The JASNA-North Carolina July meeting took place on July 18, facilitated by treasurer Sue Scott.
Jane Austen died on this day in 1817.
Member Survey
Karin Wiberg, regional coordinator, presented the summary results of the May 2021 NC member survey. We had about a 60% response rate, out of about 100 members surveyed. Some key findings and decisions:
- People were almost ready to start meeting in person. We will keep an eye on the virus and new variants. The earliest we will have an in-person meeting is December 2021. When we do meet in person, we will attempt to provide a Zoom/livestream option for those who may be at a distance. (No guarantees—we need to figure out the tech.)
- For our Zoom meetings, nearly everyone was comfortable recording the meeting for those who could not attend. We will begin recording Zoom meetings in August 2021 and make the recording available for a limited period to members only (and pending speaker permission).
- For in-person meeting location, the most popular place was the Triangle (due to the member population there), but there were also significant numbers of members interested/willing to meet in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Asheville. As we get back to planning in-person events, we will try to balance locations. And if someone is willing to host/coordinate some of the above locations, we can connect people in those areas for smaller events as well.
- When questioned about available and preferred meeting day/time, the most popular options were Sunday afternoon, Saturday afternoon, and weekday evening. We will continue with Sundays at 2pm Eastern to the extent possible; when needed, we’ll go to the second and third choices.
- The biggest discussion was about the frequency of meetings. Monthly has been good for the pandemic, but is it too frequent for going forward? Should we look at a “school year” calendar with a couple months off in the summer? (This idea appealed to some folks.) We are scheduled monthly through 2021, and will consider adjustments for 2022—possibly 4 virtual book club, 4 virtual meetings, and 2 in-person meetings (one in the Triangle, and one possible in Winston-Salem, which seemed fairly central and accessible).
- People offered up many ideas for programming, including Regency/Austen-related fashion, crafts, medicine/health issues, art, games, theatricals, culinary topics, servants’ lives, architecture, military, education, and politics.
- Approximately two-thirds of members had attended virtual events from other organizations (other JASNA regions, Chawton House, Jane Austen & Co., etc.), and most of those said they would continue to do so when possible.
- People are enjoying the Virtual Book Club, the rotation of book types, and the facilitation. And they offered a wealth of suggestions for future meetings.
- In answering about social media usage, the greatest number of members were on Facebook, then Instagram, and finally Twitter. See the social media article noted below for more information.
- We did not discuss volunteer options at this meeting, but had several people offer to help, and we’ll get to more discussion over the next couple months.
Overall, the whole group seemed happy with how things were going and grateful for all the programming and social connection during the pandemic.
Thanks to everyone who offered their feedback!
Social Media
Katie Allen and Mayra Garcia shared information about JASNA-NC’s social media presence as well as other accounts that may be fun to follow. For easy reference, here is a full article on social media.
Other discussion
We had a smattering of other topics:
- Several members attended Emma: A Pop Musical at the Temple Theater in Sanford. The show was part of their summer conservatory for high school students. The show was high energy and fast-paced, the singing was impressive, and the plot mostly stuck to the original (but, uh, Box Hill was missing). More than one attendee reporting they were smiling the whole time and–bonus–there was a chocolate shop next door for post-show treats!
- The Jane Austen Summer Program (JASP) in June was a hit. The keynotes were strong, the short presentations by the grad students were excellent, and the hands-on workshops worked surprisingly well. There was so much to do that many people reported being exhausted by the end! A couple of our attendees had their winning virtual background from the murder mystery event. JASNA-NC is happy to be one of the sponsors of JASP.
- In July, a few of our members attended the Louisville, Kentucky, Jane Austen event.
- Registration for the October 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chicago is open. As of July 25, it does not appear to have sold out, so if you’re interested, check out the schedule now.
Cool member news to share
Members shared several exciting events:
- Laine Wood just finished her first master’s program—and she has two others in progress! (Wow.)
- Nancy Martin-Young’s Wit and Prattles, a spinoff of Sense and Sensibility, will be published on August 3 and is available for pre-order on Amazon. If you have a BookSprout account, there is an advance reader copy (ARC) available as well.
- Jane Austen: an anthology of thoughts & opinions, edited by member Arlene Bice, was published in May and is available on Amazon.
Congratulations to all!!