Friday sessions - belated updates 3

After breakfast we attended one of the undergrad sessions. "Spin Ep" was about how to effectively get publicity for your chapter a veteran spin doctor who has worked in the white house and for labor unions explored tactics that work and took feedback from the participants. Some key points: Stay "on message" - and make the message simple and easy to understand. Get to know the media contacts. Find the 'hook' that makes your news interesting. Some good stuff. The facilitator gets extra credit because he knew about the blog and reccomended it, though most already knew of it.

The big story at the Educational Foundation Lunch is that the "Quest to Greece" has been fully endowed so there will always be money for it. To the surprise of exactly no one, the new name will become "The Tragos Quest to Greece". OPA!
In other news - The National Spelling Bee champ was there and recieved a hearty welcome. One of the better pieces of "Spin Ep" in practice, I think.

HOT RUMOR - All the student NBD candidates will have to be "Questors" to have a chance of getting out of committee. truth factor? unknown, but we will see when the names are announced.

After lunch we attended the "Talk to the OGH" session. 15 of the 20 attending OGH holders sat in a panel and took questions from the audience. The room was small, but full of undergrads and a few alums. They all had good questions and the OGH had answers, not all of which were 'politically correct'. The give and take was lively and respectful in both directions and I thought is was on of the best sessions I had attended.

HOT RUMOR - A 'heavily touted' NBD candidate with practically no alumni experience was foisted on the nominating committee. The committee balked and set down strict rules about who would be allowed to speak on people's behalf.

HOT RUMOR - A former NBD member who "withdrew because of health reasons" at an earlier Conclave has staged a miraculous recovery and is bending every ear in sight about what a good Board Member he would be. Comittee members are not impressed.