Newsletter: January 2020

Greetings, North Central Members!

Welcome to the January 2020 chapter newsletter. Let us know what you think, and remember, you can also read it on the chapter website. You can find previous newsletters on the website as well. And we always welcome suggestions for newsletter topics.

In this issue:

CHAPTER EVENTS

• Book Club Selections for 2020

• Winter Happy Hour: February 27th, 2020

NEWS

• Take an Active Role! Please consider volunteering!

FEATURE

•  Annual Membership Meeting Recap

CHAPTER EVENTS

Book Club Selections

By Paul W. Mamula, PhD

In 2020, we celebrate the 14th year of our North Central Book Club. How time does fly! The new year will also mark the beginning of my first full year as book club coordinator. Mary Knatterud, the organizer of our club, has retired from the hectic academic life to pursue what comes next, although she still joins us for discussions. This year promises to be a fun year with books about style, food, and fraud. Dreyer’s English is newly published and may be something for writers and editors. Extra Virginity might interest the “foodies” among us. Bad Blood (our dinner meeting selection) was previously previewed in the “Read a Good Book?” column in the April 2019 Newsletter. Read that column for a sneak peek. The selections and particulars follow:

• Monday, January 27, 2020: Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer (11 am, The Egg and I, 2550 University Ave, St Paul, just west of Highway 280)

• Monday April 27, 2020: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller (11 am, Mirror of Korea, St Paul,761 Snelling Ave, St Paul, in the Midway neighborhood near Hamline University)

• Monday, September 28, 2020: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (6 pm, La Casita Mexican Restaurant, 1625 Perimeter Road, Roseville)

Whether or not you have read the book, join us for one or all of these meetings. You can enjoy the conversation and network with other AMWA members. Non-AMWA members are welcome, too (You can also find out more about AMWA in an informal setting). We welcome your thoughts about which books to add as future selections.

If you plan on joining a book club discussion, please email me at paulpat (at) pclink (dot) com before 9 am on the day of the meeting.

Winter Happy Hour!

February 27, 2020 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM

McCoy’s Public House, 3801 Grand Way, St Louis Park, MN 55416

Please join us for socializing and networking at our winter happy hour! Appetizers will be provided by the chapter. This event is open to members and to anyone interested in medical writing. RSVP by email to Messac Che Neba: mcheneba (at) gmail (dot) com.

NEWS

Take an Active Role — Volunteer!

Volunteers Needed!

AMWA North Central is a volunteer-based organization. If members don’t take an active role, the chapter will cease to function, and members will lose access to programming, news, and networking opportunities. Consider taking your turn to lead (or join) a committee or serve as a chapter officer.

These positions are open:

Treasurer: The Treasurer (3-year term) manages the chapter checking account, develops the annual budget in collaboration with the president and president-elect, contributes to semi-annual reports, completes IRS filing, and when needed, helps other committees establish a budget for large events. The current treasurer’s term will overlap with the incoming treasurer’s term to teach you about the position.

Finance Committee Chair: The Finance Committee Chair coordinates the annual audit of the chapter’s financial records at the close of the fiscal year (July) and reports the findings to the Chapter Treasurer.

Publications Committee Chair: The Publications Committee Chair prepares the monthly newsletter and coordinates with the board.

Not ready or able to lead a committee? All our committees welcome members to share ideas and keep the workload light.

In addition to keeping our group viable, volunteering with AMWA is a great way to network with your fellow members. It’s also a good way to fortify your C.V. with an extra line showing how you give back to your profession! If you can volunteer a few hours a month to help, contact our president, Michele Cleary: president (at) amwanorthcentral (dot) org.

FEATURE

Annual Membership Meeting Recap

The annual AMWA North Central Chapter membership meeting was held via teleconference on December 17, 2019. Thirteen chapter members were present on the call. The meeting included a notice of the new bylaws, introduction of the current officers, review of chapter finances, ideas for future events, and an invitation for new volunteers. If you have any questions, please reach out to our president, Michele Cleary: president (at) amwanorthcentral (dot) org.

Have you read a good book lately?

Whether you’ve read a professional/technical, biomedical/science nonfiction, or fiction book that you think other chapter members may enjoy, share a short review with us. Write a paragraph or a few about what you liked about the book, how it might be good for medical writers to read, or how it might fill a need. Send your submissions to jennerb (at) gmail (dot) com.