Abilene Writers Guild Meeting Minutes
Center for Contemporary Arts Building
October 25, 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.
Treasurer Gail McMillan reported we have a balance of $3,538.77 in our operating account.
Guests were introduced and "Brags and Sags" were reported by the membership.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We now have 91 members.
Lists were circulated for members to sign up for refreshments for 2002 and for what dish they will bring and how many will attend the Thanksgiving meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
Gail McMillan announced the November meeting will be November 15, 2001 at 6:00 P.M. at First Baptist Church dining room, that turkey, dressing, gravy, rolls, and cranberry sauce will be furnished and that members are asked to bring a dish from categories vegetable, salad, or dessert. If a member has more than one guest, the member should bring two dishes. Book display tables will be available, and members may sell books. Of those sold, a dollar for each book will be donated to the Guild.
Nancy Robinson Masters announced the November contest will be on the topic "Weather" and that two additional categories will be added on a one-time basis. The categories will be for writings, for art, and for photographs. They must be received by Nancy (not just postmarked) by the 10th in order for judging to be competed by the 15th.
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.
Jan Carrington asked for suggestions for the major spring contest and we discussed the number of lines for poetry submissions, dividing the inspiration and nostalgia into two categories, adding a humor category, and combining or eliminating some of the children's categories. Suggestions are to be made to Jan who will meet with her committee to finalize plans.
The judges for the "How to" contest were inmates at a pre-release facility working on their GEDs. The winners of the contest were First Place John Busby's "You're in the Soup," Second Place Maurice Mallow's "Keep a Color-Coded Calendar," and Third Place Yvonne Nunn's "How to Pop Wild Rice."
Stanley McGowan spoke about the challenges of writing when blind and inspired us all. He autographed copies of his book Horse Sweat and Powder Smoke : The First Texas Cavalry in the Civil War.
Meeting adjourned and refreshments were served by Gail McMillan, Jan Carrington, and Ginny Green.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara B. Rollins for Carolyn Dycus