By Dan Wise | Fellow
How does one distill over 50 years of membership memories into 700 words? Believe me, it isn’t easy. But here is my attempt.
It all began in 1959 with formation of the Huntsville, AL, chapter of the Society for Technical Writers and Editors (STWE). I was not one of the charter members, but I joined within a couple of months after the chapter was organized. From then until a job change took me away from Huntsville, I was actively involved with the chapter in some capacity almost continuously. It was a great learning experience.
But those job changes took me first to the Gulf Coast where there was no chapter and then to Birmingham, AL, where there was also no chapter. I maintained my membership—as much out of gratitude for the assistance I had received from other STC (then the Society for Technical Writing Professionals [STWP]) members in my job search as from the desire to remain associated with what I considered a primary source of learning opportunities.
But the lack of a chapter left a hole in my life. Although I was on the Gulf Coast for only about a year, I started talking around about organizing a chapter. I made contacts from Mobile to New Orleans. There was a small show of interest, but I changed jobs again before those early efforts blossomed. Others pursued the early contacts and formed groups in New Orleans and Mobile that existed for a while.
In Birmingham I again missed the interaction with a chapter and started asking around where other technical writers, editors, and illustrators might be found. That led to a string of monthly informal lunch meetings among kindred souls who wanted to share ideas and get suggestions for solving problems—or, as we jokingly referred to it, playing a round of “Ain’t It Awful.” Well, the telephone list grew from a half dozen names to around 35 before a couple of the attendees asked, “Isn’t there some kind of technical society for tech pubs people?”
The Birmingham Chapter was born and, through ups and downs, continues today. And it is because of this chapter that an idea was born. We were looking for a chapter project, one that could involve some of our members in a profession-oriented activity. The chapter has always been small. Our maximum membership over the years has probably been no more than about 35. Therefore, a project had to be found that would fit the dimensions of the chapter’s manpower.
Chance sometimes plays a role in making history. Our project developed by chance. We learned that the International Scholastic Science and Engineering Fair was being held in Birmingham that year. We looked at one another and said, “Why not?”
Because I had been given support by employers over the years, I had made friends across the country at the annual conferences we now call the Technical Communication Summit. I had been privileged to attend several and to present papers at some of them. Now the Birmingham Chapter could benefit from these contacts. We contacted our director-sponsor, Carol Barnum, to find out whether we could get support from the Society. We learned how to go about writing a grant proposal with Barnum’s help.
Yeah! We got a grant and were on our way. All we needed then was a panel of expert judges. Contacts made at those past conferences became judges. Offhand I cannot pull up all the names, but two do stand out. The first was the late Frank Smith, who graciously agreed to help us without compensation—as did others. The second is Don Cunningham, who was the first professor to lead the technical writing program at Auburn University. They were part of a stellar panel that included Society Fellows and future Fellows as well as past Society Presidents.
We managed to cover the floor (around 1,200 exhibits) and found some excellent examples of good technical communication in both visual and verbal media. We awarded our prize and gave birth to a succession of Science Fair appearances that lasted over 10 years.
If there is a message here it is that you are likely to receive far more than you give in STC. So get involved and stay involved. Believe me, it is worth it.
