MICHIGAN AMERICAN LEGION PRESS ASSOCIATION

Transcription

1 NEWSLETTER ISSUE FALL MICHIGAN AMERICAN LEGION PRESS ASSOCIATION Mission...Encourage, Promote, Communicate, Recognize Encourage the exchange of ideas, promote the development of local newsletters & public relations activities, strive to communicate the goals of The American Legion Family organizations, and recognize achievement through the annual MALPA. If you are not planning to attend the Fall MALPA Meeting, please send your dues to: Kay Bauer 55 Suzanne Drive # C Lapeer, MI (810) Officers President: Tim Hernandez Vice President: Nedra Beal Secretary: Susan Svacha Treasurer: Kay Bauer Member-at at-large: Augie Meile Member-at at-large: Frank Rodman Member-at at-large: Eric Nelson Caterer Garrett Veihl Raffle Chairman: Ken Pierce MALPA Membership Chairman, Kay Bauer MALPA Media Competition Chairman, Shannon Wawruck MALPA Newsletter Editor & MALPA Website, Susan Svacha godisgood1938@att.net Many of the members have chosen to send more than one year s dues to avoid sending them next year. You are more than welcome to do this. Looking forward to seeing all of you in Muskegon Please remember our meeting begins at 12 Noon.

2 MICHIGAN AMERICAN LEGION Minutes of MALPA Meeting June 25,2016 IN KEWADIN CASINO, SAULT SATE. MARIE The meeting was called to order at 1 p.m. by Vice President Tim Hernandez with 21 members present. Roger Avery moved to accept the minutes as published in the M.A.L.P.A. Newsletter. Motion carried. Motion by Peter Satterthwaite to accept the Treasurers report as read. Motion carried. A traveling plaque was returned. Since the majority of the names on the plaque was Frank Rodman, it was decided to present the plaque to Frank. Bill Haffeman will be asked to deliver the plaque. The Newsletter Competition winners were announced. Plaques to be presented at Fall Conference. Results of the elections: President Tim Hernandez Vice-President Nedra Beal Secretary Susan Svacha Treasurer Kay Bauer Appointments: Raffle Chairmen Ken Pierce Caterer Garrett Veihl Contest Chairman Shannon Warwick Newsletter Editor Susan Svacha Members at large: Frank Rodman Eric Nelson Augie Miele Garrett Veihl won the 50/50 raffle. $26.50 to Garrett, same to M.A.L.P.A. President Tim asked for suggestions of topics to be presented at meetings. Jimmie Barrett moved for adjournment. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 2:15 p.m. Acting Secretary Nedra Beal Page 2

3 Let s Be Encouraging! Let s Be Kind! Let s Do Public Relations! Never Give Up, Don t be Discouraged, Strive On Continue Promoting the American Legion! M.A.L.P.A. AWARDS 2016 Class A Best Publications TIE 1 st Place 1 st Place Eric Nelson Editor Bob and Cari Ann Salamon Editors Furniture City Post #258 Edward C. Headman Post #217 Scuttlebutt News & Views 2 nd Place Carol Hopson Editor Groves Walker American Legion Post #346 Groves-Walker Bulletin Class B Best Publications 1 st Place 2 nd Place Tim Hernandez Editor Deborah Williamson - Editor Chas. N. Skellenger Post #267 Furniture City Unit #258 Davison Dispatch Wavelinks Class C Pen & Ink 1 st Place Frank Rodman Floriano-Stedcker Post #340 Class E Best American Legion/Auxiliary Public Relations 1st Place Frank Rodman Floriano-Stecker Post #340 Class G Internet Connection 1 st Place Carol Hopson Website Admin Groves-Walker Post #346 Page 3

4 MALPA Fall 2016 President s Notes. Greetings to all. I certainly hope that everyone has had a safe, healthy and fantastic summer. It was a hot one indeed so please bear this in mind when the extra cold winter weather gets here. I m sure we ll all be wishing we could have five degrees or so of that warm temperature applied to the frigid weather they are predicting so as to make it more tolerable. Fall Conference is our next meeting at the Holiday Inn Muskegon. On our agenda is the awarding of engraved plaques to our MALPA Media contest winners. Congratulations are in order to our winners and sincere encouragement to those who entered but were not chosen. We need to learn from each other and hone our skills so that we may produce a better, more informative and entertaining newsletter, website or other media for the benefit of our members. Our MALPA organization needs to continue to grow. I encourage everyone to sign up a new member or two who is interested in public relations and the production of media avenues to spread to news of MALPA and of The American Legion Family. Equally important is to faithfully attend and participate in our MALPA meetings. Sharing ideas as well as voicing complaints at our MALPA meetings helps everyone to mold and improve our message to our constituents. So be sure to come to all meetings and speak up and be heard! Accentuate the positive! Don t be a downer with a hum-drum message, put some life in your media and have fun! If you are not yet a member, I also encourage everyone to join NALPA, National American Legion Press Association. There have been a lot of changes made to that organization recently all in an effort to make it more streamlined, responsive and up to date with the public relations world of today. If you get a chance check them out on their Facebook page or visit their web site at so you can catch up with what went on at the 98 th American Legion National Convention that was held in Cincinnati, OH. Let me close by thanking everyone for their membership in MALPA. Your MALPA officers and I need all of the help you can offer to make our organization a success. We have an important mission that can be made a bit easier if we work together, encourage each other and share our ideas, well wishes and smiles. I look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting. Tim Hernandez MALPA President

5 MALPA MEDIA COMPETITION RULES Post marked by May 1st and received by May 15th ELIGIBILITY Competition in all classes is open to any active member of the Michigan American Legion Press Association providing they comply with the specified rules and regulations of the competition class they are entering. COMPETITION YEAR Competition in all classes will be limited to twelve (12) months beginning with May 1st of the previous year and ending with April 30th of the current year. COMPETITION MAILING DEADLINE All entries sent to the Competition Chairman to be postmarked no later than May 1st of the contest year. MALPA President will name the Competition Chairman and notify all members of the name and address Shannon Wawruck th St S, Roy, WA Option for all entries: Entries may be electronic. When entries are electronic you need only one copy of each entry. Entries may be ed to and must be sent by postmark date. Entries will be judged equally whether hard copy or electronic. COVER SHEET All entries in all classes will have a cover sheet with the following information: Editor s name, address and telephone number Publication name or name of article submitted Post/Auxiliary name, number and city location Number of members of previous year Entry classification and type of printing for publications entry Numbers of times published during the completion year for the publications entry (Web address/web Master for Class "G")

6 COMPETITION CLASSES AND AWARDS CLASS A BEST PUBLICATIONS for membership 301 members or more CLASS B BEST PUBLICATIONS for membership 001 to 300 members Awards: 1st & 2nd Place: Engraved plaque 3rd Place: Certificate Competition is limited to one entry from any Post, Unit, S.A.L. Squadron, Juniors or joint publication from those listed. If more than one entry from the same place is received; the entry of the Editor will be accepted and all others disqualified. Should there be more than one entry, but none from the Editor, the entry with the earliest postmark will be accepted and all others disqualified. All publications submitted for judging must have as a part of their masthead a. The words Member of M.A.L.P.A. b. The number of members of the previous year c. Date of the publication d. Publication identification e. Name of the Editor or name of the M.A.L.P.A. member Exceptions will be made only in the event that the publication Editor is not a member of M.A.L.P.A. however, the submitting M.A.L.P.A. member must then attach an affidavit from the Commander, President, Adjutant or Secretary stating the number of members of the previous year and any other information from the above list that is not on the masthead. Submit your three (3) best publications and send three (3) copies of each with the cover sheet attached to the Competition Chairman. CLASS C PEN & INK : Original article published during the contest year. Awards: 1st & 2nd Place: Engraved Plaque 3rd Place: Certificate a. One entry per member allowed. b. One article (news item, feature story or editorial) which is original and was written by the submitting member. c. The article must have appeared in a publication of those eligible during the competition year or published in any of the State of National publications of the American Legion/ Auxiliary. d. The subject matter must tend to promote the aims and ideals of The Legion as outlined in the Preamble to the Constitution of the American Legion/Auxiliary. e. That the article is original must be attested to by the Commander, President, Adjutant or Secretary or the publication editor if those persons are the author. f. Send three (3) copies of the article, as it appeared in published form, the affidavit and the cover sheet to the Competition Chairman.

7 COMPETITION CLASSES AND AWARDS CONT. 3. CLASS D Associated Publications Award Awards: 1st & 2nd Place: Engraved plaque 3rd Place: Certificate a. This entry is for any publication made up of different Posts/Units/Squadrons/Juniors/ Counties/Districts, such as District or Zone newsletters. This class does not include Public Relations. b. Additional rules for this category are the same as for Class A and Class B as listed above. c. Send three (3) copies of your best three (3) issues with a cover sheet to Competition Chairman 4. Class E BEST AMERICAN LEGION/AUXILIARY PUBLIC RELATIONS Awards: 1st Place: Engraved plaque 2nd Place: Certificate a. Any member may submit one entry consisting of not more than twelve (12) different news releases as published in the outside press during the contest year, b. Each news item must have the name and date of the paper in which it appeared. c. Submit three (3) full sets of the entry as they appeared in printed form to the Competition Chairman with cover sheet attached. Photocopies will be allowed. 5. CLASS F LETTER STYLE NEWSLETTER Awards: 1st Place: Engraved plaque 2nd Place: Certificate a. Newsletter will be written in a letter style. b. One (1) sheet of standard or legal size paper must be used. c. May be printed on one or both sides. d. Send three (3) copies of your best three (3) issues with a cover sheet to Competition Chairman. 6. CLASS G "INTERNECT CONNECTION" Awards: 1st Place: Engraved plaque 2nd Place: Certificate a. The words Member of M.A.L.P.A. must be included on the site. b. Name of the Webmaster and/or name of the M.A.L.P.A. member.

8 Become a member of NALPA By Mark Sutton, Area 3 VP Have you heard of the National American Legion Press Association? Created in 1922 to foster publications and advance the standards and practices of communication within all levels of The American Legion Family. Now is the time to join NALPA The year was an exciting year for NALPA. In November of 2015 the NALPA President and I were invited to the National Headquarters to discuss how to make NALPA better for its members. For 2 days ideas were discussed and alliances were formed. The national staff, led by Jeff Stoffer is committed to making NALPA great again. Communication is key to any organization, especially a grassroots one, like The American Legion. New tools and materials are being developed and a new website has gone online. Like here in Michigan, the Legion needs an army of writers and communicators to push our message to members and the community. With NALPA membership you will be the first to receive new ad slicks, new training sessions being developed, and a membership card that is recognized as a leading press group, allowing you to be a member of the Press. Enter your Post and District newsletters to be considered for National Awards. As members the Department of Michigan has received awards for our MILegionnaire and website over the years. They have categories for Posts and Districts, as well as, individual photographs and videos. To learn more see their website and to join visit If you have questions about NALPA don t hesitate to ask me. September is a Great Time to Promote the Legion By Mark Sutton, Department Public Relations Director Have you sent out a press release for your new officers yet? Have you sent out a press release about the new Department Commander? Believe it or not the month of September is a great opportunity to have many items in your local paper. Not only do we benefit from the incoming officers from the Post to the national level, but it is also time to promote the programs for the school year. Talk to the press about oratorical, boys state, student trooper, and that we are looking for Teachers, Police Officers, and Firefighters to recognize in Lest we forget the programs your own Post and District put on as well. Start early, promote often, and spread the word on all the great things The American Legion is involved in. This was sent as a suggestion as to have some type of survey or questionnaire in an upcom- ing Newsletter... I am personally curious to see just where we stand as an organization. I think it would be interesting to know certain info like... How many members do we actually have and how are they divided up between Legion, Aux, and SAL How do our members create/put together their newsletters (computer desktop publishing programs like Microsoft Word & Publisher, Adobe InDesign, etc./ other ways?) How do our members distribute their newsletters (US Mail,, , carrier pigeon) What other ways do our members get info out (Facebook, Twitter, etc)

9 Cover Sheet M.A.L.P.A Editor s Name Address Telephone / Post/Auxiliary Name # Location Number of members of previous year (If a joint publication then joint membership numbers) Entry Classification Number of times published during the competition year for the publication entry (Disregard for class G entries) Publication Name or Name of Article For Class G only WEB Address WEB Master Mail to: Shannon Wawruck th St. S., Roy, WA Electronic submission: Shannon.wawruck@gmail.com