Fox Tales:
What are the
Milestones on the Road to Philly?
By Susie Lynn Fox, 2007-2008 LSC President
If
you’ve been involved in any type of organization long enough, you
soon learn there are some familiar milestones that traditionally mark the
march through each calendar or fiscal year.
For me, the trip down the road is marked by the following STC milestones, leading step by step to the STC Annual Conference. These milestones seem like stand-alone events, but they’re actually interrelated stepping stones.
þStep One: Enjoying STC Membership Benefits All Year Long
Before or shortly after ringing in the happy new year, the first milestone on my calendar is to renew my STC membership. I’ve found that joining STC for the first time and renewing my membership each year is a personal commitment to be proactive about my career all year long.
STC membership has many benefits, as Lone Star Community (LSC) Membership Manager, Jeanne Foster, can tell you. One benefit is a cost savings for STC members who register for LSC monthly meetings. There is also a cost savings for STC members who register for the STC Annual Conference.
Making time to attend LSC meetings provides me with an opportunity to learn something new that can help me in my daily work life and that will keep me updated on the latest trends and technology. Attending LSC meetings and participating in volunteer activities also provide fun, friendly ways to meet others and to network with folks who share my passion for technical communication.
þStep Two: Learning from Others at the LSC Competitions Awards Banquet
As an STC member since 2003, I quickly learned that LSC kicks off the year with a big bang at the annual LSC Competitions Awards Banquet in January.
This year was no exception, drawing many talented folks from the greater LSC community and also highlighting top entries in a popular Parade of Stars presentation on January 10. I really enjoy hearing about top-winning projects straight from the winners’ mouths and having a chance to look at their entries, too.
I’d like to say a big thanks to Kathryn Poe who successfully made the cut as LSC Competitions Manager this year. She corralled a first-rate Competitions staff, herded a distinguished blue-ribbon panel of judges, and lassoed entries from talented professionals.
þStep Three: Planning and Budgeting for the STC Annual Conference
Now
is the time of the year that I start planning and budgeting
for the STC Annual Conference. STC’s 55th Annual Conference
and EXPO, titled the Technical
Communication Summit, is to be held June 1–4, 2008, in Philadelphia,
PA. Community and special interest group (SIG) leaders are also
invited to attend Leadership Day sessions on June 1, which I
found very helpful at last year’s conference.
STC members who register for the STC Annual Conference by the early-bird registration date of March 17, 2008, or by the advance registration date of May 23, 2008, will realize cost savings and can look forward to a wide variety of sessions. The hard part for me is choosing which sessions to attend, but that’s a good problem to have.
In the meantime, STC receives and judges the locally top-winning competition entries from around the world, including LSC’s top winners. At the STC Annual Conference, STC announces and displays international Best of Show winners.
Looking for Upcoming Milestones on the Horizon
After the STC Annual Conference in Philly this year, next year’s milestones will start appearing on the distant horizon. LSC will start planning for the upcoming 2008–2009 program year, the LSC Competitions Manager will start making plans for next year’s competitions, and plans will already be underway for the 2009 STC Annual Conference.
Catch a ride now to join in the fun and learning as we look down the road to Philly and beyond!