Article and Photo Suggestions NJ ELK

All State Chairmen, Committees and Lodges are encouraged to send articles and photos for inclusion in the NJ Elk. We know that all have different strengths and don’t want anyone to be reluctant to submit an article because, “They don’t right well.”  We would be far happier to massage a submission than not to have one at all.  We do ask that submissions adhere to the following guidelines.

·         State Chairman Articles should include what your committee has done since the previous edition and also what your committee hopes to accomplish in the next 6 months.    We want the paper to become current.  Think of the publicity you are receiving regarding your State Committee’s upcoming Fundraiser or project

·         State Vice Presidents should insure that your districts are represented.   Work with your District Public Relations Chairman to help lodges submit articles and pictures or submit an article that summarizes what your district has done.  

·         Articles must be typed and in electronic form, we all have friends or family who are online.  Don’t fax your articles or send them handwritten.

·         Articles should be typed in upper and lower case. We will proof read and correct most capitalization and grammatical errors. 

·         Please examine the spelling of all names in the article.  We won’t know if a name is spelled incorrectly. 

·         Speaking of names, when naming your files, use a name that reflects the content.  There are many days we might get several named:  “njelksarticle.doc” in addition to those labeled “DSCO1678”.

·         If the use of attachments perplexes you, just type your article in the message section of the email.

·         Pay close attention to the submission deadline in the previous edition.  I receive many calls after the second email reminder asking when is our real “drop deadline”.  Many mistakes and omissions throughout the paper can be traced to so many waiting for this “drop deadline.”

·         Try to send in your articles and pictures as soon as the event has taken place.

·         The NJ Elk is the perfect vehicle for alerting your members about the good that your Lodge has done. 

With the availability of digital cameras today, we are receiving more photos electronically as opposed to the traditional printed copies. It is a boon to the Lodges because at each major event at least one person has a digital camera.  However certain standards must be adhered to in order for us to convert these photos to newspaper use. 

·         Avoid embedding the photos in emails.  Most times they become unusable.

·         If your email program asks, don’t make the photos smaller for faster transmission.

·         Don’t send photocopies, or newspaper clippings. Not usable.

·         Minimal requirements are 300 dpi at 100%.

·         If your photo is under 350 KB, it’s probably not usable.

·         We still accept standard photographs for production. Mail them to me. My address is in the book.

·         Make sure photos have a good contrast between dark and light.  Try to limit the number of people appearing in the photo to no more than four.

·         Action shots are preferred, no check presentations, and of course, no alcohol.

·         Captions of the photos must be typed and the back of the photo labeled for ID.  All event photos tend to look alike, please be precise in your labeling.

Fraternally,

Joyce Powell, PVP
Editor NJ Elk