Class Officers Weekend
September 23, 2011
“Welcome!
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To Foster…
To Create…
To Sustain…
To Nurture…
To Celebrate…
… the Community of your Class and College.
Newsletter Editors can have tremendous
impact.
Powerful possibilities are almost without
limit.
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2.
Background
What Makes a Newsletter Effective?
3. Content Ideas
4. Content Sources
5. Newsletter Production
6. Other Considerations
7. Where to get Help
Newsletter Program
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Newsletters are Fundamental to
Communications
According to 1994 Alumni Survey,
class newsletters are the most widely read
Dartmouth publication
◦ 94% of those surveyed read newsletters
◦ 89% of those surveyed read DAM
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Newsletter Editor thus has a critical role
in communications with alumni
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News about classmates and their families
◦ (and not always about the same, usual suspects).
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News about current class activities and programs
◦ Reports from Class President
◦ Information about mini-reunions and reunions (& photos)
◦ Info and Support for class projects
◦ Status information on annual giving from Head Agent.
◦ Info and Support for class dues payment.
◦ Reports from Alumni Council representatives
◦ Reports on class officers meetings
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Good Photographs of Classmate Faces and Groups
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Integration with Class Online Presence:
◦ Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
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Historic Articles of Class and College.
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Good Photographs of Dartmouth Campus
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News of Campus Events
◦ from Alumni Relations,
◦ from President Kim
◦ from Board Of Trustees
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Profiles of classmates
Image from
1991 newsletter
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Pages from
Green Book or
Aegis showing
then and now
Image from
2000 newsletter
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Trivia, Games, etc.
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Image from
1996 newsletter
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Calendars of Events
Image from
1969, 1998 newsletters
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Memories of
Deceased
Classmates
Image from
1993 newsletter
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Reproduction of awards documents/citations
for class or specific individuals
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Historical images
or articles from time
that class was
at Dartmouth
Images from
1934, 1939 newsletters
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Helpful Articles
by Classmates
Images from 1979 newsletters
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Columns from current students connected
with class in some way
Letters to the editor
Personal columns from class officers or
classmates about timely, valuable topics.
Class surveys (e.g. site for 65th Birthday Party,
Alumni Governance)
In the spirit of:
“Only do what only you can do.”
“Provide the content that
only you can provide.”
“Simply…Delight!”
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Classmate Information that the College has:
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Home Address, phone, and email
Work Address, phone and email
Current work company
Job Title
Undergraduate activities (clubs, LSA, etc.)
Undergraduate sports
Fraternity, Sorority & Senior Society memberships.
Children
This info may provide good story ideas.
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Often Most Current Sources
◦ The Dartmouth. Student daily. Website includes
news, also available as an RSS/XML feed and via
e-mail.
◦ Dartmouth Now: http://now.dartmouth.edu
an excellent resource!
Editors and classmates can sign up for
daily e-mails of “Dartmouth Now” – Wonderful!
◦ Blogs: (e.g. Joe Asch’s www.dartblog.com )
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College Published/Produced
◦ Alumni Council Website. also has meeting minutes.
◦ Alumni Events Calendar. A somewhat limited listing of
alumni events around the world, including minireunions, reunions, club events, etc..
◦ Alumni Headlines and Announcements. Archived listing
of headlines about alumni services, news, events.
◦ Dartmouth Life. Published three times each year,
Dartmouth Life is distributed free of charge to all
Dartmouth College alumni/ae, parents of current
undergraduates, and faculty. Also available as an
RSS/XML feed and via e-mail.
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College Published Produced - Continued
◦ Dartmouth News. Public Affairs Office’s website
contains links to articles, an events calendar, press
releases, etc. Also available as an RSS/XML feed
and via e-mail.
◦ Speaking of Dartmouth. A Dartmouth e-mail
newsletter created by Alumni Relations and Public
Affairs. Distributed monthly. Individuals can
subscribe from the webpage to get future mailings,
and an archive of back issues is also available.
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Rauner Library
◦ Consider a visit, a phone call, or an email
to the College archives in Rauner Library.
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They have historic photographs of campus events
◦ A complete run of The Daily Dartmouth, The Aegis,
the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, and other
Dartmouth publications that you might use portions
of in the newsletter (football programs, final exams,
admissions statistics, etc.)
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Actively e-mail classmates to ask them for
updates (send personal e-mail)
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Include plugs for updates in e-mails that go to
classmates
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Utilize green cards in your printed newsletters;
consider putting a web form on your class web
page for electronic submissions as well
Consider setting up a Google alert to search
and deliver web postings that mention
classmates
Interviews at mini-reunions (attendees & rsvp
no-ers)
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College subsidizes production costs
of 3 newsletters-per-class-per-year
(4 in reunion year)
◦ Printing must be done through the College.
◦ The “year” is based on the College’s fiscal year,
which runs from July 1 to June 30.
◦ Assumes an 8-page newsletter; pages beyond
that cost extra, as does the addition of color
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InDesign software available through College
at a discount ($125)
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Process outlined in
Newsletter Editor Handbook:
◦ Submit newsletters to the College from amongst a
number of methods (e.g. InDesign file, PDF file,
MSWord file, hard copy)
◦ Provide instructions (i.e., color/B&W, paper type,
insertion of Green Card, class of mail, etc.)
◦ Alumni Relations (Jennifer Casey) works with printer
R.W. Brayshaw to arrange production and with
College’s printing service for the mailing, folding, etc.
◦ All submissions reviewed for accuracy by AR.
◦ Decision to mail 1st or 3rd class affects delivery timing
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Consider offering full-color versions or PDF
versions of newsletter on class website
◦ Be aware that some classmates may not want
information posted on the web
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Work with class secretary to coordinate
publication of class news
Work with class webmaster to promote/post
newsletters on class website. (Archive).
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Alumni Relations
◦ Jennifer Casey ’66a
jennifer.e.casey@dartmouth.edu
◦ Help with layout and with InDesign training –
Mimi Rich ’12
marion.r.rich@dartmouth.edu
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RC Brayshaw & Company
◦ Josh Adams
jadams@rcbprinting.com
Newsletter Editors Association Officers:
◦ Christen O’Connor ’81
christen.o'connor.87@alum.dartmouth.org
◦ Mark Winkler ’79
mark.winkler.79@gmail.com
Visit Newsletter Editors Association Website
(http://www.dartmouth.org ) under Classes/Tools for Class Leaders
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To Foster…
To Create…
To Sustain…
To Nurture…
To Celebrate…
… the Community of your Class and College.
So…
“Have fun and
much luck!”
-Dan
Questions?