Evolution of program: For many years and numerous DA resolutions, NWU leadership has acknowledged our need to reach out to young writers, our next generation of leaders. The latest resolution was passed at the 2005 DA. The Young Writers Outreach program came out of that resolution. Because the main feature was the mentorship opportunity, I called the program, generically, the mentorship program. When NWU activists objected that a fine opportunity like mentorship should not be denied full members, we created the Mentorship program, for members, as a spinoff of YWO. They are now two separate but related programs.

Who is eligible: Nonmember writers ages 18-25 may participate in YWO. Full members of any age may participate in the Mentorship program.

Cost: For the annual rate of $65, which enters them into the associate program (they can join right off the Web), young writers may join YWO. Remember, they become associates, not associate members. The distinction is significant. Technically they cannot be NWU members or we run into conflict with the UAW's two-tier prohibition. Full members who want to participate in the Mentorship program need only be current in their dues.

• One-on-one mentorship: This is the hallmark of the program. Every chapter has at least one book author, one journalist, one poet, and one tech/business writer. Those categories should satisfy almost every young writer who wants a mentor. . . . A mentor will be a veteran who is willing to answer emails from the young writer, talk on the phone, go out for an occasional drink, suggest resources, and just be available to answer questions and give encouragement. In addition, the mentor should be willing to hear the needs of the protege and explore solutions, to hear the vision of the protege and help lay out steps that will lead toward fulfillment.
  
  The new mentoring handbook that we unveiled at the DA should serve as your guide and as a vehicle that participants can use to fashion the experience and then assess it. . . . Take chances. If a mentor wants to read occasional work of the young writer, that's fine, but the mentor is not expected to be a free editor. The task of mentor is nonthreatening, fun, and no more time-consuming than the mentor agrees to upfront, and being asked to be a mentor is pretty flattering. Hopefully this combination of job characteristics will be attractive to our members who have years of experience to offer but who have not been active in the past.


• Entry to Union events: For Union events that are open to anyone this is no benefit. To events that are open to members only and to events that have member-only and non-member admission prices, yes, allowing young writers admission at Union prices not only encourages them through their pocketbooks, it gives them a sense of belonging and of being special.


• Access to genre listservs: I thank co-chairs Jeanne Harnois and Karen Ford for allowing access to the newly revived Journalism listserv. The same thanks go to BizTech chair Stephen Holmes for allowing access to the BizTech listserv.


• Union education: If we attract young writers to NWU only because they see the Union as a way to purchase affordable health insurance, we are devoting a lot of effort for the sake of transitory gain. We saw what happened when we witnessed the mass exodus a few years back as a result of the health insurance scandal. It was in part our own fault. We had accepted writers as new members but we never educated them to be Union writers. The new handbook, "Mentoring Program Topics for Writers," begins the process of educating our members. Mentors are encouraged to use this resource to initiate the discussion and certainly to share their own personal experiences to supplement the handbook. Please pass along to me any resources we might use for more advanced Union education.


• Opportunity to help in organizing campaigns and events and to gain skills to help them in their careers: How many chapters can't find someone to edit their chapter newsletters or build and maintain chapter Web sites or write press releases to announce chapter news to the broader public or leaflet the community to promote upcoming events? What we often see as tasks because we are already overworked, young writers view as tremendous opportunities. Not only are they learning skills and building their own self-images; they are becoming valuable, educated activist Union members.

Once we get our new Web site, the handbooks will be available as downloadable pdf e-documents. This was done deliberately to eliminate major printing, handling, and distribution costs and to facilitate revisions. For now, contact me and I'll send you attachments.

I've been to several conferences in my role as EOVP. I know that young writers are excited to find out that we exist. Don't believe otherwise for a second. There are many who will value a one-on-one relationship with another writer in their genre, plus the added benefits that come with YWO. . . .

I'm excited about the potential of this program. I hope you are also. Doing outreach to young writers has been a long-time goal of our membership as evidenced by discussions and resolutions over the years at Delegate Assemblies. YWO is a strong beginning − and the Mentoring program is a valuable new, related benefit for full members.