Future in hands of the APSE membership

By GARRY D. HOWARD
APSE First Vice President
Assistant Managing Editor/Sports, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Story posted on June 30, 2008

Garry D. Howard

MINNEAPOLIS – For me, it was slightly embarrassing. Missing dinner, that is ...

The Awards Banquet at the 2008 APSE Convention in Minneapolis was just what it was supposed to be:

A super-fancy celebration of all the wonderful work put together by our membership over the past 12 months, along with a healthy dose of fellowship.

But moments after I sent my salad away (the smell of the raw onions was a bit too much) from the head table, APSE outgoing President and my good friend Mike Fannin – the newly-minted Editor of the Kansas City Star – leaned in and said that we just had to do the mandatory contest date selections at the banquet.

While scrambling over the previous three days trying to coordinate the various pieces necessary for a recap of this very successful convention on our Web site as the outgoing Newsletter Chair, I totally forgot to go back to Kindergarten; which meant that I had to cut up my little pieces of paper and write in the dates of the first six months of the year so we could have our annual lottery for mandatory dates for a Sunday and Daily section for the upcoming 2009 Contest ... at the banquet.

Incoming President Lynn Hoppes of the Orlando Sentinel had reminded me at the cocktail hour preceding the banquet, but said we could get it done afterward. My stomach had already dropped at that moment, because I truly want to do things right for one of my favorite organizations.

But when Fannin said that we had to get it done, I immediately left my seat without hesitation and headed to the hotel lobby to find paper and scissors and a straight edge so that I could make boxes, put in dates, cut them up and toss them in bags marked Daily and Sunday in order to conduct our lottery at the banquet, as it has been done for decades.

I just forgot how hard Kindergarten could be and by the time I finished, the banquet was nearly over and my absence at the head table had to cause concern.

Vincent Muzik / vincentmuzik.com Old friends Garry D. Howard (left) of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Joe Sullivan of the Boston Globe are all smiles early on at the 2008 APSE Awards Banquet.

I was extremely disappointed at myself that I forgot this particular chore but understood how important it was to just get it done.

And we did (dates are March 6, Daily; Feb. 3, Sunday).

Although my disappointment was obvious upon my return, I had left my seat in the middle of dinner because the President of APSE told me to do so.

That is what a teammate does.

Besides, Fannin was right. I forgot a small, but important, task that needed to be done at the banquet.

And in this era of decline for the newspaper business, it is imperative that we, as a group, band together like brothers and sisters and work side by side to help this organization continue its rich tradition of excellence.

I have no doubt that our talented new President Lynn Hoppes will continue to lead us in an enthusiastic and uplifting manner; he's has all of the requisite skills and is off to a revolutionary start.

But without each and everyone of you chipping in, going back to Kindergarten if the situation calls for it, doing whatever is necessary to help us remain relevant, it will not work.

As the smooth Brian David wailed on his acoustic guitar in terrific fashion at the APSE After-Party (yes, we know how to live it up!), I swayed back and forth to his obvious medicinal rhythms and smiled.

Because at that moment, I realized that even though I missed most of Saturday night's banquet, I did so because I strongly believe in APSE and will do whatever is asked of me to ensure that this train continues to power around the proverbial blind curve that is the current life-threatening economics of our business.

And if each of you looks deep inside your respective souls and does whatever is necessary, we will continue to battle and lead with efficient strength.

No one can do it alone; we all need each other.

And APSE needs you, too. Especially now.

So a favor, please: Do your part, whatever is asked.

Why? ...

Because together, we can beat this thing.

I promise.

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