Saturday, January 12th, 2008
Dr. Reichel meets with the Board of Directors of the Geogia Thespian Society to present workshop, Jonesboro, Georgia
February, 8th and 9th, 2008
Dr. Reichel and NCS representatives are present with the annual conference of the Georgia Thespian Society to meet with students and school leaders, Jonesboro, Georgia.
NCS will be present or presenting at these Conferences and Events in 2008:
January 12th, Board Planning Meeting of the
Directors of the Georgia Thespian Society, Jonesboro, Georgia. (Presentation)
February, 1-2 Annual Conference of Georgia Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, Atlanta, (Presence, program ad)
February 8-9, Annual State Conference of
Georgia Thespian Society, Jonesboro, GA (Exhibit and presentation)
March 2-5, National Youth At Risk Conference in Savannah, (Presentation and table exhibits)
NATIONAL CREATIVE SOCIETY HIGHLIGHTS
In this sacred season of lights it is fitting for me to express our thanks to you for providing us energy and support! Also I want to spotlight some of the highlights of 2007!
TENTH BIRTHDAY OF NCS’ CELEBRATED
- The National Creative Society was incorporated in October of 1997 by our founders. Our tenth birthday was thankfully celebrated at the Arts and Photography pavilion of this year’s Coosa Valley Fair—among the creative works of many young artists. .Our newly revised NCS’ logo was featured on a centerpiece cake and our President Dr. Randy Phillips distributed over 400 pieces of cake to Fair “folks”. Thanks to the current and past Board members and friends who joined us! During the event our first three “Youth Arts Advocate Awards” were presented to: Rome City Schools, Superintendent Gayland Cooper; Floyd County Schools, Superintendent Kelly Henson (Dennis Abney received the award for Floyd County Schools); Rome News-Tribune (received by Mary Sib Banks). Each of these organizations received a beautiful, engraved plaque with our logo and thanks for sustaining and championing youth arts in different ways in difficult times for youth arts! In a “letter-to-the-editor” in the Rome News-Tribune, I was able to thank the Coosa Valley Fair Board for hosting us—and all of the folks, such as you, who for the decade past have made it possible for us to raise and recycle about $280,000 in service of the Youth Arts in Floyd County!
OVER $11,000 IS BANKED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
- Our annual mailing and special support gifts and legacy donations in 2007 enabled us to reach our goal of banking more than a two-year reserve for payments of our five competitive scholarships (totaling $5500) for seniors who are active in active NCS chapters. A new scholarship (of $1000 annually) named the Prospect Founders and Angels Scholarship was established and underwritten as a legacy. We invite others to, similarly, establish and underwrite a legacy scholarship in a special area of interest. We seek the same kind of under-writing to fully fund our other four existing, named scholarships. Go to our website at www.nationalcreativesociety.org and click the left menu under scholarships to see our current scholarships, rules, and guidelines. April 1st, 2008 at noon, is the deadline for receipt of submissions for the 2008 scholarships. Our website also has a “donate now” button to allow you to contribute in a secure way online through credit card donations.
Certainly, call me (706-378-9144 ) and leave a message regarding any of your donation and support interests. Please welcome me to come and visit with you !
NEW GRANT AND JOINT VENTURE SUPPORT IS SOUGHT
- Your gift dollars contributed, and those yet anticipated to arrive before years’ end, also help our general fund balance! We are ending 2007 in a very stable position. Of course, the five thousand, or so, dollars contributed locally to our general fund must be supplemented! Over two years ago we received a generous grant from a donor who requested to remain anonymous. This grant was in the amount of $20,000 for three years for the specific purpose (only) of national outreach and expansion of chapters. The completion of the last payment of this grant is scheduled for April of 2008. As the past President and current Executive of NCS, our current and recent, past Board of Directors has directed me, and our primary energies, to this regional and national outreach. My ongoing responsibilities include seeking new granting sources and affiliations with foundations, firms and organizations. Our marketing strategy, with our small budget, is basically four-fold: a) Outreach through our website and affordable, relevant advertising; b) To, figuratively, “Roll our ‘hotdog cart’ in front of someone else’s stadium” by being present at as many relevant professional conferences and gatherings-- as presenters or exhibitors—as possible. (Travel and personal costs are usually not charged to NCS but are personally absorbed or contributed.) c) Through “viral marketing” by person to person contact, word of mouth-- asking our Board members and others of you to spread the word abroad to schools and other organizations that serve youth to: “Charter a Chapter and Champion Young Artists!” During our tenth anniversary year we are offering free charter chapter membership (a $125 value) to all schools and organizations who officially charter a chapter by the end of June, 2008. d) Through my active solicitation and contacts with organizations with whom we might enter a joint-venture or mutually beneficial affiliation.
EXCITING NEWS: UPCOMING VISITS WITH EDUCATION SUPT. COX AND GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING! SHOWCASE CONTINUES!
- While my visits and contacts with several associations in Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Atlanta and elsewhere have not yet borne fruit, several contacts, networked and mediated through local folks, have opened some immediate possibilities. On December 13th, Dr. Randy Phillips, our President, and I are invited to meet with Supt. Cox at her office in Atlanta. We hope this short visit will bring her imprimatur and awareness of NCS’ mission as a vital,valuable resource. We are, in fact, a volunteer service agency with a ten-year track record, existing infrastructure, and superb Board of Directors willing to lend expertise to help serve schools and school systems and other youth-serving organizations identify, honor and nurture young artists to develop and bring their full beauty to our world. Through our “chapter” or “club” model we are able to do that without requesting curriculum time or any organizational investment of significant budgetary dollars. Such arts “after school” programs are clearly shown by research to raise student grade point averages, high-stakes, and other, test scores and increase affinity or a sense of “belonging” to that school. Why wouldn’t a principal or organizational leader welcome that?
- At the invitation of Mr. Michael Nixon, director or Education and Technology for Georgia Public Broadcasting, we will soon hope to form some collaborative relationship to help benefit the network and Georgia’s school children. At the very least, can’t you see our local and Georgia Chapter students with their logo tee shirts and pins helping to staff the fund-raising phone lines? What about collaboratively produced programming using these same chapter members and their advisors—or a fund-raising partnership? I’m excited about this!
- Under the guidance of the Community Collaborative Committee of our Board and new leader Val Featherston, the 2007 Showcase was superb! Next year’s dates are April 29-May 1st.
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