JPF Home Page Forums Northeast US Chapter Message Boards Cape Cod and SE MA Chapter Message Board JPF SEMA News - December 2005

Just Plain Folks, Southeastern MA
Re: Local Chapter REORGANIZATION

Hi Folks,

Our JPF chapter has been a bit inactive for the last couple of months and for that I apologize. It's difficult to keep momentum going on a monthly basis when all our personal lives get busy. But our chapter made such an energetic debut last year, I think it's too important a tool for the musicians of Southeastern Mass to let it go any longer.

Recently on the organization's message boards, Just Plain Folks founder, Brian Austin Whitney, proposed a new model for the Local Chapters and asked for a recommitment from all the coordinators. I'd like to implement his ideas for JPF SEMA beginning in 2006. We'll start the new year with a new structure.

New JPF chapters will have quarterly events, instead of trying to meet monthly. We'll have one large performace showcase (i.e. the Road Trip), one networking party (like the Western MA chapter's annual cookout), one event with a guest speaker (i.e. our visit with Pixy 103, or our talk with engineer Dinky Dawson) and one event where we all together judge some of the music awards (this kind of event is a new thing, but I've been a judge for the last 2 music awards and this should be very cool).

As you can see, the new structure takes the best of what we've already been doing and suggests that we do just the 4 events a year which should be a managable level to maintain and we can give more organizational attention to each event as well.

Brian would also like to get JPF more politically active on legislative issues that affect musicians. We're looking for someone to handle this apect of our chapter. If you're politically minded and are interested, just let me know.

Right now, I'd like to communicate with all of you by email to see what resources we have to work with and what suggestions all of you have for our chapter. If we all pool our ideas, suggestions and contacts, we can get some amazing events happening. As our motto says, we're all in this together, so if we each offer some help and input, we can all benefit.

Here are some of the suggestions/input we need:

Lecture Speaker suggestions:
Who do you know? Do you know a high level industry professional that might like to come speak to our chapter? Like an award winning songwriter? A successful publicist? Someone who has insight on the music industry to share? If so, please put me in touch with them, so we can set a date. (Please limit your speaker suggestions to people we actually have contacts with. It would be great to have some huge star in to speak, but if none of us actually know him personally, the chances are slim... know what I mean?)

Lecture/Meeting Locations:
Membership to JPF is free. What that means is that we have NO operating budget, so we can't pay for places to meet. Do you know any meeting locations that would be willing to host us for free for a lecture or networking party? Are there Community Halls or college resources you have access to? Would you be willing to have a party at your home? Up until now, many of our events have been in the Plymouth area, but we'd like to host events in other places in SE-MA too!

Networking Party Ideas:
The Western MA chapter does an amazing cookout every year. I would like to model our party on their successful event...not a cookout necessarily...but a relaxed party atmosphere where everyone can perform a bit for everyone else, everyone brings a dish of something to share, and it's an all-day kind of thing. If you've got any ideas of how or where we could hold an event like this, just pass it along.

Have a happy holiday season everyone! Hope to see you all in 2006.

Thanks!
Christine Mascott
JPF - SEMA