Hot Topic: Getting People Out When The Weather’s Rough

The original Hot Topic was “Getting People Out When It’s Cold Out”. This doesn’t normally affect all of Region D, I know that the sections in sunny Florida and sunnier still, in Puerto Rico, don’t have to worry too much, if at all, about the cold. On the other hand, rain… can rain on our parade, literally. So: how do you deal with the weather? How do you get people to come to your activities despite the weather?

(Last week, we went over three checkpoints to consider for a successful activity: promote the activity well, provide incentives to the attendees, and follow up. They hold true no matter what activity or hardship you come across. Read more here.)

One way to combat the weather is to, at least when the weather’s rough (bitter cold, raining), keep your activities indoors for a while. Take this time of year to hold seminars and host company info-sessions.

Since not many people are willing to drive/walk/bike long distances when the weather is harsh, you’ll also want keep your indoor activities local, preferably on campus. UNF’s Bingo-Night is one example; you can also host Karaoke Nights, Talent Shows… what works best on your campus.

You can also use the weather to your advantage. Is it too cold out? Hold a Hot-Cocoa Social! Too hot? Hold an ice-cream social, or plan a trip to the beach.

Not all can be fun and games, though. Sometimes the weather can be cruel, and your local community could be severely affected. Although we all hope this never happens, in the worst-case scenario that it does, it is our duty as an organized group of the community to do whatever we can to help. (Read: service project.)

What does your Section do when the weather’s rough? Let us know: leave a comment. You can also send in suggestions to rcne-d@swe.org.

Kudos to fellow Blogger!

I’m not that new to the blogging world (I used to collaborate with a friend’s blog back in 2005), but it’s been a while, and I like seeing that I’m not alone in this endeavor… blogging about SWE. So I had to share this with you.

Although most of you don’t know this, I occasionally pay a visit to different section websites… I see what you do and I like to compare websites… it gives me something useful to do in my spare time. Lately, my search through your sites has been a little more focused, as I’m searching for contact info on Newsletter Editors and Webmasters… and in my search, I came across the most interesting thing: a section Blog!

The girls at SPSU (the first section featured on this Blog), have a BLOG about their section activities and honestly, I applaud Cindy Nguyen for her hard work… it’s not easy being President and Webmaster/Blogger for your section. Visit their site here; visit their Blog HERE. Keep up the good work!

Call for Senators

You should have received this call a month ago, during December. I urge all of you to try out for a role in SWE’s Senate… having a position like this is a pleasure and a privilege… there is so much to learn and so much to do… it’s a very rewarding position.

Are you interested in taking your SWE leadership to the next level?  Do you want to make a difference in programs for collegiate members?  If so, this is your opportunity to apply! You could be your region’s next Collegiate Senator and serve on the SWE National Senate!

The Senator is a vital collegiate voice within the Region and to National leaders in SWE. The Collegiate Senator will help set the direction for the Society working with 2 Professional Senators from the 10 Regions, 2 International Senators, and 2 Special Senators. Senators will attend 2 face-to-face meetings each year: one at the National Conference and one in the spring in conjunction with the annual strategic plan review.  In addition, Senators will participate on monthly conference calls and in online community discussions. Funding assistance for travel reimbursement to the spring meeting is available, with additional funding from each region being requested.  Plus, all Senators will be trained together to enhance regional cooperation and collaboration.

Both the Collegiate Senator and RCR/RCNE positions provide invaluable interaction and coaching from SWE leaders.  These leadership opportunities sharpen your career skill-set in the areas of leading and facilitation, group dynamics and communication, and project leadership. Please click here to get started on your (online) Collegiate Senator application.

What does it take to be Collegiate Senator?

• Member of SWE for at least 2 years and in good standing
• Be a collegiate member during term (graduate or undergraduate)
• Have been in a leadership role in their section, region or national SWE.  Acceptable leadership roles:
  • Officer at any level
  • Committee chair at section level
  • Committee member at regional and/or national level
  • previous RCR/RCNE
• Have attended at least one regional or national conference
• Good Academic Standing

Applications are due by Saturday, February 1^st.

If you have  any  more  questions, please contact us:

Charleen Laughlin, Senator Transition Team,
Jessica Rannow Flasche, Senator Transition Team

Call for RCRs and RCNE

The call is official! Region D is now looking for it’s next Regional Collegiate Representatives (we need two) and for it’s next Regional Collegiate Newsletter Editor! More details follow in a copy of the e-blast you, as a Diva, should have recieved from Pamela Snyder and Jennifer Vallero, RCR-RCNE Coordinator and Coordinator Elect, respectively.

(I’ve edited the e-blast to include information relevant to our Region.)

Call for Applicants!

Are you interested in taking your SWE leadership to the next level?  Do you want to make a difference in programs for collegiate members?  If so, this is your opportunity to apply! You could be your region’s next Region Collegiate Representative (RCR) or Region Collegiate Newsletter Editor (RCNE).

The RCR is responsible for representing collegiate members’ interests among regional leaders.  The RCNE is responsible for communicating important SWE events and best practices primarily through the region’s blog.  Plus, the RCR(s) and RCNE from each region will get to attend next summer’s Collegiate Leadership Forum in Chicago, IL!

Both positions provide invaluable interaction and coaching from SWE leaders.  These leadership opportunities sharpen your career skill-set in the areas of leading and facilitation, group dynamics and communication, and project leadership. Please click on this link to get started on your RCR or RCNE application.

When you apply you will need:

• Member number
• Section/Region
• School and Permanent Address
• Position of interest
• SWE leadership positions
• Other leadership positions
• What you bring to the RCR or RCNE position
• What SWE means to you
• Interest outside of SWE
• Reference to confirm GPA/academic standing

Applications are due by Friday, February 13^th.

Like FY09, in FY10 there will be 1 RCR for every 1,000 collegiate members in the region up to 2.  Below is a summary of each Region’s membership as of November 30^th.  Regions with a collegiate membership of 1,000 members by Dec 31^st 2008 will host 2 RCRs.

Region D: 1,226 members (2 RCRs)

Note the application for becoming Collegiate Senator was provided in a separate eBlast.  There will be opportunities to learn more about the differences between Collegiate Senator, RCR, and RCNE in the coming weeks.

More information about the election process can be found in the SWE Community “Collegiate Leadership Opportunity Community“. If you have any questions regarding the RCR/RCNE positions or the election process, please contact your Region Leadership:

Position	Region D
RCR	rcr-d@swe.org
RCNE	rcne-d@swe.org
Region Governor	Karen Ramsey-Idem

or Pam Snyder, FY09 RCR-RCNE Coordinator

Thank you,

Pam Snyder, FY09 RCR/RCNE Coordinator
Jennifer Vallero, FY09 RCR/RCNE Coordinator-Elect

Council Activity Update, Senate Transition Update, FY09 Strategic Plan Review

The following was an e-blast sent out to Section Presidents, among other SWE officers, yesterday, by Diana Joch, Speaker of the Council of Representatives (COR). One of my many resolutions was to keep you updated as much as possible through the Blog, so you’ll be seeing more posts like this throughout the Spring.
–Josuan

Happy New Year!

As we start a new year, I would first like to thank all of you for your time, effort and commitment this year.  The Council meetings in Baltimore were historic, and showed everyone’s commitment and passion for SWE.  It was clear that all in attendance were truly interested in doing what was best for the Society.  I do hope that many of you will consider serving on the Senate as well as encourage others to take on the leadership role as a section representative.

As we transition to the Senate, there are still several Council duties left to perform during the second half of this fiscal year:

• The draft minutes from the November 6 and 8, 2008 Council meetings are complete and will be posted on the COR Community for review and comment shortly.  An electronic vote to approve the minutes will be taken later this month.
• The Mega Issues Task Force is continuing their work on MI-104: “How do we match the skills, interests, and capacities of our volunteers with the needs of SWE to create a satisfying partnership that will last throughout their lifecycle?”  The strategic background paper will be presented in March, followed by a series of discussion teleconferences with Council members in April.  The final paper and recommendations will be presented to the Council and others in May.

The Mega Issues Task Force is looking for additional members to work on the current mega issue.  If you are interested in the topic or have some time to help identify survey questions and analyze data, please contact Islin Moy.

Senate Transition Update

• The Governance FIG has worked to complete its recommendations for the nomination and election process for senators for FY10.  The document also contains details on the roles and responsibilities of senators and alternates.  That information has been provided to all region governors as well as the collegiate and international member coordinators.  The document has also been posted on the COR Community under Resources.
• Over the next few months, the Deputy Speaker, Society Parliamentarian, and I will be working to generate a draft Senate procedures document.
• Necessary changes in region bylaws are being evaluated by the bylaws committee as well as the Society Secretary and Parliamentarian.  Once approved, the updated region bylaws template will be sent to the regions for incorporation and approval.

FY09 Strategic Plan Review

The FY09 Strategic Plan Review will be held in conjunction with the Region B conference on Friday, January 30, 2009 from 8 am to 5 pm in Albuquerque, NM. Council representatives are invited to attend this review.  Seats are limited and they are first come first serve. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP with Nora Lin or Betty Irish.

If you are interested in attending the Region B conference as well, please visit its website.

If you have specific questions or feedback, please contact me.

Thank you,

Diana Joch, FY09 COR Speaker

Diva Diamond Awards

Collegiate Sections! Have you heard about the Diva Diamond?

The Diva Diamond Award is to encourage sections to be active and promote SWE values. Each section will receive points for various activities such as submitting reports and writing blogs. To be a diva diamond a section must have at least 75% of the total available points. Below is a table that shows point values for different activities. In order to qualify the section must submit an annual and financial report.

Activity	Points
Blog Submission	5
RCR Report Submission	10
Regional Committees	10
National Committee	15
Bylaws Submission	15
Conference Call	5
Regional Award Submit	15
One or Two Membership Goal (per month)	1
All Membership Goals Met (per month)	2

–Martha Addison, RCR-D, FY09