Hearing, Capturing and Disseminating the Spoken Word for Half a Century


 
 

The Alberta Shorthand Reporters Association (ASRA) is a professional association of verbatim shorthand reporters founded in 1958 primarily composed of verbatim shorthand reporters in the Province of Alberta. However, we also have members in various other Canadian provinces, the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, and several states of the United States of America.

The Association is managed by eight working reporters elected by the general membership and one public member appointed by the Minister of Employment and Immigration who volunteer their time and talents for the betterment of the Association and the profession.
 
The Alberta Shorthand Reporters Association is an affiliate member of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) which is headquartered outside of Washington, D.C. The National Court Reporters Association has approximately 60 affiliate member associations with a total worldwide membership of approximately 30,000 members.
 
 

   

 

Today is

January 27, 2012

  Find Us Fast

Position General Duties
Name                     Email Address
President All general inquiries
Cindy James
cindyjames@asraonline.com
Registrar
Membership questions/address updates
Jeff Weigl
jeffweigl@asraonline.com
Treasurer Membership dues renewal/seminar and convention registration
Amanda Hegge
amandahegge@asraonline.com
Secretary Records all minutes
Diana Halvorsen
dianahalvorsen@asraonline.com
Practice Review Chairman
All continuing education inquiries
Lori Baert
loribaert@asraonline.com
Marketing & Communications
All newsflash submissions
Linda Hallworth
lindahallworth@asraonline.com
Events Coordinator
Organizes all details for ASRA internal events
Toni Rizzoli
tonirizzoli@asraonline.com
Events Coordinator
Organizes all details for ASRA internal events Deanna Jackson

deannajackson@asraonline.com

Public Member
Advisor
(Appointed by the Minister of Employment and Immigration)
Tracy Hetman
 tracyhetman@asraonline.


Upcoming Seminar/Convention Dates

The  Spring Seminar will be held April 14th, 2012, in Red Deer at the Holiday Inn 67 Street.  Sports Psychologist Nick Holt will speak to us about performance anxiety and strategies to overcome it.   We are still working out details for the remainder of the morning and the afternoon. 
 
Fall convention will be held September 22nd and 23rd at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel, 7230 Argyll Road, Edmonton.  More information to follow.


 
 We Fondly Remember John Garry Moore
 
On December 15th, 2011, Garry Moore passed away suddenly at the age of 69. 
 
In November of 2008, Garry was presented with an Honourary Membership Award
at the ASRA 50th Anniversary Convention in Banff, Alberta. 
 
The video clip below is Garry accepting that award and his comments in response. 
 
Although the picture is poor, the words Garry spoke are very touching
and really convey the love he had for court reporting.
 

Renew your

ASRA Membership Dues


 

 

 

  Download Wade Garner's

"Tech Tips" seminar handout

from the ASRA Fall Convention

 


 
NAIT UPDATE – OCTOBER 2011

Hello Fellow ASRA Members:

I have been asked by Sandra on the behalf of the program to provide an update since the program was in serious danger of being suspended in the spring of 2010.

Program Name

For those unaware, the program’s official name is now Captioning and Court Reporting (CCR).  We have found the new name has been extremely beneficial in giving prospective students a better indication of what our program offers over the old the name.  Since the name change we have found our applications for students has gone up significantly and we have had strong waiting lists each of the last two years.  NAIT in the summer of 2010 switched from nine schools to five.  The CCR program is now in the School of Information Communication and Engineering Technology (ICET).  This has resulted in a new Dean and a fresh start for the program. 

Staff Changes (A chronology)

There have been a lot of staff changes in the CCR program the last year and a half.  Let me update you on the changes in a chronological fashion.

2010

·     Anne Henderson was reassigned back to the School of Business.  Patrick Galenza, chair of the Radio and Television, was named chair of CCR. 

·        Jerry Weigl, after over 30 years of service, retired. 

·        Shauna Campbell took a leave of absence.

·        The program hired Janice Plomp.

2011

·         Shauna extended her leave for one more year.

·         Janice committed to the program full-time and is now a permanent staff member.

·         Long-time English instructor Gloria Cott retired and is replaced by Martine Partridge from the Liberal Arts Division.

·        On July 1 of this year, I was named Associate Chair of the CCR program.  In my new role, I deal with student and staff issues, prospective students, and most external relations for the program.

·     These changes have resulted in the current staff assignments:  Joanne Mankow 100% teaching load, Janice Plomp 100%, Martine Partridge English in first and second year, Len Sperling 75% teaching plus associate chair duties. Business Law and Medical Terminology are still taught as service courses by instructors outside of the program. 

Program Mapping

All programs at NAIT have gone or are going through a process called program mapping.  The purpose of program mapping is to determine the competencies necessary of a new CCR graduate and then to decide where those competencies fit into what courses or if new courses need to be developed.  All courses within the program after the mapping process will be three-credit courses (which provides a time limit of how long courses can be) and starting in the fall of 2013, the CCR program will be moving to two 15-week semesters. 

On September 20 of this year, the program and members from industry from varying backgrounds got together to do Phase 1 of the mapping process, where consensus was reached on what competencies a new graduate from the CCR program must process.  Program staff will now work the DTAD on creating course outcomes based on those competencies, and create a program map that fits within the new NAIT model mentioned earlier.

 - Len Sperling


JEFF WINS BIG IN VEGAS

 

A big CONGRATULATIONS to Jeff Weigl for making ASRA, Alberta and Canada proud at the recent NCRA Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, in July!
 
Jeff entered the Speed Contest and the Realtime Contest for the very first time with amazing results!
 
Speed Contest Literary leg @ 220 wpm: Tied for 3rd overall at 99.545%
Speed Contest Legal Opinion leg @ 230 wpm: Tied for 3rd overall at 99.391%
Speed Contest Testimony leg @ 280 wpm: 10th overall at 97.643%

With all results combined, Jeff finished 8th overall in the Speed Contest with a combined score of 98.863%!!

 

Realtime Contest Literary leg @ 200 wpm: 17th overall at 96.100%
Realtime Testimony leg at @ 225 wpm: Tied for 9th overall at 97.067% 

 

With all results combined, Jeff finished 17th overall in the Realtime Contest with a combined score of 96.583%!!
 
It is very difficult to even qualify in these contests, but for Jeff to have placed so high and to have received bronze medals for the two 3rd place finishes is incredible!!


Congratulations, Jeff!  You made ASRA, Alberta, and Canada proud! 

 

Important Information Regarding Changes to the New Rules of Court

 

Effective November 1, 2010, amendments to the Alberta Rules of Court necessitate that court reporters make changes to their transcripts. The two documents below outline the required changes and provide examples of the new requirements.  At the end of the transitional period on January 1, 2011, all transcripts must conform with the new Alberta Rules of Court.

 Required Changes

Transcript Samples

 

 

 

 

Download the Winter 2010 Edition of e-Vade Mecum

Download the Spring/Summer 2010 Edition of e-Vade Mecum

 


Gallery_of_Shorthand.jpg
 

Dear Colleague:

 

I invite you to become an early Charter Member of The Gallery of Shorthand

 

The Gallery's unique historical retrospective and fresh approach to perpetuating the timelessness of shorthand have been igniting reporter excitement since our September Grand Opening.  Many have asked to be a part of our museum and for a way to support The Gallery's quest.  Membership is our response to those requests and will help achieve our objective. 

 

Our formal membership launch is actually July 28-30, 2011, at the Annual Convention of the National Court Reporters Association in Las Vegas, making this an opportunity to be one of the first Gallery members.  If you will be in Las Vegas, please look for our mini-museum display in Booth 411 - you will not be disappointed!  And let me know you are there.  I would enjoy spending some time with you.  So join our excitement now.  The affordable $45 donation may be paid by check sent to the Gallery at the address above.  For quicker registration, this link will take you to our secure membership registration site where you may pay by credit card.

 

Click This Secure Registration Link

 

Charter Membership is available to those who enroll before the end of 2011 and runs through December 2012.  As a membership thank you, Charter Members receive a Welcome Portfolio, available July 28.  Please advise whether you wish it mailed, will pick it up at The Gallery or in Las Vegas. 

 

Feel free to share with fellow reporters this opportunity to become a Charter Member.  Membership is open to everyone, not only reporters, and limited discount student memberships are also available. 

 

Oh, one more thing.  The Gallery of Shorthand is on the verge of being declared a museum by the State of New York.  This will make it the only meuseum dedicated to the shorthand profession - a wonderful tribute to all of us. 

 

Please join our quest today and help give renewed vitality to our profession. 

 

Sincerely, 

Dominick M. Tursi,

Director The Gallery of Shorthand

 


 

Cindy Gordon Receives Ewen Nelson Award for Self-Advocacy

  Cindy_Gordon.JPG

On Thursday, May 20, the annual ABSPD Mayor's Awards were held at Central Lions Seniors Centre.  In attendance were Mayor Stephen Mandel, Councillors Amarjeet Sohi, Ed Gibbons and Ben Henderson, as well as MP for Edmonton-Strathcona Linda Duncan. 

MCs for the even were Ryan Jespersen of City TV and Elise Cerny of Shaw TV.  Shaw TV also broadcast the event and compiled vignettes of all nominees.  In the coming weeks, the video profiles of all winners will be posted to edmonton.ca/disability

The event was a huge success, and ABSPD members and staff were honoured to recognize the amazing work being done in our citiy to serve people with disabilities.

Cindy Gordon

Cindy manages a hearing loss prevention program which is distributed throughout Alberta to elementary schools. As well, she runs another program to educate hearing aid users and their partners. In her nomination letter, Susanne Martin tells us that Cindy's warmth, sense of humor, and empathy leaves participants in her programs feeling enlightened, understood, and armed with the skills to manage their lives. She also says that Cindy models a positive attitude for all, and that her passion at work reflects her passion for life.

In recognition of her outstanding commitment and dedication, in 2004, Cindy was awarded the Gary McPherson Award of Excellence, only awarded to those who go well beyond the call of duty towards establishing accessibility and equitable treatment for people with disabilities in Alberta and Canada.

 


 
  Congratulations, Jeff Weigl

2010 ASRA Speed Contest Winner

Jeff was our first place winner with an

overall score of 99.505% accuracy

 

 
For the Love of Good Food
ASRA Cookbook 2008
Compiled by Cindy James for the occasion of ASRA's 50th Anniversary
Click on the picture to access the file





  iPad App

  Animation1.gif

Check out the new iPad app of a steno machine. 

Use it for writing notes or grocery lists, etc,

instead of using the QWERTY keyboard.

 

 

ASRA Certified Member Joyce Herceg gets some desperately needed court reporting help from her daughter Shayla!

Submit your funny court reporting photos to asra@asraonline.com



What's new ?


Kirsten Skow receives ASRA Scholarship - Congratulations to Kirsten Skow, 2011 recipient of the ASRA Scholarship.  Read Kirsten's comments here.


Leanne Harcourt receives Wendy-Egbert Swann Memorial Award - Congratulations to Leanne Harcourt, 2011 recipient of the Wendy Egbert-Swann Memorial Award.  Read Leanne's comments here.


What's old?


NCRA Certification Testing Changes - Beginning in November, the NCRA Certification Written Knowledge Tests will be administered at professional testing centres through Pearson VUE and its associates.  Many of your questions can be answered by clicking here. ASRA members will be able to test in Calgary and Edmonton.  For exact locations, access the Pearson VUE website and click "Locate a Test Center".  For testing dates and more specific information, click here.


NAIT receives recognition from CHHA - NAIT's Legal and Realtime Reporting Program was recognized on May 26, 2007, for its support to the Hard of Hearing Community through its training of Realtime Reporting students who work as Realtime and Broadcast Captioners of live events. 


Joint Project CD and website announced - ASRA is pleased to have been working together with the Legal and Realtime Reporting Program at NAIT and the Edmonton Chapter of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association in promoting the court reporting profession to those who use our services and also those who might wish to join our profession.  A promotional CD has been created and will be distributed to ASRA members.  Please give this promotional CD to someone you think may be interested in joining us. 

 

www.helptohear.com is a new website created to promote this joint project.  This website provides links to CHHA-ED, ASRA, and NAIT Legal and Realtime Reporting program. 


ASRA member featured - Joanne Mankow, ASRA member and NAIT instructor, is featured in an AlumNAIT article.  Joanne shares her thoughts about court reporting profession.  To view the advertisement, click here.  To view the complete article, click here, download using Adobe, and then read about Joanne on pages 14 and 15.



City of Edmonton captioning pilot project - The City of Edmonton is a nationwide leader in providing access to deaf and hard of hearing residents!  Mayor Stephen Mandel has been instrumental in instituting closed-captioning at public events in the City of Champions.  Read his letter to ASRA here.  Thanks, Mayor Mandel and City Council!

E-mail Mayor Mandel and express your appreciation for his foresight and leadership in this most important pilot project.  

stephen.mandel@edmonton.ca


Steno Swap results - Thanks to everyone who participated in the Spring Seminar held in Red Deer on April 1, 2006.  During our afternoon Town Hall Meeting, may good ideas were exchanged in the steno swap sessions.  Download the list here.


Chief Justice issues direction - Chief Justice Wachowich has issued direction to all court reporters regarding off record discussions.  Download the letter here.  Print a copy and carry it with you to be shown to counsel if the need arises.


The Alberta Shorthand Reporters Association is an affiliate of