Publicity To-Do List

Now that we're well into January, this is a great time to review your chapter's to-do list and make sure you're on track for letting the world know all the great things you do.

A few things to double-check:

• Is the chapter web-site up-to-date? Having an out-of-date web site is worse than having no web site at all. If people visit the web site and the most recent information is for last fall's events, they'll think you don't having any programming right now. They might even think the chapter no longer exists!

• Do you have a current list of publicity contacts? At a minimum, you should know the name and email address of the reporter(s) who cover your community. You'll want to send them announcements about all of your chapter's activities.

• Does the local newspaper have your next meeting date? Most local newspapers have a community calendar. This is usually maintained by someone other than the news reporter, so make sure you have this person's name and contact information too. And then make sure they have the date, time, and location for your next membership meeting as well as a phone number people can call with questions.

• Have you announced your 2008 officers? Have you had your annual Awards and Officer Installation (A&I) banquet yet? Once your 2008 board has been installed, you should send out a press release to the local paper (see above) and announce who the officers are. Be sure to end the release with a quick summary of what the Jaycees are and how long your chapter has been around.
  

PS Don't forget! OTS is this weekend!