Note from the newsletter editor

When Gail Anglin asked if I would help out with the newsletter, I said "Yes, of course". There are always so many things to do: walk my dog, prepare for my radio show, learn a new story, spend time with family, wash dishes, and yes, attend University. So we talked about what I could, and could not do, what my limits were as a volunteer. It is the same dilemma everyone runs into, like that proverbial stone wall between us and the field of dreams in which we wish to romp. Time. And yet, because I love that field, I am determined to help, if just in my own small way. I think of it as the story of the little red hen and who would help her sow her corn. Well, I will help in the sowing, and I hope to share in the feast that will grow out of that field.

About the online newsletter

I always liked the rainbow lifesaver candies. Well, the colours, anyway. You will note the new Ottawa StoryTellers logo at the head of each page. As well the section headings all use different colours (for me, if noone else). I am also taking advantage of the technology available to us. We can load sound onto the website. That means you can hear interviews with tellers, and even the occasional story. After all it is called story Telling, right? And finally, I would like to have lots of photographs for you to see.

But do not worry, the regular hardcopy of the newsletter will still be available for those who cannot read this webpage. That newsletter will have the items to the left of my photograph, and the occasional storyTeller profile. I think we need to know about the people who tell. But as always, you will be what makes this newsletter work. Your sharing, your ideas, your stories and photos. I will do the rest, and then the link to this newsletter will be sent out four times a year.

Message from the President

The last couple of years have seen a great number of changes in Ottawa StoryTellers. One of the most recent is the switch to a web-based newsletter. I want to thank Dean Verger for setting it up, and I also want to thank Susan Wheat and Anne Nagy for all the effort they put into running the “old fashioned” e-mail newsletter for these last few years. (I remember when “old-fashioned” meant buying loose candy from a big jar in a corner grocery.) It’s fair to say that even after three years, the new Board and committee structure of OST is still in the breaking-in period. We are still debating the balance of workload between volunteers and paid staff, and the balance of jurisdiction between the board and committees. As we search for a Managing Artistic Director for both the festival and the day-to-day management of the organization, we are also still trying to define who we are and where we want to go.

OST is a bottom-up, grassroots organization. It depends on its members for direction and ideas, and for volunteers to carry out the many tasks that follow from these ideas. To this end, I invite you to our Town Hall Meeting November 29, 2009. It is 4:30 to 6:00 PM at Sandy Hill Community Centre, 250 Somerset East, just east of King Edward. Come and hear about our new event policy, and discuss ideas such as the future of the gig group, how much tellers should be paid, whether OST should claim a percent of teller earnings to support our overhead (Did he really say that?), and anything else you think needs to be discussed. I hope to see you all there. --- Phil Nagy