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Annual Meeting Minutes

NORDIC DIVISION 2023 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

Date and time: September 21, 2023, 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET
Place: Held online via Zoom
Chair: Kelly Burt-Candelaria, Administrator
Minutes prepared by: Ann-Charlotte Storer, Assistant Administrator

Present: Kelly Burt-Candelaria, Lisa Dahlander, Emilie Fahlenkamp, Anna Hermerén, Henrik Nordström, David Rumsey, Ann-Charlotte Storer, Thor Truelson, Sonia Wichmann

  1. Call to order

The Administrator called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. A copy of the agenda and the minutes of the 2022 annual meeting had previously been made available.

Before the adoption of the agenda, Analia Bogdan – ATA’s SIG representative – joined for a brief moment to present the three Special Interest Groups that ATA offers for members. The groups can be reached via the following channels:

Financial Translation SIG:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14307776/

Email: ftsig@atanet.org

Southeast Asian Languages SIG:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1338404720217973

Email: sealsig@atanet.org

Interpreters & Translators in Education SIG:

Email: itesig@atanet.org

  1. Adoption of the agenda

The meeting agenda was adopted.

  1. Approval of the minutes of the 2022 annual meeting

The minutes of the 2022 annual meeting were approved with a correction to the mention of certification exams under item 4, the statement: “Starting in 2023, the English into Danish exam…” needed to be amended to read:” Starting in 2023, the Danish into English exam…”. The minutes were approved as amended.

  1. Nordic Division overview for 2022–2023
  • The Administrator gave an overview of the communication channels, namely

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/544699675614723
Google Groups email list: https://groups.google.com/g/ata-nordic-division
LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3682273/
Website: https://www.ata-divisions.org/ND/

  • The Administrator presented the Certification programs offered for the Nordic language combinations which are Swedish into English, English into Finnish and Swedish. During the year, Danish into English has been revived and is currently being offered as well. More information here: https://www.atanet.org/certification/aboutcert_overview.php.
  • Division highlights from the previous 12 months were presented. Two online meetups had been held, in December 2022 and June 2023. An online translation slam event was planned for March 2023 but had to be canceled due to lack of registrants.
  • ATA64 offsite events: Two in-person social/networking events are planned for the upcoming ATA64 conference in Miami. On Wednesday, October 25th members will meet for drinks at Better Days and on Friday, October 27th the division will have lunch at the hotel from the ATA’s grab-and-go station on the outdoor patio.
  1. Call for ND nominating committee members for the 2024 ND election

Elections for administrator and assistant administrators will be held in 2024. David Rumsey and Lisa Dahlander offered to work in the nominating committee. Lisa Dahlander will therefore leave the Leadership council.

  1. New business for 2023–2024
  • Leadership Council
    • Current members of the leadership council are Lisa Dahlander, Paul Erling, Anna Hermerén (webmaster), Paul Erling (listserv manager), Talvi Laev, Henrik Nordström.
    • Anyone interested in joining the Council was invited to express interest immediately or contact the Division administration after the meeting.
  • Topics and speakers for ATA65 in Portland, Oregon
    David Rumsey is working on a presentation together with Thor on false friends between the Nordic languages, which he is planning to submit for ATA65. Another idea is to host a workshop with a translation slam between the different Nordic languages.
  • Call for volunteers to write content for the website and other communication channels
    The administrator invited anyone interested to submit content during the year to our channels and our website. This can happen sporadically, as the division does not have a blog that needs to be updated on a regular basis.
  • Call for suggestions for ND events for ATA65
    Division attendance is expected to be higher in Portland since many of the division members live on the west coast. Thor and David mentioned that they have extensive knowledge of the area and can contribute to organizing a dinner.
  1. Any other business

The members present agreed to try and find more people for the leadership council.

  1. Closure of the meeting

The meeting was closed at 5.52 p.m. 

*****

Administrator: Kelly Burt (via Division email address or kelly@thetranslatrix.com)
Assistant Administrator: Ann-Charlotte Storer (via Division email address or anncharlottestorer@comcast.net)
Division email address: divisionND@atanet.org 

 

NORDIC DIVISION 2022 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

Date and time: October 3, 2022, 1:30–2:30 p.m. EDT
Place: Held online via Zoom
Chair: Talvi Laev, outgoing Administrator; then Kelly Burt-Candelaria, incoming Administrator
Minutes prepared by: Kelly Burt-Candelaria

Present: Kelly Burt-Candelaria, Anu Carroll, Lisa Dahlander, Erling Dugan, Anna Hermerén, Talvi Laev, Henrik Nordström, David Rumsey, Ann-Charlotte Storer, Sonia Wichmann

  1. Call to order

The Administrator called the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. A copy of the agenda and the minutes of the 2021 annual meeting had previously been made available.

  1. Adoption of the agenda

The meeting agenda was adopted.

  1. Approval of the minutes of the 2021 annual meeting

The minutes of the 2021 annual meeting were approved with a correction to the mention of certification examinations under item 4: the statement “Exams were currently offered in Finnish into English…” needed to be amended to read ”Exams were currently offered in English into Finnish…”.

  1. Nordic Division overview for 2021–2022

The Administrator gave an overview of Division highlights from the previous 12 months. Two online meetups had been held, in March and July 2022, and two in-person social/networking events were planned for the upcoming ATA63 conference in Los Angeles. The Division communication focal points had regularly disseminated information about ATA events and other events relevant for the membership.

Status of Nordic language certification exams offered via the ATA certification program

Exams were currently offered in Swedish into English, English into Finnish, and English into Swedish. Starting in January 2023, the Danish into English exam would once again be offered, thanks to the successful efforts of volunteer organizers and graders. Volunteers prepared to jumpstart exams in other Nordic language combinations should contact the Division or the ATA administration. (The Division does not administer exams but can forward names and information.) More information on certification is available at https://www.atanet.org/certification/aboutcert_overview.php.

Nordic Division social event at ATA63 in Los Angeles

The Nordic Division has organized two offsite events for ATA63: on Wednesday evening they will meet at bar Seven Grand, and on Friday the division’s annual dinner will be held at food hall Grand Central Market.

  1. Handover to newly elected Nordic Division Administrator and Assistant Administrator

The Administrator expressed her satisfaction at the fact that she and the Assistant Administrator had steered the Nordic Division successfully through the recent Covid-19 pandemic while instituting innovations such as a member survey and online meetups. With the incoming administration, the Division would be in good hands. She concluded by thanking the members of the Leadership Council, and especially the Assistant Administrator, for their efforts and support during the past year.

  1. New business for 2022–2023

Leadership Council

The Administrator listed the current members and their status. Lisa Dahlander, Paul Erling, Anna Hermerén and Tapani Ronni were staying on for another year, with Paul and Anna continuing as listserv manager and as webmaster, respectively. David Rumsey and Thor Truelson were leaving the Council (David so that he could be on the Nominating Committee). Anyone interested in joining the Council was invited to express interest immediately or contact the Division administration after the meeting.

Topics and speakers for ATA 64 (Oct. 25–28 in Miami, Florida)

It was agreed that reminders about submitting suggestions for a Distinguished Speaker and proposals for presentations would be posted via the Division’s communication channels. Subtitling and literary translation were highlighted as possible topics for presentations.

Call for volunteers to write content for the website and other communication channels

Division members are encouraged to volunteer their ideas and/or time.

Call for suggestions for ND events for ATA 64

While no specific suggestions were made, the Division plans to organize at least one social event and welcomes suggestions for other events.

It was agreed that the online meetups inaugurated in 2021 should continue.

  1. Any other business

No other business was discussed.

  1. Closure of the meeting

The meeting was closed at 2.25 p.m. 

*****

How to connect with the Nordic Division:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/544699675614723G
Google Groups email list: https://groups.google.com/g/ata-nordic-division
LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3682273/
Website: https://www.ata-divisions.org/ND/wordpress

 Administrator: Talvi Laev (via Division email address or tlaev@wanadoo.fr)
Assistant Administrator: Kelly Burt (via Division email address or kelly@thetranslatrix.com)
Division email address: divisionND@atanet.org

 

 

NORDIC DIVISION 2021 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

Date and time: October 8, 2021, 11 a.m.–12 noon EDT
Place: Held online via Zoom
Chair: Talvi Laev, Administrator
Minutes prepared by: T. Laev

Present: Talvi Laev (Administrator), Kelly Burt (Assistant Administrator), Anu Carroll, Lisa Dahlander, Henrik Nordström, Yngve Roennike, David Rumsey, Ann-Charlotte Storer, Thor Truelson

1. Call to order

The Administrator called the meeting to order at 11.05 a.m. A copy of the agenda and the minutes of the 2020 annual meeting had previously been made available.

2. Adoption of the agenda

The meeting agenda was adopted.

3. Approval of the minutes of the 2020 annual meeting

The minutes of the 2020 annual meeting were approved.

4. Nordic Division overview for 2020–2021

The Administrator gave an overview of Division highlights from the previous 12 months. A member survey had been conducted in December 2020 and a summary of the results posted on the Division website. Two online meetups had been held, in May and September 2021, and an in-person meetup was planned for the upcoming ATA62 conference in Minneapolis. The Division communication focal points had regularly disseminated information about ATA events and other events relevant for the membership.

Status of Nordic language certification exams offered via the ATA certification program Exams were currently offered in Finnish into English, Swedish into English, and English into Swedish. The Danish into English exam was suspended for lack of volunteers. The process of establishing an English into Danish exam was stalled for lack of graders. Volunteers for those and other Nordic language combinations should contact the Division or the ATA administration. (The Division does not administer exams but can forward names and information.) More information on certification is available at https://www.atanet.org/certification/aboutcert_overview.php.

The results of the member survey question about additional language combinations had been inconclusive and therefore the Division would not, for the time being, make any recommendations on the matter.

Nordic Division social event at ATA 62 in Minneapolis

David Rumsey said that he would attend the conference in person and was willing to coordinate a meetup. It was agreed that his contact information would be disseminated via the Division’s communication channels so that members wanting to attend the meetup could contact him.

5. New business for 2021–2022

Leadership Council

The Administrator listed the current members and their status. Lisa Dahlander, Paul Erling, Anna Hermerén and Tapani Ronni were staying on for another year, with Paul and Anna continuing as listserv manager and as webmaster, respectively. David Rumsey and Thor Truelson were leaving the Council (David so that he could be on the Nominating Committee). Anyone interested in joining the Council was invited to express interest immediately or contact the Division administration after the meeting.

Nominating Committee

The Administrator said that, while several calls for volunteers to be on the Committee had not yielded any results, David Rumsey and Tess Whitty had volunteered to form the Committee, with David chairing. The constitution of the Committee was approved by acclamation.

Topics and speakers for ATA 63 (Oct. 12–15 in Los Angeles, California)

It was agreed that reminders about submitting suggestions for a Distinguished Speaker and proposals for presentations would be posted via the Division’s communication channels. Subtitling and literary translation were highlighted as possible topics for presentations.

Call for volunteers to write content for the website and other communication channels

Division members are encouraged to volunteer their ideas and/or time.

Call for suggestions for ND events for ATA 63

While no specific suggestions were made, the Division plans to organize at least one social event and welcomes suggestions for other events.
It was agreed that the online meetups inaugurated in 2021 should continue and that three per year was a good target.

6. Any other business

No other business was discussed.

7. Closure of the meeting

The meeting was closed at 12 noon.

*****
How to connect with the Nordic Division:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/544699675614723
Google Groups email list: https://groups.google.com/g/ata-nordic-division
LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3682273/
Website: https://www.ata-divisions.org/ND/wordpress

Administrator: Talvi Laev (via Division email address or tlaev@wanadoo.fr)
Assistant Administrator: Kelly Burt (via Division email address or kelly@thetranslatrix.com)
Division email address: divisionND@atanet.org

 

MINUTES FROM NORDIC DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING 2020

Date: October 20, 2020, 12:30–1:30 pm EDT

Place: Virtual meeting on Zoom, hosted by the Administrator and Assistant Administrator

Present: Lisa Dahlander (Administrator), Anna Hermerén (Assistant Administrator), Kelly Burt, Anu Caroll, Erling Dugan, Peter Grunnet-Jensen, Talvi Laev, Diane Manown, Tapani Ronni, David Rumsey, Dee Shields, and Anne-Charlotte Storer.

  1. Call to order

Administrator Lisa Dahlander and Assistant Administrator Anna Hermerén called the meeting to order at 12:35 ETD.

  1. Accept agenda

The meeting agenda, which was shown onscreen and a link to the download in the chatscreen, was accepted. The 2020 meeting agenda and the 2019 meeting minutes were shown onscreen, and links were put up in the chat so attendees could download the documents.

  1. Approve minutes of last year’s meeting

Last year’s meeting minutes were accepted.

  1. Nordic Division Overview for 2020

2020 Conference

We have a distinguished speaker again this year: Ms. Tiina Kinnunen is a renowned translator, subtitler and one of the co-authors of The Translator’s Guide to the Industry, which was honored by the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters in 2017 with their biannual award for benefiting and promoting the professional community.

Ms. Kinnunen is holding two sessions:

  • Friday, October 23, from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., on the subject “From Whining to Shining”
  • Friday, October 23, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., on the subject “The Invisible in Audiovisual Translation”

A huge thank you to Tarja Sahlstén for proposing this year’s distinguished speaker.

There are no other ND speakers this year.

Certification

An overview of the certification programs was given. Currently we have Finnish into English,  Swedish into English, and English into Swedish. Danish into English is currently suspended, with volunteers being sought to carry on the process. Dee S. volunteered as grader for Danish into English, gratefully accepted by Diane M., but more volunteers are needed. A possible future English into Danish certification is still being explored. For more information on certification, see More info on https://www.atanet.org/certification/aboutcert_overview.php   

Communication channels

Our communication channels are emails from ATA, Nordic Division website, Facebook group (informal), Google Group (for questions about topics relevant for the division). There is also an ND LinkedIn Group (American Translators Association – Nordic Division). Please join these channels to stay informed.*

The virtual social meetup today is 5:30–6:30 EDT; everyone was encouraged to attend.

Info and Handover to New ND Administrator and Assistant Administrator

Administrator Lisa Dahlander and Assistant Administrator Anna Hermerén thanked everyone after their four years of service and handed over their titles to the new administrator, Talvi Laev, and assistant administrator, Kelly Burt, with many thanks to them for being willing to take on the positions. Thanks also to the Nominating Committee for finding and nominating them.

  1. New Business for 2020

New ND Administrator Talvi Laev and Assistant Administrator Kelly Burt told us a bit about their backgrounds and what they hoped to achieve.  They will be sending out a survey to everyone in the Division to gain input on topics such as certification, next year’s speakers, special events, etc.

New members were requested for the Leadership Council: Lisa D. and Anna H. will continue in that capacity. Tapani R. will also continue as a member, but the other members were not in attendance. Emails will be sent to the LC members not present asking if they want to continue.

Next year’s conference will be held on October 27–30 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Call for speakers for next year’s conference: David R. reminded us that the deadline for submission of distinguished speakers and for sessions is coming up in January/February. There is no limit on the number of proposals that can be submitted.

Next year’s conference venue should offer an “embarrassment of riches” with respect to ND speakers, including a possible third year in a row with a distinguished speaker, as well as off-site visits and places to hold the ND dinner. Many potential sources of speakers and session topics were mentioned, including the University of Minnesota, the Swedish-American Society, the Museum of Danish America (Elkhorn, Iowa), Sons of Norway, Luther College, St. Olaf, Concordia and others. Please add any ideas you may have to the survey the new Administrator and Assistant Administrator will be sending out.

Call for content – blog posts, articles, topics of discussion, etc. – from all members. Everyone is encouraged to contribute content to the blog, ND Facebook group, LinkedIn group, etc. Anna H. will carry on as webmaster, but requested help, and David R. volunteered.

  1. Adjournment

The new Administrator concluded the meeting.

  • The Nordic Division website: https://www.ata-divisions.org/ND/wordpress/
    Facebook: search for “ATA Nordic Division”
    Google Groups: search for “ATA Nordic Division”
    LinkedIn: search for “American Translators Association – Nordic Division”

Minutes prepared by Dee Shields.

 

MINUTES FROM NORDIC DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING 2019

Date: October 24th, 2019

Place: Renaissance hotel, Palm Springs, CA

Present: Lisa Dahlander (Administrator), Anna Hermerén (Assistant Administrator), Tess Whitty, Shawn Thane, Melissa Lucas, Bodil Little, Tine Haurum, Margrethe Bjerrum Mentes, Peter Grunnet-Jensen, Pia C Hvid, Susanne Friesen, Tapani Ronni, Tarja Sahlstén, Kaarina Bauers, Tiina Fallini, Tuomas Kostiainen, Helle Kaiser-Nielsen, Sonia Wichmann

1. Call to order

Administrator Lisa Dahlander and Assistant Administrator Anna Hermerén called the meeting to order at 12:35. A copy of the agenda and the minutes from the previous year were distributed.

2. Accept agenda

The meeting agenda was accepted

3. Approve minutes of last year’s meeting

Last year’s meeting minutes were accepted

4. Nordic Division Overview for 2019

Summary of the ND speakers at this year’s conference. Call for speakers for next year’s conference in Boston, both from members of the division and for distinguished speakers (non-ATA members invited by the division).

Communication channels

Our communication channels are: emails from ATA, Nordic Division website, Facebook group (informal), Google Group for questions about topics relevant for the division. LinkedIn Group – American Translators Association – Nordic Division(*) – please join these channels to stay informed.

Call for blog posts and articles from all members. Everyone is encouraged to write for the blog.

Possible future English>Danish certification is still being explored. Volunteers are being sought to carry on the process. Margrethe Mentes volunteers.

Melissa Lucas reports that Danish>English certification is currently suspended, possibly for lack of graders. The possibility of reviving the certification is discussed.

This year’s division dinner was discussed. There may be room for more people to come. A group will meet at the Renaissance Hotel lobby at 19:10 to walk there together.

5. New Business for 2020

Call for nominations for administrators and assistant administrators.

Call for volunteers – 2 people for the nominating committee.

Helle Kaiser-Nielsen and Peter Grunnet-Jensen volunteered to be on the nominating committee – they will be sent all the information on rules, qualifications and tasks. The nominating committee was constituted by acclamation of the meeting.

Bodil Little interested in the administrator role for the next term (2020-2022).

The leadership council:

Sonia Wichmann volunteered for the leadership council as of present.

Paul Erling volunteered for the leadership council as of present.

The leadership council members as of present: Lisa Dahlander, Anna Hermerén, Paul Erling, Tuomas Kostiainen, Tapani Ronni, Thor Truelson, Alisa Hamilton and Sonia Wichmann

6. Adjournment

(*) The Nordic Division website: https://www.ata-divisions.org/ND/wordpress/
Facebook: search for “ATA Nordic Division”
Google Groups: search for “ATA Nordic Division”
LinkedIn: search for “American Translators Association – Nordic Division”

 

MINUTES OF NORDIC DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING 2018

Date:          October 25, 2018

Place:         The Marriott, New Orleans, LA

Present: Lisa Dahlander (Adminstrator), Anna Hermerén (Assistant Administrator), Shawn Thane, David Friedman, Tapani Ronni, Charlotte Brasler, Tine Haurum, Sirpa Kaajakari, Torkil Heggstad, Alisa Hamilton, Tuomas Kostiainen, Sonia Wichmann, Paul Erling, Erling Dugan, Gry Bruno, Anu Carroll, Peter Grunnel Jensen, Ann-Charlotte Storer, Thor Truelson

1. Call to order

Administrator Lisa Dahlander and Assistant Administrator Anna Hermerén called the meeting to order at 12:35. A copy of the agenda was given out, along with the minutes from the previous year.

2. Acceptance of agenda

The agenda was accepted.

3. Approval of the minutes from the previous year’s meeting

An amendment was noted to the previous year’s minutes in that Paul Erling and not Erling Dugan was the moderator of the Google Group.

4. ND overview for 2018

A call for speakers is made for next year’s conference in Palm Springs.  Shawn Thane recommended a person he knows who works for as interpreter for Tullverket.  He will investigate.

A review of the communication channels is reviewed.  There is the Google Group is available, as well as the Nordic Division website.  There is a Linkdin Group as well (the passive channel, according to AH).  Facebook is perhaps the most active platform.

There was an article in the SFÖ magazine about Scandinavian-based translators working for American companies.  A copy of the article was passed around for everyone’s perusal.

New certification programs were brought up.  Charlotte Brasler wants to start up English to Danish.  Norwegian is also brought up.  At the SLAM conference there were 6 people testing for Nordic certification and 6 others testing in other combinations.

Paul Erling brought up machine translation in Scandinavia and is interested in having someone speak about this.

The dinner was discussed.  We’re meeting in the lobby at 7:45.

The leadership council is invited to continue their stewardship.  They accept.  New members are encouraged to join.  AH wants help with the website from a native speaker of English.  Paul Erling will help Anna with the editing into English.  Lisa encourages people to contribute to the website and social media.  Contact Anna with posting ideas.

Lisa is congratulated for receiving certification.  And both Anna and Lisa gave one another honorary accolades for having served as administrators.  Lisa appealed for new leadership.

5. New business

6. Adjournment

 

MINUTES OF NORDIC DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING 2017

Date:          October 26, 2017

Place:         The Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C.

Present:      Anu Carroll, Rune Christensen, Lisa Dahlander, Erling Dugan, Paul Erling, Emilie Fahlenkamp, Alisa Hamilton, Anna Hermerén, Tuomas Kostiainen, Irmeli Kuehnel, Tuija Nordstrom, Tapani Ronni, Jo Sandbu, Dee Shields, Ann-Charlotte Storer, Shawn Thane, Tess Whitty

  1. Call to Order

Administrator Lisa Dahlander (LD) and Assistant Administrator Anna Hermerén (AH) called the meeting to order at 12:35 pm after handing out copies of the minutes from last year’s meeting. The agenda for this year’s meeting was shown as a slide.

  1. Acceptance of Agenda

The agenda was accepted as presented.

  1. Approval of Minutes of Last Year’s Meeting

The Nordic Division (ND) annual meeting minutes from the 57th annual meeting in San Francisco, CA, were presented and accepted without correction or change.

  1. ND Overview for 2017 (AH/LD)

The guest session speaker this year (Petra) was presented: she had just had one session prior to the meeting and would be holding another one after lunch. There was one more ND session, with Alisa and Thor on Saturday morning (“Comparison of Scandinavian and U.S. Legal Systems”).

Lisa and Anna reviewed our current communications channels:

Facebook. Anything can be posted there by anyone: no precheck or ATA approval necessary.

Google Group. The listserve’s moderators are Tuomas K. and Paul E., just contact them if you haven’t received the invite to sign up or just want to sign up.

Any comments or suggestions on the GG are welcome. Anne-Charlotte has found it quite useful already when she asked about tools. We’ve also had questions based on payment systems. Topics to avoid: anything anticompetitive (i.e. questions about rates).

LinkedIn group.

ATA Nordic Division listserve/newsletter.  Division-wide (“blast”) e-mails are only permitted 4 times/year. If you do receive one, however, it might be fairly full of information, so please make sure you read it.

Nordic Division website. The ATA has a WordPress template that AH/LD used to create the new website, and there are also got links to various other ND pages. There is a subscription function, so you can sign up for receiving notices on any new content. Submission of content for the website is welcome: articles need ATA approval, but it’s not an arduous process. Short newsbriefs are not a problem and probably don’t need approval. The link is www.ata-divisions.org/ND/wordpress/.

The ND dinner will be held tomorrow, Friday, October 27, at 8 pm. at Spanish restaurant La Taberna del Alabardero). We will meet at 7:30 pm in the lobby (after the Business Practices reception).

There is an upcoming SLAM (Scandinavian Language Associations’ Meeting) conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday, September 15, 2018. The link is www.slam-conf.com. Dee can be contacted at dee_shields@yahoo.dk if you have any additional questions. Erling asked that conferences like SLAM appear on the website: Anna said they are in a section on the website called “Events” (tab at the top of the landing page).

 

  1. New Business for 2018

The Administrator and Assistant Administrator (A/AA) each serve two-year terms, and Lisa and Anna were elected last year. We need volunteers for the Nominating Committee (NC): Tuija and Irmeli volunteered. For eligibility reasons, however, Irmeli was replaced by Tess after the meeting, as the NC members must be ATA voting members). The NC tries to find people to serve as A/AA (next year).

Tuomas and Tess were the NC last year. Tuomas said it’s a fairly easy job, especially if the A/AA decide to serve a second term (hint, hint). The A and AA can also switch jobs if they want.

The current Leadership Council is Anna, Lisa, Tuomas, Tapani, Thor, Paul and, all of whom indicated their interested in remaining. Catrine Modig (not present) is also part of the LC. The LC is a type of advisory council that can provide assistance and feedback to the A/AA and assists the A/AA in finding speakers for the conference, finding a restaurant for the annual dinner, finding content for the website, etc. Alisa volunteered.

Any ideas about guest speakers for next year are very, very welcome. The deadline is early: February. It would be lovely if the speaker was local. Petra (this year’s speaker) mentioned a Swedish woman in NOLA who knows everyone and everything – she might be a good person to contact to find a speaker. Petra will give the name to Lisa and Anna.

Please let Lisa and/or Anna know if you are interested in working with certification or have questions.

This year we did something different: went to a local bar for drinks after the ATA welcome reception. Reactions were positive.

Tess asked that perhaps we could have a translation slam next year. (Definition: a short text is translated by two volunteers and examined in plenum.) Translation slams have been very popular at conferences recently. Perhaps we could have one Swedish and one Norwegian translation – maybe also a Danish one. Tapani suggested dividing up the room into two areas, one of which might be Swedish and Finnish.

  1. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 1:15 pm.

*******************************************************************************

MINUTES OF NORDIC DIVISION ANNUAL MEETING 2016

Date:  November 3, 2016

Place: Hyatt Regency San Francisco, California

Present:     Tapani Ronni, Paul Erling, Tina Haurum, Tiina Fallini, Lisa Dahlander, Anna Hermerén, Alisa Hamilton, Carlos Umana, Erling Dugan, Tuija Nordstrom, Sonia Wichmann, Tuomas Kostiainen, Mirjami Ylinen, Thor Truelson, Bo Dahlström, Dee Shields

  1.    Call to order

Administrator Tapani Ronni (TR) called the meeting to order at 12:35 pm after handing out copies of the minutes from last year’s meeting.

  1.    Acceptance of agenda

The agenda was accepted as presented.

  1.    Approval of minutes of last year’s meeting

The Nordic Division (ND) annual meeting minutes from the 56th annual meeting in Miami, FL, were presented and accepted without correction or change.

  1.    ND overview for 2016 (TR)

The number of ND members as of October 2016 was 498, which seems to be a high number. Division membership is free, which might have something to do with why so few members show up at the annual meeting.

The ND LinkedIn group is active: there were eight postings during the year, including the minutes from the last ND annual meeting in Miami.

The ATA is working on a new template, so the next ND leadership team can take the lead on implementing that.

The ND blog is also very static. there has been no new content over the course of the year. Charles Ek (CE) is the webmaster and may wish to resign, but it is unknown. Articles for the blog have to be approved by the ATA.

The Facebook group is meant to be more informal: no approval by the ATA is necessary.

The ND dinner at Pläj will be held tomorrow at 8 pm. There are only 24 places, and all of them are taken. More can join us, but whether or not there is room is uncertain. The restaurant wasn’t flexible; we may get turned down at the door. Apologies: more want to go than was expected. We will meet at 7:30 pm in the Atrium lobby (after the Business Practices reception). It will cost 50 dollars instead of the 55 dollars originally announced.

Thor handed over to TR and CE (the latter in absentia) a gift for their extraordinary service of four years heading up the ND administration team.

The 2016 leadership council was TR, CE, Lisa Dahlander (LD) and Catherine Modig (CM), Tom Ellett and Thor Truelson.

TR can no longer serve as administrator according to ATA term limit rules, so he stepped down. LD was elected by acclamation to be the new administrator and Anne Hermerén (AH) the assistant administrator. TR invited LD and AH to close the meeting.

LD and AH announced that they would be working as a team. They have some plans, and we will be hearing from them both. Some discussion followed about the platform to be used for such messages from them: among other things, ATA does not allow division administrators to send more than four email “blasts” (addressed to all members) per year, and such blasts have to be cleared by ATA. Facebook would not be such a good idea, as not everyone is a member there, but perhaps a Yahoo or Google group could be set up.

Paul Erling (PE) asked what the purpose of the ND was: TR said it is a communications channel and “club” for members. PE indicated an interest in joining the Leadership Council.

  1.    New business for 2017

The conference will be in Washington, DC next year.

We need a guest speaker, preferably a local one. A speaker who is cross-cutting would also be good, i.e. would also interest members of other divisions. Suggestions are welcome, as always, as are as suggestions for future activities. Please let the leadership know if you are interested in working with certification or have questions.

  1.    Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 1:20 pm.

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MINUTES OF 2015 NORDIC DIVISION YEARLY MEETING

Date: November 6, 2015

Place: Hyatt Regency Miami, Miami, Florida

Present: Tapani Ronni, Anna Hermerén, Tuomas Kostiainen, Lisa Dahlander, Charlotte Brasler, Richard S. Sciata, Susanne Fleischer, Alice Wolfe, Dorte Scheeler, Tess Whitty, Dee Shields

  1. Call to order

Administrator Tapani Ronni (TR) called the meeting to order at 12:35 pm.

  1. Acceptance of agenda

The agenda was accepted as presented.

  1. Approval of minutes of last year’s meeting

The Nordic Division (ND) annual meeting minutes from the 55th annual meeting in Chicago, IL, were presented and accepted without correction.

  1. ND overview for 2015 (TR)
  • The number of ND members as of October 2015 was 492.
  • The ND LinkedIn group is active and useful: there have been ten postings, including the minutes from the last ND annual meeting in Chicago.
  • The ND Web site is very static. It was designed by the former administrator.
  • The ND blog is also very static. The Webmaster is ND vice-administrator Charles Ek (CE). We need new material, i.e. articles, which must be approved by the ATA before posting.
  • There is a Facebook page created and administered by Tess Whitty (TW): it is meant to be a less formal forum for discussion, but it has not had much activity.
  • The annual ND dinner will be held at Fratelli Milano, 213 SE First Street, Miami, FL 33131, at 7:15 pm on Saturday, November 8. The venue is only two blocks away. We’ll meet in the hotel lobby at 7:00 pm and walk there. There is no set menu, and everyone will pay individually. At this point, about 12 are coming to the dinner.
  • It was decided (vote by show of hands) that the dinner next year would be on the Thursday, like most other divisions have.
  • We managed to get a Distinguished Speaker for this year: Richard Sciabà from Norway. Thanks to Elisabet Tiselius for helping to find him. He has two presentations tomorrow (Saturday): Translating Norwegian Texts at 8:30 am and Compassion Fatigue: Risk Factors and Prevention for Interpreters at 11:15 am.
  • The current ND leadership council is TR, CE, TW, Catrine Modig, Tom Ellett and Lisa Dahlander. Thor Truelson has expressed interest in joining; TW wished to leave.
  • The question was asked why there were so many members (492), yet so few attending the meeting? One reason given by TR is that division membership is free so we have many inactive members. The largest number attending ever was when the conference was in New York City.
  1. New business for 2015
  • The conference will be in San Francisco next year. ND topics and speakers are needed, and ideas for distinguished speakers are especially welcome.
  • The administrator’s term limit is coming up: he cannot serve as administrator after next year according to ATA rules. TR asked for indications of interest in serving as the next administrator: the division is very small, and there is very little work to the position. CE could take over if he wanted to (CE was not present at the meeting). Technically, TR could serve as acting administrator until someone else takes over. There are no volunteers at this time, so the nominating committee was asked to search. TR was heartily thanked by all members present for his service.
  • TR asked if anyone else would like to join the council. There were no volunteers from the floor. Other members after TW’s resignation are Catrine Modig, Tom Ellett and Lisa Dahlander.
  • The nominating committee (NC) consisted of Tuomas Kostiainen (TK) only, since Jane Kjems resigned this year. TK said that at least two new members were needed, and TW and Charlotte Brasler volunteered, so now the committee has three members. The rules say that the nominating committee cannot nominate themselves for positions.
  1. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 12:53 pm.

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 MINUTES OF 2014 NORDIC DIVISION YEARLY MEETING

Date: November 6, 2014

Place: Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chicago, Illinois

Present: Tapani Ronni, Diane Manown, John Foulks, Jill Timbers, Tuomas Kostiainen, Sonia Wichmann, Hannie Nordlund, Laura Nordlund, Tess Whitty, Anna Hamers, Irmeli Kuehnel, Tom Ellett, Bruce Maylath, Erling Dugan, Catrine Modig Dirgin, Henrik Nilsson

  1. Call to order

Administrator Tapani Ronni (TR) called the meeting to order at 12:20 pm.

  1. Acceptance of agenda

The agenda was accepted as presented.

  1. Approval of minutes of last year’s meeting

The Nordic Division (ND) annual meeting minutes from the 54th annual meeting in San Antonio, TX, were presented and accepted without correction.

  1. ND overview for 2014 (TR)
  • The number of ND members as of September 2014 was 496.
  • There is a Facebook page administered by Tess Whitty: it is meant to be a forum for discussion, but there is not much activity.
  • Other activities: LinkedIn. Asked what the other divisions do, TR answered that many divisions have newsletters. The ND used to have one, but there was very little response, so we are trying social media instead. Some divisions have mid-year conferences.
  • The annual dinner will be held at Tre Kronor: we will meet in the lobby at 6:25 and take cabs to get there.
  • This year the distinguished speaker was from Sweden: Henrik Nilsson. There were about 22 people at his seminar (G) on Wednesday; it seemed to be a success. He will be attending the ND dinner. This is our first distinguished speaker since 2009.
  • The ND leadership council: TR was re-elected administrator and Charles Ek vice-administrator, both by acclamation. TR requested that more members join the council. Other members: Tess Whitty, Catrine Modig, Tom Ellett and Lisa Dahlander.
  • The nominating committee (NC) consisted of Tuomas Kostiainen (TK) and Jane Kjems. TK said that at least two new members were needed. Duties are to nominate the division administrator and vice-administrator, but anyone can submit their name. The idea is for the previous administrator not to pick his/her own followers. The procedure is that the NC either asks the current administrator to continue or asks other division members if they are willing to run, or they can put forward several names. The ATA then announces the candidates and asks if anyone else wishes to nominate themselves, but, as TR says, not many people come forward. It can be easy – contact a candidate for admin/vice-admin and both accept – or it can be difficult to find candidates willing to stand.
  1. New business for 2015
  • The conference will be in Miami next year.
  • TR requested ideas for new activities.
  • TR explained that he is permitted to send out e-mails only four times a year, but plans to send out a broadcast in 2015 asking members to volunteer to work on the LinkedIn and other activities.
  • Henrik Nilsson (distinguished speaker) pointed out that anyone in the division could request the slides from his session if they wished. The Nordic Terminology Association holds a three-day annual meeting – next year in Iceland – at the beginning of June, and there’s always something about translation in the program. The languages are Scandinavian, sometimes English or interpreting into Finnish. The Association has a termbank in all Nordic languages, even Greenlandic. There are about 300,000 terms at Rikstermbanken.se. Nordterm is an umbrella organization for future joint terminological termbanks, including the Bank of Finnish Terminology; the termbank projects can be found at nordterm.net. There is also a Termlist course for 7.5 credits held online with one teacher from each of the Nordic countries. It has already been held three times, but it’s about terminology, not translation. Funding was applied for, but denied because it wasn’t in English. There are assignments and a final assessment. Hopefully the next course will be held next autumn. There is also a conference every two years; the next one is in 2015. www.termlist.no.
  • Bruce Maylath said he was writing a book about what technical translators should know. He was looking for “horror stories” about what happens when a client doesn’t understand what translation is.
  1. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 12:49 pm.