Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC
September/October 2003

President's Message:
EBSTC Vision Statement for 2003–2004

by Susan Harlan
EBSTC President

From the STC staff in Washington, D.C., to our working, unemployed, or underemployed members, we have all seen great changes in the past year. The economy might be showing signs of improvement, but globalization and the transfer from an industrial age to an information age are still in process.

While some writers with highly technical backgrounds and those with special niches continue working as usual, most technical writers now need to redefine and reposition themselves as technical communicators, or business communicators who are also adept at self-marketing.

High-Tech, High-Touch

In this changing high-tech environment, EBSTC can be a high-touch chapter: one that focuses on members at the personal level and not just business.

• We can network and also share work and life stories to mentor those around us.
• We can reach out to new members, and not just sign them up but welcome them and show them we are happy they joined STC and the East Bay Chapter.
• We can encourage them to volunteer and become a vital part of the organization.

We need to take a fresh look at volunteerism itself. One of the speakers at the STC Annual Conference in Dallas described the changes in volunteerism and the expectations of different types of volunteers as defined by their age group (see my conference story in this issue for more information). For example, a volunteer today might be more inspired to be an amateur trying out some new task—like Benjamin Franklin, a scientific amateur who made major scientific discoveries.

Moving to New Levels

With these changes and new directions, we will not be discarding all of the practices and procedures developed by the East Bay Chapter over the years. This year, for the first time, our chapter won STC’s Merit Award, a notable chapter achievement. Building on this during the coming year, we will work to reach a higher plateau that will include meeting the Merit Award requirements and then going after the Chapter of Excellence Award.

The clearly defined requirements for these awards provide a baseline of activities that we can develop and implement. As volunteers, we will complete the tasks following business procedures in a high-tech, high-touch environment.

Add the networking that takes place naturally in STC-related activities, and we can look forward to a year of professional development that expands our contacts and our vision. Your volunteer time will be appreciated!

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