My name is Cathy Field, and I am your newsletter Editor. My husband Marshal and I have hosted the Stone Mountain Games tent for Clan Montgomery for over 10 years. Marshal is the Montgomery - the old great-grandmother ploy. We knew nothing about family genealogy until we became active in CMSI, and then my husband discovered his lineage is the "Royal" line descending from Roger de Montgomery. Like a good "Royalist", Marshal allowed me to assist in his Clan duties. You all know what that means. I was the SE Regional VP for a number of years. I'm very dedicated to Clan Montgomery, and I'm proud to do the newsletter. I was a journalism major in college and worked on a small local newspaper until I married. I like the casualness of a small paper, and I hope to keep our newsletter warm, friendly and fun. This is where you come in!

This newsletter isn't my newsletter, it's yours. I'm just a compiler of stories, a recorder of facts, and a fair to middlin' speller. I need your input. Please send me stories, pictures, poetry, essays, and songs pertaining to Clan Montgomery and the people who make up our extended family. Marriages, Flowers of the Forest, babies, promotions, armed service news, highland games news - in other words, "all the news that's fit to print". I want this newsletter to inform, teach and entertain. I don't want off color jokes or stories, and I don't want letters-to-the-editor that touch on political or religious issues. However, I do want letters from members who have suggestions on how to improve on Clan activities, publications, elections, etc. I especially want news about our young people. They are the Miracle Gro of our organization.

As to the technical requirements for putting out the newsletter, there are just a few suggestions I want to make.

1. Deadlines for articles and pictures are as follows:
   
   • Spring       - March 31
   • Summer    - June 30
   • Fall            - September 30
   • Winter       - December 31
   
   
   
2. If you wish to e-mail a story, it would help to have it in Microsoft Word format.
   
   
3. If you want to send a story, but you don't have a clue what Word is, or could care less, send it on to me a little sooner than the deadline so that I will have time to retype it into acceptable format.
   
   
4. You may scan pictures and send them by e-mail, or you can send the picture to me and I will return it. Don't send anything that will be a devastating loss should something happen to it. I am printing in black and white, so be aware that dark prints don't work out well at all. Take pictures in good light. A picture shot into the interior of a tent is really troublesome.
   
   
5. Games hosts, take pictures of your new members whenever you can, and be sure to label them for me.
   
   
6. Please don't send changes of address to me. They should always go to addresschanges@clanmontgomery.org.
   
   
7. Please don't send inquiries about whether your dues have been paid, etc. to me. They should always go to treasurer@clanmontgomery.org.
   
   
8. I take the newsletter to the printer on (as close as possible) the 10th of the month it will go out. The printing and mailing process takes about a week. The actual delivery of the newsletter is dependant on the US Postal Service, and 3rd class mail doesn't have a high priority. Be patient.
   
   
9. My e-mail address pertaining to the newsletter is editor@clanmontgomery.org. If your e-mail address has changed, or if you now have e-mail when you didn't previously, please let me know. I try to send out reminders about deadlines, etc., but I've discovered I have a few addresses that are incorrect.
   
   
10. If you have something specific you would like to see in the newsletter, please let me know.
    
    
11. If you are sending an article to me by regular mail, the address is:
    
    Cathy Field
    3638 Nina Ct.
    Loganville, GA 30052
    
    
12. I'm looking forward to working with all of you, and together we'll put out the kind of newsletter we want.