The 145th NAPA Convention is set for July 20th through the 22nd at the Holiday Inn in Downtown, Columbus, Ohio. All members, Regular, Family, and Life, are welcome and encouraged to attend, and are eligible to vote.
Site
The Holiday Inn Columbus Downtown, Capitol Square (175 East Town Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215) is the site for our convention—our first chance to gather again in person since 2019!
Registration Deadline
July 10th is the deadline for reservations at the convention rate. There have been some issues regarding registering online, so the Sales Manager, Mr. Joe Filio, has kindly told us that we can make our convention reservations by calling him using his direct office line, at 614-242-3902.
He has further told us that even if you miss the July 10th deadline, call him, and he will get the conference discount rate for you. (This information was previously sent out in “NAPA Email News.”)
If you arrive on July 19, you can get the same rate as for the official days of the convention. President Michelle Klosterman is slated to attend and preside.
Business Sessions
NAPA business sessions will convene at 9 am in the Holiday Inn’s Board Room, 2nd floor, each of the official days. (The order of each day’s business is contained in the By-Laws, Article A, as detailed on page 5.)
Hotel Parking
Columbus-area members and anyone else who might be staying at another hotel or in a private home can attend the convention and can park in the Holiday Inn’s gated lot by buying a $10 day-pass at the front desk.
Street Parking
Alternatively, kiosk-monitored street parking is available, and off-street parking is available at the Grant Hospital parking garage, two blocks east of the hotel.
If you are using street parking, you might want to download the ParkColumbus app onto your smart-phone. That way you can pay for your parking immediately at your parking spot instead of having to walk to the nearest kiosk, which could be half a block or more away, running the slight risk of getting a parking ticket in the few minutes before you get to the kiosk and pay for parking. At the kiosk you will need to enter your license plate number and your parking zone number, which is posted on signs along the street where you park.
Field Trips
Special afternoon field trips available specifically for NAPA members are being arranged, as follows.
Thursday Afternoon
A visit to the Columbus Printed Arts Center
(at 2000 S. High Street, Columbus, Ohio; 614-928-8063; info@columbusprintedarts.org).
Friday Afternoon
Open
Saturday Afternoon
A two-hour writing workshop at Thurber House, led by one of their instructors, on ways to find topics to write about, how to overcome writer’s block, and how to organize and develop your writing. The format will be a mix of lecture and writing. Workshop details are shown on the next page.
Founded in 1984, Thurber House is a nonprofit literary arts center, James Thurber museum, historic landmark, and gathering place for readers, writers, and artists of all ages. They are based in the restored 1873 home of humorist, cartoonist, author, playwright, and journalist James Thurber, widely considered to be one of the foremost American humorists of the 20th century. Thurber House programs include The Thurber Prize for American Humor, author events featuring nationally bestselling authors and local authors, writing workshops for children and adults, writer residencies, and more.
Thurber House will also put this workshop on Zoom for the benefit of NAPA members anywhere. They will hold a spot for you on Zoom (since they will also open this to the public) by registration with an email address—details on that and the link will be sent out in “NAPA Email News” when available.
Other field trip options for you to pursue individually include a traveling Tutankhamen exhibit at COSI, a well-known family-oriented science center in the downtown area; the Columbus College of Art & Design; the Ohio Statehouse (guided tours); the historic German Village neighborhood, Visitor’s Center, and Schiller Park; plus you can browse the web for many other local attractions in the area.
Workshop Details
I’m happy to say that one of the instructors I most hoped could teach this workshop has signed up to lead the class on July 22!
- Date/Time: Saturday, July 22 from 1:00–3:00 pm
- Format: In-person and virtual options available
- In-Person Location: Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215)
- Virtual Location: Zoom
We can make the registration page live on Eventbrite. I do think it’s best if the participants sign up via the Eventbrite page so we have an accurate count and we can manage the number of seats available to the general public. The Eventbrite page will also collect emails for anyone who wants to attend virtually and needs to receive the Zoom link.
Workshop Description
Are you trying to make progress with your writing, but having trouble getting and staying motivated? Are the ideas coming slowly or not at all? Are you frustrated that you can’t seem to stay productive?
Don’t worry, you got this! In this special summer workshop, instructor Andrea Taylor will teach you effective techniques for keeping writer’s block at bay. This class is for anyone who has faced the blank page and the blank mind at the same time. You’ll experiment with prompts and exercises to kick-start your writing and discuss practices to adopt long term to help defeat the infamous writer’s block. You’ll walk out of this session with tips, tools, and tricks to get and keep your creativity flowing again!
Andrea Taylor received her MFA from Lindenwood University, where she was an Editorial Assistant for The Lindenwood Review.
Workshop Registration
- When it goes live, the registration page will be located here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/special-summer-2023-adult-writing-workshop-tickets-663032787917
- If you can register for the workshop sooner rather than later, particularly for the in-person format, that would be helpful to ensure that seats that NAPA needs aren’t given away.
- To access the NAPA Member tickets, click on the orange “Get tickets” button, enter the promo code NAPA at the top of the window that opens, and select one of the NAPA Member registration options that appears (either the in-person or virtual format).
Closing Dinner Program
The closing dinner will be Saturday evening at Valters at the Maennerchor, a restaurant in the historic German Village neighborhood. I’m glad to announce the guest speaker will be John Clark, a writer, editor, walking-tour guide for German Village, and a resident of it. He will present “Newspapers and Print Shops in the Old South End,” about the early German-language newspapers and print shops of that area of Columbus. In addition, the convention photo will be taken that evening, and Pres. Michelle Klosterman will announce and present the Laureate Awards for 2022.
There will also be the traditional Memorial Committee Report and the announcement and presentation of the Laureate Awards.
Sunday Morning, July 23
A farewell brunch will be hosted by Bill & Ruth Boys at their home in German Village for those who wish to breakfast together before journeying homeward.
Meeting Agenda
From NAPA Bylaws, Article A: Order of Business
First Day (Thursday)
1. Roll call.
- Appointment of pro tempore officers.
- Report of Secretary-Treasurer on applicants and reinstatements.
- Annual reports of officers and committees.
- Presentation to the presiding officer, for transmission to the Chairman of the Absentee Ballot Committee, of the absentee ballots and the list of members eligible to vote.
- Appointment of members of the Absentee Ballot Committee.
- Miscellaneous and new business.
Second Day (Friday)
1. Roll call.
- Unfinished business.
- Report of the Absentee Ballot Committee.
- Election of officers and convention seat.
- Vote upon proposed amendments to the constitution or the adoption of a new constitution.
- Miscellaneous and new business.
Third Day (Saturday)
1. Roll call.
- Laureate awards (may be moved to the convention banquet at the discretion of the President).
- Installation of new officers.
- Appointment of pro tempore officers.
- Unfinished business.
- Reports of committees.
- Miscellaneous and new business.
- Adjournment sine die.