First, since all clubs are dancing again, mention of the Covid-19
issues have been removed from the ASSDF website...but the two other
clubs that are still not dancing (Jubilee Squares, plus the Pistols and Petticoats) are being REMOVED from the e-Edition and the ASSDF website.
If and when these clubs resume dancing, they can submit said information
(dance day, time, location, caller, and club contact) to the Editor of
The Modern Square at assdfmodernsquare at gmail dot com -- and they will
be placed back in the e-Edition, and on the ASSDF website.
Note that clubs that go DARK during the summer months (June, July, and August, due to the hot weather), will NOT be removed from the e-Edition,
or the ASSDF website. Regardless, please CALL BEFORE YOU TRAVEL, in case
of any last minute cancellations or changes...and if you don't feel well
on a dance night...or if bad weather is an issue, please stay home.
Second, at an Executive Board Meeting of the Arkansas State Square Dance Federation (ASSDF) on Saturday, June 3, 2023...statistics show that The
Modern Square print edition subscriber database has DROPPED 20% in the
last year. On the current e-Edition emailg list, the following information
will be placed in a PDF file attached to the message...and I will mail a
copy of said PDF file to all club contacts from the June, 2023 issue,
which is already out.
**
We are now down to 32 print edition subscribers, and it was decided
with the increased costs of postage and printing, the lack of ads being purchased, and the continued decline of print edition subscribers, that
the FINAL PRINT EDITION of The Modern Square would be the December, 2023, issue...which is planned for release late on Tuesday, November 14, 2023,
or early on November 15, 2023.
It was then presented to the Delegates Meeting afterwards, and while
there weren't a large number of delegates there...after discussion, it
was voted to accept the decision of the ASSDF Board...although the vote
was NOT unanimous.
While there have been a small group of print edition subscribers, who
were not getting the e-Edition...likely due to the fact that they didn't
have, couldn't get, or didn't want, a computer or internet access...with
the cost issues noted...it has become ECONOMICALLY UNFEASIBLE to continue
the print edition. In fact, several years ago, it was The Modern Square
print edition that nearly BANKRUPTED the ASSDF. As a result, several
changes were made to make it where it wouldn't cost the ASSDF so much
each month; including moving several items to the e-Edition, and the
ASSDF website.
With the ENDING of the print edition, it will mean that the ASSDF will
no longer have to worry about costs associated with postage and printing,
or delays in mail delivery. However, subscribers still need to advise
the Editor of ANY changes in their address (mailing or email)...because
the ASSDF has to pay a postage due fee for any returned print edition.
These, and returned (bounced) e-Editions mean that your subscription
(print and/or e-Edition) is SUSPENDED until you contact the Editor with
the new information...as the Editor has no idea where to send it,
otherwise.
In the print edition subscriber database for the July, 2023 issue,
we have 11 print subscription expirations through the end of 2023;
with 21 print subscription expirations through July, 2024. All current
print edition subscribers will be able to keep their print subscription
through the December, 2023 issue. After that time, if there are any
remaining months on the print subscription (from January, 2024 through
July, 2024 (the final print subscription expiration that is on file),
the subscribers will be asked if they would like to either make a
donation of the cost of the remainder of the subscription to the ASSDF,
or if they'd like a pro-rated refund...which averages out to $1.67 per
issue.
Note that it was voted several years ago at the ASSDF Board Meeting
and the following ASSDF Delegats Meeting that "subscription fees for
The Modern Square were NON-REFUNDABLE". However, in light of the SOON
ENDING of the print edition with the December, 2023 issue...all print subscriptions expiring in 2023, are NOT entitled to a refund. But, those
print subscription expirations expiring from January through July, 2024,
will have the option of making a donation of their subscription balance
to the ASSDF, or requesting a pro-rated refund by contacting ASSDF
Treasurer Sheila Gesing via phone, email, or postal mail.
I will modify the Print Subscription Reminder Renewal Letters, to note
this change. The first one of these will be sent out with print edition subscription expirations for the August, 2023 issue...as the July, 2023
print edition issue expiration letters have already been mailed out.
The renewal form will be updated for the July, 2023 issue, which is
being prepared now, and is planned to be released late on Wednesday,
June 14, 2023. That form will be for signing up for the e-Edition ONLY,
as we are NO LONGER ACCEPTING new print edition subscribers, or renewals
of current print edition subscriptions.
After the Reminder Letters are mailed out for the December, 2023 print edition expirations (which will be in early November, 2023), these
letters will be discontinued. Current print edition subscriptions can NOT
be extended past their current expiration date (expirations are through
July, 2024 at this time).
So, here's a breakdown of potential "donation or refund" amounts, for
the 2024 print subscription expirations...which run through July, 2024.
The month noted will be noted at the left, followed by the amount
remaining (averaging to $1.67 per issue):
Expirations from July through December, 2023: No Refunds.
Expires in January, 2024: $1.67
Expires in February, 2024: $3.34
Expires in March, 2024: $5.01
Expires in April, 2024: $6.68
Expires in May, 2024: $8.35
Expires in June, 2024: $10.05
Expires in July, 2024: $11.72
With going to e-Edition ONLY effective with the January, 2024 issue,
the following CHANGES will be made:
1) The deadline for items to be submitted for publication will CHANGE
from the 14th of the month to the LAST SATURDAY of the month...whether
it is a 4th or 5th Saturday...but it will still at 9pm US Central Time.
This way, whether clubs dance only once a month, or even weekly...they
can prepare a report for the month just ending (I'll use the issue of
January, 2024 as an example), and if they get it to me by 9pm on December
30, 2023...it'll be in that issue. And, they don't have to worry about preparing a report for the January, 2024 issue until December 26
(Christmas Day, 2023, and New Years Day, 2024, fall on Monday)...
basically, having an additional 2 weeks to prepare a report and items
to be sent in. Also, clubs will NOT have to wait so long for their
information to be published...and they can basically get the entire
month's info in the next month's issue.
2) The December, 2023 issue is planned to be RELEASED late on Tuesday,
November 14...or early on November 15, 2023.
However, the January, 2024 issue is planned to be RELEASED late on
Saturday, December 30, 2023...or early on Sunday, December 31, 2023.
As noted above, reporters will have an additional 2 weeks to send in
items for the January, 2024 issue, which will be e-Edition ONLY.
3) The 250 word limit on club reports, effective with the January, 2024
issue, will be REMOVED. However, I will continue to edit the reports for grammar, punctuation, and continuity of content, so the report does not
appear "disjointed". Otherwise, I don't plan to do any editing, unless
the subject matter would be what some would consider "controversial",
such as politics or religion...the latter would be limited to "requests
for thoughts and prayers" to the families of individuals in the hobby or
club, that were noted as having passed away, in the club reports.
4) With my having to give up driving in mid-2022, due to vision and
other medical issues, I normally only get to the Post Office Box via
Lyft twice a month to check for mail.
However, for many of the last several months, all items have been emailed...which means that as long as items got to me by the deadline
(9pm Central Time on the 14th of the month before the month of issue),
they made it in the issue. With problems with delivery with the Postal
Service, you always ran the risk of your items not making it to the
Editor in time. I *PREFER* that items (reports, pictures, ad fliers,
etc.) continue to be emailed to assdfmodernsquare at gmail dot com
(the Editor's Email address).
5) The prices for ads in the e-Edition, full page, will INCREASE from
$5 to $10 per ad (still full page), per insertion. That is still $25
CHEAPER than the current print edition ad rate of $35 per insertion.
Payment for ads will need to still be made to ASSDF Treasurer Sheila
Gesing by the last Saturday of the month.
6) In regards to posting of the print edition on the website, there
is currently a "2 month delay" in posting the issue to the website;
to prevent non-subscribers from accessing it in a timely manner, as
regular subscribers were paying $20 per year for it.
With the DISCONTINUATION of the print edition as of the December,
2023 issue, this means that the print edition PDF of the October,
November, and December, 2023 print editions, will be placed on the
ASSDF website on December 1, 2023. When the January, 2024 e-Edition
is released late on December 30, or early on December 31 (no more
print edition), links to these final 3 issues will be REMOVED from
the ASSDF website.
As a side note, National Squares magazine, published in the interest
of the National Square Dance Convention (R) (NSDC), originally was in
print format, black and white only, published 4 times a year, for a fee.
The publication had, and still does, provide a wealth of information on
the upcoming NSDC...the next 3 are Mobile, Alabama, in June, 2023...
Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June, 2024...and Shreveport, Louisiana, in
2025.
They ran into the same issues that many other publications (including
The Modern Square) have been experiencing...namely a lack of ads, a
decline in subscribers, and the rise of postage and printing costs.
So recently, they went ONLINE only, and made it free of charge. The
last 10 issues in PDF format are available at
https://nsdcnec.com
then clicking on the link "E-Magazine".
The following items will NOT change with the ENDING of the print
edition:
1) The e-Edition (at least for now) will remain FREE OF CHARGE to all subscribers. However, the ASSDF Board kindly asks that if you ENJOY the e-Edition, to please consider a $5 donation to the ASSDF to help with
website related expenses. That basically rounds out to 42 cents a
month, although it's best just to make a $5 donation...however, larger donations will be gratefully accepted, and greatly appreciated.
The website expenses include the domain name, the webhosting fee,
the security protection fee (to keep hackers from destroying it, and
to restore data from backups in case of a crash)...and ALL websites
have to pay these costs. The ASSDF also has to pay the yearly license
fee for using Microsoft Office (Word)...and these can be rather costly.
Those who wish to sign up for an e-Edition subscription can do so
NOW, by sending an email with their name and email address, with the
email noting that they wish to have the e-Edition subscription.
I am aware that some subscribers have Trac Phones, or related items
that are LIMITED on space. With some recent issues of the e-Edition
being over 3 megabytes in size, that can create a problem. As a result,
I'm going to create 3 revised databases, starting with the July, 2023 issue...which is being prepared now. Instead of e-Edition members and Callers/Cuers...these will be CHANGED to the following:
A) Information updates ONLY...such as ASSDF Club Dance Changes, Special
Dance Announcements, Cancellations, and releases of the next issue of
The Modern Square. There will NOT be any PDF files attached to this
list.
If you wish to view the PDF files, you will need to go to the ASSDF
website at
https://www.arkansassquaredance.com and go to UPCOMING EVENTS
for Special Dance fliers, or to RESOURCES and "Download The Modern Square"
to view or download the PDF files. Some web browsers have a utility to
view the PDF file without downloading it first...after viewing it, you
can choose whether you want to download the file or not.
If your phone does not have the space for such, while it will mean more
work for me, I will create a "compact e-Edition", which will be like the
print edition is now, but it will NOT have any extra photos or ads. These
will be emailed out separately. Because of storage space issues (part of
the ASSDF website fees), I can NOT place these on the ASSDF website.
B) E-Edition Releases ONLY...this will have the announcement of the new
issue of the e-Edition, and the attached PDF file to it. There will NOT
be any announcements on either club dance changes or special dance announcements. This will also include either the FULL or COMPACT e-Edition...but subscribers will need to advise which one they want.
C) Full data package...including announcements of club special dances and cancellations, and PDF files of both The e-Edition, and of special dance fliers. With the full data package, the FULL e-Edition will be included.
2) Photos and reports can be submitted either via email to the Editor at assdfmodernsquare at gmail dot com -- OR posted to your club's Facebook
group. Lately, with very few exceptions, most all of the photos that have
been in the e-Edition, have been from the Facebook groups. I will still
have a LIMIT on photos used (depending on photo quality, and the amount
of photos sent in), but one can view ALL photos (and videos where they
are available) on the club's various Facebook pages. I realize that not everyone is on Facebook or Social Media.
3) The e-Edition will remain "in color".
4) Links in the e-Edition, in the full or soon "compact" edition, will
be clickable in your browser...mainly directing you to the related
websites.
The ASSDF Board apologizes for any inconvenience with this change,
but it hopefully save the ASSDF money in the long run.
If you have any questions or comments, please email the Editor at assdfmodernsquare at gmail dot com -- I will reply as soon as I can.
Daryl Stout, Editor, Webmaster, Circulation Chairman, ASSDF
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)