April 5, 2025

National League of American Pen Women—Denver Branch

April 5, 2025 Minutes

  1. Diane called the meeting to order at 9:41 a.m.
  2. There was no inspirational reading today.
  3. Members in attendance: Diane Chambers, Atlanta Sheridan, Eleanor Binnings, Rachel Seekamp, Ann Klaiman, Karen Gladstone. Our newest member, Risa Waldt joined us in time for the presentation after the business meeting.
  4. Guests in attendance: Virginia Small, our webmistress
  5. The March minutes were approved as written.
  6. Treasurer report:
    1. Our current balance is $200.91.
    2. Dues are due this month. Kelly Ann will send an email to all members with the details.
  7. Committees:
    1. Membership: Risa is our newest member having transferred her membership from being a member-at-large to being a member of our Denver Branch.
      1. Meet-Up has been interesting. There are often responses to the meeting announcement and invitation to attend a meeting, but very few have actually attended a meeting.
      2. Kelly Ann shared that Tiffany Nieslanik wants to join NLAPW and our branch. Kelly Ann will make sure that Tiffany has all the needed information for joining.
    2. Zoom: With the change of hosts for our monthly Zoom meeting, there have been snags in getting the Zoom invitation out. Kelly Ann and Atlanta will work together to see if they can resolve the issues.
    3. Website: Virginia reported that she has put some “place holders” on the calendar so the calendar doesn’t look empty. She will fill these spaces as meeting information comes in.
      1. Virginia looked at our Blue Host membership and the concerns with SSL. Blue Host has switched us from SSL to Sitelock to protect our site.
      2. The website is up-to-date and working. The site itself needs to be updated as everything is old.
    4. Critique Group: Eleanor shared that the group is going fine and that Laurel Becker has joined the group.
    5. Outreach: Sue Luxa was not present to update us on what is going on with having Windcrest hanging our Tapestry for Peace in their facility.
    6. Historian: No report as Sue was absent today. Atlanta brought up that we need some plan to store our digital presence and happenings. She said it may be a simple as saving everything on a flash drive.
    7. Programs:
      1. April—Virginia will speak today on illustrations and creativity
      2. May—The Saturday program is TBD. For Monday, May 5, the plans to meet with the writers’ group at Windcrest are still up in the air. Diane will contact Sue for updated information.
      3. June—Janelle Hardy on memoir writing
      4. July—Annual month off from meeting
      5. Rachel suggested that maybe someone from the Pen Woman Press might be interested in presenting to us.
  8. Branch Announcements:
    1. Ann is going to Italy for a bike tour.
    2. Atlanta is writing a children’s mystery.
    3. Eleanor plans to make a schedule for herself to start sending her short stories out for publication.
    4. Karen is in the final stages of writing her memoir.
    5. Rachel spoke about Women in Publishing, owned by Alexa Bigwarfe, and the summit she attended. The various workshops and meetings during the summit were phenomenal. WIP looks at all types of publishing and everything having to do with publishing one’s work.
  9. National News: Diane spoke about the current cross-genre contest happening now.

After the business meeting, Virginia Small presented on her work as an illustrator and the creative process that goes along with it.

Respectfully submitted,

Kelly Ann Compton.

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