atw: ASTCs etc

Hi everyone,

As the ASTC (Vic) President, I have been listening in the background to 
everything that has been said over the last couple of days, but haven't yet 
had time to comment. There are a number of issues that have been put 
forward, so I'll try to deal with each of these.

1. Thank you Nancy Rose for saying exactly what I was thinking, but saying 
it much more eloquently than I ever could have!

2. Rates

We had a committee meeting on Wednesday, and have decided to compile a list 
of guidelines for rates for technical writers, based both on experience and 
expertise. This list will go on the ASTC (Vic) web site for anyone to view. 
The information will apply to Melbourne and Vic, and we are happy for the 
ASTC (NSW) to use our results to compile something similar for themselves 
if they think it appropriate.

3. Between contract work.

We intend to have a forum on our new web site (it is coming, slowly, due to 
pressures of 'real work'). This would be an ideal place for people to share 
their experiences in this area, and others of general interest. So, please 
get together your thoughts and share them in this way.

4. ASTCs and their usefulness

As with any professional organisation, the ASTC benefits its members in 
many ways. For example, we have an interesting quarterly newsletter, 
regular free meetings with a range of guest speakers, a job referral 
service, professional development courses and discounts with bookshops and 
training organisations.

In the end, whether or not to join an ASTC is a personal decision. I can 
only say that I have grown professionally since I joined the ASTC (Vic) 
about 5 years ago, and since I started regularly attending meetings, I have 
found the professional support and networking opportunities are invaluable. 

5. ASTC (Vic) venue

I agree that the venue at VTR Consulting could be better. However, it is 
provided free, and has many benefits that others have already pointed out. 
We also adjourn for coffee afterwards, so any networking can be done then. 
VTR DO NOT, and have never done anything but support us in our endeavours. 
We even had a rival recruitment consultant speak to our meeting a couple of 
months ago.

6. Amalgamation of ASTCs

This has been an ongoing issue. I have been working closely with Janet 
Taylor of the ASTC (NSW) and Brett Lockwood from the Society of Indexers in 
Vic to bring our organisations closer together, to look for synergies to 
relieve the load on volunteers generally and to look for areas of mutual 
benefit. ASTC (Vic) have offered assistance to the people who want to set 
up a new Qld ASTC, and have suggested that they become distance members of 
our society.

So, we have been working away in the background to move our organisations 
closer together. However, ASTC (Vic) members who want amalgamation should 
realise that membership fees and meeting costs are different between ASTC 
(Vic) and ASTC (NSW), and there would have to be a very strong push from  
 our membership for us to consider it.

If you have any specific suggestions or comments on issues affecting the 
ASTC (Vic) or how we can better serve our members, please feel free to 
contact me personally on president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sue Woolley
President, ASTC (Vic)
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