volunteers – Page 2 – Catholic Writers Guild

CWG MEMBERS ONLY: This is the next in series of activities the Guild does, and that it needs volunteers to help with. The CWG wants to be a force for promoting quality Catholic works–and quality works by Catholics. Won’t you give of your time and talent for this worthy endeavor? If the program below doesn’t appeal to you, but you want to help, check out the other programs here.

The Catholic Writers Conference Live is is one of our biggest events. Not only do we provide valuable information and networking to authors, but we provide a Guild face to publishers and bookstore owners at the accompanying Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show. This is BIG, and we will need help before, during and after the conference. The conference is August 2-5 at Valley Forge, PA. We need helpers both now and/or during the conference. Many folks who have helped with this conference came away with new friends, new writing and marketing opportunities, and even new writing contracts.

The Laudable Laura Lower will coordinate volunteers this year. If you are attending the conference and want to help, please go here to sign up: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GVSVRSL

NEED NOW AND DURING CONFERENCE:

The Excellent Ellen Gable Hrkach will again coordinate the booth on the trade show floor. Here is where we contact publishers, wholesalers and bookstore owners. She needs an assistant coordinator for the booth. This person will assist Ellen Hrkach in evaluating books that have been asked to be part of the booth to ensure they do not contradict Catholic principles. Contact Ellen at ellengablehrkach(at)gmail.com

LOCAL TO VALLEY FORGE? We will need someone to buy some supplies, get us a coffee urn (borrowing if possible), etc. The Guild will reimburse and get you access to our Sam’s or Costco membership.

BEFORE THE CONFERENCE:

–Someone to schedule book signings. This person will take names of members who want to do a signing and make a schedule for the booth.
–Someone to create a schedule we can put in the CMN program brochure.
–Someone to print items for the booth–this varies from brochures to business cards to cover art or other art for the booth. The Guild will reimburse you for printing costs.

DURING THE CONFERENCE:

Booth Set-up/Tear down the booth: We have a fabulous booth and CMN gives us a terrific spot each year. This is done on Tuesday afternoon, so you’d need to come to the conference a day early. Tear down is usually after the last day of the conference. It’s a lot of fun–sometimes, we get free stuff from the other booths that don’t want to deal with carrying stock home!
People to man the booth: You will watch the booth, talk to people about the Guild, man the coffee pot, keep things neat, etc.
People to work with the authors at the book signing: You’ll make sure they have a sign and pens, and make an announcement over the PA system.
Technical Assistant: To handle AV equipment for presentations
Presenter Aids: You will make sure presenters are at their classroom on time, lead the group in a short prayer and introduce the presenter. You may also get supplies (pens etc) and water for presenters.

Have we really been around only five years? The Guild started out as a small group of folks on Yahoo that wanted to do something more than chat about writing. They wanted to band together to become a force for Catholic writing and Catholic writers–and to help themselves in the process.

In just those few short years, we went from a chatty Yahoo group to a national non-profit corporation that hosts two conferences a year, runs two newsletters (one for members and one for bookstores and readers), has a process to evaluate the Catholicity of a book (the Seal of Approval), and even has a national award–the Catholic Arts and Letters Award, which will be given out at the live conference in August. Just as nice: Probably 20 people or more can attribute their book contracts or writing gigs to something they’ve done in the Guild. And we’ve done all of this on a shoestring budget.

How are we doing this? Volunteers. People who give of their time and talent to make these things happen. We are growing, and the demands are growing, too. We need more folks helping out, even if only a task or two a month.

Why volunteer? It is work, and we know folks are busy. However, volunteering gets you a lot of benefits, too:

–Making friends: Our volunteers band together on and off the project. I’ve made some of my best friends in the Guild.
–Networking: Working with the Guild can give you a way to make contact with publishers, other writers, and folks in other areas of publishing. Several of our volunteers have found this foot in the door helpful. (Like I said–writing gigs have come about as a direct result of Guild work!)
–The satisfaction of being part of something bigger than yourself. The Guild is going to be a force, not just for writing, but for promoting our faith. What a mission! We are doing God’s work on earth.

What do you need to volunteer?

–DEDICATION: We don’t need folks to volunteer a lot of time, but we do need to know that if you volunteer for a task you will complete it or get help if needed. Most tasks take less than an hour a week, or are a once in a while thing.
–Eyes, ears, a computer with internet access and a phone. Very few of our volunteer tasks need special skills, and we are willing to train folks for specific tasks as needed.

Where do we need volunteers? Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sending out information on the various programs and projects we have, and what kind of help we need, both on the new CWG blog (http://blog.catholicwritersguild.com) and via direct mail. Please be on the lookout for them, and if interested, contact the program coordinator. However, here are the absoluter basics: If you are willing to help now and want to contact me directly, please do so at karina(at)fabianspace.com.

Seal of Approval: Needs a coordinator to take half the books; readers to evaluate the books. To help with the Seal of Approval, contact Sarah Reinhard at sarah(at)snoringscholar.com
CWG Chats: An assistant coordinator to find and schedule special guests once a month; moderators to run chat (like at CWCO). If interested, contact Theresa Henderson at steve_and_theresa(at)yahoo.com
Inside the CWG: Reporters; editors; layout person (layout person must know HTML): Contact Maria Rivera at mariarr(at)wi.rr.com
Publicity: We’re just putting this committee together, so we need leaders; people to contact the media; people to compile contact lists, etc. Contact Karina Fabian at karina(at)fabianspace.com
Facebook: Some folks to post news; ask folks to “like” the pages or follow our blog. Contact Karina at karina(at)fabianspace.com
CWG Wiki: To be a list of articles specifically about Catholic writers. Need writers and editors and fact-checkers. If interested, contact Dave Law at davealaw(at)shaw.ca
Volunteer Coordinator: Someone(s) to contact new members and get them involved, track and fill needs of committees. If interested, please contact Karina Fabian karina(at)fabianspace.com
CWG Blog: Glad to take more guest bloggers. Contact Jennifer at currentresident(at)fitzes.com.
Catholic Writers Conference Live/Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show: This is big and we have many needs both before and after the conference. Contact Ann Lewis at annlewis(at)joesystems.com.

If you aren’t sure how you can help, please check the blog each Thursday for our call for volunteers. I will be posting more detailed duties and needs. We can do so much for Catholic writing if we work together–and you can benefit personally as well!

Tag Archive for: volunteers

Volunteer Drive: Catholic Writers Conference Live

Volunteer Drive: List of Programs

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