Chicago Headline Club Meeting Minutes
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bloomberg Offices
Approved at Sept. 16, 2008 meeting;
After the meeting Beth Konrad noticed an error; Kathy Catrambone corrected the error, revised the minutes and e-mailed the corrected version to the board on Sept. 17; see revision below *
Attending in person: Esther Cepeda, Tim Inklebarger, Niki Dizon, Melissa Goh, Sue Stevens, Beth Konrad, Kathy Catrambone, Tony Noce, Steve Walsh, Molly McDonough, Suzanne McBride, Kristen McQueary, Deborah Cohen
On the phone: Dawn Reiss, Howard Dubin, Kristen Schorsch, Laura Putre
Call to Order: Beth Konrad, VP of programs, called the meeting to order at noon.
July Minutes: July minutes were approved.
Internet Committee Recommendations: Melissa Goh and Tim Inklebarger are taking proposals to redesign and maintain the CHC site. They have created scope for the project to include design and maintenance. Melissa anticipates that updating the site will require delegation of ongoing duties to specific members of the board. The RFP will be distributed locally through board connections, etc.
Financial Update: Treasurer Suzanne McBride is considering switching the club’s bank because she is unhappy with some aspects of service with Chase. Suzanne suggests Bank of America, as they are more adept with small accounts. Molly McDonough, in attendance to pick up the CHC’s donation to the Legal Defense Fund auction and speaking as a past president, points out that the treasurer has the ability to appoint a deputy. Suzanne said she would consider this. Beth, President Dawn Reiss and Suzanne agreed to meet prior to the SPJ National Convention to go over CHC finances.
Events Update: Suzanne is coordinating an event tentatively entitled “Going Academic: How to Land a Gig Teaching College Journalism,” to be held 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Columbia College. The free event is being co-sponsored with AWJ.
Report/Analysis of Events Review from Lisagor/Lifetime Achievement Committee:
Beth reports that the Lisagor/Lifetime Achievement Committee met last week to discuss the combining the two events and to review the overall event slate. Beth, Tony Noce, Niki Dizon, Jane Hirt, Steve Walsh, and Kathy Catrambone were in attendance. Beth says these meetings will continue to be held at Loyola; all board members are invited. The committee reviewed the list of potential program ideas, as well as our existing commitments. They looked at finances, attendance and CHC event criteria. “We realized that in some ways we’re in competition with ourselves,” Beth says. She recommends a systematic approach so that we can maximize attendance at all future events.
Brownlee: The kickoff was scheduled for on Aug 24th at Priscilla MacDougall’s home in Evanston. We are looking at Brownlee events for October, November and December.
*October: Priscilla Ruth MacDougall will talk about Les Brownlee’s life and legacy and their life together as husband and wife. MacDougall, an honored and trail-blazing attorney, will talk also about her career and that of her father, legendary journalism professor and expert, Curtis D. MacDougall.
*November: Taking its lead from Les, who was always ahead of his time as a journalist and journalism professor, the Headline Club will hold a primer on backpack journalism. The seminar will be an introduction to the skills a journalist needs to be successful in tomorrow’s newsroom.
*December: Les was the first black member of the national Society of Professional Journalists. In recognition of this, the Headline Club is inviting representatives of Chicago’s minority journalism groups to discuss what it means to be a minority or journalist of color in today’s industry. This program also will feature a social hour for all area journalists.
Combining Lifetime/Lisagors: The program committee suggests that we combine the two events and limit the Lifetime Achievements to no more than two award recipients. Steve Walsh highlighted the benefits of combining the two events, which include creating a centerpiece for the Lisagors, boosting attendance and highlighting achievements for the benefit of young journalists.
Motion to combine the Lisagor/Lifetime Achievement: Niki made a motion to combine the Lisagor and Lifetime Achievement Awards to one event in April to make it the Club’s premiere event. There was a second, a call for vote, which was unanimous in favor of the combination.
First Amendment Forum: Sue Stevens reports that the First Amendment Forum is tentatively for Thursday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m. at the Tribune’s Freedom Museum. We have to pay for set-up and clean-up costs; in the past we have contributed about $200 each year.
Meeting Adjourned: Meeting ended at 1:15.