Pundit Flashbacks

By the Friend of the Court Bureau

First page of the first edition of the state's child support newsletter.

As the institution of the Friend of the Court celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Pundit team reflected back on the newsletter’s history, as well. Did you know that the first edition of the state’s quarterly child support newsletter was published in July 1987 under the temporary title “Pseudonym”?

That first edition opened with:

“The State Court Administrative Office, The Office of Child Support and other organizations involved in the Michigan Child Support System have developed this newsletter which will be published quarterly. This newsletter will be used to transfer information and ideas between employees in different departments, counties and job functions.

"It is our goal that this newsletter will be both informational and entertaining. Therefore, if anyone wants to contribute articles – either their own or those from another source – send them to the State Court Administrative Office.

"More immediate, however, is finding an original yet accurate newsletter name. The Pseudonym is created with our readers in mind, so we feel that our readers should have input into developing a name. 

"Send your ideas to the Pseudonym Newsletter, State Court Administrative Office, P.O. Box 30048, Lansing, Michigan 48909. We would like to receive your ideas before August 20, 1987.

"The winner will be the featured employee in the next edition!”

The newsletter also launched with a “Best Wishes!” message – pictured above – from Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley, saying that she “heartily applaud[ed]” the newsletter efforts.

A clip from the first edition of the newsletter, published in 1987.

The first edition contained updates on recent changes impacting the child support program, announcement of the GUIDELIN program coming soon (the first computer program to implement Michigan’s Child Support Formula), notification of upcoming training opportunities, research on joint custody, and tips on topics ranging from: avoiding workplace pains; appropriate telephone etiquette; in-person communication tips; resolving staff differences; and “stress busters.”

We have certainly come a long way technologically from the GUIDELIN program, which was groundbreaking in 1987. The article explained that GUIDELIN would run on an IBM-PC microcomputer with 512 or 640 kilobytes of RAM, a hard disk, and a dot matrix printer. For readers who are Millennials and younger, this might sound like a foreign language to you!

What has remained consistent is the Pundit’s commitment to explaining, championing, and supporting the Michigan child support program’s “cooperative effort between local and state executive and judicial branches of government.”

We hope to continue to provide helpful and engaging content to child support professionals across the state, and we remind readers that feedback and original articles from all across the state are always welcome! Email the editor anytime at LindholmA@courts.mi.gov or use the contact form at the bottom of the newsletter’s blog page.