Europe river cruise

Should have submitted by June 15, board vote June 30, notify July 10.

Board of Directors Meeting
Military Writers Society of America

Minutes
Wednesday, June 5, 2024 @ 12:00 PM EST

The Military Writers Society of America Board of Directors convened on June 5, 12:02 pm EST via Zoom with the following members in attendance: President Valerie Ormond, Past President Bob Doerr, Treasurer Hugh Simpson, Secretary Ruth W. Crocker, Founder Rev. Bill McDonald, Directors-at-Large, John Cathcart, Kathleen Rodgers, Jim Tritten, and Dane Zeller. The board reviewed minutes from the previous March meeting, with the only change being the approval of the Writer of the Year award for a board member or officer by exception. Valerie Ormond and Hugh Simpson led the motion to approve the previous meeting minutes.

Treasurer's Report

Hugh Simpson presented the treasurer's report. The treasurer's report was reviewed and approved by the board of directors. The Operations Account, had a balance of $40,451.84, Awards Account $8,687.11, and Program Account $13,000.46.

Conference Updates

Bob Doerr provided a conference update and discussed the need to reach 20 attendees for a special Midway tour. The group also deliberated on conference payments and the possibility of a Friday lunch to ensure they spend the required $12,000 at the hotel to avoid additional costs. 

Scholarship Discussion

The board voted to cancel the scholarship in the future, which was deemed to require too much volunteer time with little payoff. Valerie Ormond thanked Rob Lofthouse for his work on the program and said he had some ideas for a scholarship program to benefit MWSA members that he might introduce when he joins the board.

MWSA Elections, Board Positions, and Updates

The MWSA discussed upcoming elections, confirming that all positions on the board were filled, with Annette Langlois Grunseth and Rob Lofthouse agreeing to run, if elected.

Bob Doerr said he would follow up with Jim Tritten to see if he would agree to the role of secretary. Jim was traveling in an area with poor communication but was able to confirm that he would run for secretary. Valerie also asked Bob Doerr to remain on the board as the past president, as Jim Greenwald would not be involved. Bob agreed.

Writer's Education and Dispatches

Valerie Ormond outlined the schedule for the next writer's education series and said she would provide a reminder to members on Monday. Dane Zeller reported on the progress of Dispatches and welcomed new editorial team member Miranda Armstadt. Valerie suggested to introduce a member spotlight feature in future issues, and she volunteered to start with Annette Grunseth. They also addressed the submission process for the 'Dispatches' with Valerie Ormond ensuring that members knew how to submit via email. Following the meeting, Valerie was tasked with conducting a test to verify whether an automatic submission went to the correct email address.

MWSA Awards Program

John Cathcart discussed the Awards Program which was closed as of June 1st with a total of 102 books submitted this year, of which 25% were reviewed by the top three reviewers. 

Write Your Story (WYS) San Diego

The board discussed the logistics planning for an upcoming WYS event in San Diego. Dane has a clear vision for the event and a tentative agenda. Valerie Ormond offered to take over logistical responsibilities such as securing a location and providing publicity to allow Dane to focus on Dispatches. She will ask Jack London and Bob Doerr to assist.

MWSA Budget Approval and Membership Review

The MWSA discussed and approved the 2024 budget, with John Cathcart leading the detailed presentation of the new spreadsheet. The board agreed to an overspend on the conference due to current income, and planned to balance future conference costs with member fees. The high audio-visual expenses were noted to come from operating funds in this year, but should ideally be from conference planning in the future. Membership numbers and trends were positively reviewed by Valerie, who suggested discussing membership at every board meeting.

Bylaws Review

The bylaws review is still ongoing, which included administrative changes made by John and Valerie. Valerie will review again to see if any changes are beyond administrative, and if they are not, will send them out for board review and approval. It was agreed that the bylaws will undergo a legal review in 2025 when MWSA can budget for that expense.

Valerie Ormond adjourned the meeting at 1:10 pm. Next meeting in San Diego on Thursday, September 26 at 4:30pm Pacific Time.

Board of Directors Meeting Agenda

Military Writers Society of America

Wed., June 5, 2024 – 12:00 PM EST

Zoom link: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2245629439?pwd=Sk92UXVZNzBpK1Z3NWd1TWtPcUM3UT09&omn=89524552479

1. Call to Order Valerie Ormond

2. Roll Call Ruth Crocker

3. Minutes from the March Meeting Ruth Crocker

4. Treasurer’s Report Hugh Simpson

5. New Business

1. Conference Update Bob Doerr

2. Scholarship Discussion Valerie Ormond

3. Upcoming Elections Bob Doerr

4. Next Writer’s Education Series Jim Tritten

5. Dispatches Update Dane Zeller

6. Awards Status John Cathcart

7. Write Your Story San Diego Planning Dane Zeller

8. 2024 Budget Discussion and Vote Hugh Simpson and Finance Committee

6. Old Business

1. Membership John Cathcart

2. Bylaws Review Valerie Ormond/John Cathcart

3. Miscellaneous Directors

7. Adjourn Valerie Ormond

Next Meeting: Thurs., Sep. 26, 2024, 4:00 PM PST (1 PM EST) in the Harborside Room, Wyndham San Diego Bayside – Zoom Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2245629439?pwd=Sk92UXVZNzBpK1Z3NWd1TWtPcUM3UT09&omn=85830703987

Minutes

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 @ 12:00 PM EST

1. The meeting was called to order at 12:04 PM EST via ZOOM by Secretary Ruth W. Crocker. Present were: President Jim Greenwald;Valerie Ormond, Vice President; Past President, Bob Doerr; Treasurer, Hugh Simpson; Founder, Rev. Bill McDonald; Directors-at-Large, John Cathcart, Kathleen Rodgers, Jim Tritten; WYS and Communications Director, Dane Zeller.

2. Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

3. Treasurers report was discussed and approved.

4. Budget discussion led by Hugh Simpson was tabled until a later date.

5. Reimbursement Discussion

a. Policy regarding reimbursement for lodging at annual meeting for board members and those involved with the WYS conference was discussed. A proposal was set forth to suspend the Reimbursement Policy for Board of Directors for one year to help MWSA with currently projected deficit.

6. Removal of restriction on Writer of the Year Award was discussed. Concerns about the appearance of impropriety if Board Members receive this award were discussed. These concerns will continue to be reviewed, including historical data, but, for now, it was decided to exclude board members from this award.

7. Update to Bylaws. Bylaws are still in the process of review and all of the information unearthed so far will be consolidated and prepared for a vote at a later date by Valerie.

8. Dane Zeller and Valerie Ormond reported on the status of Dispatches. Gary Zelinski resigned from his role as Editor of Dispatches and this job has been taken on by Dane Zeller. Dane reported that all the articles for the upcoming issue are in and being prepared for Andrea to layout. There was a discussion of the mechanics of organizing the submissions to Dispatches and the ownership of the dropbox account used as the respository for articles. Dane said that he will be ready for larger discussions of his role as Communications Chair after the current issue of Dispatches has been released.

9. Write Your Story Discussion. Presently, there is no venue for WYS workshop at the next annual conference. Members of the Board offered to assist Dane in finding the right location.

10. Jim Tritten reported that the Writers Education Series on screenwriting has been successful and the facilitator of that program will be submitting an invoice for $400 after the final session in August. Jim will be following up on tracking attendance via UTube and will include links to the session in our Eblasts.

11. Communications Chair has been filled by Dane Zeller.

12. Scolarship update. Valerie reported that the winner happened to be a person that she sponsored. The check and certificate will be sent to the winner and his mother will take a photo of him receiving the scholarship. A further discussion of the scholarship status will be on the agenda for the board meeting in June.

12. Book Awards update. Reviews are presently a bit behind where they should be at this point. John Cathcart reminded board members that this year we did “normal” and “provisional” submissions. With a “normal” submission a review is guaranteed, that is, if it is not completed for 2024, the fee is reimbursed. John said that more reviewers are always needed. The Post Office has also been delayed in getting copies of books to the reviewers and it is preferable to send the Ebook version.

13. John Cathcart also gave a brief report on a new process that checks on the status of members by converting dues paying members to associate status if they appear to be non-reponsive. After that, if no dues have been paid and there is no signs of response, the individual will be completely removed from the rolls. It is hoped that this urges the member to check in and inform us that they are still among the living.

14. Election of officers is coming up at the next annual meeting. Bob Doerr urges everyone to get the word out to those who might like to serve. Candidates need to be identified by August 13, 2024.

15. Conference update. The agenda is set except for a couple of slots. Regarding the Midway tour, it will be limited to 20 participants. The hotel room block is for 30 rooms for our conference dates and that block has an expiration date. The hotel will honor the rate for three days prior to tand after the conference dates if they have a room on those dates only.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:20 PM EST. Next meeting, June 5, 2024 at 12:00 Noon EST.

Board of Directors Meeting

Military Writers Society of America

March 6, 2024 @ 12:00 PM EST

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2245629439?pwd=Sk92UXVZNzBpK1Z3NWd1TWtPcUM3UT09&omn=88278738513

  Agenda                                                                                            

1.      Roll Call                                                                                                     Ruth Crocker

2.      Minutes from the last Meeting                                                             Ruth Crocker

3.      Treasurers Report                                                                                   Hugh Simpson

4.      Business before the Board for this meeting:

5.      2024 Budget Discussion and Vote                                                   Hugh Simpson

6.      Reimbursement Discussion
a) A proposal to suspend the Reimbursement Policy for Board

of Directors’ reimbursement for Board Meeting attendance

for one year to help MWSA with a currently projected

deficit.                                                                                                 jim greenwald

7.      Removal of a restriction on an award                                                  jim greenwald
“MWSA Officers and Members of the Board of Directors
currently serving cannot be considered for Writer of the Year.”
I believe it is time to stop penalizing the folks that step forward
to do all the heavy lifting required to run this organization.

8.      Update to our Bylaws [changes require up or down vote]              jim greenwald

9.      Dispatches [where we stand]                                                                Valerie Ormond
                                                                                                                    Dane Zeller     
* A special thanks to Dane for stepping up to handle these                                                                                                                           
   extra duties.

10.  Dispatches Discussion                                                                            Dane Zeller

11.  Write Your Story Discussion                                                                  Dane Zeller                                                                                     

12.  Writers Education Series After Action Report and 2024 Plan         Jim Tritten

13.  Communications Chair has been filled by Dane Zeller                     Dane Zeller 

14.  Scholarship Update                                                                                 Valerie Ormond

15.  Awards Update                                                                                        John Cathcart

16.  Upcoming Elections                                                                                Bob Doerr         

17.  Conference Status  [see note below]                                                   jim g/Bob                                                        

     Notes:

    Item #6 – Changes to the bylaws which you all have received are basically wording
                      changes, but still require a vote.

   Item #15 – The agenda except for a couple of slots to fill on a couple of panels is set.

                       The hotel room block is for 30 rooms for our conference dates, that block
                       has an expiration date. The hotel will honor the rate for three days prior to
                       and after the conference dates if they have a room on those dates only.

                  A few members have signed up for the conference. Only two for
                  a tour of the Midway. We need twenty total. So that remains an
                  unknown until the end of June.  

 Readahead Reports

Budget

MWSA Treasury Report Feb-24

Acct: 24-Jan 24-Feb 1 Yr Member 2 Yr Member 3 Yr Member

Program 5,757.21 5,757.21 196 55 101

Awards 8,602.79 9,332.21

Operations 39,885.84 41,540.52

Total $54,245.84 $56,629.94

Notes:

148.90 Interest Paid on Money Market Acct.

Attached 2024 Budget

Excel Budget

Dispatches Report

• All articles are edited.

• General layout planned.

• D-team formed.

• E-team formed. Editing process established.

• Final call for MWSA news and ads – due March 15.

• Need information for MWSA drop-box – ID and Password

• Discuss communications committee.

Awards

• Normal vs. Provisional Submissions

• Backlog will start clearing soon

• Slower pickup than last year

Membership

Agenda for MWSA Special Meeting of the Board

Date: Jan 9, 2024

Time: 4:00 pm EST

Zoom Link

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2245629439pwd=Sk92UXVZNzBpK1Z3NWd1TWtPcUM3UT09&omn=89260960609

Invitees: President jim greenwald, Vice President Valerie Ormond, Secretary Ruth Crocker, Treasurer Hugh Simpson, Communications Committee Chair Gary Zelinski, At-Large Board Member and Awards Director John Cathcart, At-Large Board Member and Write Your Story Chair Dane Zeller; other board members welcome

4:00 Call to order, attendance, and purpose of meeting - discuss issues raised by Communications Committee Chair, Gary Zelinski via email of Jan. 6, 2024

4:05 Ormond and Zeller: Write Your Story – purpose, budget, proposals for adjustments

4:15 greenwald: Conference - costs, budget, reimbursements, and what do we get out of it

4:30 Ormond: Scholarship – current state and future vote 

4:35 Zelinski: Dispatches – current state, options, and way forward

4:45 Cathcart: Membership – current numbers and programs

4:50 greenwald, Ormond, Crocker, Simpson, Cathcart, Zeller: Purpose of MWSA

5:00 Ormond: Adjourn

Membership & Dues Read-aheads

• Wild Apricot Income Report CY 2023

Notes

• New dues structure (1,2,3 years and reduction from $75/year) implemented July 2019

• The green membership numbers come from WA’s membership list Jan 18. The other numbers were generated by dividing membership rates by the total dues collected (i.e., perhaps not as accurate).

• Dues collection is on a SLIGHT downward trajectory—opposite for membership #s

• Good/bad news culprit is the growing popularity of discounted 3-year membership

  • Note tripling numbers for this year (as of 1/8)

• Good/good news is that we appear to be slowing the “one year and gone” problem (the primary driver for the tiered dues system)

Awards

• 21 books

• Budget projection solid

• Reviewer base good (71 active, 23 have picked up at least one book)

Minutes

Board of Directors Meeting

Military Writers Society of America

Minutes of the Meeting

December 6, 2023

1.      The meeting was called to order at 12:05 PM EST via Zoom by Secretary, Ruth W. Crocker.  Also attending were: Jim Greenwald, President; Valerie Ormond, Vice-President; Hugh Simpson, Treasurer; Directors at Large, John Cathcart, Dane Zeller and Kathleen Rodgers; Bob Doerr, Past President; Founder, Bill McDonald; Gary Zelinsky..

2.      Minutes of the Last Meeting  were approved by Valerie and motion duly made and seconded by Hugh.

3.      Treasurer’s Report was presented by Hugh Simpson. The board discussed losses contributed to by Dispatches and Anthology as well as increases in the cost of doing business, i.e. Wild Apricot contract increase (now $2592 per year). John will have a budget prepared in January for review. Motion to approve the Treasurer’s report made by Valerie and seconded by Jim.

4.      No further Old Business

5.      Under New Business, Gary reviewed the contributions made by volunteers (principally Becca) using social media (FaceBook, LinkedIn, Instagram) to benefit and promote MWSA. The cost of using a service to coordinate the timing of media output is about $100 per year. All the volunteers need, at this point, is more content for distribution. Gary  is presently trying to find a volunteer to be the manager of social media. He described that it has been helpful to take a break from publishing Dispatches and organize the volunteers who have stepped forward to edit and re-synthesize the magazine. John suggested that perhaps the design aspect of Dispatches production could be contracted out in India at a lower cost. Kathy presented an argument for a digital blog version, rather than a pdf,  of Dispatches because there would be room for more material and it  may appeal to younger audience. Bob Doerr presented a snapshot history of Dispatches and how the  publication  has changed over time mainly because of the attrition of its original planners and designers and the subsequent necessity that Sandra take over all aspects of production. Dane raised the question: “Why are we doing all these different projects? Dispatches is what we do.” The consensus at the end of this discussion was that we do support the magazine because it gives members the opportunity to be published and we must figure out the best way to produce it and disseminate it going forward.

6.      Regarding the Buckaroo auction, Valerie stated that the plan is to do it again at the next conference. Heime will take over because Randy will not be available. Bob volunteered to help with the auction and send ideas to Valerie.

7.      (Regarding honorary Member Memberships, Special Award Plaques, and a vote on Reimbursement Wording Changes,  I have no notes that these were discussed. See addendum at the end of the minutes.)  Valerie discussed the Writer of the Year Award update, describing some wording that has been updated, specifically that we can’t tell honorees what they should do for the organization. Nominations will be received through June 15 and those nominations that are accepted will be submitted to the board by July 15 and winner announced.

8.      Board meetings for 2024 will be held at 12pm EST on 3/6/24, 6/5/2024, 12/11/2024. The board meeting during the conference will be held on 9/26/24 at a time to be determined. John showed the board, via screen share, how to access administrative information/Zoom address for meetings on the website. “Go to the bottom of any page and look for ‘Administration’ tab. Password is currently  ‘MWSA2024.’ Zoom invite is also within this tab. Within the leadership and portfolios document, look for information that is out of date and let me know about it.”

9.      Jim Greenwald provided an update on the conference particulars for San Diego. It will be held at the Windham Bay View hotel which is located about 3/10 of a mile from Midway. The cost for lodging is about $10 less per night than it was for the 2023 conference in New London.

10.  Regarding the hiring of a photographer for the San Diego conference, Valerie said that this is on hold right now because of the added expense and requested that any potential volunteer photographers be suggested.

11.  The meeting was adjourned at 1:00Pm EST. Next meeting: March 6, 2024 @ 12 PM EST.

(the following notes were included with the agenda and retained here to add clarification to the actual meeting minutes)

Up for a VOTE: [Vote Yes, No, or Leave as is]

1) The MWSA Reimbursement Schedule/Policy – It does not contain additions
     just wording changes for clarification.

2) Deals with special awards in that should they all should be engraved crystal
     type awards, President’s Award, and Mike Mullins Memorial Writer of the
     Year.
     

3) Honorary Membership is a permanent honor. Lasts until the person is no
     longer involved/interested in volunteering with MWSA.

4) An update to our bylaws is in progress and hopefully a review and vote
     will take place by January.  The committee is composed of Jim Tritten,
     Bob Doerr, and jim greenwald. Bob has incorporated ideas/suggestions.

5) Deals with clarification of Special Awards especially the Mike Mullins
     Memorial Writer of the Year Award.


MWSA Reimbursement Schedule/Policies - [Changes in RED]

The following sets forth MWSA policy for reimbursement and the account it is charged against:

     A. One night’s cost of the hotel room during our annual membership conference for the President, V. President, Treasurer, Secretary, the four At-Large Directors, and the immediate Past President who attend the Board Meeting at the Conference. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     B. One night’s cost of the hotel room during our annual membership conference for a member of the Program Committee who is required to be at the conference a night early to manage/prepare the location for the event. In our Thursday to Sunday conference this would be Wednesday night. (Charged against our Operations Account) < was charged to Conference
  

  C. One night’s cost of hotel room for any required instructors/presenters participating in a “Write Your Story” (WYS) Class if one is locally held before or after the conference. Required staff includes the President, WYS Chair, two presenters (if the Outreach Chair is attending and presenting), if not then three presenters. The number of presenters can be up to five if the program being presented requires it, + Tech Support if needed. (Charged against our Operations Account)
 
     D. Up to two nights’ cost of a hotel room for any instructor/presenter who participates with an Outreach approved WYS Class conducted at a different location more than 50 miles from home and time than our conference.  Hotel used needs to be coordinated during the planning stage for the WYS Class and be approved by the Outreach Chair. The required personnel would include the WYS Class Leader, and for a half-day class one additional presenter/instructor, for an all-day class two additional presenters/instructors. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     E. Mileage will be reimbursed for MWSA business and regional WYS and or Outreach events at current government per diem rate, expense to be approved by the Executive Committee). Ride sharing to an event is encouraged. (Charged against our Operations Account)  

    F. Up to two Awards Directors receive up to three night’s hotel paid by
transferring funds from the Awards Account to the Operations Account.

   G. Up to two Awards Directors receive their Conference Fees Paid by transferring funds from the Awards Account to the Program Account.

[F & G are clarifications of the process]

     H. Any costs for printing and or postage of any materials needed for any approved MWSA activity. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     I. Conference fee and two night’s hotel cost for the MWSA Founder, when he attends a conference. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     J. Conference hotel parking fees for members required to use their vehicle to bring supplies, etc. to the conference. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     K. Any of the above can be amended or modified for a single exception or as a permanent change by a majority vote of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

  L. The President will compile a list of the reimbursable attendees, nights accumulated (for WYS, Conference Program, and Awards) within five days of the end of the conference and forward to the Treasurer to distribute reimbursement checks to the attendees.

5) Clarification/wording of the MMAOY Award

+ Definitions

1. The Committee shall consider all forms of writing—fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

2. The author’s work displays respect for the military and military family understandings, abilities, and appreciations.

3. “Distinguished” contributions are defined as:

• Marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement.

• Marked by excellence in quality.

• Individually distinct.

4. “Writer/Author” may include co-writers and co-authors.

+ Criteria

1. Candidate should have a “significant body of work.” This requires a minimum of four books, articles, or works in publication, and must include award/recognition at a minimum from MWSA.

2. Current dues paying member and actively involved with MWSA.

SAVING HISTORY ONE STORY AT A TIME

Board of Directors Meeting Agenda for December 6th @ 12 PM EST

Agenda Item

Speaking

Call to Order – Roll Call Ruth Crocker

Minutes from the Last Meeting Ruth Crocker

Treasurers Report Hugh Simpson

Old Business

 New Business – Social Media & Dispatches Gary Zelinski

Buckaroo Auction Valerie Ormond

Honorary Memberships jim greenwald

Special Award Plaques jim greenwald

Vote on Reimbursement Wording Changes jim greenwald

Board Meetings 2024; noon except for Conference: 3/6, 6/5, 9/26, and 12/11   jim greenwald

San Diego Status/Update jim greenwald

Discussion on a Photographer for San Diego Valerie Ormond

Up for a VOTE: [Vote Yes, No, or Leave as is]

1) The MWSA Reimbursement Schedule/Policy – It does not contain additions
     just wording changes for clarification.
2) Deals with special awards in that should they all should be engraved crystal
     type awards, President’s Award, and Mike Mullins Memorial Writer of the
     Year.

3) Honorary Membership is a permanent honor. Lasts until the person is no
     longer involved/interested in volunteering with MWSA.

4) An update to our bylaws is in progress and hopefully a review and vote
     will take place by January.  The committee is composed of Jim Tritten,
     Bob Doerr, and jim greenwald. Bob has incorporated ideas/suggestions.

5) Deals with clarification of Special Awards especially the Mike Mullins
     Memorial Writer of the Year Award.

MWSA Reimbursement Schedule/Policies - [Changes in RED]
The following sets forth MWSA policy for reimbursement and the account it is charged against:
     A. One night’s cost of the hotel room during our annual membership conference for the President, V. President, Treasurer, Secretary, the four At-Large Directors, and the immediate Past President who attend the Board Meeting at the Conference. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     B. One night’s cost of the hotel room during our annual membership conference for a member of the Program Committee who is required to be at the conference a night early to manage/prepare the location for the event. In our Thursday to Sunday conference this would be Wednesday night. (Charged against our Operations Account) < was charged to Conference

  C. One night’s cost of hotel room for any required instructors/presenters participating in a “Write Your Story” (WYS) Class if one is locally held before or after the conference. Required staff includes the President, WYS Chair, two presenters (if the Outreach Chair is attending and presenting), if not then three presenters. The number of presenters can be up to five if the program being presented requires it, + Tech Support if needed. (Charged against our Operations Account)
     D. Up to two nights’ cost of a hotel room for any instructor/presenter who participates with an Outreach approved WYS Class conducted at a different location more than 50 miles from home and time than our conference.  Hotel used needs to be coordinated during the planning stage for the WYS Class and be approved by the Outreach Chair. The required personnel would include the WYS Class Leader, and for a half-day class one additional presenter/instructor, for an all-day class two additional presenters/instructors. (Charged against our Operations Account)
     E. Mileage will be reimbursed for MWSA business and regional WYS and or Outreach events at current government per diem rate, expense to be approved by the Executive Committee). Ride sharing to an event is encouraged. (Charged against our Operations Account)  

    F. Up to two Awards Directors receive up to three night’s hotel paid by
transferring funds from the Awards Account to the Operations Account.
   G. Up to two Awards Directors receive their Conference Fees Paid by transferring funds from the Awards Account to the Program Account.

[F & G are clarifications of the process]

     H. Any costs for printing and or postage of any materials needed for any approved MWSA activity. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     I. Conference fee and two night’s hotel cost for the MWSA Founder, when he attends a conference. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     J. Conference hotel parking fees for members required to use their vehicle to bring supplies, etc. to the conference. (Charged against our Operations Account)

     K. Any of the above can be amended or modified for a single exception or as a permanent change by a majority vote of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

  L. The President will compile a list of the reimbursable attendees, nights accumulated (for WYS, Conference Program, and Awards) within five days of the end of the conference and forward to the Treasurer to distribute reimbursement checks to the attendees.

5) Clarification/wording of the MMAOY Award

+ Definitions

1. The Committee shall consider all forms of writing—fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

2. The author’s work displays respect for the military and military family understandings, abilities, and appreciations.

3. “Distinguished” contributions are defined as:

• Marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement.

• Marked by excellence in quality.

• Individually distinct.

4. “Writer/Author” may include co-writers and co-authors.

+ Criteria

1. Candidate should have a “significant body of work.” This requires a minimum of four books, articles, or works in publication, and must include award/recognition at a minimum from MWSA.

2. Current dues paying member and actively involved with MWSA.

Agenda | Documents

Minutes

Friday - September 15, 2023

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:45am during the annual conference in New London, CT by President Jim Greenwald. Present were: Valerie Ormond, Vice President; Ruth W. Crocker, Secretary; Past President, Bob Doerr; Directors-at-Large, John Cathcart, Gary Zelinski, Kathleen Rodgers, WYS Director, Dane Zeller via phone). Absent: Treasurer, Hugh Simpson                                                                                                    

2. Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.                                                                                                 

3.  Treasurers report was discussed and approved.

4. Old business:

a.       Policy regarding reimbursement for lodging at annual meeting for board members and those involved with the WYS conference was discussed. Jim referred to the reimbursement policy posted on the website in the “administration section” and suggested that everyone review that if they have questions/concerns.

b.       Valerie presented concerns for bylaw Updates/Revisions and how best to proceed. She suggested that we need a committee to do the review and make changes. Drafts would be sent to board members for edits/comments.  John noted that Betsy Beard has old versions of the bylaws. Valerie said that there was a decision at last year’s conference to review the bylaws every two years. Jim will contact members to participate in review committee.
5. New business
           a.       Clarification of criterion for Mike Mullins Writer of the Year Award and how it differs from other awards was discussed along with the need to establish clarity regarding the role the winner plays in providing interviews and participation in publicity activities.  The President’s Award is generally for volunteerism, whereas the MMWYA is for achievement strictly as a writer. Valerie discussed the variation and inconsistency in  nominator’s paperwork in the leadup to the award. Some people follow the 6-page nomination form while others write short summaries. She also mentioned that, as written, MWSA has certain expevtions of winners but, in reality, the organization has no ability to enforce those expectations. John volunteered to review the MMWYA award and the nomination process. Valerie also noted that nominations should be received much earlier in the season than the current practice.

b.         Regarding changes to the Reimbursement Policy, jim will send an email to the board.

c.       San Diego, CA will be the location of the 2024 conference.

7. Open Discussion focused on the WYS program which was held on September 14, 2023 at the Sub Force Museum in Groton. Bob said that Lynda Schwartz, Special Advisor to the Director of the Vietnam Veterans of America, will speak with the staff about having a representative of MWSA speak about our writing program at their next conference. Valerie said that she had a conversation with the Command Duty Officer at the museum regarding renumeration for a speaker from MWSA who could talk about writing education programs for the museum. Valerie will follow up on this. Finally, Bob mentioned that someone from www.vietnamwarpoetry.com said that their online journal would welcome poetry submissions from our membership.

8. The meeting was adjourned at 8:15am.  

Next meeting: December 6, 2023 at 10:00am EST

Agenda

Agenda
Friday - September 15, 2023

Item: Host:

1. Call to Order greenwald

2. Meeting Minutes Crocker

3. Treasurer’s Report Simpson

4. Old Business greenwald, Ormond

e. Bylaw Updates/Revisions how best to proceed & timeframe

5. New Business greenwald, Ormond.

a. Revise MMWOY Criteria/Requirements

b. Changes to the Reimbursement Policy Location of the 2024 Conference. San Diego, CA greenwald, Ormond

7. Open Discussion (General) All

8. Adjourn

Agenda | Documents

Minutes

Military Writers Society of America

Special Board Meeting, June 14, 2023

Minutes

A special meeting of the MWSA board of directors via Zoom was called to order at 12:01 pm EST on June 14, 2023. Present were: Jim Greenwald, President; Valerie Ormond, Vice-President; Ruth W. Crocker, Secretary; Hugh Simpson, Treasurer, Bob Doerr, WYS coordinator; John Cathcart, Kathleen Rodgers, Gary Zelinski, Dane Zeller, Directors at Large. Rev. Bill McDonald, Founder, was absent.

Valerie opened the meeting with a review of budget items that had been sent out to the board for decision on a polling sheet.

1.      WYS Advertising – Nay. Paid advertising for advertising the WYS program is not considered necessary at this time because Ruth has been able to secure free advertising in the New London region due to the fact that MWSA is a non-profit organization. She has also been in touch with those students who signed up for the previously cancelled workshop in 2021. As of mid-June, there are 8 students signed up for the upcoming workshop.

2.      Paid assistant for public relations and website – Tasked. This received a Yay vote but decisions have been deferred to the Communications Committee Chair and a Media/PR Subcommittee when that Subcommittee is established. A meeting will be held via Zoom during the week of June  26 – 30, 2023.

3.      Paid Website Assistance – Tasked. 2-3 people have stepped up to help out. Valerie requested a time-line to figure out the best approach to help John with the website. John clarified that this would be a one-time expense and then reevaluate at the end of the year. John suggested that this be tabled until October 2023 after the annual meeting because of time needed now for Awards Committee. John and Gary will meet and plan after the meeting.

4.      Advertising in magazines – Deferred. There is support for this, but the Communications Chair is currently still researching this idea.

5.      Editor reimbursement for conference fee – Nay. This was taken off the table because the Editor of Dispatches was not interested in being compensated for the MWSA conference fee.

6.      Photographer for Annual Meeting – Deferred. This item has been tabled until December board meeting. Valerie will put out a request to the membership for a volunteer to photograph major events at the annual meeting in New London, CT in September, 2023. Valerie will also reach out to Joe Epley to see if he is coming to the conference in September and if he would be willing to volunteer as roving photographer. Ruth will inform the professional photographer she had located for this year’s meeting that we will not be hiring her. (Her cost for the conference, plus WYS, would have been $1000.)

7.      Honorarium for Zoom workshop leaders – Yay. Gary would like to fund the screenwriter  who recently taught a workshop because he is not a member of MWSA. Suggested payment would be $100 per session for all non-members who teach.  It was suggested that, if a notable author speaks, they could also be offered a Challenge Coin as a token of appreciation. Funding for this will come from the Outreach budget which has been underspending since it was established. The Outreach Committee Chair will coordinate with Gary (Online Education Chair) regarding funding. In the future, if there are not enough funds in the Outreach budget to support this, we will revisit potential additional funding from the board as a separate budget item. Reassess in 2024.

8.      Face Book Boosts – Yay. Gary has a volunteer who can facilitate creating the posts that would be boosted. $400 is earmarked for Face Book boosting cost.

9.      Buying MWSA books – Nay.  Not a good idea at this time because there is no one to manage it and it could be a time-consuming activity. Perhaps later when there is a larger volunteer support team.

10.  MWSA Challenge Coin – Yay. Coins should especially be used for special recognition rather than offered for sale on the website. They would be for people outside of MWSA who have gone above and beyond to help the organization. Communications Chair, Gary Zelinski, and his wife, Lillian, have agreed to manage the design and production of the coins. The budget approved, for the first 100 coins, is $1000. Treasurer Hugh Simpson discussed the potential use of proceeds from the Money Market account as the subsidy for the coins. The coin was approved for ordering by the Vice President on 6/15/23.

11.  MWSA Swag – Yay (as long as MWSA establishes a drop-ship online store so that MWSA is not carrying inventory). Lillian Zelinski is looking into options and Gary will coordinate with John regarding establishing an online store. Valerie agreed to send links to known vendors.

Additional Meeting items

A.      Scholarship Program – Jim sent out notes re: program. Kathy posed the potential problem of competition between a 40-year-old veteran and  a high school student. Valerie clarified that it is in our bylaws that we have this kind of program. The program also increases the visibility and mission of MWSA. Perhaps there should be two applications; one for high school students and one for older veterans. A dedicated volunteer ( Rob Lofthouse) is now overseeing the program. We will revisit the Scholarship Program on July 15, 2023 and try to decide what to do going forward.

B.      John Cathcart has agreed to join the  Finance committee as the Awards Committee representative as of 6/14/23. John expressed a need for more specific information about current financial status. Hugh will send out a P&L report to the board. (Note: 2022 documents sent to the board on 6/1523.)

C.      President’s Award policy approved. John will add policy to website. The board approved the continued purchase of Award regalia for honoring recipients of Awards (ribbons, etc).

D.      Gary requested board members ask MWSA members for articles for Dispatches. Presently, most articles are written by board members. More outreach to members is in the works to ensure that members are aware of the benefits of submitting articles. (Send articles (1500 words or less) to Gary.) Dane has volunteered to help Gary solicit articles from writers in other literary circles to expand our outreach to more writing groups.

E.      The board agreed to form a Bylaws Review Committee to be established at the next board meeting in order to ensure compliance with Pennsylvania bylaws rules. The overall review will assess whether our bylaws are coordinated with current MWSA priorities and our established mission in our IRS non-profit filing status. Ruth is keeping track of communications and historical documents within the organization.

Meeting adjourned at 1:00pm EST. Next meeting of the board will take place during the annual meeting  in September, 2023.

Agenda

Board of Directors Special Meeting

Military Writers Society of America

Agenda

Wednesday – June 14, 2023 @ 12:00 PM

1. Roll Call Crocker (Can we do this via the Zoom chat function?)

2. A. Budget Items and Potential Spending Ormond/Simpson

B. Items to take action on now Simpson

(Voted down, Pass, Table)

3. Scholarship Program Greenwald

Updated program sent to board for review; Rob Lofthouse has agreed to Chair the Scholarship Committee; looking for board comments and a Yay or Nay vote

4. President’s Award Policy Greenwald/Cathcart

Policy discussed during last board meeting (existing criteria for award nebulous) and sent draft policy to board members for review; requesting comments and a Yay or Nay vote

5. Adjourn Crocker

• Budget Doc | Scanned item

• President’s Award

Board of Directors Meeting

Military Writers Society of America

Minutes of the Meeting

May 10, 2023

1. The meeting was called to order at 12:04pm EST via Zoom by President Jim Greenwald.

Also attending were: Valerie Ormond, Vice President; Ruth W. Crocker, Secretary; Hugh Simpson, Treasurer; Kathleen Rodgers, Gary Zelinski, Dane Zeller and John Cathcart, Directors at Large; Bob Doerr, Past President; Rev. Bill McDonald, Founder.

2. Minutes of the Last Meeting were approved on motion duly made by Bill McDonald and seconded by Bob Doerr.

3. Treasurer’s Report was provided by Hugh Simpson, Treasurer:

(see separate financial report distributed by Hugh)

There is an advertising budget of $1000 with potential uses discussed. Suggestions were: A tribute to award winners, boosting a post on Facebook, offering a cash prize along with each book award. Kathleen Rodgers said that she had boosted a post from her public author page and shared it. Questions were raised about how to do a paid press release. Valerie Ormond said that she would send out an email to the board with a summary of possibilities for use of the advertising budget.

4. Old Business:

a. Scholarship Program Winner 2023 - Jim Greenwald reported that Faith Nunez was the winner of the scholarship and an article will be published in Dispatches.

b. Scholarship Program – John Cathcart suggested that we need to disseminate information more broadly about the program – website, Facebook, Dispatches, email blast. Jim Greenwald said that three people have stepped up to help with social media.

c. Zoom Classes – Gary Zelinski described upcoming workshop on May 20 and said that he has received good advice from Jack London regarding the organization of classes. Gary is currently looking for internal and external speakers.

d. Write Your Story (Update) – Bob Doerr is presently organizing this program.

5. New Business

a. 2024 Conference – Jim Greenwald suggested Denver, CO. Others suggested Austin, TX, because it is a central location, and Orlando, Florida, because it is the cheapest place to fly to. Another poll of the membership as to place preference was suggested along with a survey at the next conference in September, 2023 to find out if people want to help out with the 2024 conference.

b. Registration for upcoming conference – Jim Greenwald said that there are presently 32 registrants.

c. MWSA email addresses – (See read ahead addendum: “Emails, Email Forwarding and Wjho’s Doing What – Organizational Correspondence”)

John Cathcart reported that the website works better with the forwarding system in place. This enables emails to go directly to the person who is in charge of each subject. Presently, John is the only person who knows how to configure the forwarding process and there is a need for board members to learn how to enter and utilize the admin section of the website .

d. MWSA Dispatches discussion – Bob Doerr and Valerie Ormond said that Dispatches needs to be referenced on our email blast. Kathleen Rodgers recalled that, in the past, writers were paid $25 per article in Dispatches. John Cathcart confirmed that Kathleen’s recollection is indicated on the website. The board was supportive of payment for feature articles. Gary Zelinski and John Cathcart will work on procedures re:payment for articles. John added that author payment should be an automatic agenda item to discuss which author will be paid. Gary Zelinski is concerned about the need for organizational structure around Dispatches and the need for more oversight by the board. Bob Doerr mentioned that there are occasional requests for hard copies of Dispatches mainly from authors whose work is being published.

e. MWSA Facebook Page – John Cathcart said that Joe Badal is no longer a poster and should be removed. Presently, Bob Doerr, Valerie Ormond and John Cathcart are posters to the page.

6. Buckaroo Auction – (See read ahead addendum – “MWSA’s ‘Buckaroo’ Auction Program Policy.” ) A committee will organize the event for the auction at the annual conference. Valerie Ormond will head the committee. Items for the auction are still needed. Jim Greenwald presently has 27 prizes secured. Discussion began about whether board members should forfeit their buckaroos but no resolutions at this point.

7. Open Discussion –

a. June 30th is the deadline for nominations for Writer of the Year.

b. Regarding the President’s Award, we do not currently have criterion in writing. Valerie Ormond will send out to the board a set of criteria for review before the conference in September.

c. A discussion was held about a member’s (Giocomo) accusation that book awards committee behaved in an unethical way towards her. The Book Awards committee will no longer accept books for consideration from Giocomo because of her unacceptable behavior towards the committee and false accusations made. Gary Zelinski will draft a letter re: her expulsion from membership, for review by the board, and Bill McDonald will send her the final version.

d. Regarding public participation in the Zoom classes, this is a member benefit but presenters can invite nonmembers as their guests.

e. John Cathcart reviewed how to go to the Adminstration page on the MWSA website which involves going to the bottom of the home page on the site and clicking on “Adminstration.” The password this year is: MWSA2023. The Adminstration section is where documents relevant to the board are kept, e.g. board meeting agenda, minutes, etc. John encourages all board members to visit the section and become familiar with it.

8. The meeting was adjourned at 2:40pm EST. The next board meeting will be held on Friday morning, September 15, at the annual conference in New London, CT.

Documents for meeting

• Treasurer’s Report

MWSA Treasury Report Apr-23

Acct: 23-Mar 23-Apr

Program 7,026.46 9,856.46

Awards 8,092.98 8,684.11

Operations 44,659.76 44,439.54

Total $59,779.20 $62,980.11

Notes: $1500 Tendered for Dispatches Production

• Buckeroos

  • Policy doc

  • Earnings

• Emails — Process and Forwarding emails

  • Readahead

  • Current Forwarding emails

    • Plz excuse the formatting and ignore the last two columns and extraneous details. John

• Giacomo (confidential)
  

Minutes (updated after meeting complete)

• Agenda

• 17 Dec Minutes

• Treasurer’s Report

Agenda | Minutes

MINUTES
Board of Directors Meeting
Military Writers Society of America
12 September 2019

1. With proper notice given, the quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors was held at the annual conference on 12 September 2019 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Hotel Albuquerque.

Attending were Bob Doerr, President; George Jackson, Vice President; Hugh Simpson, Treasurer; Joe Epley, Secretary, and board members John Cathcart, Phil Keith, Jim Tritten, Larry Greenly and Bill MacDonald.

Doerr called the meeting to order at 4:OO pm MDT.

2. MINUTES of the August meeting, on motion duly made and seconded, were approved as presented. APPENDIX A

3. TREASURERS REPORT. Simson presented the treasurer’s report which was, on motion duly made and seconded, approved. APPENDIX B

4..2019 ANNUAL MEETING REPORT. Conference Committee chair Jim Tritten presented a report on the annual meeting stating attendance was above projection. APPENDIX C

5. 2020 ANNUAL MEETING. President Doerr said the meet in 2020 would be held in New London, Conn. And that Jim Greenwald had agreed to be coordinate the meeting. Phil Keith will assist.

6. AWARDS COMMITTEE REPORT John Cathcart said the following medals were awarded: 15 Gold, 14 Silver, 13 Bronze (42 total).

7. MEMBERSHIP REPORT. Cathcart reported for the membership chair that the current membership was 296 paid members.

8. OLD BUSINESS

9. NEW BUSINESS

i. Elections. 2020 will require an election of officers and directors. The President designated Joe Epley as chair and members to include Dwight Zimmerman. Epley is to have procedures for the election process at the next meeting of the Board.

10. NEXT MEETING will be a conference call at 4 PM EST on 4 December 2019.,

11. There being no further business, the meeting on motion duly made and seconded, adjourned.

AGENDA

( Revised_  2/3/2019)

MILITARY SOCIETY OF AMERICA

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

teleconference Wednesday, 6 February 2019, 4:30 pm EST.

NOTE:

New changes in phone service, New Numbers via Free Conference Call

 Call  (712) 775-7270         When directed, enter access code: 948914 #  

1.  Call to Order                                                             President Bob Doerr

2...Approve minutes of last meeing                                 Secretary Joe Epley

                                                                        SEE APPENDIX A, Minutes 11 Sept meeting

3.  Treasurer's Report                                                    Treasurer Hugh Simpson

                                                                        SEE APPENDIX B, Treasurer's Report

4.  2019 Annual Meeting                                                Jim Tritten

            A. Approve motion to set the fees for 2019 Annual Meeting

5.  2018 Annual Meeting                                                Joe Epley

                                                                        SEE APPENDIX C. After Action Report

6.  Old business

            A.  Policy for reimbursement of conference fee.              Joe Epley

                                                            SEE APPENDIX D       Policy for reimbursement of fees

            B.  Awards Committee Report                                        John Cathcart

7.  New Business         

            A.  Approve contract with Red Engine Press                   APPENDIX F

            B.  Goals for 2019                                                         Bob Doerr 

a.  Identify all services that we have an annual bill and decide whether to keep that service or not. (Simpson)

b. Identify all websites, social media accounts, etc. that MWSA has, ensure that we want to keep them, and ensure each is registered correctly and that the bill to maintain them is being sent to the right person.                       SEE APPENDIX E      Tritten< Cathcart

c.  Scrub how MWSA is registered, listed in Wikipedia, etc, ensure data is up to date, and conduct nonprofit organizational review. (Jackson) 

d.  Develop a process to solicit donations and follow-up as required.  (Doerr)

e ..Come up with volunteers to help with our website

f.  Find location for our 2020 conference. 

g.  Consider concept of reviewing first thirty pages of each book sent in for review by one reviewer to decide whether full manuscript should be reviewed under our normal process or sent back for more editing. (Cathcart)

h.  Refine our financial policies to enhance financial security, transparency, and accountability. (Simpson)

i   Develop MWSA Ambassador Program.  (Ormond)

j.  Evaluate our process on membership, dues, communication with potential members (Doerr

C.   Committee assignments for 2019-2020                                 Bob Doerr

D.  Other items to come before the board

E.  Next scheduled quarterly Board meeting will be a conference call @ 4:30 pm EST Wednesday 8 May 2019.

10.  Adjourn

MINUTES

Broad of Directors Meeting

Military Writers Society of America

11 November 2018     Hilton Garden Inn, Mt Pleasant, South Carolina

1.  After due notice was given, the 2019-2020 WMSA Board of Directors held their first meeting at 9:30 AM, 11 November in the board room of the Hilton Garden Inn, Mt Pleasant, South Carolina. Attending were President Bob Doerr, Secretary Joe Epley and Director John Cathcart.  Participating by phone were Vice President George Jackson, and Directors Jim Tritton, Phil Keith and Larry Greenly. Absent was Treasurer Hugh Simpson.

2.   MEETING

President Doerr opened the meeting by noting the date was the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. He welcomed the new members and explained how the board operated.

3.  MINUTES

Minutes of the last meeting were not presented because of the timing on the meeting.  The Secretary said minutes would be distributed as soon as possible.

4.  TREASURER'S REPORT

No treasurer's report was presented.

5.  2018 CONFERENCE   

a.  Joe Epley stated the conference was a financial success with cost for the conference at $4,731.43.  There were fewer attendees than past conferences, much less than anticipated.  The programs were well received and no complaints received from the members attending. 

b.  Doerr asked Epley to have a policy on refunding fees to those who fail pay, but fail to come to the annual meetings.  Epley is also to produce a check list for the next conference.

c.  John Cathcart reported that 38 book awards were presented from among the 71 books submitted. Twelve of the winners were at the awards banquet to receive their award in person. The inaugural Michael Mullins Writer of the Year Award was presented to Phyllis Mullins, his widow. The Founders Award was given to Rick St. John.

6.  2019 CONFERENCE

a.       Jim Tritton said plans were running smoothly with the South West Writers group for next year's conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The conference will be held 12-15 September 2018 at the Hotel Albuquerque in the city's Old Town section.

b.       On motion made and seconded, the board voted to authorize the president and secretary to sign an agreement with the Southwest Writers to share in the expenses of the conference. It was noted that several members of the Southwest Writers Group were also members of MWSA.  ANNEX B

c.       Epley said he would send Tritton information on the Charleston conference to help with his planning.

d.       Tritton reported that in keeping with a long tradition of MWSA, a Writers Workshop would be held at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque on the first day of the conference.

7.  2019 GOALS

Doerr outline the goals of WMSA for the following year.  They are:

          a.  Seek corporate contributions and reduce MWSA dues for members.

          b.  Increase the value of membership in the MWSA.

          c.  Increase the resources available through MWSA members.

          d.  Better network with other veterans writers group.

          e.  Make the website more usable by WMSA members.

          f.  Improve the distribution of MSA Dispatches to members.

          g.  Increase member participation in the 2019 conference

          e.  Improve and increase the monthly email to members

8.  COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Doerr explained that the MWSA works on a committee system and that each board member is expected to serve on a committee.  Board Members were asked to report which committee they wanted to serve by the next meeting.

9.  OLD BUSINESS

a.  AWARDS.  Cathcart stated he would serve as chair of the awards committee for another year.  He is thinking of limited the books to be reviewed to 50 and will make a recommendation next meeting.  The recommendation will depend on the the number of volunteers he can get for reviewers. He outlined the procedures for grading and keeping records of reviews to make it simpler for the awards committee.,

b.  WEB SITE   Cathcart said he was perfecting a way for group editing as a way of reducing emails going back and fourth and having a depository for MWSA records.  Hopeful all board members will make use of this tool. This will be on an admin section of www.MWSAdispatches.com.

c. CONFLICT OF INTEREST.  Epley informed members that MWSA had a Conflict of Interest policy and each member had to signed a form stating they were award of the policy and will comply with it.  This is a requirement for 501c3 organizations. He will send it to board members within the week for them to sign and return to him.

10.  NEW BUSINESS

a.  2020 ANNUAL MEETING -  Members will be surveyed to determine choices for the 2020 meeting. Doerr emphasized that a member needs to live in or near the city chosen and agrees to coordinate with the hotel,

b.  The next quarterly meeting of the board of directors will be a conference call at 4.30 P.M.EST Wednesday 6 February.

There being no further business, on motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned.

MINUTES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

MILITARY WRITER SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Hilton Garden Inn, Mt Pleasant, SC

4 PM         8  NOVEMBER 2018

1.  MEETING

With proper notice given, the annual meeting of the Board of Directors was held at 4 PM EST in the Hilton Garden Inn at Mt Pleasant, South Carolina. Attending in person were Bob Doerr, Vice President; Joe Epley, Secretary; and Valerie Ormond.  Participating via phone were Kathleen Rodgers, Farrell Childs and Jim Tritten. Absent was Dwight Zimmerman, President.

Guest attending were Awards Chair John Cathcart and via phone, Larry Greenley and Hugh Simpson.   

Bob Doerr presided and called the meeting to order.

2.  MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

Upon motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2018 were approved as presented. 

3.  TREASURER'S REPORT

In the absence of a Treasurer, Doerr presented the financial report as of 31 October. APPENDIX  A

4.  2018 ANNUAL MEETING

Epley reported that all arrangements had been made for the annual meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn Mt Pleasant and that attendance was less than expected, but that the conference would be at or below budget. Although 41 had signed for the conference, three canceled.

John Cathcart reported on the awards ceremony.  APPENDIX B   Lists includes all  39 award winners, with 12 scheduled to attend the awards presentation. 

Valerie Ormond reported that the VA Writers Workshop was successful with 12 attendees. She, Doerr, and Karl Warner from the U.S, Army Heritage and Education Center were the presenters.  Larry Danbridge, a local member, was thanked for making the arrangements.

5.  2019 ANNUAL MEETING

Jim Tritten and Larry Greenly reported on the progress of planning for the 2019 annual meeting which will be held in at the Old Town Sheraton in Albuquerque, New Mexico 12-19 September 2019 in association with the Southwest Writers. On motion duly made and seconded, a memorandum of agreement between MWSA and Southwest Writers was approved.  APPENDIX C.  

6.  ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

The Secretary reported on the results of Officers and Directors election. APPENDIX D Epley certified that the election was held in accordance with the bylaws and was conducted by email during October by secure.selectionbuddy.com.  Although ballots were sent to all active members in good standing,  64 members participated.

Ormond asked why the numbers did not all add up to 64 and was informed that several members had abstained from voting for certain positions. Ormond provided feedback that she had heard from at least one member who would have preferred to only vote for the At-Large Directors they knew they wanted to vote for rather than having to vote for a total of four. She asked for that feedback to be provided to whoever will set up the next election. The president and secretary said they would look into it.

Officers elcected for 2019 and 2020 are Bob Doerr, President; George Jackson, Vice President; Hugh Simpson, Treasurer; Joe Epley, Secretary. The four Directors At Large are Jim Tritten, John Cathcart, Phil Keith, and Larry Greenly. The positions of Vice President and Directors were contested. 

7.  MEMBERSHIP

Doerr reported that we currently have 289 active members.  APPENDIX E

8.  NEW BUSINESS

Discussions were held on the pros and cons of MWSA purchasing a laptop computer and a digital projection system. After due deliberations, the matter was tabled.

Doerr read a letter from President Zimmerman commending the officers and board members for their diligence over the past years.  APPENDIX F

Doerr stated this was the last meeting of the old board of directors.  He thanked everyone for their service and declared that the next board meeting would be at the Hilton Garden Inn Mt Pleasant at 9:30 AM Sunday, 10 November 2018. 

There being no further business, on motion duly made and seconded, the meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe S Epley

Secretary, MWSA

APPENDIX A

MWSA FY 2018 Budget – Oct 31

Income            ``                      2018 Estimate              Actual

Membership Dues                     15,000                           15,960.00        

Book Review/Awards                  3,200                          2,840.00

Conference                                 5,000                          5,560.00          

Donations/Stickers/Other                    0                           340.00           

Total Income                             23,200                       $24,700.00

Expenses

Total Expenses                         23,200                          $10,849.10

REP Contract                           11,000                          8464.36

Book/Review Awards                  3,200                          1317.18

Conference                                 5,000                                                 

Board Meetings                          1,000                         

Outreach (VA Class, etc)             1,000                          250.00*

CPA                                              500 

Dues, Renewals, Misc.                1,500                          817.56

·       2017 VA Class expense

Note: Estimates for income are based on prior year’s experience. Estimated expense is based on the corresponding income item. As the year goes on, specific income and expense numbers will be documented.  Dues go into Operations account and cover all expenses of running MWSA. Conference(s) and book awards program need to pay for themselves and fees in each not geared for making anything but a very small profit.  That very small excess is necessary to cover any unexpected expense, and if not needed, should be used to decrease cost of future program activities. 

APPENDIX B

2018 Award winners

Michael Mullins Writer of the Year

·       Michael Mullins (posthumous)

            Founders award

·        Rick St. John

Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Silver

·        Eddie and Bingo : Destination Christmas by Kathleen and Katherine Taylor

·        My Dad Got Hurt. What Can I Do? Helping Military Children Cope with a Brain-Injured Parent Brunella Costagliola

·        my daddy is a sailor by Tahna Desmond Fox

·        My Daddy Sleeps Everywhere by Jesse Franklin

Children's Chapter Book

Gold

·        Jacqueline by Jackie Minniti

Collections—Anthology

Silver

·        Love, Sweet to Spicy: A Corrales Writing Group Anthology by Chris Allen, John Atkins, Maureen Cooke, Sandi Hoover, Tom Neiman, Jim Tritten, and Pat Walkow

Collections—Religious/Spiritual

Silver

·        Holy in the Moment: Simple Ways to Love God and Enjoy Your Life by Ginger Harrington

Historical Fiction

Bronze

·        Uncommon Bond by John House

History

Gold

·        The Shadow Tiger: Billy McDonald, Wingman to Chennault by William C McDonald III & Barbara L. Evenson

·        Tiger Bravo's War by Rick St John

Silver

·        Air Force One by Nicholas Veronico

·        Blades of Thunder by W. Larry Dandridge

·        Chopper Heroes by William Peterson

·        The Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville, Pacific War Turning Point (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in World War II Series, Vol. 2) by William L. McGee

Bronze

·        Wonderful Flying Machines by Barrett Beard

Horror/Fantasy/Sci Fi

Silver

·        Tested by Connie Cockrell

How to/Business

Silver

·        Hal Moore on Leadership: Winning When Outgunned and Outmanned by Harold G. Moore

Literary Fiction

Gold

·        Syllables of Rain by D.S. Lliteras

Silver

·        The Perfection of Valor by Bob Mustin

Bronze

·        Flowers from Afghanistan by Suzy Parish

Memoir/Biography

Gold

·        Marcel's Letters: A Font and the Search for One Man's Fate by Carolyn Porter

·        Racing Back to Vietnam, A Journey in War and Peace by John Pendergrass

Silver

·        Heroes to the End by Jim Smith

Bronze

·        Kanaga Diary: Lost in the Aleutians, 1938 by Estelle Lauer

·        Through Smoke-Teared Eyes: The Vietnam War I Fought by Johnny F. Pugh

Mystery/Thriller

Gold

·        Land of Wolves: The Return of Lincoln's Bodyguard by Tj Turner

·        Soft Target by John D Trudel

·        The Consultant by Tj O'Connor

Silver

·        Homeland Burning by Brinn Colenda

·        Into a Dark Frontier by John Mangan

·        Sins of the Fathers by Joseph Badal

Pictorial/Coffee Table

Gold

·        Lighthouses of America by Tom Beard

Poetry—Poetry Book

Gold

·        War in the Company of Medics: Poems of the 45th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam by John J. Candelaria

Bronze

·        Vietnam Voices by Michael Lepore

Reference

Silver

·        The Wicked Problem of Cultural Heritage and Conflict by Christopher Herndon and Joris Kila

Bronze

·        African American Warrant Officers - Their Remarkable History by Farrell Chiles

·        Bradley vs. BMP: Desert Storm 1991 by Mike Guardia

Young Adult (fiction or non-fiction)

Silver

·        Sebastian Tale by Dylan Weiss

APPENDIX C

Memorandum of Agreement

Between

SouthWest Writers and Military Writers Society of America

1.     SouthWest Writers (SWW) and the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) have entered into an informal partnership to produce a joint writing conference to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico from September 12 – 15, 2019.

a.     The SWW board approved this action via email vote on August 13, 2018 and acknowledged at the normal meeting held on September 4, 2018.

b.     The MWSA board approved this action via telephone conference call on September 7, 2018.

2.     In order to maximize savings, boards of directors for both groups agreed SWW would be the lead organization for billing all conference expenses.

3.     With SWW as the lead, the conference location, Hotel Albuquerque, will honor a New Mexico Nontaxable Transaction Certificate (NTTC) exempting SWW from paying New Mexico gross receipts taxes on food contracted to be provided during the conference. Both organizations benefit from this arrangement.

4.     The SWW president and secretary signed a contract and filed an application for direct billing with Hotel Albuquerque on September 24, 2018. Copies of these documents are attached.

5.     Both boards of directors also agreed, when they approved the joint conference, to craft a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that would address the shared risk and how to distribute any profits from the conference. This document is that MOA.

6.     Calculating registration income:

a.     Revenue from conference fees will be allocated to the organization (SWW or MWSA) to which the registrant belongs.

b.     Partial registration fees, such as ‘meal-only- registrations, are allocated to the organization to which the registrant belongs. If the registrant belongs to both organizations or to neither organization, the registrant’s conference fees are allocated to both organizations. 

c.      Registrants should state whether they are members of one organization, the other, both, or neither. Members of organizations' guests will be allocated to the organization(s) to which the member belongs.

d.     Registration revenue will not include expenses paid by registrants for the benefit of a registrant, such as individual hotel, room service, transportation, and the like. Registration revenue will include all amounts collected through the registration process for conference fees, conference-funded meals, food, beverages, and related items which the organizations pay to conduct the conference.

7.     If there is a net profit after payment of expenses, using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the profits will be allocated proportionally to each organization based upon that organization’s registration income.

8.     If there is a net loss after calculation of all revenues and expenses, using GAAP, the losses will be allocated proportionally to each organization based upon that organization’s registration income.

9.     Both organizations will do their best to encourage early registration in order to have funds to pay any required expenses prior to the conference.

10.  This MOA will take effect once approved by both the SWW and MWSA boards of directors and signed by the appropriate individuals empowered to sign for both organizations. It will remain in effect until the distribution of any profits or payment of any penalties. A full allocation of income and expenses will be reported to both organizations by the SWW Treasurer within sixty days of the conference ending or cancellation.

11.  Signatures may be executed in different locations and transmitted via .pdf documents. The Secretary for SWW will maintain the official file with a copy delivered to the Secretary for MWSA.

12.  Applicable law governing this MOA will be that of the State of New Mexico.

______________________________                                     __________________________________

______________________________                                     __________________________________

Appendix D

Certified election for MWSA Officers and Board...2019  

compiled by secure.electionbuddy.com

            1-30 October 2018

            answer                                     vote      percentage

President;  Bob Doerr

            YES,                                        64        100%

Vice President 

            George Jackson                      31        52.3%

Secretary:        Joe Epley                                

            YES                                         61        100%   

Treasurer:         Hugh Simpson

            YES                                         62        100%

Directors at large  (four)

            Jim Tritten                               46        21.7%

            John Cathcart                          44        20.8%

            Phil Keith                                 44        20.8%  

            Larry Greenly                          40        18.9%

APPENDIX E

Red Engine Press

1906 South 70'" Street

Fort Smith, AR 72903

412.496.3026

31 October 2018

Report to Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) Board of Directors

ROSTER

The following table provides information on the MWSA membership roster as implemented in

the Wild Apricot (WA) web-based database, as of 31 OCT 2018.

ITEM

CONDITION

WA STATUS

COUNT

1

Total MWSA membership database record

NA 

1117

2

MWSA told to remove name from Roster, or

Email delivery problem, or

Email delivered but not opened

Archived

619

3

Payment received for membership dues

active

256

4

Lifetime membership (no dues involved

Active

33

5

No renewal payment

Lapsed

152

6

Invoice delivered but no dues payment yet

Lapsed (pending)

76

7

Known passing of member

Deleted

10

8

Size of roster (1)

498

9

New Member Application (Year to date)

N/A

70

Note 1:  To keep the size of the roster below 500 records and as members are added, lapsed members are re-evaluated for archived status.

Appendix F

Remarks by Dwight Zimmerman, read  by Bob Doerr

WELCOME

Welcome to Charleston, South Carolina, and to the 2018 Military Writers Society of America conference. I regret that once again I’m unable to attend. I will miss the opportunity to renew friendships formed at previous conferences and make new ones at this one. Serving as your president has been both an honor and a humbling experience, one I will treasure. A new era for MWSA begins under the leadership of incoming president Bob Doerr. I have known Bob for many years and found his friendship and support at MWSA to be invaluable. I am proud to pass the baton of leadership to him as I know he will be an excellent president for MWSA.

There are many people who deserve my thanks. Some of them are in Charleston, some, like me were unable to attend, and others have joined ranks under that great Commander in Chief in the sky. But there are two I would like to single out: founder Bill McDonald and my predecessor as president, Joyce Faulkner. Both played important roles in first welcoming me into the organization and later when I was your president. Without their support and guidance, I would have been lost. Thank you, Bill and Joyce, for everything.

In closing, I hope all of you have a great time in Charleston!

-- Dwight Jon Zimmerman, former President, Military Writers Society of America

AGENDA

Military Society of America

Board of Directors meeting

4:45 p.m.         7 September 2018

                        Call to:  (712) 832-8330             Access code:  618 1029   #

1.  Call to order                                                                      David Zimmerman

2.  Minutes of last meeting     (Appendix A)                        Joe Epley

3.  Treasure's report               (Agenda Appendix B)          Bob Doerr

4.  Nominating Committee report                                         Rob Ballister

            a.  Nominees      Ballister

            b.  Discussion on bylaws, motion by Ormond

"Amend Article IV, Section 6 (a) of the bylaws  to read

'The President Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary shall be elected by the members shall hold office for a term to two years, or until their successors are elected."

This motion changes the length of tenure from three to two years and makes the terms compatible with that of the Directors.

5. Annual Meeting 2018                                                        Joe Epley

            a.  Program        Doerr

            b.  Attendance

            c.  Writer of the Year       Ormond

            d.  VA workshop     Ormond

            e.  Motions by Doerr:  

MWSA will reimburse one-night hotel stay for directors who attend the conference, and one-night hotel stays for Don Helin and Valerie Ormond for coming in a day early to handle the VA Writer's course and will pay for two nights at the hotel for the President (Dwight Zimmerman). These expenses will come out of the Operations account as they deal with MWSA management and our outreach efforts.  

WMSA will pay from the awards budget for two nights stay at the conference hotel for the Awards director.

6.  Annual Meeting 2019                                                       Jim Tritten

            a.  Motion to authorize Tritten to sign a contract ...

“MWSA appoints board member Jim Tritten to be its agent and conference coordinator at the September 11-19, 2019 joint conference with SouthWest Writers (SWW) to be held at the Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, New Mexico.”

            b.  Motion to allow South West Writers to act as agent for WMSA by Tritten: 

“MWSA agrees that SouthWest Writers (SWW) will be the sole agent and producer to sign contracts and pay all bills with the Hotel Albuquerque for the joint writing conference to be held in September 2019.”

            c.  Motion by Tritten to approve a memorandum of understanding between WMSA and SWW to share in profits and losses.

“The MWSA President or Vice-President and conference coordinator will draft for approval by both the SWW and MWSA boards a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that will provide for MWSA to share the risk and how both organizations will share profits.”

            d.  Motion by Tritten to approve meeting date deviation from bylaws:

"The MWSA board approves changing the annual meeting for 2019 date from the last quarter of the year to September 11-19."

7.  Awards committee report                                       John Cathcart

8.  Other organizations                                                Valarie Ormond

9  Membership report                                                  Joe Epley

                        As of 28 Aug, total Active members:279 (32 lifetime non-paying dues). 

                        Of the 279, 59 are new members.

10   Other old business                                                 Dwight Zimmerman

11.  New Business                                                        Dwight Zimmerman

On Motion by Epley:

The next board meeting will be in the boardroom at 4 pm Thursday, 7 November 2018 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

12  Adjourn

Appendix A

MINUTES

Military Writers Society of America

Board of Directors Meeting

6 June 2018

1.  MEETING

With proper notice given, the Board of Directors of the Military Writers Society of America held their quarterly meeting via teleconference on Wednesday, 6 June 2018 at 5 pm  EDT. Participating in the call were Dwight Zimmerman, President; Bob Doerr, Vice President; Joe Epley, Secretary; Farrell Childs, Valerie Ormond, Kathleen Rodgers, and Jim Tritten.

2.  MINUTES OF LAST MEETING  (Appendix A)

On motion duly made and seconded, minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2018 were approved.

3.  TREASURER'S REPORT (Appendix B)

In the absence of a treasurer, Doerr presented a financial report that showed $15, 808.22 income and $6,841.86 expense.

The question of who was paying for the World War I anthology being published by Red Engine Press. Zimmerman said he would find out.

4.  MEMBERSHIP REPORT  (Appendix C)

In the absence of John Faulkner, Doerr reported 233 active members and 66 members with pending renewal. The President urged everyone to actively recruit more members.

5.  ANNUAL MEETING

Epley reported that a handful of members have registered for the annual meeting. Not all officers and directors are registered. A push needs to be made for more members to take advantage of early registration discount that ends July 1st. Doerr reported that programming was going as planned.

5.  NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT

Bob Ballister, chairman of the Nominating Committee, was not in attendance. Doerr reported that six members have put their names in. The committee will continue to get other nominees for officer and director.

6.  AWARDS REPORT

John Cathcart, chairman of the Awards Committee, was not in the meeting. Doerr reported on his behalf that the Committee had about 67 to 70 books competing this year and was nearing the deadline for 2018. There is a backlog of books that need reviewing.

7.  WRITER OF THE YEAR  (Appendix D)

Ormond presented a recommendation for the criteria for awarded the Mike Mullens Memorial Writer of the Year.  After length discussion, upon motion duly made and seconded, the board voted to adopt the recommendations as a policy for WMSA.

Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) Mike Mullins Memorial Writer of the Year (WOY) Award

Terms

1. The Award and Medal shall be awarded annually to the Writer of the Year (WOY) for distinguished contributions to the Society in consideration for that year.

2. The Awards Committee and the Board of Directors in their deliberations will consider the following.

Definitions

1. The Committee shall consider all forms of writing—fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

2. The author’s work displays respect for the military and military family understandings, abilities, and appreciations.

3. “Distinguished” contributions are defined as:

• Marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement.

• Marked by excellence in quality.

• Individually distinct.

4. “Writer/Author” may include co-writers and co-authors. The writer(s) may be awarded the medal posthumously.

Criteria

1. Candidate should have a “significant body of work.” This requires a minimum of four books, articles, or works in publications, and must include award/recognition at a minimum from MWSA.

2. Candidate must be a recognized active member of MWSA.

3. Candidate should attend the MWSA Conference to receive the award (if not posthumously awarded).

4. MWSA Officers and Members of the Board of Directors currently serving cannot be considered for Writer of the Year.

Responsibilities of the Award

Candidates must be aware of and agree to active participation in MWSA by giving back, and recognition of MWSA members. The award recipient will fulfill stated/assigned responsibilities to assist and promote the MWSA organization in some manner, including but not limited to:

1. Providing articles for the MWSA newsletter.

2. Presenting or sharing the responsibility of presenting a minimum of one seminar at the following year’s conference.

3. Being amenable to represent MWSA on radio/TV when asked, and to take on other opportunities that may arise.

Process

1. Any member of MWSA in good standing may nominate candidates, in accordance with the established criteria, for the WOY Award by June 30th annually.

a. Members may nominate via the online form in the Awards Page of the MWSA website. 

b. The MWSA Awards Committee will also solicit inputs via Dispatches and email blasts.

2. The Awards Committee will receive nominations and recommend them to the Board of Directors by July 15th annually.

3. The Board will qualify a maximum of three candidates. The President will select a Board member to contact each candidate, and the Board member will then contact each potential candidate to make them aware of the requirements to accept to become an official WOY candidate.

4. Following the results of the three candidates, the Board will vote on the candidates who have agreed to the requirements on a specified day by email at least 60 days before the annual conference.

5. The WOY will be notified at least 10 days following the vote to assist in his/her preparations for the annual conference.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board approved the first Writer of the Year award be made this fall to Mike Mullens posthumously.

Zimmerman noted that Mrs. Mullens will attend the annual conference as the MWSA's guest. At the last meeting, $1,000 was approved to cover her expenses.

8.  2019 CONFERENCE

Jim Tritten reported on five hotels in Albuquerque, New Mexico who submitted proposals to host the 2019 annual meeting. After lengthy discussion and on motion duly made and seconded, the board named Jim Tritten to coordinate the 2019 conference in Albuquerque with the Southwest Writers Group. The Board expressed a preference with Hotel Albuquerque and asked Tritten to negotiate an affordable rate.

9. OUTREACH TO MILITARY WRITERS ORGANIZATIONS  (Appendix E)

Ormond presented a detail report on other organizations which WMSA should contact for joint ventures and recruit members. President Zimmerman praised Ormond for the effort and ask that the list be expanded and that board members contact the groups to see if they are interested.

10. NEXT MEETING

The president declared the next meeting to be a teleconference call on Wednesday, 5 September 2018 at 5 pm EDT.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:15 EDT.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe S. Epley

Secretary, MWSA

APPENDIX B

MWSA FY 2018 Budget – May 31

Income                                    2018 Estimate                        Actual

Membership Dues                       15,000                              11,622.22    

Book Review/Awards                     3,200                              2,320.00

Conference                                   5,000                              1,625.00     

Donations/Stickers/Other                       0                                241.00     

Total Income                               23,200                             15,808.22

Expenses

REP Contract                              11,000                              4,715.00      

Book/Review Awards                     3,200                              1,096.95      

Conference                                   5,000                                                 

Board Meetings                             1,000                             

Outreach (VA Class, etc)               1,000                                  250.00*    

CPA                                                500         

Dues, Renewals, Misc.                  1,500                                 780.86

Total Expenses                           23,200                              6,841.86

·       2017 conference expense

Note: Estimates for income are based on prior year’s experience. Estimated expense is based on the corresponding income item. As the year goes on, specific income and expense numbers will be documented.  Dues go into Operations account and cover all expenses of running MWSA. Conference(s) and book awards program need to pay for themselves and fees in each not geared for making anything but a very small profit.  That very small excess is necessary to cover any unexpected expense, and if not needed, should be used to decrease cost of future program activities.

APPENDIX C

Red Engine Press

1906 South 70th  Street

Fort Smith, AR 72903

412.496.3026

02 June 2018

Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)

Dwight Zimmerman – President

Bob Doerr – Vice President

Joe Epley - Secretary

INVOICE

For the fulfillment of the monthly activities outlined in the MWSA – Red Engine Press (REP)

contract:

1. Maintenance of roster database within Wild Apricot (WA) interactive software for

members and contacts. Current number of member records (active and lapsed) in the

WA database is 499. As new members join, lapsed members get archived to keep the

roster below the 500-record count avoiding the higher WA license fee. There are 234

active members, 188 lapsed members, and 66 members with pending renewal (invoiced).

2. Collection of dues and events payments.

3. Mass electronic mailing to members providing monthly MWSA news.

4. Track dues and events payments within WA. Current number of payments posted is

171 (with one refund). Thirty-eight checks have been processed.

5. Aid with WA functionality for members.

Contract price: $35.00 per hour, not exceeding $350.00 per month.

Monthly Membership Management software license fee: $95.00

Total REP invoice amount for May 2018: $350.00 + $95.00 = $445.00

Thank you for your business,

John Faulkner

APPENDIX D

Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)

Mike Mullins Memorial Writer of the Year (WOY) Award

Terms

1. The Award and Medal shall be awarded annually to the Writer of the Year (WOY) for distinguished contributions to the Society in consideration for that year.

2. The Awards Committee and the Board of Directors in their deliberations will consider the following.

Definitions

1. The Committee shall consider all forms of writing—fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

2. The author’s work displays respect for the military and military family understandings, abilities, and appreciations.

3. “Distinguished” contributions are defined as:

• Marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement.

• Marked by excellence in quality.

• Individually distinct.

4. “Writer/Author” may include co-writers and co-authors. The writer(s) may be awarded the medal posthumously.

Criteria

1. Candidate should have a “significant body of work.” This requires a minimum of four books, articles, or works in publications, and must include award/recognition at a minimum from MWSA.

2. Candidate must be a recognized active member of MWSA.

3. Candidate should attend the MWSA Conference to receive the award (if not posthumously awarded).

4. MWSA Officers and Members of the Board of Directors currently serving cannot be considered for Writer of the Year.

Responsibilities of the Award

Candidates must be aware of and agree to active participation in MWSA by giving back, and recognition of MWSA members. The award recipient will fulfill stated/assigned responsibilities to assist and promote the MWSA organization in some manner, including but not limited to:

1. Providing articles for the MWSA newsletter.

2. Presenting or sharing the responsibility of presenting a minimum of one seminar at the following year’s conference.

3. Being amenable to represent MWSA on radio/TV when asked, and to take on other opportunities that may arise.

Process

1. Any member of MWSA in good standing may nominate candidates, in accordance with the established criteria, for the WOY Award by June 30th annually.

a. Members may nominate via the online form in the Awards Page of the MWSA website. 

b. The MWSA Awards Committee will also solicit inputs via Dispatches and email blasts.

2. The Awards Committee will receive nominations and recommend them to the Board of Directors by July 15th annually.

3. The Board will qualify a maximum of three candidates. The President will select a Board member to contact each candidate, and the Board member will then contact each potential candidate to make them aware of the requirements to accept to become an official WOY candidate.

4. Following the results of the three candidates, the Board will vote on the candidates who have agreed to the requirements on a specified day by email at least 60 days prior to the annual conference.

5. The WOY will be notified at least 10 days following the vote to assist in his/her preparations for the annual conference.

APPENDIX E

Information on Veteran Writing Groups for

Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)

-With contributions from Jim Tritten, Kathy Rodgers, and Valerie Ormond   

·       Veterans Administration (VA) Hospitals

The VA offers writing groups as a part of recreational therapy. Generally, these are at every VA hospital. The link would have to be to each hospital. The writing groups are generally not highly visible, and a limiting factor is that the writer must have a VA patient ID card. Most hospitals publish the writings of members of the group in a locally produced product distributed locally on campus. For example, Jim Tritten has been routinely published in New Mexico in The Heartbeat.

Link for Albuquerque VA Hospital:

https://www.albuquerque.va.gov/services/Recreation_Therapy.asp

Veterans Voices

The local hospitals have a volunteer that selects the best of local stories produced by members of their groups and sends them to a national volunteer organization that publishes the periodic journal called Veterans Voices. Writers do not need to go through the local hospital to be published in Veterans Voices and can submit to them directly. Jim Tritten has been published in Veterans Voices frequently.

Links to Veterans Voices:

http://www.veteransvoices.org

http://www.veteransvoices.com/write/writing-submission/

VA Writing Contests

The VA runs an annual writing contest that is administered by each hospital. To participate, writers must be either an inpatient or outpatient at that hospital. Local winners are eligible to participate in the national contest. National winners are invited and paid to attend the annual National Veterans Creative Arts Festival co-sponsored with the American Legion Auxiliary. Jim Tritten was a national winner in 2016 and participated and said it was simply great.

Links to the Creative Arts Festival:

https://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/caf/index.asp

https://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/caf/docs/NVCAF_Fact_Sheet.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/NVCAF/

·        Non-Government Veteran Organizations

There are non-government veteran organizations that encourage writing by veterans. Some of these are structured and have publications associated with the organization. Jim Tritten has been published by a some of these.

Military Experience & the Arts

Links to Military Experience & the Arts:

http://militaryexperience.org/

http://militaryexperience.org/how-to-write-a-story-that-mea-will-publish/

http://militaryexperience.org/submissions/

https://www.facebook.com/militaryexperienceandthearts/

Veterans Writing Project

Valerie Ormond attended a Veterans Writing Project (VWP) 2-day workshop. Fred Foote, who attended the 2015 MWSA Conference in Phoenix is an active member of VWP.

Links to Veterans Writing Project and its publication:

https://veteranswriting.org/

O-Dark-Thirty

 http://o-dark-thirty.org/

United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance (USVAA)

Information from the internet:

“The United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance (USVAA) is a 501 © 3, non-profit, multi-disciplinary arts organization. Founded in 2004 by military veterans and artists, USVAA provides opportunities for veterans in the arts by networking with veterans, artists, supportive individuals and organizations within the arts and veterans’ communities to find funding and support for individual artistic projects in theater, film, television, the visual/fine arts and a wide variety of crafts….”

 USVAA appears to be a rather large program in the Los Angeles, CA area with corporate support. They have several writing programs including the USVAA Veterans Writing Workshop, and they work with the Writers Guild Foundation. USVAA programs include screenwriting and television writing, literature, and poetry.

Links to USVAA:

http://usvaa.org/about/

http://usvaa.org/program-the-usvaa-veterans-writing-program/

Veteran Artist Program

Links to Veteran Artist Program:

http://veteranartistprogram.org/

https://www.facebook.com/veteranartistprogram/

War Writers

Link to War Writers:

http://warwriterscampaign.org

Warrior Writers

Links to Warrior Writers:

http://www.warriorwriters.org/

https://www.facebook.com/Warrior-Writers-100408730072553/

Mil Speak

 Today, MilSpeak Foundation is led by former Marine Corps officer, Tracy Crow, whose diverse background is rooted in the military, corporate, and academic worlds. Her professional experience includes thirty-eight years of Kathy Rodgers is personal friends with the director of Mil Speak. (It looks like three organizations but MilSpeak and On Point have merged under Mil Speak). Based in North Carolina, under new leadership, Tracy Crow (MWSA member) recently took over as President.

MilSpeak Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)3 public charitable organization that supports, promotes, and celebrates the creative arts endeavors of our military servicemembers, veterans, families, and caregivers through MilSpeak instructional on-site and online seminars and workshops, online publishing platforms, and resource advocacy for the purposes of documenting and preserving military history, increasing public awareness about the cross-generational impact of military experience, recognizing and promoting the wellness connection between arts-related activity and stress management, and fostering a warm community of artists.

But at the core of MilSpeak Foundation is the desire to help unleash YOUR inner artist.executive leadership expertise, crisis management training and leadership, sales training and management, advertising and marketing, public and media relations, corporate and entrepreneurial business development, publication design and editing, and academic teaching.

Tracy is a former assistant professor of journalism and creative writing and the author of five military-themed books. After leaving academia in 2013, she founded On Point Seminars & Workshops, named after her breakthrough writing text, On Point: A Guide to Writing the Military Story, and leads writing workshops, mostly for veterans and their families, around the country and online. On Point Seminars & Workshops is now a division of MilSpeak Foundation, and replaces MCWS.

While MilSpeak Foundation, Inc., reorganizes under new leadership, what remains the same is its longstanding commitment toward building bridges between the creative arts and our military communities.

http://milspeakfoundation.org/about-milspeak/

http://milspeakfoundation.org/on-point-creative-writing-seminars/

Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group

Valerie Ormond has a connection with this group via Goodreads. One of its leaders, Eileen Schell, reached out to her a few years ago, and Valerie donated books to the organization. From their website:

“There's a reason soldiers make good writers. Under all the stress, they've got to remain composed, have discipline, pay attention to detail, make situational observations as if your life depended on it - and then communicate effectively with your fellow troops."  —Andrew Carroll, founder of the Legacy Project

The Syracuse Veterans' Writing group is open to all veterans and their supporters. The focus of our group is on writing nonfiction accounts or "true stories" of life in and out of the military.

Veterans of all ages, branches of the military, and conflicts are welcome. You need not have any prior experience with writing, just a desire to write your stories and share them with others.

Our group meets once a month on Saturdays 10 a.m.-12 noon on the Syracuse University campus in the Writing Center, 1st floor, H.B. Crouse.  Refreshments are provided, and the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The bulk of our meeting time is focused on sharing and commenting on group members' writing.   There is no cost or fee associated with the writing group. Just bring a notebook and pen or and be prepared to do some writing.

Writing group sessions focus on:

Learning key techniques for nonfiction writing

Drafting your stories

Sharing your stories and offering feedback to other group members

Encouraging each other as writers.

Polishing and preparing your work for publication.

The group is co-led by Eileen E. Schell, a writing teacher and writing group leader for over 20 years and Ivy Kleinbart, a poet and writing teacher at Syracuse University.

Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project

WGF is screenplay focused in Los Angeles. From the WGF website:

“The mission of the Writers Guild Foundation’s Veterans Writing Project is to identify emerging writers from United States military backgrounds and provide them with the tools and insights to nurture their passion for writing and successfully navigate the entertainment industry.

We do this in two phases over a yearlong program: A weekend-long retreat, and monthly follow-up workshops and special events. Each military veteran is paired with WGA members. Our writer-mentors represent some of the most beloved movies and television series of the past and present, and are committed to guiding the voices of the future.”

Link to WGF:

https://www.wgfoundation.org/programs/military-veterans-writing-workshop/

Other Non-Veteran Writing Organizations

There are probably hundreds of non-veteran writing organizations with missions similar or identical to that of MWSA. Here is just one, the Southwest Writers in New Mexico, as a sample.

Links to Southwest Writers:

 http://www.southwestwriters.com/

https://www.facebook.com/southwestwriters/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/southwestwritersonline/

Also, the Corrales Writing Group link:

https://www.facebook.com/WritersInCorrales/

Finally, there are academic organizations that offer free writing classes not limited to veterans but certainly of interest to veterans. Jim Tritten has participated in this one.

Link to Writing University [University of Iowa]:

 http://www.writinguniversity.org/

The Writer’s Garrett, Dallas, TX

Kathy Rodgers is connected and suggested if MWSA hosts a conference in Dallas/Fort Worth, MWSA may be able to partner with them. In her words:

“The director has worked hard to incorporate veterans into their curriculum. Jack London and Don Helin taught a class in Waco, TX summer of 2016 and I believe that was sponsored by the Garrett or a combo with the VA. 

“In fall of 2016, former MWSA member Leila Levinson and I sat on a panel and talked about writing about the military. Leila also conducted a two-hour training session for workshop instructors interested in working with veterans.” 

From their website:

The Writer’s Garret has developed Writing Over War to support military veterans, their families, and others affected by conflict. Your story can change lives. Learn to tell it with skill and power. Share your experiences through writing in a way that will help others to better understand your service.

Writing Over War faculty and presenters are practicing writers: poets, novelists, memoirists, and playwrights; they are spoken-word artists and writers of creative non-fiction, flash fiction, and short stories. Many are themselves veterans, the spouses and sons and daughters of veterans, or refugees from war-torn countries. All are trained workshop facilitators with a heart for serving their communities through sharing their love of the written word.

Our workshops focus on the craft of writing, as well as strategies to help participants process and write about intense experiences in a way that promotes good health. Research exploring the connection between the arts and well-being has found that writing from deep feeling boosts immune function, brings about drops in blood pressure, reduces feelings of depression, and elevates daily moods. Writing makes a difference.

Writing Over War introductory workshops are always free to veterans and their family members. To learn more about bringing a workshop to your organization or community, contact us at WoverW@writersgarret.org

Link to Writing Over War:

http://www.writersgarret.org/project/writingoverwar/

Western Writers of America

From their website:

WWA was incorporated in 1953 to promote the literature of the American West. Like the Western landscape itself, WWA and the books, songs, and stories produced by its members have evolved immensely.

WWA boasts historians, nonfiction authors, young adult, romance writers, songwriters, poets, and screenwriters for film and television. We all have one thing in common—our work in every medium is set in the ever-changing American West.

Today we have more than 650 members who have garnered awards and made The New York Times best-sellers list. Members include C.J. Box, Anne Hillerman, Craig Johnson, Tom Clavin, Nancy Plain, Mark Hall-Patton, Thomas Cobb, Chris Enss, Kat Martin, Kirk Ellis, Lucia St. Clair Robson, Johnny D. Boggs, Paul Andrew Hutton and David Morrell.

Link to Western Writers of America:

http://westernwriters.org/

Additional Resources

Link to The Iowa Review’s collection of Writing Resources for Veterans (some of the above are included.) MWSA is listed:

https://iowareview.org/content/writing-resources-veterans

Link to Article on Writing Groups:

https://conniejjasperson.com/2017/06/28/amwriting-choosing-a-writing-group/

Link to site where authors can list books for free and connect with other military writers:

http://www.military-writers.com/index.html

Agenda Appendix B

MWSA FY 2018 Budget – Aug 31

Income                                    2018 Estimate                        Actual

Membership Dues                              15,000                       15,530.00         

Book Review/Awards                           3,200                         2,840.00

Conference                                           5,000                         2,110.00         

Donations/Stickers/Other                             0                          247.70          

Total Income                                       23,200                     $20,968.70

Expenses

REP Contract                                      11,000                         7,160.00         

Book/Review Awards                           3,200                         1,187.70

Conference                                           5,000                                                

Board Meetings                                    1,000                        

Outreach (VA Class, etc)                     1,000                         250.00*          

CPA                                                         500

Dues, Renewals, Misc.                         1,500                         1074.53

Total Expenses                                   23,200                      $9,672.23

2017 VA Class expense

Note: Estimates for income are based on prior year’s experience. Estimated expense is based on the corresponding income item. As the year goes on, specific income and expense numbers will be documented.  Dues go into Operations account and cover all expenses of running MWSA. Conference(s) and book awards program need to pay for themselves and fees in each not geared for making anything but a very small profit.  That very small excess is necessary to cover any unexpected expense, and if not needed, should be used to decrease cost of future program activities. 

Details TBD

AGENDA
5 pm EST  7 March 2018

                         Call to:  (712) 832-8330             Access code:  618 1029   #

1.  Call to Order                                                          Dwight Zimmerman

2.  Approve minutes of last meeting                          Joe Epley                   

3.  Treasurers report                                                   Buddy Cox

4.  Membership report                                                            John Faulkner

5.  Annual meeting report                                          Joe Epley, Bob Doerr

6.  Awards report                                                        John Cathcart

7.  Author of year report                                            Valerie Ormond

8.  Conflict of interest report                                     Joe Epley

9.  Veterans Radio Proposal                                       Bob Doerr

10.  Associate Member                                               Bob Doerr

11.  New business                                                       Dwight Zimmerman

12   Old Business                                                        Dwight Zimmerman

13.  Next Meeting       6 June 2018

14.  Adjourn