EditorMargaret Shaw, Editors Canada’s regional director of Western Canada’s branches and twigs, attended her first meeting as a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) in September, and at yesterday’s BC branch meeting she gave us a rundown of some of our association’s plans to increase the value of membership and more actively engage members. Here are some highlights:
Communications
- Editors Canada plans to launch its rebranded website later this year and is looking for volunteers to beta test.
- The association held its first monthly Twitter chat about certification in October, and the topic for November will be finding work and networking. Join in on November 3 at 4 pm PST and follow along with the #EditorsChat hashtag.
- A private Facebook group has been set up for Editors Canada members.
- The committee that publishes our magazine, Active Voice, hopes to create a hard copy in April and possibly another in September or October.
Professional development
- A task force has been struck to develop a national mentoring program, modelled on the Toronto branch’s successful program and named in honour of the late John Eerkes-Medrano.
- Editors Canada hopes to start offering webinars (three in the year ahead) so that members living outside of Canada’s major centres will have more professional development opportunities.
- A central repository of professional development ideas has been proposed.
- Editors Canada launched the third edition Editing Canadian English this past year, along with the companion Editorial Niches volume. Members at yesterday’s meeting suggested having Editors Canada publications available for sale at local branch meetings and seminars.
Member support
- In the works is a welcome package for new members and a toolkit to support new branches and twigs.
- A membership survey is planned for the spring, and exit surveys are planned to find out why people who don’t renew their memberships choose to leave the organization.
- The Online Director of Editors now has its own direct link: findaneditor.ca
- The national job board will be revamped. Once it is relaunched, employers and clients will no longer have to pay to post a job.
- Student affiliates will have a new committee to champion student issues.
- The Standard Freelance Editorial Agreement is being updated.
- The NEC is also aware of—and aims to solve—server problems affecting affected people with editors.ca addresses.
Standards and certification
- The NEC is putting together a task force to review our Professional Editorial Standards and update them.
- The French-language proficiency testing program (agrément) is off to a great start, attracting ninety applicants in its first year.
- Registration for the English-language tests (copy editing and structural editing are offered this fall) closes this Friday, October 23.
Vacancies on committees
Volunteering allows you to build network with colleagues across the country and add skills to your CV. Editors Canada is seeking volunteers for the following committees:
- nominations committee
- member services committee
- communications and marketing committee
- publications committee
- standards task force
- awards committee
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At the next NEC meeting, planned for November in Ottawa, the executive will take the first steps to draft a new five-year strategic plan. The plan we have now will expire in 2016–2017.