Creating
FRG
Newsletters
Introduction on how to present FRG
information to families and soldiers.
TYPES OF NEWSLETTERS
 Soldier newsletter
•
Write a blurb to add to your unit’s newsletter.
Work with your MPOC to identify due dates and
amount of space.
•
Newsletter is sent to soldiers so FRG points of
contact may not see the information.
 FRG/Family newsletter (hard copy or
electronic)
•
Write a FRG/Family newsletter.
•
Newsletter is sent to the family point of contact.
•
Follow FRG Newsletter guidelines.
Things to do
 Gather items to put into newsletter
 Develop layout of the newsletter
 Prepare newsletter
 Send newsletter to Commander for
approval (must be approved prior to
mailing to families)
 Print and mail newsletter to families
FRG Newsletter Layout
 Fonts
•
Size – 11 or 12 point
•
Type – pick clear, easy to read type
such as Arial or Times New Roman
 Columns
•
Number – 2 columns are easy to read
 White Space
• White space is pleasing to the eye and
can be used to separate important
portions of the page.
FRG Newsletter Format
 Page Requirements
•
If printed at state print shop, the page
requirement is 4, 8 or 12 pages with the
last ½ page left blank for mailing
information.
•
The state print shop prints the FRG
newsletter monthly when the unit is
deployed. If the unit is not deployed
then the newsletter printing and mailing
is paid for by the FRG or the unit with
commander’s permission.
FRG/FAMILY NEWSLETTER
 Sections of the Newsletter
•
Contact Information
•
Message Center
•
Upcoming Events
•
Discounts/Offers
•
Recognition
•
Services
Newsletter Sections:
Contact Information
 Armory Address and Phone Number
 Commander’s Name and Phone Number
 Readiness NCO’s Name and Phone
Number
 FRG Lead’s Name and Phone Number
 Family Assistance Center Names and
Phone Numbers
Newsletter Sections:
Message Center
 Message from the Commander
•
Commander’s Corner
•
Commander’s Chat
•
Major’s Memo, Captain’s Corner, etc…
 Message from the FRG Lead
•
FRG Fan Mail
•
Coordinator’s Corner
•
Volunteer Voicebox
Newsletter Sections:
Upcoming Events
 Required Information
•
Date
•
Location of Event – Provide Full Address
•
Contact Person’s Name and Number
•
Brief description of event.
 Event Types
•
Unit/Battalion/Brigade Events
Drill Dates and Annual Training
FRG Events: Holiday parties, Family Picnics, etc…
•
Training Events
State Conference, FRG Training, other trainings
Newsletter Sections: Misc.
 Discounts/Offers
•
Provide any relevant discounts/offers available to
military families/soldiers.
 Recognition
•
List all family volunteers in main positions (phone tree
coordinator, newsletter coordinator, etc…)
•
Thank you section for those people or groups that
assisted the FRG with something.
 Services and Needs
•
•
Provide useful websites or information available to
military families/soldiers such as Military One Source.
Volunteer positions available within the unit FRG.
Newsletter Development
 How do I start?
•
Gather all of your information, articles, etc…
•
Discuss with your Commander what
information he/she wants shared with the
families.
•
Use a Template from Microsoft Word (see
attached sheet for directions on how to
access templates).
•
Put in the data that doesn’t change (armory
address, contact information, main section
heading, etc…). Save this as your “master”
newsletter template.
Why won’t this work???
 As you begin cutting and pasting
information into the newsletter template,
some things will work and some won’t. Be
prepared to manipulate text box sizes, edit
articles and leave some items out of the
newsletter.
 BE PATIENT!!!
Helpful Tips
 Keep a file of articles, interesting facts and
ideas for a newsletter. When they are used
move them to a folder that identifies the
date and year those pieces of information
were used.
 Put the most important stuff in the
newsletter first then fill in any blank areas
with miscellaneous information.
 Browse the internet for clip art and articles .
 Train families by adding a “Newbie”
column for those families who are new to
the military (acronyms, pay schedule, etc.)
Final Stages
 Save an electronic version of newsletter.
 Keep a copy at the armory for new families
to browse through.
 Print and mail – then breathe a sigh of relief
and start thinking about the next
newsletter.
Practical Application
Text Boxes
Pictures
Text Boxes

Inserting Text Box

Resizing Text Box

Linking Text Boxes
Pictures

Inserting Pictures

Resizing Pictures

Compressing Pictures
E-Newsletters
 Template
 PDF Function
Questions