Transcript Beyond Newsletters

Web Sites & Newsletters
Jery Stedinger
Scoutmaster, Troop 2 Ithaca, NY
http://www.troop2ithaca.org/
[email protected]
Woodbadge NE-III-133, Beaver Patrol
Outline
Websites & Newletters
Planning, Newsletters, Calendars,
Announcements, Web sites
Creating a unit web site
Beyond Newsletters: A strategy
Modes of communication
Scouting Goals & Types of Messages
Communication Matrix
Thought to Go
Elevens Skills of Leadership
Traditional Woodbadge,
Scoutmasters Handbook, (c) 1981
http://usscouts.org/leadership/Communications.html
Skill # 1 Communicating
Skill # 1 Communicating
Communication involves several factors:
receiving, storing, retrieving, giving, and
interpreting information.
Clear communication is essential:
The success of establishing and
maintaining a Troop depends on how
well its members communicate.
Cubs, Scouts & Venture
WELCOME
While examples are from the Boy Scout
program, all of material and ideas are
equally applicable to all 3 programs.
Participant Covenant
We all sin and fall short of perfection.
During the presentation
we will consider what our units have done,
and what they might do.
Leave the guilt for another time.
After we leave, we will all do our best.
Getting the Word Out
BSA published first real
Handbook in 1911.
In 1912 purchased
Boys Life, a magazine
for young boys.
1913 published
Scouting Magazine for
Adults
How do we build on
these resources?
Getting the Word Out
Newsletters and Calendars
Annual
Fall and Spring
Monthly
Weekly E-mails
What is the right frequency?
What will happen?
Newsletters
Activities+welcome
Lists of officers,
scoutmasters,
new members …
Troop Calendars
Troop Calendars
Calendars
Calendar Extras
Special Announcements
Recruiting, Information
BSA Recruiting Material
Troop Web Site
Come
join us!
Moving Toward Ubiquity
• Currently, 75% of U.S.
households have
Internet access
• Growing at 9% per yr
• Project complete
coverage by 2010
From Developing a Learning for Life Web Site, Jim Shamlin & Jim WIlson, Webmaster
Wired Classrooms
• 100% of schools with 300
or more students are wired.
• 96% of schools with fewer
than 300 students
• 94% are broadband
connections
• 92% have access in the
classroom
Learning for Life Web Site, Jim Shamlin
Why bother?
A Web site is a 24/7/365
customer service center
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Extended reach
Empowers customers to self-service
Decreased communication expense
Decreased “nuisance” call volume
Increased productivity
Learning for Life Web Site, Jim Shamlin
What you will need to have
Domain Name
Site Hosting
HTML Editor
Image Editor
$20/year
$10/mo
(varies)
(varies)
Resources:
Domain names - http://www.icann.org/registrars/accredited-list.html
Hosting - http://www.top10webhosting.com
Software - http://www.tucows.com
Learning for Life Web Site, Jim Shamlin
What you will need to do
Develop a plan
How do I support existing participants?
How can I attract new participants?
Gather and organize resources
Develop the site
Post the site
Publicize the site
Learning for Life Web Site, Jim Shamlin
Why use the Force?
Only a small percentage of eligible boys join boy scouts.
Administering a troop requires communication.
Getting good information to scouts, families,
and troop leaders is difficult
We need to use the right form.
Obtaining community support for scouting is a challenge
Web Thoughts by Marty Demarest 2/05
”Using the Force”
The Answer – Electronic Communication
increasingly universal access
immediate 24/7
interactive & multi-layered
time efficient & inexpensive
easy to do and to update
BUT THEY MUST BE MAINTAINED
Planning a Web Presence
1. Define your troop goals
2. Find a lead person – coordinator
3. Develop technical resources
4. Plan what information to put online
5. Establish a privacy policy
Web Site Goals
1. Serve troop with
Newsletter, calendar, announcements
Pictures and records
Training resources
Links to other sites
2. Reach potential troop members
3. Share with scouters outside our troop
our own resources and ideas
4. Let community see we are here.
Web Site Content - 1
Our Scouts and families
• News – information updates – calendar
Activities, dates, times, locations, signups
Jamboree, camps, training
• Badge & advancement information
• Forms to be completed
• Troop history, pictures, records
Web Site Content - 2
Other Scouting Groups
• Our excitement
• History
• Great web links, local and global
• Resources we have developed
Information for Alumni
Web Site Content - 3
Committee and Leadership
• Meeting schedules
• Meeting agendas and minutes
• Handouts
• Links to relevant sources
• Proposals/reactions
• Reports/budget (password protected)
Web Site Content - 4
Community Groups
• Cub & Scout links
• Volunteer recruitment
• Eagle & service project solicitation
• Community education about scouting
• Scout recruitment
• Fund raising
• Information to alumni scouts
Setting up a Web Site
Domain name ($15/year)
Web hosting – about $15/month
Establish software protocols (editing
software, such as FrontPage)
Establish access controls (who will
access the site/parts of it)
Web Thoughts by Marty Demarest 2/05
Implementing your site
Use online resources
Start small and build
Plan resources for updates
Plan for turnover
Ensure feedback mechanisms
User server side statistics for evaluation
Local Council Web site
Guidelines
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Direct control over the content of its Web site
Content appropriate to Scouting
No links to inappropriate sites
No advertisements or commercial endorsements
No sales of Supply Division stuff
No publication of Supply Division literature
Obey copyright laws
Consider safety and privacy of members
Site may not be hosted on council internal network
Learning for Life Web Site, Jim Shamlin
BSA Web Site Rules
• Protect privacy
– Don’t use youth full names
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No commercial content
Avoid links to non-BSA sites
BSA relevant content
Be careful with Copyright Material
Include the standard disclaimer
http://webmasters.ocbsa.org
© 2004 OCBSA.org
• Copyright applies automatically to every
created work, published or not.
• If you didn’t take the photo, you need
permission to use it.
• BSA published materials are all copyright.
• BSA gives permission to use graphics and
logos for noncommercial use promoting the
scouting program
•
http://webmasters.ocbsa.org.
Troop 2 offer to you
For Baden-Powell units, for free we will list:
Unit Information--------Name of Unit, Meeting Place, Meeting Time
Contact information-------Name
Troop position (SM, CM, committee chair, ...)
Home Address, Home Phone, Bus Phone
E-mail address
Narrative-----------------50 words or less describing the unit.
Troop 2 offer to you
Or, we put up a single page web site for your unit with
one of 3 templates and host the site for $75 per year.
You can choose up to 5 pictures plus supporting text,
we will update your site whenever changes in people
require it or once a year, whichever is sooner.
SEE: www.troop2ithaca.org for additional details.
Troop 2 offer to you
This is your
opportunity to have
An electronic presence
on the web. Lets do it!
•
Jery Stedinger
Scoutmaster Troop 2, Ithaca, NY
H: 607-257-8016; W: 607-255-2351
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.troop2ithaca.org/
Electronic Newsletters
Push technology
Immediate and timely
Inexpensive
Supports web site
Draws new readers to web
Templates available
Electronic Newsletters
Do your own using simple e-mail.
Services available that provide templates
and handle address lists.
Put the details on your web site.
Thinking beyond the text …
What messages do we want to send,
and how should they be sent?
Have a Strategy
Think about what you are doing.
• What do we wish to communicate?
• How can we best send the message?
• How will we know we have been successful?
Communication Process
Message -> Transmission -> Receipt
Information can be sent by:
• Announcement at troop meeting
• Flier distributed at troop meeting
• Phone tree
• E-mail
• Web posting
• Newsletter or special mailing
• With annual calendar
Types of Messages
1. Who-What-Where-When
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W-W-W-W is key
Also provide motivation
2. Scout Spirit is ... (What we are about.)
3. We care about YOU.
Who is WE? (friends, patrol, troop, scouting)
Who sends the message?
(friends, PL, SPL, ASM, SM, Committee)
Scout Values
The Goal of Scouting
Help boys grow into men who are:
Physically strong
Mentally awake, and
Morally straight.
Communication Matrix
MESSAGE to be sent
Who, What,
Where, When
Scouting Spirit is …
We Care About YOU.
SCOUTS
Communication Matrix
Message
Scouts
Parents
Scouting
Spirit is …
Get the
information
home.
Parents need
to understand
the goal.
We Care
About YOU.
We all need
support.
Who, What,
Where, When
Communication Matrix
Message
Scouts
Parents
Leaders
Who, What,
Where, When
Need agenda
for events
Scouting
Spirit is …
Leadership
perspective
We Care
About You.
Leaders are
people too
Communication Matrix
Message
Scouts Parents Leaders
Public
W-W-W-W
Invitations,
Announcements
Scouting
Spirit is …
Who we are.
What we do.
We Care
About You.
Helpful,
Friendly
Communication Matrix
Message
Scouts
Parents
Leaders
Public
W-W-W-W
Scous need to
know the
schedule
Get the
information
home.
Need
agenda for
events
Invitations,
Announcements
Scouting Spirit is
…
A goal of
scouting is to
instill scout spirit
in youth
Parents need
to understand
the goal.
Leadership
perspective
Who we are.
What we do.
We Care About
You.
To teach scouts
to care for &
respect others,
we must care
about them.
We all need
support.
Leaders are
people too
Helpful,
Friendly
Thoughts to Go
1. Communication is Leadership Skill #1.
2. Use the Force - newsletters & web sites
3. Develop a strategy to achieve your goal.
4. Remember W-W-W-W, Scout-Spirit,
and We-Care-About-YOU.
5. Fill in Communications Matrix.
And may the
Great Scoutmaster of all scouts
be with you,
until we meet again.
Jery Stedinger
Effective Email
Here are some tips for email announcements:
1. Get to the main point first
2. Use an informative subject line
3. Include W-W-W-W: who, what, where, when,
date/time, and contact information
4. Separate explanations from announcements
5. Remember: not everyone reads the web