AWC Des Moines

Upcoming Chrysalis Events

AWC member Leslie Garman, would like to invite AWC members to attend upcoming Chrysalis events. Chrysalis is the “adopted” non-profit partner of our local alliance of AWC.  Below you will see a listing of these opportunities. In particular, Leslie hopes you will join her MONDAY for the Chrysalis “Community Celebration” event which will be held at Moberg Gallery from 5 – 7 pm. To learn more, please contact Leslie Garman at 255-1853 or lgarman@chrysalisfdn.org.

CHRYSALIS COMMUNITY CELEBRATION to honor the "100th BIRTHDAY OF CHRYSALIS FOUNDER, LOUISE NOUN!"
Date: MARCH 31 (NEXT MONDAY!)

Time: 5 - 7 p.m.

Place: Moberg Gallery, 2921   Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines

Cost: $25 per person

Join the fun!

The celebration will include music from Las Guitarras de Mexico,

food and refreshments, as well as the beautiful artwork of Moberg Gallery.

Please RSVP by Friday, March 28 to info@chrysalisfdn.org or call 255-1853

APRIL EVENTS ALSO INCLUDE: 

APRIL 4 (Friday) Lunch and Learn: "Online Predators: What You Need to Know"
Mike Ferjak, Iowa Department of Justice - Office of Iowa Attorney General
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Waveland Hall - Plymouth Congregational Church,
4126 Ingersoll Avenue (no charge for event; $10 if you'd like a box lunch)

APRIL 18 (Friday) Lunch and Learn: "Identity Theft…Don't Let It Happen to You"
Susan Kerr, Consumer Protection Division - Office of Iowa Attorney
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Waveland Hall - Plymouth Congregational Church,
4126 Ingersoll Avenue (no charge for event; $10 if you'd like a box lunch)

APRIL 22 (Tuesday) After Hours Networking: Your Image and Your Future"
Rebecca Esposito, International Trainer and Consultant - Esposito Communications (Austin, Texas)
6-7:30 p.m., Meeting Room #3, Central Library in Downtown Des Moines
(no charge for event; coffee and dessert provided)

Local AWC Member Involved in Bone Marrow Drive

Local AWC member Mary Core, has been very involved in a special effort to help those with cancer by sharing bone marrow.  At the March 26 Alliance meeting she shared a special volunteer opportunity where you can help too. For those unable to attend (and for those who would like additional information) please find attached detailed information regarding this life-saving opportunity.
Download BoneMarrowDonorDrive.pdf

If you’re interested in participating, Mary also shares:

“Please note that if you plan to sign up that evening, you will need to bring a list of current medicines and the contact information for two emergency contacts (this is back up in case you are matched with a patient and the Marrow Network is unable to locate you, i.e., moved, phone number change etc.). If anyone would like to contact me directly please feel free to do so. Note: This event is made possible by personal donations.”
 
For additional information please contact Mary Mendenhall-Core at 246-6639 (work) or 210-7148 (Cell)

March Meeting Update

DETAILS FOR THE UPCOMING MARCH 26 LUNCHEON

Speaker: Beth Dalbey, Communcations Editor, Great Ape Trust of Iowa

Topic: "Ditching Journalism and Reinventing Myself at Great Ape Trust of Iowa"              

Synopsis: "This has been a fascinating journey. I haven't had that many jobs, but had profound experiences at three newspapers: The Dallas County News in Adel, the Fairfield Ledger in Fairfield, Iowa, and Business Publications Corporations' Business Record."

"I have written stories that have resulted in changes in state law, prompted the development of a safe-house network for domestic abuse victims and stopped a lake project requring the condemnation of several people's land. I felt good about those and similar stories because they  did result in some good changes, but they are nothing in comparison with the mouth-gaping surprises that I encounter every day at Great Ape Trust."              

Come be inspired by this multi-media presentation about Des Moines'  landmark facility, Great Ape Trust of Iowa.

Date: March 26, 2008              
Time: 11:30 a.m. - Registration / Networking; 12:00 noon - Presentation
Location: Applied Art & Technology, 2430 106th Street, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
Lunch: Palmer's Box Lunch              

RSVP: Monday, March 24th
Cost: $ 20.00 Members,  $ 25.00 Non-members

Postcard-sized Newsletters?

(Ideabook image)

Chuck Green at Ideabook may be on to something. In a recent article he wrote,

"Conventional thinking says a newsletter is a good way to keep your name in front of prospects and customers. And that producing one is both time consuming and costly. Conventional thinking also says a newsletter should be a minimum of four 8.5 by 11 inch pages and costs at least the standard letter rate to mail.

All well and good. But if you’re going to grab attention in the chaos of today’s marketplace, you’ve got to think outside convention. You’ve got to reinvent big business ideas in small business terms—smart, practical, and cost-conscious. In this case—by boiling a conventional newsletter down to its essence—a postcard newsletter."

Green, then does what he does best: gives us step-by-step instructions on how to implement.

I have mixed feelings about this type of direct mail. As a consumer, would I read it? Could I read it?  I'm used to scanning postcards, and I'm not sure I would change my ways to glean column after column of what surely must be "downsized" text.

What about you? Would a postcard-sized newsletter work for you as a communicator? Would it serve your communications needs? How about your preferences as a consumer? Tell me your thoughts by submitting a comment!

-- Brenda Friedrich