State
of TWNA
Non-Profit Update
GATS Events
Board Elections
Jim Winsor Update
Canadian Payments
From The Chairwoman
2006 Communication Awards - Kolman's Top 10
State Of The Organization
TWNA currently has 146 members, and an updated directory of
all TWNA members is in the works. Look for the directory soon.
Welcome to our newest member, Steven Macleod, Assistant Editor
in the Calgary office of the Business Information Group, publishers
of Truck News, Truck West and Motor Truck.
Report On Non-Profit Incorporation Status
TWNA is one step closer to completing its incorporation process,
having received IRS approval for its 501C(6) status, effective
June 1, 2006. One more registration with the State of Dealware
is required to complete the process.
GATS Seminar & Meeting Recap
TWNA held a combination meeting and seminar series at the recent
Great American Trucking Show in Dallas. Ed Bardwell of Marc
USA (Peterbilt's agency) delivered a presentation covering online
press rooms, Paul Abelson of Land Line and Road King explained
how to conduct press events, and Tom Kelley of RPM Magazine
covered the basics of digital photography.
In addition to the
seminars, attendees also discussed adding some materials to
the resource area on the TWNA website, including updates to
the digital practices guide, and a space to post the slides
used in the seminar presentations.
Board Nominations & Online Voting
There are five board positions -- Press Directorships for Midwest,
Northeast, Southeast and West, as well as the Agency PR Directorship.
The Press Director terms will run from 1/1/07 to 12/31/08. As
a reminder, the Agency PR Directorship will have a one-time
abbreviated term, from 1/1/07 to 12/31/07, to facilitate the
realignment of our Press and Associate elections.
If you are interested
in running for one of these positions, please submit a short
bio/campaign statement to Tom Kelley by no later than September
22. Balloting will be done via the Internet. Members who are
eligible to vote will be sent information on how to do so sometime
early in October.
Jim Winsor Recovering From Guillain-Barre
As some of you may have already heard, industry veteran Jim
Winsor had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre
Syndrome earlier this year. Paul Abelson and Peggy Fisher
have passed along news that Jim has been moved out of the hospital
and into a nursing facility where he continues his recovery.
If you'd like to send along a card or a note to Jim, he can
be reached at:
Beaumont Rehabilitation
Center
601 Ithan Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
(610) 526-7015
Canadian Payments
Responding to a member inquiry, Eric Berard, Canada/Europe Press
Director, has requested clarification regarding TWNA's policy
requiring that Canadian members submit payments U.S. Dollars.
While we realize
this is an inconvenience, most U.S. banks charge a substantial
currency conversion fee to process checks in foreign currency
denominations. Our current bank charges a fee of US$70.00 per
item, twice the amount of annual press dues.
Some of our Canadian
member companies maintain an account with a U.S. bank to handle
routine transactions with other vendors/customers, avoiding
any problems with the currency exchange issues. The other option
is to have your bank or Canada Post issue an international money
order in U.S. Dollars. As long as the amount is specified in
U.S. Dollars, our bank will process the item with no additional
fees.
We are sorry for
the inconvenience to our Canadian TWNA members, but for the
time being this seems like the best solution.
From The Chairwoman
I thought I would take a few minutes to talk to you about the
TWNA scholarship fund. Frankly, the scholarship committee has
not made much progress on this issue in some time. As chair
of that committee I have no one to blame but myself.
In order to expunge
my guilt, I am publicly announcing that I am taking personal
responsibility for seeing that the necessary pieces are in place
for a TWNA scholarship to be awarded in the summer of 2007.
A draft of a scholarship
proposal needs some editing, as does an application form. We
have a database of colleges and universities in the United States
and Canada to which we can send information about the program
so that they may pass it on to deserving students.
A letter soliciting
donations to the scholarship fund will be mailed out soon to
TWNA member companies and other companies involved in the heavy
truck industry. In addition, TWNA itself has pledged $2,500.00
for the first scholarship.
It is my intent to
have the details of the scholarship worked out before the end
of 2006 and to begin reviewing applications from students after
the first of the year so we can have at least one intern working
in a TWNA-member organization next summer.
Thanks for your patience.
Kolman's Korner
Top
10 Reasons For Not Entering
TWNA's 2006 TWNA Communication Awards Program
10. Being recognized
for excellence in trucking industry journalism and communications
means nothing to me or my organization. Now if the competition
was for a logo'd ball cap, pen or keychain . . .
9. With all the freebies,
give-ways and materials that I collect during MATS, I don't
have room in my suitcase for my dirty laundry or hotel towels,
much less an award plaque or three.
8. Because the entries
for the totally independent TWNA communication awards program
are peer judged against a thoroughly refined and tested standard
scale, and there are a number of my peers who I don't particularly
care for.
7. You mean the awards
program is not just for editorial but encompasses any form of
communications work - articles, websites, radio programs, videos,
marketing brochures, catalogs, books, calendars, photos, cover
designs, complete issues, press kits, and so on and so forth
- with the exception of advertising?
6. I don't have enough
shelf or wall space for even one more recognition.
5. I'll have to shake
hands with that master of ceremonies person in front of my friends
and associates.
4. I don't have the
time to fill in the necessary paperwork because I am constantly
waiting for OEM press room web pages to load.
3. You mean I have
to actually enter for the opportunity to win an award?
2. I am totally max'd
out on excuses for my procrastination in meeting deadlines.
So if I don't start the application process, I don't have to
finish it.
1. How can I be expected
to single out just one or two pieces of my work for a prestigious
honor when every one of them is a work of genius?
The
2006 TWNA Communication Awards entry
form is now available online. Download the form and start
preparing your entries today!
