Re: I went to the AGM!..........

[Guest guest]

said>............and found the treasurer's post filled

>Not really inspired to do anything else either.

could you not have stood too -a contested post adds spice to an

AGM...happens so rarely!

OTOH perhaps the Treas would relish some help (esp at quarter & year ends) &

you could do it next year having good idea of what is involved!

Angi

[Guest guest]

Angi wrote:

>could you not have stood too -a contested post adds spice to an

>AGM...happens so rarely!

LOL!! At the first AGM I went to, another member and I sat politely

offering membership to each other! In the end she took membership and I

took publicity. I got membership 6 months later though when she had a

baby very prem.

--

Sue

[Guest guest]

> said>............and found the treasurer's post filled

> >Not really inspired to do anything else either.

Perhaps there is a one-off event you could help organise, a fund raiser or

social or something? Something you really could get inspired about. Then you

can dip your toe in with no ongoing obligation. Or if there are nearly new

sales, get yourself along to help. The whole of our branch year is geared to

finding new people for *next year`s committee to do jobs that they

themselves want to do, so drop some hints now!!

Or how about being a class supporter? or the new NCT Maternity rep post.

Basically, let the chair know that you are up for something!

Barbara

[Guest guest]

> could you not have stood too -a contested post adds spice to an

> AGM...happens so rarely!

> OTOH perhaps the Treas would relish some help (esp at quarter & year ends)

&

> you could do it next year having good idea of what is involved!

> Angi

As it happened we were sitting next to eachother. She was very apologetic,

but she is an accountant by trade so I don't think she would want any help.

The only person who really came to talk to me was the newsletter editor, she

invited me to her areas coffee mornings - have just mailed her thanks

Maybe Contact Organiser?????

We'll see

[Guest guest]

> Basically, let the chair know that you are up for something!

It was a long meeting (AGM and committee) but you would have though one of

them would have suggested an alternative since I was the only " member "

attending and had expressed an interest in the treasurer's post.

I have written to the newsletter editor as she was the only one who invited

me to something.

The branch have just issued an A4 size newsletter which I don't really like

and one of the deliverers expressed dismay when trying to post them through

letterboxes! We used to have A5 like my old branch and a neighbouring

branch - ANY COMMENTS???

[Guest guest]

!

>> OTOH perhaps the Treas would relish some help (esp at quarter & year

ends)

> &

>> you could do it next year having good idea of what is involved!

>> Angi

>

>As it happened we were sitting next to eachother. She was very apologetic,

>but she is an accountant by trade so I don't think she would want any help.

Maybe not on the technical side of things -but just with general admin,

phonecalls, getting stuff sorted.

Seriously, people who actually want to do jobs rather than being armtwisted

are like hens teeth! they'll love you for volunteering!

Go for it!

[Guest guest]

> I have written to the newsletter editor as she was the only one who

invited

> me to something.

> The branch have just issued an A4 size newsletter which I don't really

like.....

>

There is a general NCT problem with 'asking people' - it used to be that no

one ever asked anyone to join (I know from experience, 9 yrs ago, was

desperate to get newsletters etc!) so don`t be miffed if they weren`t

falling over themselves to recruit you.

So is it the newletter team for you now !! ;-))

Barbara

[Guest guest]

> So is it the newletter team for you now !! ;-))

Not too sure - enthusiasm defiantly dwindling

[Guest guest]

Re: I went to the AGM!..........

> The branch have just issued an A4 size newsletter which I don't really

like

> and one of the deliverers expressed dismay when trying to post them

through

> letterboxes! We used to have A5 like my old branch and a neighbouring

> branch - ANY COMMENTS???

>

I have just seen Leatherhead's latest newsletter - it's an excellent issue -

but they too have gone A4. It did look more professional but looked as

though it cost more. Southend's latest newsletter has just come out, A5,

slightly longer than usual so we had to resort to hand delivering it because

it went into the next price band postage. Ah, the difference between big

and small branches!

Jo

Trainee ANT & Bookings Sec, Southend

SAHM to (7), (4) and Dominic (2)

[Guest guest]

> I have just seen Leatherhead's latest newsletter - it's an excellent

issue -

> but they too have gone A4. It did look more professional but looked as

> though it cost more.

Our A4 version looks very tacky, just stapled pieces of paper, which

inhibits reading the text on the inside edges!

>Southend's latest newsletter has just come out, A5,

> slightly longer than usual so we had to resort to hand delivering it

because

> it went into the next price band postage. Ah, the difference between big

> and small branches!

Jo our branch is 450 strong but we hand deliver (is this big or small?)

My old branch hand delivered also

Postage - what a privilege

[Guest guest]

> Jo our branch is 450 strong but we hand deliver (is this big or small?)

> My old branch hand delivered also

> Postage - what a privilege

Branches vary in size from about 10 members (or less!) to 1400. A huge

variation. Most big branches are around London in regions 4 and 5 where you

are far from alone , but over the whole UK yours is definitely a big

branch. I get the impression that most branches hand deliver at least some

if not most newsletters to save money. Partly depends on the spreadoutness

of the branch.

Interesting comparing isn't it?

Sue S

[Guest guest]

> Not too sure - enthusiasm defiantly dwindling

So, , are you feeling defiant?! You know, you could always come to a

regional day - where enthusiasm is to be found in heaps and heaps - or,

shock, horror - you could join your regional team instead where enthusiasm

is the key element. Might give you strength to go back into your branch -

which is where we all need to be firmly rooted really.

love Sue S

[Guest guest]

Partly depends on the spreadoutness

>of the branch.

I like this word " spreadoutness " . My silly dictionary has left it out, but

I will endeavour to use it at some point today. Will let you know.

;-)

McVeigh

Newsletter Editor & Secretary, Leighton Buzzard & District

SAHM to (AKA Tiff Toff) DOB 19/9/97

& Caitlin (AKA Cake Tin) DOB 12/1/00

[Guest guest]

In message <00af01c05bfc$d516c7a0$2ed2e4d4@default>, The s

writes

>our branch is 450 strong but we hand deliver

If you regularly post out items numbering 500+ then you are eligible to

use packet post. This reduces the cost of postage quite a lot. Is it

possible that your branch might look at doing this?

My branch is small - about 70 users/members - we produce our newsletter

in A5, part of the reason being that once a year we send out the mat

sales catalogue and this size fits in the catalogue envelopes! I've just

put our address list onto a spreadsheet which meant the most recent

issue could be stuffed into printed envelopes and left my hands less

than 24 hours after I received it. We currently have it printed by a

local council print unit which has halved the cost (we currently print

500 issues as we have a 12mth project distributing via the local

community midwives - our user/membership figures are just starting to

rise nicely 6 mths in .

If it is being printed on A4 it 'should' be being laid-out and printed

on A3 - this enables spine stapling which would solve the reading the

edge of page problem.

--

Helen Armfield