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How to Create a Lions Club Newsleer *
Quesons? Reach out to Lion Susan Newman or District 4-A1 Newsleer Editor Gail Cates.
Check out the District’s webpage for helpful documents:
hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/creang-a-club-newsleer/
and more informaon on the Publicity webpage:
hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/whats-happening/members-page/publicity-ideas/
START CREATING YOUR CLUB’S NEWSLETTER (BULLETIN)
• Open a Template - or a previous newsleer. Te mplates/examples are found in the RESOURCES secon
below. Customize to your club’s needs!
• Save the document as the new month’s newsleer (rst thing) to update the exisng template. You can use
your club’s name and year/month – like StocktonHost-2023-11.docx. There are FREE word processor such
as Apache OpenOce – link: hps://www.openoce.org/download/
• Fonts - Use a standard font throughout the newsleer, such as “Calibri 11 point” (beer for those with
dyslexia) or “Arial 10 point” (beer for readers with low-vision.) It’s suggested to put Alt Text and Image
Descripons on the photos/clipart. Paragraph headings can be sized up to 14 or 16 point.
• One Column – It looks more modern than two columns. May be more appealing to younger people.
• Two Columns – It looks like older, tradional newspapers, but might be easier to read on cell phones
because it has narrower columns. Less appealing to younger, prospecve members.
• Line Spacing Opons - 1.0 and single-spaced. Suggeson: use le-alignment, not full-juscaon, to allow
for some white space on the page.
• Frequently-Used Tabs –
Paragraph symbol - helpful to “Show paragraph marks and other hidden formang symbols”.
Undo Typing symbol - helpful to quickly “undo” an unintended entry.
Clear All Formang symbol - helpful to copy/paste from somewhere else.
Change Case symbol Aa - change from upper case to lower case, etc.
Zoom symbol + - - change font from larger to smaller size, etc.
INCLUDE THIS CONTENT IN YOUR NEWSLETTER
• Masthead – Include the correct Lions logo and a photo of your club’s pin. Informaon on the LOGO’s
Guidelines and your club’s PIN can be found in the RESOURCES secon below. Add a link to your club’s
WEBSITE & SOCIAL NETWORKING pages (Facebook, Instagram, etc.).
• Club President’s Message – oponal – include recent photo/headshot.
• Event Calendar of upcoming meengs, service projects/acvies, and fundraisers (so people have details if
they plan to aend).
• Contact Informaon: Include a list of club’s Board/ocers in case people have quesons. For
condenality, maybe delete idenfying informaon (like email, phone, birth year, member’s health
update, or club’s nancial informaon) in the version you email to non-members - especially if you post it
on the internet! It can be a club’s decision.
• Birthdays/Anniversaries/Club Anniversaries - Club Anniversaries can be found on MyLCI.
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• How to Become a Member – Include informaon for prospecve members and Lions Internaonal’s
Membership Applicaon as a photo/JPG and/or this link:
hps://www.lionsclubs.org/en/v2/resource/download/79863797
• Updates on recent guest speakers, fundraising events, Board Minutes, and commiee’s acvity (like service
projects) with photos/capons. GET YOUR INFORMATION FROM YOUR CLUB’S FACEBOOK PAGE AND SHARE
YOUR INFO WITH YOUR FACEBOOK ADMINISTRATOR! If possible, give the arcle and photo “credit” when
it’s done by someone other than the newsleer’s editor.
• Members’ and supporters’ recognion – people like to see their photo and/or name in print! Acknowledge
their number of years as a Lion when receiving pins from Lions Internaonal.
• Photos with capons & Clip Art can increase the reader’s interest – a page that’s only full of print could be
boring! Add hyperlinks to your photos and clip art when available. When inserng .JPG or .PNG les, you
can change/set the “Text Wrapping” box to in-line, ght, in front of text, etc. Photos can be straightened,
enhanced, lightened, etc. with your computer’s photo program. Follow guidelines for copyrighted photos
and clip art in the RESOURCES secon below.
• District Newsleer’s Informaon – Copy/paste items from our District’s Newsleer – like the Calendar of
Events, clip art, or arcles of interest to your club. Website: hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/whats-
happening/newsleers/
• LION Magazine – Copy/paste informaon from them too! hps://www.lionsclubs.org/en/footer/lion-
magazine
• Deadline – Insert a message to email you items the reader would like in the upcoming newsleer by
xxxxxxx date. Maybe the 25
th
of each month, if it’s going to be distributed on the 1
st
of each month. Email
them a reminder about a week before then.
COMPLETE YOUR NEWSLETTER
• Edit your Document - or have someone else read it and tell you the page/column/wording that could be
changed - like spelling, grammar, punctuaon, lengthy paragraphs, etc..
• Make your Newsleer Visually Appealing - Be aware of where you have white spaces - align the content to
the boom of each page. To do this, either increase the size of the photos/fonts on the page, or add
clipart/photos/ller that is Lions-related. Limit use of NON-Lions-related arcles, photos, crossword
puzzles, or clipart. Space in your newsleer is invaluable - make every inch count. Don’t lose your
reader/audience as they scroll through an area that’s only white! See RESOURCES secon below…
• Save your Document as a .PDF document - a .DOCX could be very large and hard to send in an email, if it
has high-resoluon photos in it. Some people may not have purchased the same program that you use to
make the newsleer, like MS Publisher (.PUB) or MS Word (.DOCX). There are free .PDF readers - like
Adobe Reader hps://get.adobe.com/reader/. See RESOURCES secon below…
• Double-check your .PDF document before sending it out to make sure the photos/pages are lined up as
you want them, etc..
• Distribuon Rate – Suggested to send out at least once a month. If your club meets weekly, consider
sending it weekly. Being consistent helps members to know what to expect.
• Distribuon List – Email the newsleer to those listed in the RESOURCES secon below…
• Website Tab for your Online Newsleer: Add a tab to your club’s website and upload each newsleer in a
mely manner. Most of the websites in our District 4-A1 are co-administered by Lion Gail Cates. Contact
her if you have quesons. Clubs/links are found here: hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/about/clubs-
in-district/
• Print out your newsleer - Editor or Secretary should print out the newsleer and mail it to those
members who don’t have an email address! Make 1 or 2 extra copies for meengs to hand out to guests or
guest speakers. If you want to save ink and paper, use only black ink and print double-sided.
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RESOURCES FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER
District 4-A1 Markeng/Publicity/Adversing webpage: hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/whats-
happening/members-page/publicity-ideas/
Lion’s EXAMPLE/Template: hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/whats-happening/members-page/publicity-
ideas/
Distribuon List: Email newsleer to club members, non-Lion spouses, community leaders, supporters, guests,
guest speakers, previous members, scholarship recipients/parents, Zone & Region Chairs, family members,
other service organizaons, your local newspaper(s), and potenal new members, District’s Newsleer Editor
at newsleer@lions4-a1.org, and District’s Bullen Contest Chair (if desired).
(Be sure to send Lion Gail your club’s newsleer because she takes photos and informaon of interest to put in
the District’s monthly newsleer that is distributed around the 1st of each month.
Email it to the District Bullen Contest Chair if you’d like to parcipate in that contest. This year, it’s our Cabinet
Secretary, Maggie Sckler.)
Other Newsleer Templates: 28 examples are found on the 2021 Word Program. Go to New Document &
search for “Newsleer.”
Brand Guidelines: Lions Internaonal’s webpage: hps://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-
members/brand-guidelines and .PDF document: hps://www.lionsclubs.org/resources/81104618
Photos (stock) and Clipart: Be sure to follow public copyright licensing instrucons. It could have a Creave
Commons License: hps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creave_Commons_license For example, go to
Google.com>Images>User Rights> Creave Commons Licenses. They will usually require you to “give
appropriate credit” to person who made it. Follow their instrucons to site the source. More informaon found
on page 16 of this document: hps://cdn2.webdamdb.com/md_wCNDBjM1EE12.jpg.pdf?v=1.
Convert a .PDF le to a .JPG photo: Do word search for “convert pdf to jpg”. Free website examples:
hps://www.adobe.com/acrobat/online/pdf-to-jpg.html or nd others in the Microso Store. One author is
Daniyal Syed - website: hps://apps.microso.com/detail/pdf-to-jpeg/9WZDNCRDQCQX?hl=en-us&gl=US
Lions Club Members: Pubic Image, Graphics & Ideas Hub - (Private Facebook group) - LOTS of graphics to
promote your club, “but not for the promoon of events, etc.” Website:
hps://www.facebook.com/groups/505820860031646/
Photo Library: from Lions Internaonal. Download may take a while:
hps://www.dropbox.com/sh/m1x9hoq4cllddjl/AAAZEL-J9iIt_QYjd350TDSUa?dl=0
Club Pins: for District 4-A1 clubs are found here - hp://clpta.org/district-club-pins/district-4a1-pins/4a1-clubs-
pins/
Lions’ Logo & Brand Guidelines: The logo was updated in 2008! Now, the lion doesn’t have a red tongue and
the font is sans serif. Lions logos’ guidelines are found here: hps://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-
members/brand-guidelines “Correctly using the graphic elements, verbal tone and personality developed by
Lions Clubs Internaonal will ensure that all clubs are communicang clearly and eecvely with a unied
voice.” Download the Brand Guidelines here: hps://www.lionsclubs.org/resources/81104618
Crossword Puzzles & Word Search: Make your own Lions-related puzzles with websites like this:
hps://www.educaon.com/worksheet-generator/reading/crossword-puzzle/. And here’s a link for Lions
Puzzles & Lions Word Search examples at sites like this: hps://wordmint.com/public_puzzles/192767.
Markeng Webpage: Lions Internaonal’s link - hps://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-
members/resource-center/club-markeng
“Lions Online” – download more suggesons at hps://temp.lionsclubs.org/EN/pdfs/mk71.pdf
FREE word processor: Example - Apache OpenOce – link: hps://www.openoce.org/download/
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Zone Newsleer Template: Lions Internaonal’s link -
hps://www.lionsclubs.org/en/v2/resource/download/132182435%20
Constant Contact Newsleer Suggesons: hps://www.constantcontact.com/blog/how-to-write-a-newsleer-
email/
MailChimp Newsleer Suggesons: hps://mailchimp.com/resources/email/email-newsleer-examples/
Make your Newsleer Visually Appealing: hps://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/how-can-you-design-email-
newsleers-visually and hps://www.wildapricot.com/blog/mobile-friendly-newsleer
DISTRICT BULLETIN/NEWSLETTER CONTEST:
Contest Rules: They are listed in 4-A1’s District Directory on pp. 26-27. Link -
hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/district-4-a1-directory/. Maggie Sckler is Chairperson for this Lion-
year. Add her email m[email protected]om to your club email contacts’ group to be included in the contest.
“NOTE: Adversing by club members is allowed without deducon of points.”
EMAIL MARKETING PLATFORMS – EXAMPLES:
MAILCHIMP - hps://mailchimp.com/pricing/free-details/ Free includes up to 500 contacts, with 1,000 sends
per month and a daily limit of 500.
CONSTANT CONTACT - hps://www.constantcontact.com/pricing Starng at $12/month. Price based on
number of contacts, one user | 1 GB storage Monthly email send limit: 10x number of contacts - View ered
pricing
BENCHMARK EMAIL - hps://www.benchmarkemail.com/ - hps://kb.benchmarkemail.com/en/free-starter-
plan/ - hps://kb.benchmarkemail.com/en/benchmark-payment-opons/
ONLINE NEWSLETTER LINKS:
District 4-A1 Newsleers - hps://district4a1lions.wordpress.com/whats-happening/newsleers/
Sonora Lions – hps://sonoralions.org/newsleers/
Suer Creek Lions – hps://suercreeklions.org/newsleers/
Up Country 88 Lions - hps://upcountry88lions.org/newsleers/
Quesons? Reach out to Lion Susan Newman or District 4-A1 Newsleer Editor Gail Cates.
* NOTE/DISCLAIMER: Websites listed are suggesons ONLY - and are NOT meant to be recommendaons or to
imply they are endorsed by District 4-A1 Lions.