Attendees celebrate 20th anniversary

Heartland meeting circa 1992

Fall 2012 Meeting Recap

By Meridith Murray
Fall, 2012

The Heartland Chapter of the American Society for Indexing met at the MCL Cafeteria in Richmond, Indiana, on Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 9:00 AM until 4:30 PM. There were thirteen Heartland members in attendance, in addition to Diana Witt, our keynote speaker. This was an excellent meeting:  there was a lot of good synergy, and everyone went home inspired and energized. We missed several members who are generally regular attendees, and we hope to see you all in the spring.

Diana Witt traveled from Marietta, Georgia, to give an outstanding presentation on time management and managing large projects, and Heartland member Sharon Hilgenberg shared her interesting and thought-provoking talk, “Who Are You Talking To?.”  (See related articles on each of these elsewhere in the newsletter.) Diana’s talk was particularly germane, as Marilyn Augst had recently finished a huge project for which she recruited several other Heartland members, and Marilyn’s experience and perspective complemented Diana’s comments nicely.

As informative and timely as both of these presentations were, some of our most valuable and productive time occurred when we were able to talk informally as a group and share our experiences and ideas with each other. This was one time when having a smaller group was beneficial, as we were all able to sit around one large table and have a true “roundtable” (well, okay, it was square, but still…) discussion.

One topic of interest to everyone was marketing and how to find new clients.  It might be time for another meeting devoted to this subject, as it seems that many of us are still trying to boost our business and find ways to prospect and network. We also shared some horror stories and cautionary tales about our indexing experiences, some of which might find their way into future articles.

During the business meeting, we heard the minutes from the last meeting as well as the Treasurer’s report. Marilyn Augst and Shelley Quattrocchi spent the summer making revisions to our bylaws, and we voted to approve the new and improved version.

The best part of the day was our 20th birthday celebration. Happy birthday, Heartland Chapter! Diana Witt commented that not many other chapters have had such a long and continuous span of operation. This is a real testimony to the tenacity and determination of Heartland indexers. Sharon Hilgenberg shared with us that she was a founding member.  I am impressed! We had delicious cake, courtesy of senior co-president Margaret Hentz, and drawings for door prizes supplied by Margaret Hentz and Cathy Seckman.  Thanks, Margaret and Cathy! Also, all members in attendance were able to take home Heartland notepads.

We discussed our upcoming spring meeting, which will tentatively take place May 4, 2013, in order that we might allow members who attend the national conference to report on their experiences there. Margie Towery will lead us in an exercise in index evaluation. This meeting will take place in Indianapolis; more details will follow, but plan to be there. This should be a really excellent experience for everyone. Margie has given much thought to the evaluation process, and we look forward to her sharing her ideas, suggestions and conclusions as well as her considerable experience with us.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of this meeting, and I look forward to seeing you all in the spring. Until then, may your clients be cooperative and your indexes be interesting!


© 2012 by Heartland Chapter of ASI. All rights reserved.