[ft-l] Footprint lead time (was answers to crickets ?s...also long)

I admit that I also chafe at the long lead times. Since I write semi-monthly
articles for the Footprint in my capacity as an FTA employee, I'm usually
writing about things that haven't even happened yet!

But, just remember that these are volunteers doing most of the work to put
the Footprint together for publication.  Activities are sent to Rebecca
Bowman who must collate them all, type them up and check that the activity
leaders are approved, then send them to Pete for inclusion.  Pete Durnell
has to take all of the articles and photos in various formats and
convert/type/scan them, then do the layout and set up.  Pete and Rebecca are
volunteers who have to work all this stuff into their monthly schedules
around work, family and other FTA activities.  (I'm sure they have NO OTHER
outside activities, there just isn't time!)  Then it has to go to the
printer (who requires a lead time) and then the FTA office has to create a
file for all the labels and the whole mess is sent to the mailing
distributor (who also requires a lead time).

Pete could probably give you a better idea of whether the lead time could
actually be cut down somewhat, but I really don't think it is truly
excessive when you stop to consider everything that goes into getting the
Footprint into the mail on a regular basis.

Deb Blick


>  Oddly enough, we discussed this at our last Activity Leader's
> planning meeting.  Maybe I live in a dream world but it seems like that
lead
> time is from the pre-computer publishing days and could be edited down
> considerably.


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