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Public Relations--A Neglected Tool?
How good is your Lodge's public relations program? Take a look at your Lodge's Bulletin, if you have one, to see what "news" about your Lodge's activities is in your bulletin. Too often we hear that there is NO NEWS at all, or that all the news is in the ERs or Secretaries column. Is that true in your Lodge's case? One more question to bother you with---how is your membership growth, are you gaining or losing members?
Several years ago, I sat through a presentation by our state PR Co-Chair at the annual ER/Secretary Seminar. He said at that time that he felt strongly that there was a direct relationship to the quality of your Lodge's PR Program and the growth or loss of Lodge members. He said also that if you are not telling your public what you are doing as an Elks Lodge, how can you possibly get your various publics to become members of your Lodge. I remember the passion in his voice and as the years roll by I see that what he said then still holds true today. Not much has changed with our Lodges' PR programs and with our state committees' PR programs--no news delivered to the public doesn't help to sell our Fraternal Order. Get the news out--"GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN" what your Lodge is doing, what your committee is doing and how it benefits the communities you serve.
Tony was very candid when he said that perhaps your local media won't run all your stories, BUT you have to continue trying. You have to continue plugging away. He added that there is one area that you can control--your Lodge Bulletin. Make it the best bulletin that you can! He advised us not to put all the news in the ERs column--the ERs column should be motivational or inspirational. All the news you put in the ERs column should be broken into several stories for your Lodge Bulletin, a story for each activity. At that time, Tony asked the Elks in the audience about what per cent of the membership attend Lodge meetings and activities--the answer varied from 5 to 10%, if that high. He went on to say that you should make your Lodge Bulletin so interesting and exciting, that all the members who don't come to meetings and other Elks activities, get turned on and start returning to meetings and activities--this is an opportunity to sell what your Lodge is doing to your membership. What an interesting thought and sales job!!! Are you ready for the challenge?
He also asked at that time for you to expand the distribution of your Lodge Bulletin--send it to school counselors, school and town libraries, news media, public officials, and to whatever organization or individuals in your communities that you feel you want to reach with your Elks news. He suggested that if you improve you Lodge Bulletins and that if they become "newsy," you might use it as a recruiting tool and maybe some of your readers will be attempting to contact you to become Elks.
Your state Public Relations Committee has expanded--there is a District Chair for each of the 3 Nebraska Elks Districts. Their names and contact info are available in the state directory. Contact them or your two state Co-Chairs if you need help with anything in the way of Public Relations. All of us truly want to help the Lodges and the state committees. If you are selecting winners to contests, making awards at any time and during the state convention, E Mail the info to the co-chairs. If confidentiality is a concern, rest easy. Just tell them that and when the info can be released so they can prepare the info and follow your instructions for the release of the info. If you will be running contests at the state convention and selecting winners and people for awards, prepare a release sheet where you can enter the names of your winners and awardees so that you can pass this release sheet on to your PR Co-Chairs.
The PR Committee also asks you to use the state association's web page, neelks.org. If you need help writing, don't hesitate to call on the co-chairs. Currently the state web page needs your help with your officer rosters. Check the web page and the rosters, and if your officer team is not up to date, e mail Jeff Powers with the updated information. We can do better, but we need your help on the web page and in letting us know what your Lodge and Committees are doing so that we can better sell Elkdom throughout the state. Lets work together to make Nebraska Elks a stronger organization!!!