As we finish up another fine season of Can’t Stop the Serenity, we’d like to send a special Thank You to the folks who keep things ticking along smoothly from behind the scenes. CSTS been fortunate to have some wonderful people on the Global Team over the years, and the 2013 Team have been fantastic!

This year, we’ve had the pleasure of working with three amazing women who have been the backbone of our “front line” of CSTS by managing the website, social media and communications. So here’s a moment-in-the-spotlight for Lioness, Jacque and Julia – our dedicated Communications & Web Crew!

Lioness – Communications Director, Shepherd and overall Lady of Awesome – tell us a little about what you do…

As Communications Director and Shepherd, I’m been talking within – to the Browncoats running the screenings around the world- and without – talking to the wide world about CSTS. Getting the word out is an important part of the job. We know there are people out there just discovering Joss Whedon for the first time and so CSTS will be new to them as well. Beyond sending out Broadwaves and the Press release, I search the internet for likely possibilities- people who might be willing to help us spread the word further. I am aided in this by a great list of contacts put together by previous Communications Directors. Posting regular Blogs on our website is also important and that is followed up by mentions on Facebook and Twitter. New this year is Google + and Pinterest. Each Social Media location has its own special needs so it is never a questions of just cutting and pasting.

Probably the most rewarding part of the job is talking with the Organizers. I ran a screening for 5 years so know firsthand what it is like to do so but I have now been blessed with getting an overview. The amount of dedication and hard work amazes me time and again. Having this overview also means that I can see a city doing something unique that I think more people should know about. Cities concentrate on what they have to do to have a successful screening, but I get to see the big picture and can promote and praise when a city is doing something they take for granted but is really quite awesome. Because the cities are focused on their own screening, they forget how important it is to keep in touch with the Global organization and with fellow Organizers. So a lot of my job is spent surfing the net, trying to keep up with all the cities having events and making sure we have the most up to date information.

Last year and this I have also been the Shepherd.. In some cases I am the first line of contact for the cities. I remind them to start a thread on the forums and nudge them to communicate regularly. They write to me for everything from recipes to explanations as to what is mandatory. Occasionally I hear things that remain private between me and the Browncoat writing. It is really the Shepherding part of the volunteering and I take it very seriously.

Jacque has been our Webmistress Extraordinare and Registrar for the past two years, and we are sad to be saying farewell…

I volunteered to do these positions because I believe in both CSTS and Equality Now. I love being a Browncoat and supporting what I feel is a very important non-profit organization that does some really great work. I’ve enjoyed seeing CSTS grow and seeing other people’s passions for making this work as well. I like going through and adding the new cities one by one to the roster of cities and countries that are supporting the cause and spreading Firefly and Serenity as well.

Julia has been our dedicated Tweeter, keeping our followers informed about events and ‘verse news. Asked why she volunteered for the CSTS Global Team, Julia explained.

I had been part of the Melbourne Browncoats CSTS a couple of years ago I was asked to take on the job of Global CSTS Twitter ops because they had no one to do it. Saying yes was easy, who wouldn’t want to help spread the signal about such an amazing cause! And it was one of the best things I ever did. It took a while to get a handle on things and finding what worked and didn’t but it’s a lot of fun. Of course you’re constantly refining how you do things and there’s some great tweeters out their to be inspired by.

The main part of the job is getting the word out about all the fantastic CSTS events and other big Global announcements like contests and auctions. It’s also essential to raise awareness about Equality Now and they work they do, especially if there are actions that people can take to help. Twitter is often people’s first stop if they have a query about something, so not only do we disseminate info by announcements but play a vital role answering questions. Giving exposure to our wonderful, wonderful sponsors is also important. And finally there’s sharing all the fun ‘Verse related things like interviews with the crew, amazing craft and new Firefly shiny being sold.

The best thing about the job is when Browncoats discover we exist for the first time via something we’ve tweeted and being able to interact with so many awesome fans. They’re so excited to find out that not only can they see Serenity on the big screen again but by doing so they’re donating to some very worthy causes. It’s also great to see a tweet take off and be retweeted lots, in particular if one of Serenity’s crew or a celebrity retweets it. Though it’s funny, you can never predict what tweet will soar and what goes nowhere (usually it’s the one that isn’t written as well as you’d like or has a spelling mistake in it!). Timing seems to be a key factor.

And the most satisfying thing is being able to tweet the event donations as they come in and watch the total tally grow.

CSTS has done amazing things for 7 years and for it to continue we need you! There are so many things you can do to at Global, jobs big and small, that help things run smoothly. You learn a lot and meet fabulous Browncoats. So don’t be scared of volunteering if you don’t think you can do a job, there’s great mentors and lots of help. By working for Global you’re assisting events to raise money which helps Equality Now make the world a better and safer place for women and girls everywhere.

Thank you all for your amazing dedication!