Newsletter Works

         I am quite pleased to have joined a newsletter group in my community. It was advertised in our local community circular that new members were invited. I called and left an email at first curious that there was no answer. I then received a phone call and after speaking with a woman and giving a brief profile of myself, she then said she would meet with the group and see if they were prepared to meet me. I thought it unusual for a volunteer group still that was their prerogative I suppose. A day meeting was scheduled, my partner and I attended all was well except one woman who had a hangup of differing religious background and was shunned by her group as well. I was amazed everyone would try to talk over each other finding it unruly I would just smile at all of it. There were meeting held on a weekly basis but as volunteers go it was casual and not timely we would wait round for 1/2 hour till someone arrived till we saw what the score was. Most of the group are in a singing group so it looks like news is second fiddle. One male ws not and in fact the only other male in the group he was somewhat of the leader in newsletter getting to print. On my first official news meeting I was given an assignment to complete and that was a story on a local vet and the hospital set-up. I arranged an appointment had a list of questions of which I was initially given 20 minutes as he was busy. I had a good chat and posed relevant questions of which he appeared to want to talk more than anticipated. I stuck to questions and requested a photograph of which he posed with a dog in the clinic. The interview went so well he volunteered to write some emails for the newsletter on pet care which I was so pleased with and followed through. The story was set up for a front page entry. The group knew I had former experience as I had told them I was with a political party and co-wrote the newsletters being a branch member of Labor. We would follow through on what other stories the rest of the group would contribute. One of the most telling was a public transport problem affecting residents. The author of that wrote to politicians for replies prior to deadline. all but one replied and the pot was stirred. The politicians office was up in arms and not happy as the people funding our news did not receive a heads up.

Subsequently our funding will end but when asked was this a reason to stop it. This was denied and other reasons sighted. We must now carry on hopefully receive sponsorship or advertising space would have to be for sale. The other male person and the female I spoke to initially when joining have now left, this means if I stay I need to play a more active role. I feel this is happening with my partner and I working with the group leader where-as the others well two are o.k but yet are in the singing group and now lately a dance group. We are scheduled to interview the local Mayor next week which I am  excited about being local Government and corresponding issues. We had previously also interviewed a Monk and the routines of the Temple and the followers of Buddhism