KCABJ members decided at the December membership meeting to gather at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 at McCormick & Schmick's seafood restaurant, 448 W. 47th St., for the 2003 KCABJ Holiday Party. KCABJ President Anita K. Parran said the restaurant offers hamburgers and great hors d'oeuvres for $1.95. Drinks cost extra. KCABJ members had their holiday party at the restaurant in 2002. KCABJ member Glenn E. Rice suggested the location. The turnout was great. In the past, KCABJ has held holiday parties at apartment clubhouses, hotels and members homes.

New Student Workshop Option

Natalie Moultrie and Aubrey Williams made a presentation to KCABJ members at the December meeting about a program the two have started called Journalists in Training, or JIT. It is a nonprofit organization that provides hands-on training and instruction to students who are interested in broadcast journalism careers.

JIT would be housed at the Lee Tolbert Academy at 3400 the Paseo. The school has broadcast news production equipment. Students would have access to it so they could film, write and produce their own newscasts.

``A lot of times people don't get that kind of experience until they get to college,'' Williams said. ``To be able to start at a young age is a golden opportunity.''

The program would partner with KCEN-TV, the University of Missouri-Kansas City educational cable television channel, to air the students' work. The program targets urban and rural schools. Sixth- through 12-graders could participate. The goal is to give students opportunities to explore broadcast journalism careers as well as help them become better media consumers, Moultrie said.

JIT targets urban and rural schools because many of them lack the equipment and trained professionals to give students broadcast television news opportunities. Media professionals would provide the training, Moultrie said. JIT would give students skills in story selection, writing, story content and analysis. They would learn how to operate video cameras and editing equipment.

Students would produce reporter packages and newscasts. The JIT handout also said the program would offer students self-confidence, flexibility, perserverance, critical thinking and public speaking skills. Moultrie and Williams told KCABJ members that the program would fit well with the KCABJ Urban Student Journalism Workshop, replacing the broadcast week of the program. Lunches would be included in JIT.

Moultrie said there would be a $100 to $150 per student cost for the initiative. Other rates might be developed for KCABJ students, Moultrie and Williams said.

KCABJ President Anita K. Parran appointed an ad hoc committee to study the proposal and develop a plan for the 2004 KCABJ student workshop. Several things are up in the air, including where the workshop will take place. Rockhurst University wants to open negotiations on charging KCABJ for the use of classroom space as well as meal charges for the program. KCABJ in all previous years since 1992 has enjoyed the use of the Rockhurst University classroom space at no charge. KCABJ has only funded the meal charges for the students in the commuter program.

KCABJ also is exploring the possibility of changing the name of the workshop to the KCABJ Urban Student Journalism Academy. Students in recent classes have received classroom credit from their school districts for the instruction that KCABJ media professionals have provided. The ad hoc committee may develop a different name.

Moultrie and Williams said the workshop might be able to relocate to the Tolbert Academy. But they were unsure whether the print program could be retained.

NABJ Connection

KCABJ President Anita K. Parran said a chapter audit, bonding to safeguard the organization against theft and budget for 2004 were due to the National Association of Black Journalists. The membership approved the $77 for the cost of the bonding covering $10,000 in losses. That is an increase over previous years. Anita told the membership that she would take care of filing the audit and budget for 2004.

NABJ President Herb Lowe reports that the National Association of Black Journalists convention in 2006 is moving from Detroit to Indianapolis. Lowe also reports in his NABJ column that NABJ will be interacting more with its members. The NABJ Journal will be arriving to members soon. Regional conferences also will re-appear in 2004 in St. Petersburg, Memphis and Houston. Lowe also says that NABJ remains in the black financially, a trend that Glenn Rice initiated when he was treasurer of the national organization.

KCABJ Executive Board Elections

The December meeting of KCABJ will be dedicated to electing a slate of officers for 2004. The posts are president, Anita Parran said she would not seek a third term; vice president/broadcast; vice president/print; treasurer; and secretary. Persons who are interested in running please contact KCABJ President Anita Parran at (816) 822-0588. The meeting will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at 700 W. 47th St., Suite 110. Gates barbecue will be provided for lunch.

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