Out-of-towners convene for Non-Resident Weekend
Non-resident members convene for 9th annual Non-Resident Weekend
The National Press Club, in its continuing commitment to recognize its nearly 1,000 members living outside the Beltway, hosted its ninth annual Non-Resident Weekend in early October, convening more than 30 members and their guests from California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Texas, and internationally as far as Uruguay. Despite the closing of the Federal government, it was a whirlwind weekend for the group, filled with events showcasing the unique Washington press scene.
Non-Resident Weekend kicked-off on Thursday, Oct. 3, with a welcoming reception in the Bloomberg Room. Vice-President Myron Belkind, along with Board of Governors Chair Thomas Burr, Board member Frederica Dunn and Membership Secretary Marc Wojno were on hand to welcome the members and brief them on Club activities and upcoming programs.
On Friday, Oct. 4, the visiting members got to see first-hand how the Washington press scene is evolving, both technically and globally. After breakfast at the Reliable Source, NPC President Angela Greiling-Keane gave a special behind-the-scenes tour of Bloomberg’s Washington bureau, where the group saw the inner workings of its newsroom. Later that afternoon, after attending the general membership meeting luncheon, the group trekked to Capitol Hill for a tour of the Washington studios of Phoenix Satellite TV, the Hong Kong-based broadcaster recognized as one of the few private networks allowed to broadcast in mainland China. That evening, some of the non-resident members attended the Fourth Estate Award Dinner honoring NBC News Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, hobnobbing with the guest of honor and her husband, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, along with other Club members and Washington’s media elite.
Several non-resident members returned to the Club on Saturday, Oct. 5, to attend the memorial service for legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who passed away earlier this summer at the age of 92. Fellow journalists, such as ABC News’s Sam Donaldson, PBS News Hour’s Judy Woodruff, USA Today’s Susan Page, even Oscar-nominated actress and producer Diane Ladd, shared stories about their dear friend who was regarded as a pioneer for women journalists.
Non-Resident Weekend concluded with a closing cocktail reception dinner at the Fourth Estate Restaurant with vice-president Belkind, Membership Secretary Wojno, and Director of Membership Recruitment Sarahanne Driggs, the organizer of Non-Resident Weekend.