Current Scratch: Join Us, Local Events and Brazos Valley Blooms Volunteering, The Snowy Day

Time to scratch that holiday itch! 'Tis the season for books about snow, celebrations and, if you're from around here, Christmas tamales...yum. Hope 2016 ends well for everyone. Great things are going to happen for SCBWI Brazos Valley in 2017! Read on...   

Join us

Our next regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 25th at 10 a.m. in the College Station Barnes & Noble (if you'd like to see us before then come to the holiday party - see info in next section). Topic TBD. We'll also discuss news and provide encouragement. Gentle critique begins at 9:30 a.m. Bring copies of 5 double-spaced pages of your work in progress. Those who have time may go to lunch at a local restaurant. Members and friends welcome.

Local/Regional Events 

SCBWI Holiday Party! - Dec 6th

Please join us at the Olive Garden on Tuesday, December 6th at 7pm. Spouses are welcome. We'll play some games, catch up, and wish each other a new year full of brilliant ideas and the time to put them in print!

Please bring a wrapped book for the gift exchange and blankets and new and gently used books for children for our annual donation. Follow this link for more info about Books and a Blanket. Each participant pays for his or her own food and beverages.

See more details and RSVP via Evite here. 

Brazos Valley SCBWI Conference - March 4th

Yes, you read that correctly, we will be hosting a conference here in March! The conference name is "Brazos Valley Blooms: Celebrating Our First 25 Years Creating for Kids." Registration will open soon. See below for ways you can help us make it a great success. 

Brazos Valley Blooms Volunteering

Have you been searching for a new year's resolution? How about resolving to help with the upcoming SCBWI Brazos Valley regional conference? Signing up early for a volunteer task or position will help the organizers plan in advance and keep things running smoothly. 
We have volunteer opportunities for all types:

Introverts

• Gather door prizes and silent auction items
• Stand watch over the illustrators portfolio showcase (during the conference)
• Make name tags
• Assemble gift bags
• Prepare baked goods/snacks for the conference
•  Stuff folders

Extroverts

• Greeters at the conference
• Drivers for faculty (or  you can donate fund for a shuttle ride)
• Bookstore liason
  

More money than free time? You can donate funds for

• Airport shuttle for our speakers
• Snacks/food, coffee & tea to server at conference
  

Minimalist with too many Christmas presents?

• Consider regifting presents that were nice but just not your style to our silent auction

Don't live near B/CS?

• Help spread the word about the conference in your town/community. Please sign up to put up flyers in your local bookstores, coffee shops, schools, etc and share the conference info throughout your social circle via email, social media, etc.

Stay tuned for more info!

The Snowy Day

This morning NPR aired a wonderful story on the story of the story behind the classic children's book "The Snowy Day." Sorry, I couldn't help myself. To clarify, the piece was about "A Poem for Peter," written by Andrea Davis Pinkney, which covers the life of Ezra Jack Keats and the creation of "The Snowy Day." Give it a listen here.

That's it for this month's Scratch. Happy holidays!

           

 Disclaimer: The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily those of the SCBWI.