Today, for the first time perhaps ever, I ran in a race, Readers on the Run, for the John Trigg Ester Library. Sort of. I more or less jogged and walked. Mostly walked, especially by the last loop. Readers on the Run is a five-kilometer fun run, a benefit for the library, and I helped start it (2008) and publicize it for the library (2009), but this is the first time I've ever entered it. It was fun! We had some GREAT silly costumes this year, especially the two pink fairies (Brook and Shiway) and the green-faced stick guy (Darwin). Oh, yes, and the poodle out walking her dog (Lisa). I came dressed as Her Editorship the Green Queen, and managed, through skill and clever strategy, to come in last. I did not, alas, receive a prize for Red Lantern finisher. Oh, well, you can't have everything. I did get a big rousing cheer from the crowd.
I got interviewed by Channel 11, which apparently knows a fun feature when they see it (it's supposed to be on during the 6 o'clock news tonight). I don't think the News-Miner came out this year, although Molly Rettig, who is a reporter for them, was in it, so maybe they'll have something too. The Republic, of course, plans a major tale of terror on it.
Nancy and Ed and Jeff and Stanley worked hard on the event, and Amy Cameron made some beautiful posters and t-shirts. Here's the basic graphic:
Monique took photos of the poems and racers, as did Trey and Hans, who also helped out during the race. We had 42 people enter the race this year! That means we're adding about 10 people a year, although next year's increase may be bigger, because Running Club North says they'll put the event on their calendar next year.
Now on to the marathon:
the library board (Monique, Nancy, and me, especially) have been working our buns off and our eyeballs out on library stuff. Monique has been plowing through the Nolo Press book on setting up a nonprofit, How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation, to write up our proposed revised bylaws. They're very thorough, and very good, although (as I told Monique) I squawked when I first saw them, because it makes 22 pages' worth. But they cover what they need to cover, and they're clear, and they provide a good solid operating manual for the corporation. She's also working on the usual minutes and a business plan for the library. Oh, and trying to work a full-time job in her spare time, so to speak.
Nancy has been meticulously going through the receipts, invoices, donations, t-shirt sales, bookshelf sponsorships, memberships, et al., making sure that not only are we on the dot for this year, but for previous years. I was not a very good treasurer, and Margaret was much better, but Nancy's cleaning up and backtracking, which is a time-consuming job that requires a strong orientation to detail, and I don't envy her! She definitely has my gratitude.
I've been working on grantwriting and the annual meeting packet. We have five positions up for election on the JTEL board this year, so we've all been soliciting potential board members. We're preparing for the annual meeting on October 24th (only two weeks away! gadzooks!). I spent better than ten hours yesterday working on the website, writing up a timeline and a task list for the next four years (organizational structure tasks, design and construction tasks, and program tasks and ideas), working a little on the President's Report, . Greta and I also did a teleconference with a couple of the people at the Alaska Community Foundation to discuss the possibility of setting up a foundation for the library.
Greta's been working on the board biographies, duties, officer positions, etc., along with the endowment. Eric's been working on the insurance and the power pole, and Melinda is working on the community revenue sharing program and the Fundraiser Report for the annual meeting.
It's a marathon, to be sure. And we've still got two weeks to go!
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