MEETINGS

Next at IABC Fort Worth ...
Bronze Quill Awards: Taking Your Creativity to the Nth Degree

The most popular and prestigious event of IABC Fort Worth’s year — the Bronze Quill Awards — rolls out at the July 26 luncheon. Communicators from throughout Tarrant County will be honored for the quality of their work and their professionalism during the only local awards program that is dedicated specifically to them.

Highlighting the event will be Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, who will discuss the communications triumphs and tragedies of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. This promises to be a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at how communications pros from the committee, the Dallas Cowboys and the National Football League coped with the unexpected challenges that just kept coming in Super Bowl week.      

Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, July 26
Place: City Club, 301 Commerce St.
Cost: $25 members, $30 nonmembers, $20 students (online add $1)

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Summer Social: Stadium Tour and Happy Hour

Get a VIP tour of Cowboys Stadium and network afterward at a happy hour with PR colleagues from the Southwest District when the Fort Worth and Dallas PRSA chapters meet for a July summer social. The regular luncheon schedule will resume next month.

The chapters have challenged their members to get at least 10 people signed up for the stadium tour to lock in a discount. Members may attend the tour and happy hour separately or, for the maximum experience, do both!

Arrive at Cowboys Stadium at 4 p.m.; the tour begins at 4:30 and lasts an hour and a half. Tours depart from the Pro Shop at Entrance A. Parking is free in Lots 1 and 2 near Randol Mill Road.

Anyone who cannot attend the stadium tour but plans to show up for happy hour should e- Megan Murphey, murphey@gcgadvertising.com.

Stadium tour
Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington
When: Thursday, July 21, 4-6 p.m.
Cost: $20 members/students, $30 nonmembers

Happy hour
Where: Olenjack’s Grille, 770 Road to Six Flags E.
When: Thursday, July 21, 6:30 p.m.
Cost: only what you eat and drink

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Next at Fort Worth SPJ ...
Roll Out the Harral, We’ll Have a Harral of Fun

There’s hardly enough living-room room for the old soft-shoe, but that other Gridiron staple — topical barbs set to music — will be in abundance at the summer party at Paul and Harriet Harral’s elegant home. Gridiron scriptwriter supreme Donna Darovich is crafting lyrics as you read this — ripping them from the headlines! — and a piano player will be on site to assist and also take requests.

Friends, food ‘n’ tunes: the perfect summer fare.

Time & date: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30
Place: 2102 Pembroke Drive, Fort Worth
Cost: $10
Menu: tenderloin slow grilled, vegetables, appetizers, beer, tea, wine, brownies 

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STRAIGHT STUFF

Glenda Vosburgh specializes in freelance writing and editing as well as research, including news and feature articles, business communications, press releases, brochures, advertising and marketing, and web copy. All of which more than prepares her to discuss “The Writing/Publishing Industry in Dallas Today” at the Writers’ Guild of Texas meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, July 18, at the Richardson Public Library. Vosburgh’s articles have appeared in a variety of publications — D magazine and Grit, to name two — and she has been a full-time editor for the Dallas Business Journal and a writer for Park Cities People.   •   Writers’ events calendar: July 21-24, Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, lectures, workshops, agents, agent consultations, writing contest, student biography contest, Grapevine.   •   WGT third-Monday schedule for the rest of the year: Aug. 15, Richard Pollak on travel and leisure writing; Sept. 19, Cynthia Stillar, “Pros and Cons of Keeping vs. Selling Rights”; Oct. 17, Rex McGee, “Screenwriting: Getting Your Words on the Big Screen”; Nov. 21, Heather Wood, “E-Commerce, Your Online Selling Options”; Dec. 19, holiday open house.   •   Improve your writing/editing skills at WGT PCS (planned critique sessions), third Wednesday of the month, Richardson Public Library basement, 7-8:45 p.m. Participants present their own work and receive feedback from fellow members. E- Earl Stubbs, earlstubbs34@gmail.com.   •   More at writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/. Send events calendar items to Carol Woods at carol.woods@verizon.net.

PRSA local update: Let’s talk about it. GFW PRSA has started a chapter blog for member posts. “We’re looking for posts that cover public relations trends, tools, topics and more,” says the chapter’s friendly neighborhood PRSA social media guy, Richie Escovedo. “What’s happening in your industry or area of expertise? Be creative and share. Blog writing is a great way for PR pros to hone writing skills. If you don’t have your own blog, feel free to use our chapter blog submission opportunity to share your thoughts.” Direct questions to Escovedo at richie.escovedo@gmail.com or via Twitter, @vedo.

PRSA local update II: PRSA Southwest District members are invited to Quickstart, a one-day professional development program to equip current and future PRSA leaders, Friday, July 22, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Arlington. Participants will learn best practices from national and chapter leaders from across the district. Topics include accreditation, chapter programming ideas, member recruitment, and fund-raising and sponsorships. Cost is $75 before July 15, $80 after. Register at prsaswconf.org/.

PRSA local update III: Standing reminders. Have something to say? Be a speaker at a North Texas PRSSA chapter meeting. E- Kevin Williams at kw757@yahoo.com. ... The DFW Communicators Job Bank lists full-time, part-time and internship positions in PR, media affairs, advertising/sales, event planning, graphic design, marketing, and corporate and employee communications throughout North Texas. Employers who are members of the participating organizations may post a job listing for $50; the cost for nonmembers is $75. Nonprofits get a 50 percent discount. Each posting runs three weeks. Greater Fort Worth PRSA receives a portion of the proceeds when a member marks his or her membership status on the submission form. More from Jerrod Resweber at jresweber@webershandwick.com or 469-375-0216. ... Stay on top of emerging trends and industry news, extend your network while increasing your knowledge, and keep learning and stay competitive. Any practitioner with at least two years in the field is eligible for membership in the world’s leading organization for PR professionals. Those with fewer than two years experience or who recently graduated from college and were active in PRSSA may join as an associate member. More from chapter president-elect Allyson Cross at cross@gcgadvertising.com.

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Robert Bohler
Kenneth Pybus
Kay Colley