Veštník and Publicity

VĚSTNÍK - Promote Your Youth Club In SPJST’s Newsletter

What is it? The Veštník is SPJST’s official bi-monthly newsletter. Both printed and email versions are available. The Veštník contains news and information about SPJST lodges and youth clubs across the state. All SPJST members can receive the Veštník at no charge. To subscribe, visit www.spjst.org.

Who can participate? Youth members are encouraged to practice their journalistic and creative skills by submitting letters and other items to the Veštník.

The Rules 8 Youth members earn a maximum of one merit point each month for the following Veštník submissions: • Letters/articles on SPJST youth club activities • Book, movie, music, etc. reviews • Original poems, creative writing, and artwork

A youth club reporter can only earn points after he/she has written the required monthly meeting report.

Submissions must contain: 8 Youth’s Name 8 Youth’s Age 8 Lodge Number and Lodge Name 8 Good grammar and spelling 8 Double space lines (if handwritten). 8 All submissions must be written, printed, or typed by the youth member. 8 Letter must be informative and answer the five W’s — who, what, when, why, and where. 8 Letters containing the same information or letters on subjects not considered newsworthy will not be published nor earn points. (examples - events that will be over by publication time or letters from the same household on the same subjects.)

Deadline The deadline for all submissions, including emails, texts, and faxes, is 5 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month (unless otherwise posted). For photos, please include a short description or article describing what the photo is about, date of event, location, and identification(s), if possible. Send letters, reviews, creative writings, drawings, and photos to:

Vice President of Communications Melanie Zavodny c/o SPJST Home Office PO Box 100 • Temple, Texas 76503-0100 Fax: 254-773-8087 • Email: vestnik@spjst.org Text: 254-534-0807 • Online Submissions: spjst.org 10 Tips for Submitting Your News and Photos to the Veštník for Publication

1. The deadline for receiving news and photos is 5 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month, unless otherwise posted in the Veštník. Submit online at spjst.org; email to vestnik@spjst.org; text to 254-534-0807; or fax to 254-773-8087.

2. In preparing your youth club reports and features, please include complete information. All stories submitted should be written legibly or typed. Also, take care to check the spelling on names - people love to see their names in print - especially when they are spelled correctly. In case there are any questions, it’s always a good idea for the correspondent to include his/her name, address, phone number, and email address with the article.

3. Keep in mind, your well-written youth club letters may also have strong reader appeal for your local newspaper - especially if your area is served by a weekly paper/online newsletter dedicated to promoting local news and activities.

4. In composing your stories, please feel free to be creative. Some of the most interesting youth club letters and features incorporate colorful quotes, descriptions, and background information.

5. Regarding photographs in the Veštník, clear, digital photographs make the best reproductions in the Veštník. Submitted photos should have a resolution of at least 200 dpi.

6. Be creative! People-oriented photos draw readers into your story. For instance, a shot of two dancers out on the floor will attract much more attention than a picture of two people standing in front of a wall. Submit your photographs with short, descriptive captions.

7. Good contrast and an uncluttered background are also important for a good photo. When photographing people, it’s especially important to be CLOSE to the subjects. People — typically the focal point of most photos — are more important than the background. Before you take a photograph, check the background and try different angles if possible. If necessary, move your subjects to avoid distractions. Lightcolored backgrounds work best.

8. Take special care when shooting photographs of people outdoors. It’s mays a good idea to use your flash - especially on bright days - to fill in the harsh shadows caused by sunlight.

9. The Veštník is your newsletter and is made available for you to use as a tool to promote fraternalism in your youth club and throughout SPJST. It can also be an effective aid in recruiting new members. It can help boost the morale of active members. It can be used as a source of ideas for social and fraternal activities and as a source of information about SPJST and its many fraternal insurance and financial products.

10. The Veštník is always looking for feature stories about lodges and youth clubs, lodge and youth club members, and special events that will appeal to the readership. If you ever have any suggestions or questions about submitting your news and photos to the Veštník, please call the Vice President of Communications at 254-773-1575, ext. 122.