Members present:  Robyn Bielawski, Ramona Burns, Lynn Crandall, HiDee Ekstrom, Rebecca Wright

Old Business:

• Website: no update
• Newsletter:  HiDee checked prices on color copies (49 cents per page vs. 8 cents per page for black and white).  Members present agreed that printing in color is not worth the added cost.  If anyone wants a color copy, they can print their own from the .pdf files that will be posted on yahoogroups.  Ramona commented that she really enjoyed the last issue of the newsletter and found it very helpful.
• Market research:  Lynn D. was absent.
• Graphics update:  Robyn has loaded the graphic on yahoogroups so we can order items from online.  She will post instructions for us. However, for larger items like t-shirts and tote bags, the logo needs revised to make it center better.  HiDee will ask her computer guy to correct that problem for us. 
• Just Desserts:  Ramona will coordinate the contest this year.  Members should send electronic copies of entries (1-3 pages double-spaced) to Ramona by the November meeting.  Ramona will distribute entries and scoresheets, which will be due back to her by November 30.  All are encouraged to make comments on the scoresheets which will be returned to authors.  Winners will be announced at the Christmas luncheon. 
• Flyers:  HiDee will make minor revisions and email to loop.  We request that members print and post wherever possible to attract attention to our group.

 New Business:

• Christmas party:  Members present tentatively agreed on Saturday December 13 for our Christmas luncheon.  We will continue with our book exchange.  Lynn is accepting nominations for our chapter awards. Submit what you’ve done for the chapter this year, or what you think someone else has done for the chapter, for our Service Award.  The A for Effort award is to acknowledge work that is building your writing career.  Have you submitted something?  Let Lynn know. 
• Elections:  Lynn volunteered to continue as President.  Robyn and HiDee confirmed that they volunteer for VP-Secretary and VP-Communications/Treasurer, respectively. 
• 20th Anniversary:  Tentatively agreed on a luncheon with cake to celebrate.  HiDee checking actual anniversary date – believed to be August.
• Ophan Bill:  Discussion
• Writing updates:  Robyn is gearing up for NaNo in November; she and her writing partner each plan to write 50,000 words.  No word yet from her submission earlier this summer.  Ramona has been working on a couple of short stories, and making plans to enter Golden Heart in 2010.  Rebecca started a new mystery.  HiDee has been editing and reading.  Lynn has been writing and working through Book-in-a-Month. 
• There were no pages for critiquing.
• Chapter meetings:  Discussion on content of our meetings.  Are members happy with our current format?  Would you prefer a change?  We have 30 minutes of social time at the beginning of our meeting, followed by business, and then critiquing if anyone brings pages.  Lately, we haven’t had much critiquing at all. Do members want something different? Do we want to skip critiquing and stick to writing-related discussions?  Please share your thoughts. 
• Chapter survey:  If you have not already done so, please complete and return your chapter survey to Lynn so she can compile the results for our next meeting.
• Loop:  Discussion on how to put our e-loop to better use.  Rebecca suggested prompts and is willing to post them; Lynn has posted prompts without much response in the past.  Rebecca also suggested one member per month post pages for critiquing the week before our meeting.  Members could read and critique, then bring those pages to the meeting for discussion.  She has a list of basic questions that could be used as a guideline for critiquing comments – she will post them to the loop.  Authors could include with their work a list of questions that they are wondering about. For example, does the heroine seem realistic?  Is the conflict strong enough?  How is the dialogue?
• Lynn shared a writing exercise from a newspaper article.  Tell a story in 6 words.  Members present came up with some good ones!  Unfortunately, I didn’t write them down when I was taking notes.  Members: share your 6 words on the loop!