The Chapter Leaders wish
you the luck of the Irish!
     While the chapter leaders hope you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day, they also want you to know they've been working hard on TelecomPioneers issues. Last weekend, the chapter presidents and some vice presidents met in Philadelphia to resolve policy issues and discuss challenges facing our group. Following are some highlights. The group:
  - Decided to make the Dictionary
    Project a group-wide project.
  - Created a universal online
    membership application that will
    soon be posted on the regional
    website with links from chapter
    websites.
  - Developed travel expenditure
    guidelines.
  - Outlined a process to work with
    External Affairs on "Fiber to the
    Premise" efforts.
  - Selected the Embassy Suites
    Convention Center in Las Vegas
    as the Nov. 10-13 Group Training
    Conference venue.

Attend an online demo!
     You're invited to participate in one of five live, online demos of Project:Connect. Slated to launch June 1, Project:Connect combines innovative game-based learning techniques with critical subject matter on technology, science, and math concepts that are aligned to key curriculum principles contained in the national standards for learning. Project:Connect involves six distinct games about technology, science and math principles underlying modern day telecommunications. Each demo is limited to 15 participants and attendees will be accepted in the order they RSVP. During the demo, participants must be able to access the Internet and be on the phone at the same time. RSVP to kbiesendorfer@telecompioneers.org. The demo schedule is:
     Mon., March 28, 4 p.m. EST
     Tues., April 5, 3 p.m. EST
     Wed., April 13, 2 p.m. EST
     Thurs., April 21, 1:30 p.m. EST
     Fri., April 29, 10 a.m. EST

Verizon West's Pete Heiden Metroplex Club receives Verizon Excellence Award
     The Dallas-based Pete Heiden Metroplex Pioneer Club positioned VIS as a solid community partner and brightened the holidays for dozens of low-income children with its Holiday Party last December. Their efforts did not go unnoticed. They were recognized March 2 with a Verizon Excellence Award, which is given annually to the individuals, teams and organizations that do the most to help VIS fulfill the Verizon Promise and the VIS VISion, strategy and priorities. The Club received the award in the Community Excellence category, which recognizes a strong commitment to voluntary service and to improving our communities.
     The Pete Heiden Club engaged support from Aramark catering, local businesses, friends and family and hundreds of VIS volunteers for the party, given for 100 children ages 5-8 from Dallas' City Park Elementary School. Most of these children live in shelters or come from very low-income homes, and this party is the highlight of their holiday. The party featured food, educational crafts and games - and a present from Santa for each child. Preparation began months in advance, arranging for donations and discounts from local retailers. Volunteers stuffed stockings, wrapped gifts and served as "parents for a day." The D/FW Airport Fire Department provided a fire engine and driver to deliver Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to the party.

Access the new TelecomPioneers Awards Manual
     For more information on the TelecomPioneers Awards program, access the guidelines on the website at http://www.telecompioneers.com/shared/content_objects//2005%20Awards%20Program%20Manual.pdf. This file is in a Portable Document Format (PDF) that can only be accessed through Adobe Reader. For a copy of this free, easy-to-download software, go to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

Interested in becoming a TelecomPioneer?
    If you'd like to join the Verizon TelecomPioneers, please e-mail Steve Kohn at stephenkohn@verizon.net.

We look forward to your questions and comments. Please send them to editor@verizonpioneers.org.
Visit our website at www.verizonpioneers.org.
March 17, 2005