NLAPW – Denver Branch
January 3, 2026 Minutes
- Linda Volin called the meeting to order at 9:34 am.
- Members Present: Marion Mike, Risa Waldt, Linda Volin, Virginia Small (Webmistress), Rachel Seekamp, Sue Luxa, Eleanor Binnings, Ann Klaiman, Karen Gladstone, Diane Chambers, Kelly Ann Compton
- Inspirational Reading: Risa read from The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse written by Charlie Mackesy.
- Minutes: The minutes were approved as written.
- Treasurer Report: Kelly Ann reported that the current balance of our account is $70.16. A deposit of $45.00 will be made next week.
- Committee Reports:
- Membership:
- We have two new members, Marion Mike and Denise Gard.
- Our guest list needs to be updated. Diane will send the list to Linda, Rachel, and Kelly Ann.
- Rachel and Virginia are working on setting up Mailerlite to help keep our mailing list more easily managed. They have been having issues in setting up Mailerlite because the code keeps going to Diane instead of Rachel or Virginia. Virginia will meet with Diane to finish setting up the application.
- Programming:
- Today’s program is a one hour video on color theory. Future programs have yet to be determined. Due to our current financial situation, the plan is to watch other videos on art or writing, and to possibly have current members give presentations.
- Sue suggested that everyone should join the website Authors Publish. This website offers free courses and information on publishing.
- Zoom: Kelly Ann reported that Zoom is working well.
- Website:
- Virginia is working on setting up a new website. To do this, she needs to set up a clone of our current site. Issues have come up with cloning the website, so Virginia will be contacting Blue Host.
- Linda sent a picture from the Windcrest Craft Fair to Virginia to put on the website. Linda needs to write a caption for the picture.
- Sue sent pictures of the Highlands Ranch Craft Fair to Linda and Diane.
- Critique Group: The next meeting will be on January 9, 4:30-6:30 pm. The group has room for three more Denver Pen Women members.
- Historian: Sue will work on getting all the current ephemera and other information onto a flash drive.
- Membership:
- Member News:
- Linda advertised her new book on Facebook and has already sold four books. Her is listed on Amazon.
- Virginia has art in a new anthology.
- Andrea sent Virginia a new poem she wrote and information on her Leo the Librarian book.
- Publicity discussion:
- Sue suggested looking into placing an ad in Colorado Life Magazine. It is a print magazine with information and stories about Colorado. Ads need to be submitted three months before magazine publication. The email address is advertising@Coloradolifemag.com. Sue will investigate advertising in this publication.
- Karen suggested possibly sending a news release to the publications 5280 and Westword. Rachel said that 5280 advertising information is on their website. Linda will look into it.
- National Update
- The Pen Woman magazine contains information on the upcoming biennial, the need for book reviewers, and the magazine’s desire for poetry submissions.
- Linda shared that she found several NLAPW groups on Facebook.
- Voting takes place in March, both national and our local branch. Linda is asking that one of our members volunteers to poll our branch members to see who is interested in running for office within our branch. Please let Linda know if you are interested in doing this.
- Members who are currently on our Denver Pen Women branch board are to prepare a written description of their job(s) and send the information to Linda in the next two weeks so she has it before our February meeting.
- It was suggested that we should send pictures with information to Pen Woman magazine regarding our participation in craft fairs.
- The business meeting was adjourned at 10:29 am.
Following the business meeting, we watched a video on color theory, specifically the color black.
Respectfully submitted,
Kelly Ann Compton.