Greetings to all members and prospective members

Your executive for the 2010/2011 term has taken a serious look at three areas which we hope to address:

1. retention of members
2. being able to provide programming and activities for those who are “competitive”, “noncompetitive” “novice”, or “advanced”
3. getting the club on a more secure financial footing so we can afford to do things such as purchasing our own computer, projector, and screen; making display boards to better display members’ work, bringing in some ‘top name’ photographers for workshops, and providing modest scholarships for local photography students.

We also hope to be able to work closely with the community to create opportunities for member photographers to display their work in various venues; as well as determining the feasibility of hosting a major photography event, given our central location.  These are ambitious plans, and to make them a success we will need an active club, a cadre of willing volunteers.

My colleagues on the executive have also supported the addition of another competition category, the “President’s Choice Award” which will be open to entries in both the fall and spring competitions. The theme for this award will be announced at the first meeting in September (for fall competition) and on the first meeting in January (for spring competition). 

Thanks to Kyra Herzog and Peter Nissen for creating the Central Alberta Photographic Society group on Facebook and Flickr, respectively. Please drop by for a chat or discussion on either venue, look at some good photos, and post some of your own. Thanks also to our webmaster, Dean Watkiss.

The location and format of our meetings have changed.  Effective September 8, 2010 we will be meeting at the Sportsman Room at the City of Red Deer Recreation Center (downstairs) 4501- 47A Ave.  Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with coffee and cookies available. This will give members a chance to learn about the club, socialize and talk photography outside of the meeting proper.  The meetings proper will commence at 7:00 p.m. Membership fees will remain at $40.00 per year and must be paid prior to entering competitions or attending club functions. We anticipate that the old tradition of gathering at Tim Horton’s (downtown) after the meeting will continue, as it has been a great time of sharing and discussion over the years.

Make sure to check the "Schedule of Events" page for upcoming meetings, workshops, speakers, monthly assignments and special outings, as well as any last minute changes or updates between meetings. We promise you some excellent presentations and photography experiences!

If you have a photo show, trip pictures, etc. that you would like to share please let us know and it can be included in our newsletter. If you have a special talent that you would like to share with the club or a workshop or have a presentation that you would like to make, please contact one of the executive. Our newsletter editor, David Morton, is planning to make our newsletter available via electronic format, effective this season. 

Please feel free to contact me on any matter concerning the club, or photographic opportunities for our members, by e-mail at pathways@platinum.ca or at (403) 885-5045.