs. In short,
she connects people.

Tom Collins is a recovering attorney and VP Production at Windsor
Media Enterprises, LLC. He began blogging in 2003, as a course
requirement in the Masters in Informatics program at SUNY Buffalo. His
first professional blog, Knowledge Aforethought: Thinking about how
legal knowledge workers collect, and then connect, the dots, won him a
chance to publish a book review in two London-based magazines aimed at
law firms and knowledge management professionals in 2004. He designs
books and blogs for a wide array of authors and businesses and writes
in A-ha! (www.ahablog.com) and WMEBlogs (www.wmeblogs.com).

Please join us for their presentation.

Agenda
5:30 – 6:30 Welcome, Introductions, Announcements, and Dinner (Chicken
French w/ Artichokes)
6:30 – 7:30 Presentation by Yvonne DiVita and Tom Collins
7:30 – 8:00 Wrap up, Finish Food

Reservations are required for food planning. To attend, please notify
Agapi Theodorou, STC Program Chair at atheo10@gmail.com or (585)
330-2587 no later than Friday, February 16. Cost: Members $10,
Nonmembers $15, Program Only $3.
——-

Mark your calendars for spectrum 2007 on Friday, March 23rd!

Each year the Rochester Chapter of STC hosts the spectrum conference, the premier event of our chapter’s program year. This year marks the 48th annual education conference and is guaranteed to capture your interest!

This year’s program will kick-off with keynote speaker Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-Fed Writer. Throughout the day, 16 presentations and workshops, concentrated on Emerging Technology, Professional Development, Personal Development, and Skills and Tools, will provide education for all your interests. Plus, share your expertise, opinions, and experience at the Idea Mart. Also on the agenda are the Tech Pubs Competition awards and vendor demonstrations.

spectrum brings together professionals from all areas of technical communication and welcomes you to this year’s conference. Register today!

NOTE: A registration form is available on the chapter web site. The web site will also be updated continually with information about spectrum 2007, so please be sure to check back often.

We’re looking for Nominations Committee Members for 2007 – 08.

Do you know many of your fellow STC Rochester Chapter members? Maybe you don’t, but you would like to meet and network with more members. Either way, a position on the Nominations Committee of the Chapter Administrative Council may be just the ticket for you.

The Nominations Committee has two elected members-at-large. Because there are two members, the responsibilities are shared. The major responsibility of the Committee is to solicit candidates for Council leadership positions, with help from the Administrative Council and immediate Past President. Additional responsibilities include:

•Attending monthly meetings of the Administrative Council
•Maintaining job descriptions for Council positions
•Working with the List Manager to prepare the ballot and announce the results

If you are interested in running for election to the Nominations Committee, or would like more information, contact one of the current Committee members:

Betsy Christiansen
betsychristiansen@gmail.com

or

Estelle Holloway
stell0509@yahoo.com

Your Chapter Needs You!

This is one of a series of articles on opportunities for serving your local STC community, the Rochester Chapter. The articles written by the Nominations Committee are intended to give you an idea of what the elected Council members and volunteer committee managers of our chapter do, and to introduce you to the people who currently hold those positions.

Program Manager, 2007 – 2008
We are looking for someone to lead the Program Committee. The Program Committee works together to develop educational programs and events which stimulate the exchange of information, provide opportunities to stay up-to-date on current trends in technical communication, and are a great way to network.

Recent programs include: “Book Publishing” by the president and founder of an online author services business, “Options for RoboHelp Users: The Future of Help and Doc-To-Help’s One-Click Project Converter”, “From Fortran to E-Learning—a History” by the father of CBT, and “What is this thing called ‘Flash’? Do I need to learn it?” For announcements of up-coming events, visit http://www.stcrochester.org.

We extend a big thanks to Agapi Theodorou, the outgoing Program Manager for making such fine programs possible.

The Rochester Chapter has a wealth of talent and experience. We may be calling on you to volunteer!

Betsy Christiansen
Estelle Holloway

Your Chapter Needs You!

Have you ever thought about volunteering for the STC Rochester Chapter Advisory Council? The Council meets monthly from September to May to conduct chapter business. Elected Council members include the President, Vice-President (spectrum Chair), Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Program Manager, Membership Manager, two Nominations Committee Members, and the Education Manager. Appointed Council members include the Employment Manager, Historian, List Manager, Newsletter Editor, Public Relations Manager, Technical Publications Competition Manager, and the Web Manager.

So, you’re thinking you would like to volunteer, but perhaps you are worried about the time commitment. In addition to the monthly meetings, each Council member spends time on the duties associated with their position. The amount of time varies with the position*. If you feel you cannot commit to a Council member position, how about co-managing a committee with a colleague, or working on a committee like spectrum or Programs?

In future issues of the Proof Sheet, we will describe the Administrative Council positions as they open up for 2007 – 2008.

If you do decide to volunteer, you will:
•Learn many things that you didn’t know about our organization
•Receive personal satisfaction from helping the chapter
•Get an opportunity to meet new people and connect with others you have enjoyed working with in the past
•Get to use your creativity to solve problems and come up with new ideas for the chapter

We know the Rochester Chapter has a wealth of talent and experience. We may be calling you to volunteer!

In future issues of the Proof Sheet, we will describe the Administrative Council positions as they open up for 2007 – 2008. As of January, Membership, Nominations, and Programs are open. The Nominations Committee has descriptions available for each Council position. If you would like more information about one of these, please contact us:

Betsy Christiansen
betsychristiansen@gmail.com

Estelle Holloway
stell0509@yahoo.com

Attached are the results of the Technical Publications Competition.

Congratulations to all those who won awards this year!

Jan Peartree
Technical Publications Competition Manager

Who: Dr. Charles F. Christiansen What: “Serenity in Spite of Stress” When: Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Where: Holiday Inn Rochester Airport 911 Brooks Avenue, Rochester, NY 14624

Today’s fast-paced lifestyle can take a toll on your health and sense of well-being. Learn how to
give yourself a “time out” through the use of coping strategies developed at Harvard Medical
School. A variety of techniques will be discussed to cope with fatigue, anxiety and stress.

Recent books are helping to define an emerging consciousness and consensus about the current
focus on wellness. Dr. Charles F. Christiansen, a successful pastoral counselor for many years in Rochester, New York, has made this his area of concentration. He is now leading workshops, classes and seminars to help people discover:

• The Relaxation Response
• Cognitive Restructuring
• Stages of Spiritual Growth

Dr. Christiansen’s years of pastoral experience have been enriched by clinical training in
Behavioral Medicine at the Mind/Body Institute at Harvard Medical School. He has degrees
from Syracuse University and Drew University.

Agenda

5.30 – 6.30 Welcome, Introductions, Announcements, and Buffet
6.30 – 7.30 Presentation by Dr. Charles Christiansen
7.30 – 8.00 Wrap up, Finish Food

Reservations are required for food planning. To attend, please notify Agapi Theodorou, STC
Program Chair at atheo10@gmail.com or (585) 330-2587 no later than Friday, October 13 2006
at 12.00pm. Cost: Members $15, Non-Members $20, Program only $3.

See you there!

Amy Castronova, President of Novatek Communications, Inc. and 2006-2007 STC-Rochester Chapter Vice President, at Spectrum 2006.

Amy was recently selected as a recipient of Rochester’s Up and Coming Businesswomen’s Award for her professional and career leadership potential. The award, presented by the Rochester Women’s Network, recognizes women that have worked full-time in their current career field for fewer than 10 years and successfully demonstrated their professional influence in that field through numerous accomplishments, career growth and advancement, innovative and creative thinking, and initiative at work and in the community.

Amy will be honored at the RWN’s 11th Annual Business Conference on November 3rd, 2006 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

President Joseph Uhal at the first 2006-2007 Rochester Chapter Administrative Council meeting at Nazareth College on September 25, 2006.

When the minutes are approved, they will be made available to chapter members. In the meantime, a few personal notes…

• Elaine Montambeau from STC Central NY Chapter joined us on the phone to discuss future cooperation between our chapters. We agreed to exchange web site links and event announcements as a first step, and continue discussions about other possible areas where collaboration could be beneficial to both chapters.


• We began the annual budged process with a request from Treasurer Louise Remington for a detailed breakdown of expenses from last season. Chapter officers and committee managers will provide this information and the discussion will continue at the next council meeting.


• The Proof Sheet is now being published as a blog at www.proof-sheet.org. The blog format has several advantages:
  
  • Articles can be published more quickly after submission.
  
  
  • All articles and columns are stored in a searchable content management system which can be searched by date, title, author, keyword, or category.
  
  
  • Readers can easily comment on specific articles as well as provide feedback on the newsletter itself.
  
  
  • Authors of regular columns can publish their own material. (Want a bylined clip for your portfolio? This is a great way to start!)



• Joe plans to form a Past Presidents committee to discuss bylaws revision, strategic planning, and coordination of our efforts to compete for the Society’s Distinguished Chapter Award.

Next Council Meeting: October 23

STC-Rochester Administrative Council meetings are held on the 4th Monday of the month. All members are invited to attend.

Nazareth College
Golisano Academic Center, Room 463
Phone: Conference call
Toll free: 1-877-922-9520
Pass code: 309338#