Hush-Hush

In order to give the kids an extra special something, they will receive their very own Fried Eagle I.D. badge.

For this year, the I.D. badges were designed by two Fried Eagle boys.

It's pure secret agent stuff. Super slick 007. And to share any of it would be a serious breach of Fried Eagle ethics.

However...

Above the image of the eagle, is the name of the student--or the name they chose to assign themselves. In some cases this means Mr. Man, Mysterious Person, Mustache Cash Stash, or Mr. Monkey Butthead.

Below the image of the eagle is the student's secret identity code. Some chose numbers. Some chose symbols. And a few chose an interesting combination of words, such as "Cash, Cars & Steak," "1520005 Kitties," "U.S. Gymnastics," and "Hunk of Poo."

It's all very serious. And it's all very hush-hush.

Here's the 99 Percent

"What it boils down to is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."

--Thomas Edison

And here's our perspiration--peeled, minced and boiled down into little doable tasks:

Blog Writer & Photographer:  

Be our historian, our record keeper, our voice for the community; update the blog regularly and write for an audience who is interested in creating their own zine in their classroom or at their school. 

Parent & Student Recruitment:

Recruit new parents and students; orient and integrate them into Fried Eagle. 

Accountant:

Document all spending and keep receipts; sort sponsorship money into petty cash envelopes; safely keep petty cash and disperse when necessary; safely keep zine sales cash until it can be deposited; have interested students deposit zine sales cash into a bank account through the Umpqua banking program at school; at the end of the school year, withdraw all zine sales cash and donate to the school.

IPRC Contact:
Contact IPRC to schedule date/time for students to assemble their own personal zine; notify students and parents of relevant educational workshops and sign up those who are interested.

Principal Contact:
Communicate with our school's principal regarding zine updates and special requests; schedule quarterly meeting with principal to review final copy of Fried Eagle for approval; have editors present the final copy of the zine to the principal for review.

Documart Contact:
Contact Documart to publish two rounds of zines per quarter within budget; collect petty cash from accountant and give accountant receipts; pick up zines and place in storage closet.

Supplies Contact:
Shop for and replenish supplies as needed and within budget (8.5 x 11 paper, 11 x 17 paper, #10 manilla envelopes, double-sided tape, regular and ultra-thin markers, flip chart paper, large paperclips, pencils and erasers); collect petty cash from accountant and give accountant receipts; place and organize supplies in storage closet

Snacks Contact:
Organize snack sign-ups; identify allergies; email reminders to snack providers.

Sponsorship Facilitator:

Organize sponsorship request field trips with interested students; collect money and digital logos from sponsors and give money to accountant; work with students to create sponsorship advertisement pages in zine; work with Blog Writer to place sponsor's logos on blog; think "outside the box" for new ways to generate revenue through sponsorships.

Celebration Party Facilitator:  

Facilitate the wrap-up party with a group of interested students; have students create certificates and plan party within budget; shop for supplies or have students ask local businesses for sponsorship of party in exchange for advertisement in Fried Eagle (if latter, work with Sponsorship Facilitator to place advertisement in zine).

Editor Facilitator:

Work with editors to review and approve articles; collect and safely store final articles in storage closet; have editors create Letter from Editors and Table of Contents; have editors number pages and add "final touches" to zine; work with Principal Contact to schedule date/time for editors to present final copy of zine to principal; give approved zine to Documart Contact for the first round of publication.

Zine Sales Facilitator:

Organize and schedule classroom presentations for students; give list of presentations to Principal Contact for approval; assemble individual student sales sheets and envelopes for the Fried Eagle staff; print out Fried Eagle envelope order forms for the student body; have responsible students collect orders and give money to accountant; have students organize ordered zines and place in teacher's in-boxes.

Lead Facilitator:

Ensure that the zine machine keeps rollin'; ensure that all articles and tasks are accomplished within deadline; email updates and reminders regularly to the group; lead weekly meetings or schedule facilitators to lead meetings based on the zine's needs.

Learned & Earned

(The attempted explanation of city commission government to recently graduated first-graders.)

Oh, this wouldn't be service-learning without those hard-earned lessons, even for the parents, now would it? It should be no surprise that the making of Fried Eagle had many.

There were lots of minor lessons--hurdles, really--to get through. When added up, it makes everything feel like a huge accomplishment (in addition to the exhaustion that accompanies that satisfaction; but it's all okay because, hey, we're parents and we're used to it).

However, the major lessons were a bit of a revelation. Specifically, the photocopying and hands-on assembly of the zine. Who knew that photocopying a mere 100 zines could last an entire evening and blow through dinner? And who knew that the collation and stapling of those zines--with children, mind you--would take nearly three hours? Not to mention the anxiety and heart attacks (and the admiration for those mellow parents; this author not included) from the constant redirection of those beloved children armed with long-armed staplers and those who squirreled away favorite tacks, staples and nails inside tight fists.

Oh, yes.

(Maybe we shouldn't mention the wrestling that occurred on the carpet of IPRC's zine library, either.)

In the end, Documart saved the day. For just $1 per zine, Documart, photocopied, collated and stapled 100 Fried Eagles, and all we had to do was pick them up in a sturdy box.

Does this mean that IPRC is out of the picture?

No way. There's much to be had at this center. Far more than just zine production. Besides, the children learned a great deal from their experience.

And it shows.

Approved!

(Fried Eagle staff member consulting with the school's principal for approval of the zine.)

It's not that we expected opposition, but we weren't sure how the beta issue of Fried Eagle would be received. As with any new project, the nagging "what if's" tend to linger. But we don't need to question our method, our process, or even the behind-the-scenes madness anymore. The beta issue of Fried Eagle has been wholeheartedly approved by the school's principal.

We can move forward.

Victory is so sweet.

IPRC!

Recently, we took a tour of the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC).  The facility is both steampunk and silly, groomed and unkempt, outdated and modern. And it's 100% creative. The possibilities for our children are endless.

Sponsorship Opportunities

(Closing the deal: Fried Eagle staff member asks for sponsorship from Coldwell Banker)

If thought about it for too long, this final hurdle feels too high to reach and too heavy to carry. But with the support of our community, we can and we will.

Fried Eagle needs to fundraise at least $570 in order to publish the zine. This price tag includes:

1. Classroom Space: $15
This is the annual application processing fee from the Portland Public School District. Fried Eagle requires a classroom space after school in order to continue making future zines.

2012-13 Classroom Space Sponsorship: Open

2. IPRC Membership Dues: $55
This is the annual membership dues to join the local nonprofit, Independent Publishing and Resource Center (IPRC). Fried Eagle will use to center's space and equipment to publish zines on a quarterly basis.

2012-13 IPRC Membership Sponsorship: Open

3. Publication: $400
It costs $2 to publish one 40-page zine. Fried Eagle's goal is to publish 200 zines. Roughly 50 of those zines will not be sold; they will be gifted to our community sponsors, our gracious interviewees, and  the Fried Eagle staff (each child earns one free zine). The other 150 zines will be sold at the school and in the greater community. The profits from the sales of those 150 zines will be used to publish more zines which, ultimately, will raise more money for the school.

Fall '12 Publication Sponsorship: $150 has been met; we still need to raise $250

4. Supplies: $100
Supplies, such as markers, flip charts, double-sided tape, lots and lots of paper and printer ink, were necessary to complete this first zine. We estimate an annual cost of $100 for supplies. Thankfully, the supplies cost has already been sponsored.

2012-13 Supplies Sponsorship: Met

The above list is is extensive, however, it only covers the bare essentials. Fried Eagle's wish list adds an additional $450 to the program. This price tag includes:

1. Reporter Badges & I.D. Cards: $50
The Fried Eagle staff requires laminated reporter badges and I.D. cards for all of their official duties on and off the playground, such as: cub reporting, journalism, editing, drawing and lettering, sales, and publishing. These badge and I.D. cards will be designed annually by the Fried Eagle staff.

2012-13 Reporter Badges & I.D. Cards Sponsorship: Open

2. Educational Workshops: $200
Once Fried Eagle becomes members of IPRC, the staff has opportunities to take educational workshops  on-site such as: cartooning, letterpress, creative writing, screen printing, computer layout, bookbinding, hand-lettering and more. These skills will help the staff publish a higher-quality zine. Furthermore, these skills will develop a lifetime of creativity, inspiration and the pursuit of continuing education.

2012-13 Educational Workshop Sponsorship: Open

3. Field Trips: $200
The Fried Eagle staff will occasionally need to travel to reporting assignments, such as the state capital when the legislature is in session. Field trip sponsorship will cover the cost of gas and other incidentals.

2012-13 Field Trip Sponsorship: Open

Done!

Well, team Fried Eagle did it! Out of thin air, the kids created their very first zine. And, wow, is it exciting to see!

It was a fun and busy summer. Behind the scenes, the Fried Eagle staff had important business to conduct. 

Such as...

...grave rubbings and ghost stories...

...and paper planes and pancakes.

Attempting to make pumpkin pies without assistance...

...and savoring the sweet taste of victory. (Literally.) 

There were also reportings and interviews...

(Mayoral candidate, Charlie Hales)

(Mayoral candidate, Jefferson Smith)

...with the well-known and the unknown.

Oh, but we're not done yet. The most important and final hurdle is here. If we succeed, it means everything. If we don't... that will be a sad discussion to have with the kids.

The only thing to do is to push forward.

And hold our breath.

And jump.