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In this issue:
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April 15, 2007 - Postmark deadline for NALS ALS exam for June sitting May 17-20, 2007 - Annual Meeting and Education Conference, Arlington, Texas |
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From Jorie Licking, PP, PLS NALS now has available a comprehensive seminar program that covers grammar and other written communications. "The Nuts & Bolts of Grammar and Written Communications Seminar Program" is available on CD. The program covers grammar, punctuation, spelling, word usage, and much more. The program consists of material in the current edition of The Gregg Reference Manual. Contact Diana Price for details - price@nals.org IMPORTANT DATE If you passed a certification exam (Cert. PP, PLS, ALS, TSC) since June 2006, mark your calendar now and make plans to attend the Certification Lunch on May 19 in Arlington. This is our chance to recognize you for all of your hard work. See you in Arlington! |
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We need at least 3 teams for the “Jeopardy! With a Texas Twist” game at the annual meeting in Arlington. Come one and all to test your knowledge of English, Texas History, Legal Latin, TALP History, and NALS History along with many legal categories. The registration form was included in The Call. For more information contact Tina Hurley, PP, PLS, Education Chair at tina.hurley@haynesboone.com or 214-651-5299. See you in Arlington! |
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Submitted by Julie Abernathy, PP, PLS It’s that time of year again—time for new officers to be elected for your chapters, and time for installation of those new officers and appointed officers. But – have you thought about “marketing” your Association by giving recognition of your elections through press releases? Do you have a membership or recognition event coming up that you would like to “advertise” to your community? What about just simply educating your community to the fact that your Association even exists? Below are some tips that can get you started. Some of the contents in this article are taken from the NALS Marketing Tool Kit available at www.nals.org. Also available in the Tool Kit are sample press releases. If you are from a large metropolitan area and find it difficult to get the large newspaper in your area to publish your information, go to a smaller local newspaper. An easy way to find those publishers is to Google “Austin newspapers” as an example, and you will get hits on all the local newspapers in your area. Once you determine who and where to send your press release, the next step is drafting the language. To draft or design a press release is really very easy, using the following steps: 1. Open with a strong headline to grab the reader’s attention. Readers (and editors) are very picky; if they do not see relevance in your press release immediately, they will discard it. The headline, along with your opening paragraph, should tell a gripping story. This is essential to keeping the reader’s interest as they read through the detail section of the release that follows. 2. Stick to the facts. Make it interesting, but avoid embellishments. Also, when giving the details of your press release, be sure to illustrate the story to your reader. Use real life examples that they will be able to relate to or visualize. 3. Select an appropriate angle for your press release, i.e., make it relevant. Keep in mind what’s going on with social issues and current events, and sculpt your press release accordingly. This will make your story even more attractive and worthwhile to potential readers (and ultimately, potential members!). 4. Be concise and grammatically correct. Avoid adding extra fluff words that distract from the true meaning of your press release. Don’t include clichés and jargon that may not be understood by the general reader (i.e., PP, PLS, ALS, TSC, etc.). Make sure that you have permission to use any quotes or inside information. This will prevent there being any conflicts that may result in your press release being pulled. Be sure to check your release for punctuation and grammatical errors. After all, we are professionals! Make sure you follow proper format. |
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M: Meet and orient new members to all aspects of your group E: Enthusiasm and excitement for your group M: Mentor (assign designated members to each new member or prospective member) B: Benefits of the group (find out wants, need and concerns of all members) E: Empower members to invest in the future of our profession R: Respect and decency to all members, reach out and touch members, make them feel special S: Share what you enjoy about the group H: Help members see they are important I: Involvement of every member P: Praise and acknowledgment of members R: Running chapters the way they’ve always been run are destine to fail E: Earn members respect by being professional in everything you do T: Together we all can do what none of us can do alone E: Enable the new members to contribute N: Nurture members (find out why they are not involved) T: Target new members talents (assign them to a meaningful but appropriate task) I: Intertwine new members with older members O: Openness to new ideas and suggestions (effective programs keep actives relevant and fresh) N: Not immediately overloading members (some quit instead of saying no)
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