You asked us to help VGSA members better connect online, and we thought it was a great idea. And when it comes to connecting online, nobody does it as well as the folks at Facebook.

Already have a profile on Facebook? Then join the new VGSA group. It’s there to be just what you make of it. Post photos or videos, start a new discussion, or chat online with other group members.

Not on Facebook yet? Check it out! It’s free, easy to use, and it’s a great way to connect with people from around the world, as well as those in your own back yard.

Please note: this Facebook group is unmoderated and open to the public. Your respect and consideration are much appreciated.

Have you ever found yourself wondering whether it was time to renew your annual VGSA membership, and trying to remember just which month it was when you first joined? For those who receive the paper newsletter, we generally include a reminder notice when your renewal is due, but with more members moving toward the electronic newsletter, the steering committee has been looking for ways to simplify the renewal process for our members, as well as for the volunteers who handle membership, create our budget, and produce the newsletter.

The Plan

Beginning in January 2009, we will transition to a calendar year membership period. Rather than renew their membership on the month they first joined, members will purchase an annual membership good from January to December. The following January, everyone’s renewal will come due once again.

The Benefits

For members, this means no longer having to keep track of whether you’ve renewed or when your dues are, well, due. Everyone will renew at the same time, at the start of each new year.

For our member volunteers, this means working on renewals for a couple of months, then directing that time and energy the rest of the year toward organizing the monthly activities and planning our annual events. The change should also aid with budget planning, allowing us to identify the major source of our income early in the calendar year.

How Will This Work?

It’s quite simple. Each January, renewing members will purchase their annual membership for the new year, online or by check.

New members joining mid-year will pay only for the remainder of the year, since they will be renewing the following January. For example, a new member joining in October 2009 will pay 1/3 the 2009 membership price, then will renew in January 2010 at the full rate.

2009 Transition

The first January all-member renewal won’t actually happen until January 2010. After all, we’ve been renewing members each month this year, so most of us are paid up part-way through 2009. Someone who renewed at the full price this month won’t be asked to pay for another full year next January.

Instead, 2009 renewals will cover the remainder of 2009 only, just like new memberships. A member renewing in June 2009 will pay 1/2 the regular price to cover the remainder of 2009, and then will renew in January 2010 at the full rate. This will require a little extra coordination in 2009, but we believe it will be well worth it once the change has been made. And don’t worry, we’ll let you know the amount of your partial payment–no guesswork required.

To see assistant professor Richard G. Johnson, III and his “dreadlocks to die for,” as his co-editor describes Johnson’s long, distinctive look, is to bear witness to the title of their forthcoming book, Resilience. In this collection of personal essays, subtitled, “Queer Professors from the Working Class,” Johnson and the book’s contributors write about the intense, often painful moments of isolation and exposure they’ve faced in their journeys through academia.

Johnson is on the faculty at UVM. Read the article about this new collection of essays.

A flock of several hundred brilliant white geese with black wing tips dropping from the sky into a large field is a sight you will never forget. In New England, Vermont is the only place where you can regularly see thousands of these spectacular birds resting and feeding during their southward migration in the fall.

Sunday October 26, we will head to the Dead Creek in Addison County to witness the migration of the Snow Geese.  Afterward we can stop somewhere for lunch and also do some antiquing.  There are a few stand alone shops in the area and an antique mall near Rt 116 and Rt 7 (Middlebury area).  We plan to meet at the park and ride in Vergennes at 11AM.  Contact Jim Nelson for more information.

This event is not included in the October newsletter. Log in and view the Events page to get Jim’s contact information.