STC 2010 Election Reminder

(Copied from the STC Election Message)

Who will be STC's next...

• Secretary?
• Board Members?
• Nominating Committee Members?

Do you know the candidates? Take this opportunity to get to know the individuals running for elected office at the Society level. Click here to visit the 2010 Election and Candidate Information page on the STC website. You can review the candidates' biographies, ask them questions, and view their responses to questions posed by other members.

The 2010 election will be held from 9 March 2010 through 8 April 2010. Information on casting your ballot will be sent to you prior to the opening of the election. As a reminder, you must renew your membership (and new members must join) by 28 February 2010 in order to be eligible to vote in the 2010 election.

Thank you for doing your part to make STC a vibrant, growing organization.

Technical Communication Predictions for 2010

This blog article was posted by Sarah O'Keefe, famous among FrameMaker users and the STC community in general. It's thought-provoking. The blog is from Scriptorium, and I've added it to the "Other Good Sites" on the side.

STC Conference Award for Council Members

In the past, the council set aside money that the chapter president could put towards the costs associated with attending Leadership Day at STC’s annual conference. The intent was to improve the president’s leadership of the chapter and find new ideas to try out at home. However, the budgeted amount only covered a little more than the registration fee (@ $500US).This was impractical because if the president could not afford to pay the air fare and hotel costs (which are usually much more than the registration fee), she could not attend. As a result, the budgeted amount was rarely used.

This year, the council changed the allocated amount to a maximum of $2500. Furthermore, they decided that other members of the council are in leadership positions, and the opportunity is now open to anyone who meets all the following criteria:

• Any volunteer who is a chapter member, and


• Has volunteered for at least one year in the past, and


• Is currently volunteering.

In addition, each candidate also had to agree to:

• Stay at the conference hotel.


• Attend Leadership Day.


• Give a seminar about what they learned.


• Write an article for chapter publication about any aspect of the conference.

The benefits of sending a council member to the conference are:

• The chapter will have a volunteer who is better equipped to serve the membership.


• The whole council will benefit from the collected knowledge.


• The networking opportunities could turn up other people who are useful to the chapter (such as potential speakers).


• The attendee will raise the profile of our chapter on the international stage--be a kind of ambassador.


• Some of the money will be going to the Society.


• We could attract more volunteers.

Eligible candidates were identified and had the option of withdrawing from the contest. From those candidates who wanted to participate, the winner was selected by a random draw. Winners will not be eligible for the subsequent draws.

As a result of the council’s decision, the first winner of the STC Conference Award is Debbie Kerr, our immediate past president. Congratulations, Debbie!

Why not volunteer so that you can be considered for a future draw?

Technical Writer Position at Brock Solutions

Brock Solutions is currently advertising a technical writer position. See their website for more information.

General Dynamics Canada Hiring Now

General Dynamics Canada is currently looking for technical writers and technical illustrators to work in their London, Ontario office. See this press release for details: General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Announces Over 200 Employment Opportunities.

Pondering When to Renew? Renew Now and Enter to Win!

Posted: 09 Dec 2009 11:19 AM PST on STC's Notebook

Ponder no more! If you renew your STC membership by 16 December, you’ll be automatically entered to win an Amazon Kindle or one of five iPod Shuffles! So not only will you get all the great benefits STC has to offer, but you might get a little something-something in the bonus round as well—Wink Martindale, eat your heart out!

Last year STC gave away five iPods, but we’ve upped the ante a bit to include the Amazon Kindle this year. And with the contest ending 16 December, we’ll do our very best to get the winners their prizes as soon as we absolutely can for gifting purposes.

Valid entries must be completed by 11:59 EST PM (GMT-5) Wednesday, 16 December. At that point, we’ll conduct a drawing and notify the winners. What could be better? Renew your STC membership and continue all the benefits, and maybe win some stuff in the process!

Tips for Renewing or Buying an STC Membership

As I was renewing my membership, I found out a few things that I didn't read before starting the online process. I also found out a few things by asking STC Head Office. To help you avoid some surprises, or perhaps to answer some questions before you ask them, here are my personal discoveries (all prices are in US dollars):

• A Basic STC membership no longer gives you membership in a chapter or a SIG. Each chapter membership now costs an additional $25, and a SIG membership costs $10 each.


• If you do not renew your membership by February 28, 2010, you are subject to an extra renewal fee of $15.


• If you do not renew your membership for a year, you are subject to an extra renewal fee of $30.


• When you buy an STC membership for the first time, there is an additional initiation fee of $30.


• If you want printed versions of the publications, the magazine Intercom is $30 + $7.50 for postage to Canada; the journal Technical Communication is $75 + $7.50 for postage to Canada.


• You have the option of paying your total dues in four equal installments over the course of the year.


• If you want to add a chapter or SIG membership to your existing membership, you can do it over the course of the year.

To buy or renew your membership, go to the STC Head Office website.

If you discover something useful about buying or renewing a membership that isn't listed here, feel free to leave a comment.