Meeting Minutes
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Toronto
July 29, 1998
The regular business meeting of the NABE Communications
Section was called to order by Chair Joyce Hastings. Also present
were: Kim Rowden, Dennis Whalen, Janet Eveleth, Jennifer Schizas,
Anne Charles, Jennifer Davis, Nancy Hebble, Vicki Bigham, Betty
Braden, Eddie Wollenburg, Carol Ann Cunningham, Chuck Corldran,
Brad Carr, Roseanne Lucianek, Marcia Kladder, Gary Toohey, Ann Scarle,
Marguerite Allen, Tamra Powell, Sharon Koubek, Joanne O'Reilly,
Cheryl Bruce, Elizabeth Derrico, Irene Canales, Mabel McKinney-Browning,
Sarina Butler, Susan J. Ferrer, Roger Parris, Judy Berrett, Ginger
Banks and Carol Manning.
Committee Reports
Program Committee. Co-chair Ginger Banks
provided a summary of programs planned for the Toronto meeting.
These included a repeat of the "60 Tips in 60 Minutes" program
originally presented at the 1998 NABE Midyear Meeting in Nashville,
plus "Us vs. Them - When the Bar is Under Attack," "Turning Ugly
Ducklings Into Swans" Marketing Mixes & Mixups," and "Small
Bar Marketing: Tools, Tips & Tricks." She noted that the Section,
in conjunction with the NABE LRE Forum and Public Service Activities
Committee, had also planned an all-day seminar on "Public Image,
Public Service, and Public Education in the 21st Century." However,
that session was cancelled due to low registration numbers. She
added that this program may be resurrected and presented at a
future NABE meeting. She also said that the Section's Program
Committee would appreciate any ideas members may have regarding
future programming.
On a related issue, Gary Toohey reported that
the Section had belatedly scheduled a "Root Beer 'n Bull" session
for Thursday afternoon, July 30, and urged Section members to
attend.
Luminary Awards Committee. Section Chair
Joyce Hastings described the changes made to the Luminary Awards
competition, including the addition of a web site category and
a restructuring of the "size of bar" categories. In addition,
she reported, entry forms will now offer the opportunity for a
team application.
Marketing Committee. Committee chair
Betty Braden outlined the objectives of this new committee, which
include: becoming involved in staging educational programming
(including two marketing programs on the Toronto agenda); continuing
to develop educational programming for future meetings; and developing
a new publication on marketing. That publication, Marketing
Commandments for Bar Communicators, will be distributed to
all registrants at the Section workshop in September, and sent
by mail to all other Section members.
New Member Outreach Committee. Committee
chair Carol Manning began by encouraging Section members to contact
her if there is anything she can do to welcome new Section members.
She reported that the committee is concentrating its efforts on
activities to make first-time attendees feel welcome at the Section
workshop in New Orleans. In addition, she suggested that having
Section members get together for dinner at the beginning of each
midyear and annual meeting as a way of fostering camaraderie.
She added that the committee is also seeking veteran members of
the Section to serve as mentors for newcomers.
Newsletter Committee. Gary Toohey, co-chair
of the committee, reported that the first issue of the new Section
newsletter, Communicators Talk, has been disseminated,
and that the second issue is now in production. He encouraged
Section members to contact him, or any other member of the committee,
with article ideas.
Nominating Committee. Committee chair
Cheryl Bruce reported that the committee proposed the following
slate of candidates: Jennifer Davis, chair; Gary Toohey, vice-chair;
Ginger Banks, secretary; Chris Cendagorta, treasurer; and Susan
Andres, Jennifer Schizas, and Roger Parris as council members.
In addition, she said that a vacancy on the Section council due
to the resignation of Beth Bailey would be filled by Paul Nickell.
The slate of candidates was elected by voice vote.
Publications Counseling Committee. Committee
chair Nancy Hebble summarized the work of this committee, which
conducts reviews of publications submitted by state and local
bar associations across the country. She reiterated that the committee
welcomes inquiries from bar communicators interested in receiving
a peer evaluation of their publications.
Research Committee. Section chair Joyce
Hastings reported on a Section membership survey conducted last
fall under the guidance of Becky Weiner, who has since left bar
employment.
Richter Award Committee. Committee chair
Janet Eveleth reported that the recipient of this year's E. A.
"Wally" Richter Communications Leadership Award would be announced
and recognized at the Section workshop in New Orleans in September.
Scholarship Committee. Joyce Hastings
reported that the Section would be awarding two $500 scholarships
to eligible persons wishing to attend the Section workshop.
Scottsdale Revisited Committee. Dennis
Whalen provided those in attendance with a brief history of the
development of the communications plans informally known as Scottsdale
I and Scottsdale II, drafted in 1978 and 1988, respectively. He
announced that the subject would be revisited during a session
at the Section workshop in New Orleans, with the goal of developing
a revised and updated communications plan on the 20th anniversary
of the original effort.
Web Site Committee. Joyce Hastings pointed
out that Section has a "page" under NABE's web site. She said
that Section members will be asked to contribute items such as
sample policies in use within their own bar organizations in order
to build an online resource library. She added that bar "webmasters"
now have their own List Serve.
1998 Section Workshop Committee. Committee
co-chair Ann Scarle reported on plans for the workshop, which
will include wide-ranging educational programming and a variety
of social events designed to give registrants a feel for New Orleans,
its cuisine and its culture.
1999 Section Workshop. Joyce Hastings
told Section members that the costs associated with staging a
workshop in Washington, D.C. - the original site selected for
the 1999 workshop - are prohibitive. Based on the results of a
fax survey of the Section council, the council has instead voted
to hold this gathering in San Antonio, Texas. The event will take
place at the Menger Hotel, located across the street from the
Alamo and adjacent to San Antonio's famed Riverwalk, October 20-23,
1999.
Communications Audit Service. Ginger
Banks provided Section members with a brief overview of this service,
which allows bar communicators to bring in a 2-3 person team of
their colleagues from other bar organizations to objectively evaluate
their overall communications efforts.
Treasurer's Report
Gary Toohey provided those in attendance with a short
summary of the Section's 1997-1998 fiscal year, which concluded
May 31, 1998. Joyce Hastings added that the 1998-1999 fiscal year
budget is balanced, but said there may be a need for a Section dues
increase in the future. She reported that a dues increase may be
discussed at the next Section business meeting, to be held in conjunction
with the Section workshop in New Orleans.
Other Business
Joyce Hastings reported that the Section council
had given its preliminary support to the concept of cooperating
with the ABA's Division for Bar Services in updating a 1991 survey
of bar publications. Elizabeth Derrico, associate director for bar
management and information with the Division for Bar Services, said
the survey instrument would be jointly designed with the Communications
Section.
Sarina Butler, associate executive director of the
ABA's Communications Group, announced the ABA's communications priorities
for the coming year. They include: access to justice; diversity
within the legal profession; and increased public education as to
the importance of an independent judiciary. She announced that symposiums
addressing the importance of the judicial system and its organizational
structure are scheduled for November and February. Input from both
sessions will be a major component of a May, 1999 conference of
all 50 state chief justices to be co-sponsored by the National Center
for State Courts.
Roseanne Lucianek, director of the ABA Division
for Bar Services, reported that bar associations around the country
will soon be receiving a mailing from the National Association of
Bar-Related Title Insurers offering that organization's assistance
in conducting public relations activities for a fee.
Mabel McKinney-Browning, director of the ABA's Division
for Public Education, announced that the annual Law Day survey would
soon be in the mail in an effort to determine if ABA services in
this area are meeting the needs of state and local bar organizations.
There being no further business, the meeting was
adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Gary P. Toohey
Acting Secretary
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