STPA heading for the hills
Rhonda Chancellor
STPA First Vice President
A peek into a divided America, tips on writing headlines that sell newspapers, the real-life experience of covering a local tragedy that goes international and letting apps help you do your job are just a part of what is in store at the 97th annual South Texas Press Association Convention. The meeting will be in Boerne Thursday through Saturday, April 20-22.
Convention registration is $80 per person ($90 after April 1), $40 per child, ages 6-12 ($45 after April 1) and free for kids 5 and un-der.
The $75 annual STPA membership dues must be paid before registering for the convention. For more information, call treasurer Jeff Berger at 830-426-3346 or email anvil@hondo.net.
Deadline for hotel reservations at The Bevy is Monday, March 20. Cost is $139 per night. The Bevy is a Doubletree by Hilton hotel located at 101 Herff Road.
To make reservations, call 830-816-5606 and mention group code STP, or go to the website: https://www. hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/stpaconventionapril2023/.
Boerne
Boerne is an historic town located in the Texas Hill Country 30 miles north of San Antonio. It is known for its quality of life, excellent school system, elevated dining and shopping, and relaxed atmosphere that seems far away from the bustle of the big city, yet is only minutes from San Antonio off I-10.
Boerne was founded in 1852 and attracted German immigrants who were coming to the Western Hemisphere at that time. Later, in the 1880s, another wave of immigration began, primarily by the English.
Today, Boerne has become a magnet for businesses and services relating to health care, computer science, modern technology, construction management, engineering, bioscience, agriculture, wineries, breweries and tourism.
Boerne offers lots of attractions, such as shopping, dining, outdoor experiences, a variety of lodging options including luxurious hotels, historic inns, quaint guesthouses and destination resorts. Boerne also offers two nationally acclaimed
show caves. Explore down under at Cave Without a Name and Cascade Caverns.
The Hill Country Mile, located in the heart of downtown, is a
walkable 1.1-mile stretch of Main Street. The “Texas-sized mile” is a
hotbed of history, art, breweries, eclectic boutique shopping, culture and exceptional dining.
The dining options abound – from a southern-inspired steakhouse to a wine bar that specializes in Spanish tapas, to family-friendly burger joints and bakeries with goods that inspire road trips all on their own. The craft breweries have taps that are flowing with fan-favorite styles of brew as well as carefully and creatively crafted beers that enthusiasts will
find intriguing.
There’s never a dull moment in Boerne, live music can be found in numerous venues including, breweries, restaurants, parks and even down in a cave. The Hill Country Mile and Main Plaza maintain a bustling schedule packed with regular markets, car shows and festivities for all ages.
The Hill Country berg of Boerne will host the 97th convention of the South Texas Press Association. Located less than 30 minutes off I-10 West from San Antonio, it is home to unique shopping and dining. First vice president and convention chair Rhonda Chancellor has loads of learning and fun in store for all who attend. STPA members will not want to miss this year's program.
The program
The convention begins Thursday, April 20, with the STPA President’s Reception at The Bevy Hotel's Cypress & Red Oak
Room. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while visiting and catching up with all your STPA friends and family.
TPA’s executive vice-president Donnis Baggett will be presented the Red Gibson Friend of STPA Award during the reception.
After the reception, join us in the Strauss Haus, which is in the hotel. It will be open from 9 p.m. until midnight both Thursday and Friday. As always, the staff of the Pleasanton Express will be on hand to mix and serve the drinks.
Friday morning begins with a breakfast buffet in the Cypress & Red Oak Room at The Bevy Hotel. Our informational and educational sessions will include: “Headlines should sell stories, not cause headaches” by Griff Singer, “Free apps that can make your job easier” by Austin Lewter" and “Divided America” by John Burnett.
The buffet awards luncheon will begin at 12.30 p.m. Jeff Wick, editor of the Fayette County Record, will announce the winners of the 2022 STPA Better Newspaper Contest immediately after lunch.
Staff members of the Uvalde Leader-News will cap the day’ssessions as they talk about their experiences covering the shooting massacre of 19 students and two teachers at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.
Your afternoon will be free to explore Boerne. You can check out the shopping on the Hill Country Mile in downtown, take a hike on one of many hiking trails, visit a brewery or winery, check out one of the many local historical sites, or just chill out down by the river.
Friday evening will find us back at The Bevy Hotel in the same location for dinner at 6 p.m. followed by Fun and Games:
Searching for Trivia.
The evening will be topped off at the Strauss Haus offering networking opportunities from 9 p.m. to midnight.
On Saturday back in the Cypress & Red Oak Room will be the 9 a.m. business meeting, followed by the 10 a.m. farewell brunch during which the Chester Evans Distinguished Service Award will be presented to past-president and long-time scholarship chairman Cyndy Slovak Barton, former publisher of the Hays Free Press.
We hope to see you all at our 97th STPA Convention.
Membership to vote on by-laws changes
A couple of changes in the South Texas Press Association bylaws are being proposed by the board of directors.
They will be voted on during the business meeting on Saturday morning, April 22.
The changes are noted in red to replace language that is crossed through:
ELECTIONS
ARTICLE IX. Section 1. The president, vice presidents, and treasurer shall be elected annually at the general convention in such manner as may be determined by order of the convention, and shall hold office for one year or until their successors are elected and qualified.
Section 2. The nine six elected members of the Board of Directors shall be chosen at the general convention, two being elected each year for a term of three years. [Note to membership: The existing nine-member board of directors will served out the remainder of their terms, and the change to six directors will evolve through attrition.]
Section 4. Vacancies among the elected directors and officers shall be filled by the Board of Directors at the next meeting of the Board of Directors. In the event of a vacancy
in the office of president, the position of the first vice president shall automatically become president. In the event of a
vacancy in the office of president, the position shall remainvacant until the first vice president is elevated to president. In the event of a vacancy in the office of either vice president within 10 months of the next general convention, it shall be filled by the Board of Directors. If vacancies should occur in both the offices of president and the first vice president, the immediate past president shall perform the duties of president, and in the event of vacancies in all three of these positions, the Board of Directors shall appoint a past president until a president shall be elected by the Association. A vacancy in the Executive Committee caused by death, removal or retirement of the immediate past president shall remain unfilled until the next general convention. In that event, the president shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors.
Section 5. No person shall be permitted to hold more than one voting position on the Board of Directors. When an elected Director is named to one of the higher offices, his place on the Board automatically becomes vacant, and an eligible member of the Association shall be elected by the Board to complete the unexpired term be put into nomination by the nominating committee to fill the remainder of the vacated term.
South Texas Press Association/ P. O. Box 400, Hondo, TX 78861-0400 / © 2023 by STPA.
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