Abilene Writers Guild Meeting Minutes
Center for Contemporary Arts Building
September 28, 2001
President Stewart Caffey called the meeting to order. The minutes are now posted on the AWG web site, so reading them is waived, and the minutes are accepted by acclamation as printed. Members may examine a hard copy of the minutes, which was available at the meeting.
Treasurer Gail McMillan was not available to give the treasurer's report.
Guests were introduced and "Brags and Sags" were reported by the membership.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Annual community project is the Hospice of Abilene Christmas Tree. AWG is responsible to work at this Mall of Abilene location Saturday, December 8. A sign-up sheet was passed to all the membership.
The Historical Marker Conference in Abilene will be October 6, at 11:00 a.m. at the Masonic Cemetery with a lunch following. Stewart also announced he is writing Texas Rangers biographical sketches for the two men being honored and one summary sketch for the Texas Rangers organization in connection with this event.
NEW BUSINESS:
Ginny Greene reported two AWG members with serious health concerns: 1. Belinda Stewart has been seriously ill and is taking experimental medication to hopefully remedy her problem. 2, Jan Carrington is in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her 3-month-old grandbaby who is having serious health problems
Betty Thomason announced that Charlsie Poe is at Regency House in San Angelo following a fall. She hopes it will be temporary and that Charlsie can be back at home soon.
Nancy Robinson Masters introduced a motion for the AWG to purchase an easel with a flip chart to be used for our monthly meetings. Carolyn Dycus seconded the motion and the motion passed. Stewart asked Nancy to make that purchase.
The annual Thanksgiving AWG meeting will be the usual Thanksgiving Dinner. All are invited to participate with their families on November 15th at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, South 2nd entrance at 6:30 p.m. There will be no charge, but donations for the turkey and dressing will be accepted and each member will bring either a vegetable dish or a dessert.
Our speaker for the evening was Melinda Brister who showed Usborne Books and told some of the criteria that makes children's books sell. After Melinda's presentation, Nancy gave a member participation program using the submissions for this month's contest featuring cemeteries. Everyone enjoyed matching the judge's critiques with the authors' works. Nancy then announced third place tie to Nell Sims, with "Cemetery Lesson," and David Hughes of Fort Worth, second place was awarded to Stewart Caffey, "Grave Digger," and first place was claimed by Augustine Tennant, "Rest in Peace If You Dare!"
The October theme for members contest is "how to."
Next month's program will be Stanley McGowan speaking on his work—a history of the
Civil War—and his experiences accomplishing this after an accident left him blind.
Meeting adjourned and refreshments were served by Sue Turner [Barbara Rollins], Nancy Masters, and Gwen Choate.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Dycus