The Friends of the Academy (FOTA) Focus

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The official Newspaper of the A-1 Writing Academy

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FOTA FOCUS

Friends.

Almost everyone has them. There is no doubt that everyone needs them. Think for a moment about the people in your world whom you have given that sobriquet to with purpose. Could you be who you are without those special people in your world?

Are you one? Are you a good one, or even a best friend?

We are people who live and die with, for, and by our friends. Creative people are an ornery lot, it seems. We tenaciously hang onto our friends. Perhaps that is because we just don't have many of them. Or, perhaps it is because we have learned the intrinsic value of friendship itself: that in being a good friend, we find good friends surrounding us in our world.

Dolphins have friends. Trees have friends. There are friends of the Arts, and Literary Guilds who are made up entirely of friends. The planet has friends; I know, because I have seen their advertisements! They are a proud bunch!

Libraries, and even Universities have friends too. Alumni who, having excelled (or survived) the necessary slings and arrows of Academia, come together to encourage, support, and help guide their Alma Mater to a greater vision, or a greater mission, or a greater purpose.

But is it possible for an idea to have friends? Think about that for a moment.

I was talking with one of my friends from our WDC community recently. We were discussing the A-1 Writing Academy. It seemed at every turn, our conversation wasn't about a "place", or students. I don't believe we even touched on lessons, assignments, or discussion topics.

We just kept talking about the "idea" of the Academy. What is it that the A-1 Academy truly stands for anyway? We hashed that one out for a long time. But, we found it impossible to identify a noun. We just kept coming back to a shared understanding that the Academy is an idea.

Before our discussion was over, this group was born. If the Academy stands mostly in our minds as an idea (not an ideal), then we should act like friends of that idea. With the selfless donation to this group by only one very special (FOTA), we were off and running! We do not intend to slow our pace.

Our friend, the A-1 Writing Academy, currently has three distinct needs. The Friends of the Academy (FOTA) group exists to help realize the solutions to those needs.

The Academy needs a fundraising activity completely outside the framework of the Academy itself. The reach for those funds must be to the entire WDC community. The financial needs of the Academy are staggering, and have (for the most part) been driven by only a very few dedicated friends of the Founder, deborahowen

Financial need has been one important reason why the Academy has not grown in the ways--or at the speed--so many would desire. With a 2,000,000 GP current annual financial need (before payroll, Student Assignment Awards, etc.), the Academy cannot sustain itself as it is currently structured. An additional 256,000 GP/month operational requirement--just to maintain the status quo, mind you--is a tremendous burden for any organization to bear. In order for the Academy to raise its student population limit to 2,500 students per term, an additional 25,000,000 GPs must be banked--and not touched.

We believe in the idea that is the Academy. The Friends of the Academy (FOTA) intend to help supply that need.

There is also the need to spread the word to the entire WDC community that the Academy even exists! One evening recently, another faculty member and I were chatting in a chat room. In less than one hour, we had no less than 10 WDC members asking us about this whole "Academy" thing! One of those people is a WDC site Moderator. This is simply a huge community. There is an extremely high percentage of free and transient members. The simple notion that a person could come to this site, join as a free member, and leave the site--without knowing about the Academy--well, it just makes me a little pale-of-face.

We, the Friends of the Academy (FOTA) know the Academy has a message that every member of our community should hear. It is a message of education, achievement, and success! We intend to help supply that need.

Perhaps the most significant need of the A-1 Writing Academy today, is the need for communication. What began as two people and a "Help Sheet" will, with the Fall term, encompass three Departments, more than 27 courses, and upwards of 1,000 students who will experience some 324,000 individual learning experiences between October 1 and December 22, 2007.

How do you possibly share that volume of information with that population in an accurate and consistent manner? It must be organized, effective, easy to understand, and absolutely dependable. It must tell the story of the idea of the Academy so clearly, that it cannot possibly be misunderstood.

The Friends of the Academy (FOTA) have come together to provide what we believe to be, an important communications device for the members, students, faculty and staff of the A-1 Writing Academy. We intend to supply that need, as well.

What is this idea that IS the A-1 Writing Academy? It's really simple. It is a shared belief in the inherent possibility that lies within the creative soul of each one of us. It is an intentional decision to encourage and motivate everyone who will come to the Academy beyond their limits, and upward to their highest potential as writers. It is to educate every student with the highest possible quality of learning experience that can be achieved. It is to graduate student members who will return to our greater WDC community better prepared to be contributing members of that community. And that idea is the A-1 Writing Academy.

"Motivate! Educate! Graduate!"

The Friends of the Academy (FOTA) completely supports that idea. We will do whatever we can to help make that idea into a very special reality. Because, just as people and friends have goals, so do Academies. We believe that the A-1 Writing Academy WILL be the very best place on the internet for learning online in a writing environment.

And, I really would love to believe that, with friends like we are assembling here, that is only a few short moments away. We hope you will join us in this grand adventure. We need your support, and your encouragement. We need your GPs, your time, and your talents. We need for you to spread throughout this entire community, that A-1 has a great story well worth the telling. We need writers, editors, graphic artists and candlestick makers to bring this most important communication device to the WDC community.

We need friends. I hope you will be a friend, too. Just like those precious moments you share with your best friend, we cherish our friends in the same way. If you would like to become a Friend of the Academy (FOTA), you can begin by going here:

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Is there truly anything in this world more senseless than the completely unnecessary loss of a dear friend? Is there anything more precious than seeing a dear friend succeed? After all, isn't that what friends are for?

For the Friends,


Bud


Founder, Friends of the Academy (FOTA)

Publisher,

"The Academy News"

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