Travel Buzz October 2013

BCATW AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the B.C. Association of Travel Writers (“BCATW”) covering the activities for the period January 2013 to November 2013 will be held on Saturday November 23, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm within Randi’s Brightly Lit Lobby at 1601-1328 Marinaside Crescent, Vancouver.

The agenda for the AGM will be as follows:

1. Circulation & Adoption of Minutes of November 17, 2012 AGM.

2. Annual Report of 2013 Activities -Rick Millikan, President

  • 2012 Symposium success & necessity to have Chair Person for 2014 Symposium
  • Attempts to attract new members and renew Board membership
  • Encouraging future online announcements re press trips, lunches and other activities.

3. Jan. 2013- Nov. 2013 Financial Statement – Karoline Cullen, Treasurer.

Motion instating new signees for our Bank Account.

4. Election of Directors: Pursuant to Bylaw 26.1 of the BCATW Constitution, in addition to submitted intentions to run, on-the-spot nominations will be accepted. Where more than one incumbent has been nominated for the same Board office, there will be elections by present members filling out ballot slips.  The following directors will retire from office and, like other members, are eligible for reelection.

President, Treasurer, Secretary, Communication Director

5. Other business:  Generated Motions Welcomed

  • Election of Symposium 2014 Chair Person and other Volunteers for this Committee
  • If chair person position is filled, let us take a consensus on Symposium date: Late April/Early May? Venue?

Review of BCATW Activities and Concerns by members of the Board

  • Marketing and Industry Relations-Randi Winters
  • Communications-Karoline Cullen/Darlene Foster

6. Open forum – discussion on website upgrades & other issues.

  • Should our BCATW user-friendly constitution appear at some time online?

7. Motion to Adjourn

Mix, Mingle and Munch with fellow travel writers.

Proxy forms will sent in November for those who cannot attend the meeting.

News from Members

Washington DC, BCATW.ORG

Karoline Cullen just returned with story material from Washington, DC, Montreal, the Eastern Townships, and Vermont.

Arthur Wolak wrote another article in his occasional series of ‘family travel’ pieces for Taste & Sip Magazine. It was featured in the September issue and is available online at: http://tasteandsipmagazine.com/2013/09/01/a-family-visit-to-seattle/

Ruth Kozak has had two more stories published in EuropeUpClose: Kensington Palace and the Jewish Ghetto of Venice. A story about the Venetian Folk Museum in Naxos, Greece will appear in that publication on October 1.  Ruth is currently teaching various writing classes including a new class “Survival Tips for Writers,” for VSB.

Randi Winter river cruised, biked, ate and explored France and Italy on two firsts for the North American market. A-Rosa Cruise Line is primarily a German line, but David Morris Agency is branding a select number of departures in France and Germany for the culinary and active traveller. Her lunch at Paul Bocuse’s 3 Michelin Star restaurant, which was included in the cruise, found trips from Lyon was a definite highlight as well as biking through the French vineyards and jeeping through the Camargue.

Next was a return to Venice for a Po River Cruise on Uniworld. This is the first time in many years that this itinerary has sailed due to the fluctuating water levels on the Po. The voyage was no exception and low levels precluded them from sailing up the Po. This did not alter the touring much, although it did add extra travel time. Having done this itinerary before, they opted to bike and have a day at the Biennale.

Both itineraries and ships are welcome additions to the repertoire of river cruising. www.passionatetravel.com

Julie H. Ferguson picked up two assignments during her visit to Ottawa in early September, one of which will interest avid river cruisers and history buffs. This is a two-cruise voyage from Peterborough to Ottawa on the Rideau Waterway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  September also saw the publication of her Vancouver guide in Allways, a UK online magazine, “Gobsmacked by the Grand Canyon” in BC newspapers thanks to Travel Writers’ Tales, and “Five Thousand Eagles…,” in Day Trips, thanks to Robert S. While Julie will not be travelling this winter, she has plenty of stories to write and images to publish. www.beaconlit.com

(Jones Upper Lock featured image by Julie Ferguson)

Darlene Foster will be presenting a workshop on Writing More Than You See at the Junior Author’s Conference in Surrey on October 19. If you know of any budding  young authors who would like to attend this conference here is the information: http://laurathomascommunications.com/conference

Joei Carlton Hossack ended September on a rather humorous note…..she was a vendor at a craft show at a funeral home.  Due to heavy rains and damaging winds business was “dead” and the fact that “The Square” that was supposed to accept Visa and Mastercard on her iPad didn’t work and a few sales were lost there. e-Book sales for the Kindle are doing okay but on Smashwords nothing.  Joei will be at another craft show selling her books and bookmarks on October 19 at the Chuck Bailey Senior Center and, of course, has a vendor’s table at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference.

On September 11th Joei told one of her adventure travel stories at a camping rally in Sunshine Valley, BC. She will be lecturing on “converting to e-books” at the Newton Cultural Center and has been invited to tell another travel lecture at a Ladies Tea in Pitt Meadows on April 28, 2014. www.joeicarlton.com

Note

The BCATW Fam trip to Seattle area hosted by Cedarbrook Lodge has been postponed until 2014. The itinerary is fabulous. Keep your eyes open.

 

Whether the weather be fine,

Or whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold,

Or whether the weather be hot,

We’ll weather the weather,

Whatever the weather,

Whether we like it or not!

Author: unknown

Happy October!
Karoline and Darlene
Your BUZZ Co-Editors
www.bcatw.org

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