Thank Rachael for volunteering her house and helping with the meeting.
Marie unable to be with us, she sends her regrets.
Laura stepping down next year. Marie Rowe & Rachael Rifkin will become Region Coordinators.
$10.00 donation to cover refreshments & begin reserve for future meetings.
Guests:

Dawn Thurston, APH Regions Director
Neena Strichart, Publisher/Editor-In-Chief, Signal Tribune

GUEST SPEAKERS

DAWN THURSTON, APH Regions Director, author of “Breathe Life Into Your Life Story: How to Write a Story People Will Want to Read”
Announcement: There will be a new APH website up and running by the conference in October.
TOPIC: What makes an effective region?

MEET REGULARLY: (3-4 times per year)

Meeting regularly breeds familiarity and cohesion.
It will start a momentum and allow you to establish ongoing projects, instead of having to reintroduce yourselves and start all over at each meeting.

GROUP INVOLVEMENT:

When one or two coordinators do everything they burn out quickly.
The best way to make a strong organization is when everyone has a piece of the pie, ownership.
This makes a more dynamic group.
Delegate responsibilities, allow people to handle the tasks they are good at.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH:

Have projects going within the community to get the name out and build an audience.
The Utah group has put on two big conferences. Various members put on classes from their specialty; they put on displays, served lunch and made money. The Utah group also offered free classes and workshops at libraries to build up a base of people familiar with APH in the community, and these people paid to come to the conferences.

WEBSITE:

Create a regional website using Word Press which is free.
Rachael volunteered to head this up.
We reviewed a handout of the Portland and Utah APH Regional websites.

COMMUNICATION:

It is very important to keep in touch with the regional members.
Create a regional newsletter.
Cas volunteered to edit a quarterly newsletter.
We will solicit items from regional members about their organizations, upcoming projects and speaking engagements, photos, and articles about experiences working as a personal historian.

SUGGESTIONS:

APH might look into creating a speaker’s bureau.
Members could sign up to speak for genealogy organizations, DAR, etc.
Members should look at getting on the list of speakers for different organizations, and check out historical societies.

Cas is doing a fundraiser for the Friends of the Beverly Hills Library on June 10^th.
Lynne Choy Uyeda is listed as expert speaker for some organizations and recently did a presentation for the El Cerrito Historical Society in a building that used to be a home for Chinese boys. She took a lot of video at the event and is now going through the raw footage.

NEENA STRICHART, Publisher/Editor-In-Chief, Signal Tribune

APPROACHING NEWSPAPERS

Everybody wants something for nothing.
You have to do something different. Be compelling.
Find contact person at paper and when is best to submit before Deadline.

A PROPER PRESS RELEASE

Neena passed out a “how to write a press release sheet”
Remember the; who, what, when, where, why & how.
For Event

Full Name of Organization
Fundraiser or…?
Date: Month, Day, Year
Start Time – End Time
Full Address & Cross Street

Write your press release in the THIRD PERSON.
No more than one page.
If you’re speaking somewhere, get the organization to send Press Release with your name.
The smaller the newspaper, the better your shot.
Find out what department they want your release or article sent to.
Make it easy for the newspaper to contact you, and print your press release.
Do a follow up call to see if they’ve received your release and ask if they have any questions.
Send logo as JPEG, PDF or PNG
May is PERSONAL HISTORY MONTH, a good time to approach newspapers with articles related to the subject.

HOW TO PITCH AN ARTICLE

Get to know the paper.
What kind of articles do they print?
Write a query with an idea for an article their readership might be interested in.
Send a headshot with your article.
Pictures you send should be at least 300 dpi.
If you send an article to two publications, change key points in the story so they won’t be identical.

MARKETING DISCUSSION – RACHAEL RIFKIN

BRAINSTORMING:

Word of mouth is always an effective marketing tool.
You have to do more with networking than just handing out cards.
Find an organization whose mission you love and get involved.
Sit with different people at each event.
Offer to be a speaker at independent living residences about the value of doing personal histories.
Reach out to women in their forties with disposable income, or older people still living in their own homes.
Speak at events that draw different generations.
What’s Worked

Teaching Classes
Networking consistency
Writing Articles
Person-to-Person
Workshops
Word of mouth

IDEAS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS:

Bill Hak suggested we bring in a speaker who can help us learn to CLOSE THE DEAL.
Neena noted that there is a difference between being assertive and aggressive. If you really believe in what you are doing, that will help you close the deal because you understand that you are doing the client a favor by offering something that has meaning and will be appreciated for generations to come.
Jane Shafron mentioned SCORE.org, an association of retired executives in Orange county and L.A. Sign up for their newsletters. They offer mentorship and guidance for people with their own businesses. You can do one on-one-counseling with SCORE members.
Business coaches bring skills on sales, closing, etc.

APH CONFERENCE

La Vegas, October 16-20, 2011
Benefits of attending conference:

Over 30 workshops
Talking shop and getting to know other personal historians

SHOW & TELL

Jane Shafron showed a five minute clip from a DVD about a senior visual artist.
Cas Hyman show a five minute film, “The Skinny Limbs.”
Books displayed by Laura Blumenthal, Rachael Rifkin, and Joan Loven.

So Cal APH

Meeting Minutes

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