Club Newsletters

Mike Raffety, CTMDistrict 30 Spring Conference

mikeraffety@earthlink.net

Agenda

WhyWhoStyle and formatRegular contentArticlesPhotosLayout

EditingPublishingSoftwareTemplatesCustomizingHints and tipsMake articles fit

Why have a newsletter?

Communicate with:your clubprospective membersdistrict leadership

Source for district newsletter articles (Spotlight) and other mediaRemember history …Improve your communications skills!

Who does it?

Organizing and editing:VP Public Relations

Writing articles:Club officersAll club members

How often?Monthly?

Your first newsletter

This is the hardestNeed a consistent lookSet up a template

Style and formatMastheadTable of contentsDistinguished Club Status

Newsletter style and format

ColorsMay print in B&W, but people will also read in e-mail or on web site

Graphic elements (TM logo, etc.)Title

May just be club name

Boldface member namesMake it easy for people to find!

Masthead

*Club name, number and district*Volume and number, month and year*Meeting time and place*Name, address and phone for:

Editor (VP PR)Publisher (President)

Officer list* Required for club newsletter contest

Table of contents

Draw the reader inMake it easy to find interesting newsUse in summaries when e-mailing newsletters

Distinguished club status

List the 10 goalsShow how close you areKeep this very visible to membersCelebrate each accomplishment

Articles

You don’t have to write them!Draft officers to writeAsk members to writeReprint articles from other sources (The Toastmaster, Spotlight, etc.)

Be sure to credit!

Article ideas

New membersNew achievements

CTM, ATM, DTM, CL, AL, etc.

Meeting summariesContests

area, division, district

District conferences and TLIElections, anniversaries, demo meetings, speechcraft, club awards, mission statement, officer meetings, more!

Photos!

Easy way to fill spacePeople love picturesDigital camera or scanningPut a border on the photo

Click right and “Borders”

Ideas:Meeting photosAchievements (CTM, etc.)Visiting dignitariesMembers at contests

Layout

Mix it up, avoid a page of all textAdd large-print quotesInclude color where possibleSteal graphics from the webUse clip art

Editing

Proofread!Spelling (red squiggles)Grammar (green squiggles)Content and interest

Send draft to club officers“Toastermasters”

Publication

Printed copies at meetingsSend in e-mail – Adobe PDF!

Include Table of Contents in mail text

Post on club web site

Following newsletters

Make a copy of first newsletter and replace text and photosCan do it in just a couple of hours

Let’s make a newsletter!

Software to create

MS WordIncluded with most home PCs (part of MS Works)Can buy MS Works Suite 2002 for under $80 on AmazonOr use a computer at work

Could use MS Publisher ($100) or others

Software to distribute

Not everyone has WordBIG filesAdobe Acrobat PDF

Everyone has itSmall compact filesFast to load from the web

Can buy Acrobat ($250)Or use free Adobe web service

http://createpdf.adobe.comFive free conversions per e-mail address

Fire up Internet Explorerhttp://officeupdate.microsoft.com/templategallery

Preview several different ones

For example: Dots

Begin editing in MS Word

Start customizing

TitleDate, volume, issueOfficer listDistinguished club status

Save before adding articles

Makes future newsletters much easier!Just open this “blank” newsletter

Inserting article text

Copy and “paste special” unformatted textAvoid having to change fonts back

MS Word hints and tips

All text is in a boxMove and resize boxesPut a border around text

Click right on edge, choose borders

The “P” symbolMore tips at:

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/word/index.htm

How to make articles fit

Judicious editingChange column widthAdd large-font quotesAdd picturesChange spacing between:

LinesParagraphs

Change font size

Summary

WhyWhoWhat:

ArticlesPhotos

HowPublishing

Good luck!

Feel free to e-mail me with questionsPlease send copy of newsletters to me mikeraffety@earthlink.net