Submission Guidelines
Material Appropriate for the Vestnik
The VESTNIK is first and foremost interested in hearing about your lodge’s charitable and civic activities. We want to know what your lodge is doing. There are many activities at your lodge that deserve attention in the VESTNIK. After all, your members and potential new members want to know about the great work you are doing and how they can become members. We would especially like to hear about your lodge’s projects and news about the following subjects:
• District Meetings/Events Lodge Anniversaries, Picnics
• Youth Club Events Fund-Raising Activities
• Organization/Chartering of New Lodges Social and Other Noncharitable Events
• Mortgage-Burning Ceremonies Parade Entries
• Lodge Officer Installations Publicity for Future Events
• Recognition/Awards to SPJST Lodges Patriotic Events
• Join Hands Day Projects Membership Drives
• 50-Year, 75-Year, Age 96, Age 100 and
• Lifetime Achiever/Every Day Heroes Recognition Programs
Keep in Mind
• Submissions must be timely—mail or email your submission within two weeks of the date of your lodge’s event.
• Information should be clear and complete. Answer the “five Ws” (who, what, where, when, and why).
• Make sure to mention who benefited from the lodge activities—children, veterans, etc.
• Submissions should be typed or neatly handwritten, double-spaced. Email submissions
should be embedded into the email or sent as Microsoft Word attachments.
• Write clearly. Use your simplest English. Never use fancy wording or terms that only a
member of your lodge would understand. Most important, be honest, impartial, accurate, and
brief. Never use a quote unless it is direct and accurate, and always identify your sources.
• Include a contact person and daytime/evening phone numbers in case we need more information.
Fraternal Activities and Entertainment Calendar Items
• When sending information about upcoming SPJST events, please include your name and
contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
• Calendar items should include the date, time, location of the event, and contact information
for readers to call if they want more information.
Wedding, Engagement, Milestone Anniversary/Birthday, New Member,
Achievement Announcements
The VESTNIK will publish wedding, engagement, milestone birthday (beginning at 75 years
and continuing in five year increments), milestone anniversary (25 years and continuing in
five year increments), new member, and achievement announcements for SPJST members.
Either the bride or groom must be an SPJST member for engagement and wedding
announcements. Either the husband or wife must be an SPJST member for anniversary
announcements. Achievement announcements include a significant event in an SPJST
member ’s life. This includes (but is not limited to) awards, academic achievements
in college, business achievements, and promotions. We ask that announcements be kept
brief. Photos may be submitted with announcements.
• When sending wedding, engagement, milestone anniversary/birthday, new member,
and achievement announcements, please include your name and contact information
(daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address). Photos may also be
submitted with announcements.
• Please send engagement announcements at least three or four weeks before the
wedding date to ensure timely publication. Please send wedding and milestone
anniversary/birthday announcements within two or three weeks following the event
for timely publication.
• All announcements are subject to editing for length and journalistic criteria. Lengthy
wedding announcements will be edited to a reasonable length or be charged $20 for
additional space.
Obituaries/Resolutions of Sympathy
• The VESTNIK will publish obituaries/resolutions of sympathy for recently deceased
SPJST members. Photos may be submitted with obituaries/resolutions of sympathy.
• When sending obituaries/resolutions of sympathy, please include your name and
contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
Family Reunion Announcements
• The VESTNIK will publish family reunion information. The information must be
submitted by an SPJST member and must include the member ’s lodge number.
• When sending reunion announcements, please include your name and contact
information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
• Reunion information should include the date, time, location of the reunion, activities,
and contact information for readers to call if they want more information.
• The first announcement will be printed with complete information. Future
announcements will be condensed on the reunion calendar, pending space availability.
• The VESTNIK will not publish post-reunion information or photos.
Photographs
The VESTNIK welcomes photo submissions from lodges. Both 35mm prints and digital
images are acceptable.
• Newspaper photos, photocopies of photos, photos printed on computer printers,
Polaroid photos, and negatives are not acceptable.
• Photos should never be bound with paper clips, stapled, or have writing on the back.
Digital Photographs
Digital images emailed to the VESTNIK (melaniez@vvm.com) or submitted on a CD can
be used if they meet the same standards as those for 35mm prints, and some additional
standards related specifically to the quality of digital images.
• A camera with at least three megabyte capacity should be used.
• Not all digital images are created equal. The key to good, reproducible digital photos
is the file size of the image, with larger, higher resolution images being preferred. It
is important to create, save, and send the image in high enough resolution. Digital
photos must have a minimum resolution of 1,500 by 900 pixels, or dots, per image to
be reproduced with acceptable quality; the higher the resolution, the better. Digital
cameras generally can be set for high resolution using words like “high” versus “low”
resolution, or by actually selecting or setting dimensions in pixels. We realize it takes
longer to email larger files, but print requires a higher resolution than the web.
• Do not send in prints made from digital images—send in the image itself via email or
on a disk.
• Use a JPEG format (.jpg).
• Please DO NOT embed the photo in a document such as Microsoft Word. Enter the
caption in the text of the email and send the picture as an attachment.
• Please do not crop the photo. Sometimes we need a little space to help fit it correctly.
• If it is a scanned photo, keep the resolution at a maximum of 300 dots per inch (DPI)
and a minimum of 150 DPI.
Advertising
Paid advertisements are accepted provided that they do not conflict with SPJST’s
products or local lodge events. Political candidates must be SPJST members. Rates for commer-
cial advertising are $10 per column inch. Rates for non-profit organizations are $6 per column
inch. Rates for local lodge advertising are $3 per column inch.
SPJST Floats
The SPJST Home Office will provide a completely decorated float for parades in cities and communities of local lodges. The Home Office Float Driver will deliver the float to the parade; set it up; drive the float through the parade; disassemble the float after the parade; and return it to the Home Office in Temple. Lodges are required to provide SPJST riders for the float and to assist with float disassembly, if required. One adult chaperone is required for every five children. A lodge officer/youth leader must book the float through the SPJST Communication Department as soon as possible.
Contact the Vestnik / Communication Department to check float availability for a specific date/parade or for more information.
Submission Guidelines
Material Appropriate for the Vestnik
The VESTNIK is first and foremost interested in hearing about your lodge’s charitable and civic activities. We want to know what your lodge is doing. There are many activities at your lodge that deserve attention in the VESTNIK. After all, your members and potential new members want to know about the great work you are doing and how they can become members. We would especially like to hear about your lodge’s projects and news about the following subjects:
• District Meetings/Events Lodge Anniversaries, Picnics
• Youth Club Events Fund-Raising Activities
• Organization/Chartering of New Lodges Social and Other Noncharitable Events
• Mortgage-Burning Ceremonies Parade Entries
• Lodge Officer Installations Publicity for Future Events
• Recognition/Awards to SPJST Lodges Patriotic Events
• Join Hands Day Projects Membership Drives
• 50-Year, 75-Year, Age 96, Age 100 and
• Lifetime Achiever/Every Day Heroes Recognition Programs
Keep in Mind
• Submissions must be timely—mail or email your submission within two weeks of the date of your lodge’s event.
• Information should be clear and complete. Answer the “five Ws” (who, what, where, when, and why).
• Make sure to mention who benefited from the lodge activities—children, veterans, etc.
• Submissions should be typed or neatly handwritten, double-spaced. Email submissions
should be embedded into the email or sent as Microsoft Word attachments.
• Write clearly. Use your simplest English. Never use fancy wording or terms that only a
member of your lodge would understand. Most important, be honest, impartial, accurate, and
brief. Never use a quote unless it is direct and accurate, and always identify your sources.
• Include a contact person and daytime/evening phone numbers in case we need more information.
Fraternal Activities and Entertainment Calendar Items
• When sending information about upcoming SPJST events, please include your name and
contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
• Calendar items should include the date, time, location of the event, and contact information
for readers to call if they want more information.
Wedding, Engagement, Milestone Anniversary/Birthday, New Member,
Achievement Announcements
The VESTNIK will publish wedding, engagement, milestone birthday (beginning at 75 years
and continuing in five year increments), milestone anniversary (25 years and continuing in
five year increments), new member, and achievement announcements for SPJST members.
Either the bride or groom must be an SPJST member for engagement and wedding
announcements. Either the husband or wife must be an SPJST member for anniversary
announcements. Achievement announcements include a significant event in an SPJST
member ’s life. This includes (but is not limited to) awards, academic achievements
in college, business achievements, and promotions. We ask that announcements be kept
brief. Photos may be submitted with announcements.
• When sending wedding, engagement, milestone anniversary/birthday, new member,
and achievement announcements, please include your name and contact information
(daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address). Photos may also be
submitted with announcements.
• Please send engagement announcements at least three or four weeks before the
wedding date to ensure timely publication. Please send wedding and milestone
anniversary/birthday announcements within two or three weeks following the event
for timely publication.
• All announcements are subject to editing for length and journalistic criteria. Lengthy
wedding announcements will be edited to a reasonable length or be charged $20 for
additional space.
Obituaries/Resolutions of Sympathy
• The VESTNIK will publish obituaries/resolutions of sympathy for recently deceased
SPJST members. Photos may be submitted with obituaries/resolutions of sympathy.
• When sending obituaries/resolutions of sympathy, please include your name and
contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
Family Reunion Announcements
• The VESTNIK will publish family reunion information. The information must be
submitted by an SPJST member and must include the member ’s lodge number.
• When sending reunion announcements, please include your name and contact
information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
• Reunion information should include the date, time, location of the reunion, activities,
and contact information for readers to call if they want more information.
• The first announcement will be printed with complete information. Future
announcements will be condensed on the reunion calendar, pending space availability.
• The VESTNIK will not publish post-reunion information or photos.
Photographs
The VESTNIK welcomes photo submissions from lodges. Both 35mm prints and digital
images are acceptable.
• Newspaper photos, photocopies of photos, photos printed on computer printers,
Polaroid photos, and negatives are not acceptable.
• Photos should never be bound with paper clips, stapled, or have writing on the back.
Digital Photographs
Digital images emailed to the VESTNIK (melaniez@vvm.com) or submitted on a CD can
be used if they meet the same standards as those for 35mm prints, and some additional
standards related specifically to the quality of digital images.
• A camera with at least three megabyte capacity should be used.
• Not all digital images are created equal. The key to good, reproducible digital photos
is the file size of the image, with larger, higher resolution images being preferred. It
is important to create, save, and send the image in high enough resolution. Digital
photos must have a minimum resolution of 1,500 by 900 pixels, or dots, per image to
be reproduced with acceptable quality; the higher the resolution, the better. Digital
cameras generally can be set for high resolution using words like “high” versus “low”
resolution, or by actually selecting or setting dimensions in pixels. We realize it takes
longer to email larger files, but print requires a higher resolution than the web.
• Do not send in prints made from digital images—send in the image itself via email or
on a disk.
• Use a JPEG format (.jpg).
• Please DO NOT embed the photo in a document such as Microsoft Word. Enter the
caption in the text of the email and send the picture as an attachment.
• Please do not crop the photo. Sometimes we need a little space to help fit it correctly.
• If it is a scanned photo, keep the resolution at a maximum of 300 dots per inch (DPI)
and a minimum of 150 DPI.
Advertising
Paid advertisements are accepted provided that they do not conflict with SPJST’s
products or local lodge events. Political candidates must be SPJST members. Rates for commer-
cial advertising are $10 per column inch. Rates for non-profit organizations are $6 per column
inch. Rates for local lodge advertising are $3 per column inch.
SPJST Floats
The SPJST Home Office will provide a completely decorated float for parades in cities and communities of local lodges. The Home Office Float Driver will deliver the float to the parade; set it up; drive the float through the parade; disassemble the float after the parade; and return it to the Home Office in Temple. Lodges are required to provide SPJST riders for the float and to assist with float disassembly, if required. One adult chaperone is required for every five children. A lodge officer/youth leader must book the float through the SPJST Communication Department as soon as possible.
Contact the Vestnik / Communication Department to check float availability for a specific date/parade or for more information.
The SPJST Home Office provides one annual, complimentary mail-out to each lodge and each youth club. The lodge mail-out will be sent to all members in the lodge (one letter per household). The youth club mail-out will be sent to all members ages five to 18 (one letter per household). The SPJST Communication Department will design a flyer or postcard, copy, label and stuff the envelopes, and mail the flyer or postcard. Lodges/youth clubs must contact the Communications Department at least two weeks before the flyer or postcard is to be mailed. Call the Vestnik / Communication Department for more information.
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