E xecutive Director's Report Blowing with the Winds of Change It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. Charles Darwin, (18091882) English Naturalist
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he ‘Winds of Change’ is not just the name of a Scorpion ballad, a British Prime Minister’s speech, a day spa or used in many other ways; it’s a reality in today’s world and a powerful force around and within the SWG. Besides having a history of being forerunners in many areas, the Guild seems to thrive best when generating its own airstreams of newness and growth. Rapid developments are inevitable given today’s globalization, precarious economic and environmental conditions, and wafting political and government adjustments. These all affect the Guild at some level, and closer to home change is ongoing, sometimes on a daily basis, which for the most part we are learning to embrace and roll out as quickly as possible. From the technological, business and financial fronts to the staffing and operational structure, we are thrust into responding in innovative ways to accommodate evolving membership needs, and adjust to the writing and publishing climate.
May/June 2011
As many of you know, the Guild receives the majority of our operating from the generosity of Saskatchewan Lotteries system, through SaskCulture and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. All of these bodies are regulated by government, which in turn is prone to prevailing currents. Changes may come through new legislation, different political party’s pressures, or outside forces from society, economics, environment, legal designations and other influences. Sometimes changes occur simply because of drifting towards new directions or trends. There is no doubt we see whirlwinds of change happening in the technological world on a regular basis and often faster than we can keep up. The Guild is now sailing forward with RSS feed capabilities, with social networking on Twitter and Facebook, and will soon have even more internet streamability with YouTube uploads and member interactivity on our web site. Watch for both of these sometime this summer. On the people front, Christina Shah wafted into her new position with the Guild team in the Saskatoon office. She’s bursting with energy and ideas for programming in Saskatoon and area, so give
Judith Silverthorne her a hearty welcome when you see her gliding about the community making things happen. Meanwhile, on another jet stream of excitement and enthusiasm, Jan Morier soared into the Regina office as the newly appointed Communications Coordinator. You may already have seen some of the results of her work in embracing a new communications strategy, which will be unfolded zephyr-like in the coming months. Send her your news and views: communications@skwriter.com One of our summer students is U of S English major Kelsey Gottfried, who is gaining additional experience on the administrative, research and business angles of writing. One of her main tasks is to assist in the generation of materials to complement the Arts Profession Act requirements and our Professional Development ventures, particularly in the business of writing areas. Basically, along with a myriad of other important aspects, she’s replicating the Literary Arts Handbook of some years back, albeit with the added twists of state-of-the-art resources, all of which will be available on our web site. continued
FREELANCE
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