AFM Southern Conference of Locals Newsletter

SOCO Sheet

Official quarterly newsletter of the AFM Southern Conference of Locals
Aaron Lack, President -- Jessica Kunttu, VP -- Jeffrey Apana, Secretary-Treasurer and Editor and Publisher

Stephanie Magnus and Laura Ross, Directors

2024Q3

Meeting Updates

Post-Conference Update

Please take the post-conference survey at https://forms.gle/4PxmpjcjubZMMww16 as the more responses we get, the better we can plan for the next annual meeting. For the 2024 meeting, you can find minutes, Local reports, presenter materials, and more on our website at https://afmsoco.org/news/2024update.html

September Virtual Meeting

The next virtual meeting will be held on September 8 at 5PM Eastern (4PM Central). Mark your calendars now and links will be sent out a few days before the meeting. We look forward to seeing you there!

AFM News/Reminders

AFM New Member Orientation Webinars

The AFM's Director of Education Dave Sheldon will be conducting a webinar on orientation programs. For locals wishing to improve their orientation process, there will be two Zoom conversations on August 20. The sessions will have identical agendas.

To register for the early session (9 AM Hawaii/12 PM Pacific/3 PM Eastern), click here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIldeupqz8sE9whZBaPDfveDkRangKSVljV

To register for the late session (2 PM Hawaii/5 PM Pacific/8 PM Eastern), click here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uduyqqz8tGdyCBpeBrZV3MCrnQvVVtkZy

AFM.ORG Updates

As reported at this summer's meeting, there have been some updates to the AFM website. In the Document Library you can find some new materials for Local officers including information on financial controls, processing B-report forms, common deadlines, orientations, and more. EMSD Director John Painting reported that more electronic media information will be available online by the end of the year, and International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Shirk reported that he is hopeful that a new instrument and liability insurance company will be in place by the end of the year, as members have been without access to a group liability insurance policy since the beginning of the year. Please keep an eye out for emails from the AFM and International Musician notices for updates.

The President's Dispatch

Dear Siblings, Sisters, and Brothers,

This year’s Southern Conference was an amazing experience as we gathered in-person, in The South, for the first time since the pandemic shut downs and virtual conferences. The connections we renewed and the new colleagues we welcomed will strengthen our presence throughout The South and in our International Union. The training, discussion, and information exchanged at this year’s meeting was incredibly valuable to myself and the Austin delegation and I hope that you all feel the same.
Two of the issues that myself and the Southern Conference Executive Board want to hear from you about are how to make Southern Conference more valuable to delegates and how to increase participation in future meetings. The Labor Movement is evolving nationally and in each of our jurisdictions. New information and training is needed for us all to meet the challenge of organizing new workplaces and musicians in this new era of music work. The AFM Southern Conference is a structure for us to connect musicians across our region while celebrating the diversity that has made it a center of global musical innovation for the last two centuries.
I look forward to seeing you at the next SoCo Virtual Meet Up!

In Solidarity,
Aaron Lack (he/him)
President, AFM Southern Conference of Locals
President, Austin Federation Of Musicians, AFM Local 433

Conference Activities

Bylaw Changes and New SOCO Officers

All of the proposed Bylaw amendments were adopted this summer (some with minor changes). The updated bylaws are available online.

As a result of these changes, delegates also voted to elect Stephanie Magnus (L.444) Laura Ross (L.257) as SOCO Directors. They join current officers Aaron Lack, President, Jessica Kunttu, VP, and Jeffrey Apana, Secretary-Treasurer, to constitute the SOCO Executive Board.

Newsletters

Please send copies of your newsletters to newsletter@afmsoco.org. If you would like to receive copies of newsletters from other SOCO Locals, please contact the Secretary-Treasurer to be placed on the distribution list.

Orientations

We are slowly making progress on a regional orientation program. We have had one meeting but still have work to do. If you are interested in participating, or would like to help us beta test our orientation program, please contact the officers of the Conference.