An Exciting New Chapter Opens

Through the years, the Shutterbugs club has been a work in progress. We started off in January 2006 as a small, loosely knit group comprised of people of all ages and interests who loved photography and wanted to learn more about it and have fun shooting alongside others.

As the group grew, we elected officers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure speakers for the monthly meetings, to plan photo shoots, to publicize our events, to arrange opportunities for us to exhibit our work (Callaway, TUAC, A Novel Experience, the Georgia National Fair in Perry…), etc. Our group grew by leaps and bounds—in numbers, as well as in skill. Even when membership reached its highest (over 60 members), we continued to feel like “family” because we’d formed lasting friendships as we went places together, had fun together, learned from one another, supported one another’s efforts, and gave emotional support during difficult times.

For various reasons, our membership began to decline, leading us to vote (in January 2015) to dispense with regular meetings on the 2nd Tuesday in each month. However, members present at that meeting wanted the group to stay together, since each has benefitted greatly from being a part of the group. Thus, we decided we would revert to the way we were when the group was just beginning: that we would focus on learning together in a less structured environment. We plan to go on lots of field trips and just have fun as we develop friendships and help one another learn more about photography.

To that end, Johnnie Ann Gaskill has volunteered to continue to maintain an e-mail list of those who wish to be notified about upcoming activities. Interested persons may request their name to be added to the list by sending an e-mail to wcgshutter@gmail.com. Jan Price has volunteered to handle the publicity (newspapers, blog, Facebook, etc.). Charles McClelland and Jim Davidson will manage the checking account. Our blog will continue to have a “Featured Photographer” page, which will showcase the wonderful talent that’s in our local area.

Thus, we begin a new and exciting chapter in our story! Do contact us if you’d like to help “write” it and, perhaps, snap some pictures that will document our fun times together. As always, photographers of all skill levels are invited to participate.

January 2015 Meeting

The Shutterbugs will hold their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 6:30 p.m. at the Hightower Memorial Library, 800 West Gordon Street (across from Upson Regional Medical Center) in Thomaston. All members are urged to attend in order to have input regarding the future of the club. Members are urged to think about whether they’d be willing to assume a leadership role in the new year. In order to have time to discuss the challenges facing the club, there will be no instructional program.