In my very first post on this blog I mentioned that I was an area representative for the International Horn Society.  As for what exactly an IHS Area Rep. does, I think the best description comes from the main IHS website.

Area Representatives serve the IHS by communicating society activities to IHS members in their state, province, or country, as well as sharing information about horn activities in their areas with the society worldwide.  Area Reps also assist in recruiting and welcoming new IHS members and in communication between members in their area.

Since the majority of an area representative’s duties involve active communication, many reps around the U.S. have created websites, Facebook groups, etc., to help disseminate information about horn-related activities at the regional, state, and local level.  However, a new initiative led by the IHS’s webmaster Dan Phillips and USA coordinator Elaine Braun has provided a uniform, easily updated platform for area reps to update their current websites or design new ones.  Using a free web design service called Weebly, area reps can design/update their sites so that they all follow a consistent format from state to state.  Weebly is very easy to use, and the results look clean and professional.

For an example of what an IHS area website designed on Weebly looks like, check out http://louisiana.hornsociety.org. Following some very simple instructions from Dan Phillips, I was able to convert everything from my previous area website over to the newer format.  The subdomain (louisiana.hornsociety.org) remained the same, so there was no need to create a new one.   As the Weebly interface is much easier to use than conventional web editing software like Dreamweaver, it will be a cinch to keep the site updated and add components like audio/video, an RSS feed, etc.

If you are an IHS member and don’t know who your area rep is, you can consult the IHS list of area representatives. If your state doesn’t currently have an area representative, consider serving the IHS in that position.  The time commitment is very manageable, and you will have an opportunity to communicate more closely with fellow horn players in your state and region.

I look forward to working with the new Louisiana Horn News website, and thanks again to Dan and Elaine for all their hard work!