Communications VP
Handbook

=> View the Introduction and Table of Contents.

Minutes
A primary (if unpopular) responsibility of the Communications Vice President is taking minutes at board meetings. Taking minutes is not easy, especially if you've never taken them before and you are suddenly responsible for relaying what the board does at its minutes to the rest of USY.

The minutes should be complete and brief as possible. They should contain all of the important goings-on in the meetings. All the important business should be on record so the board members can refer back to it if need be.

Tips on Taking Minutes:

• Focus on what's being said. Take notes on it - just as if you were in school.
• Don't waste time writing down too much detail. Your notes should be able to remind you what happened when you type them.
• Type the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting. This way you won't forget what your notes mean, and people will be able to refer to the minutes quickly to know what happened (instead of calling you).
• Leave out sarcastic or tactlessly frank comments which, on paper, may look like insults. Do not report negative comments about individuals. "Joe was not nominated to be president" is ok; "Joe was not nominated to be president because Sue thinks he is irresponsible" could wind up hurting Joe, Sue, you, and your chapter or region.
• Don't forget to include the date and opening and adjourning times. Also make sure you sign your minutes when you submit them.

Flyers and Other Publicity
Publicity is extremely important, especially for a chapter. Your members, prospective members, congregations, Jewish and non-Jewish communities all need to see that tons of cool stuff is happening in USY.

Flyers probably best combine effectiveness and low expense for USY publicity. Be creative, send your flyers out with plenty of time, and make sure you include the necessary information loud and clear!

Necessary Information
Your flyers should include the following information:

• Event Name and Description
• Location and Meeting/Departure Place
• Date and Starting and Ending Times
• RSVP contact name, phone number, and deadline
• Purpose of event/plan
• Transportation, Food involved, What to bring
• Who should come (Board, freshmen, only paid members, etc.)

Formatting Tips

• Use large and clear text, and easy to read fonts.
• Do not print text on dark backgrounds or images.
• Make sure images reproduce clearly.
• Include all the necessary information.

Phone Calls
Frequently, many USY flyers are ignored by their recipients or they don't feel compelled to attend an event simply because you sent them a neon green piece of paper. A phone call, when done properly, reinforces your flyers and, more importantly, adds a real human dimension to USY. It lets people know that they really are wanted and welcome in USY.

Tips for Making Phone Calls

• Be enthusiastic!
• Also, make sure to end the call on an upbeat!
• Ahead of time, write down the info you need to give and receive.
• Introduce yourself and fully explain why you're calling.
• Be persistent, but not annoying. Don't expect returned calls.
• Be prepared to offer solutions to objections (like a ride for people who say they don't have one)

Pulpit Announcements
Pulpit announcements are a surprisingly effective way to let your congregations and USYers know what's going. Ask the Rabbi (or President) to mention upcoming local, regional, and international USY events and programs at the appropriate time during services. Or, as an officer, make the anouncements yourself. Parents who know what's going on usually are very interested in sending their teens out to meet others.

Press Releases
Press Releases are a great way to increase publicity for USY. to non-USYers. For any large event (Regional Convention) or great human interest project (like visits to the Jewish Home), submit a press release to your synagogue bulletin, community Jewish newspaper, and local newspapers.

Make your press releases read like a newspaper article, and type them double-spaced. If it's simple for a newspaper to edit, it's more likely to be used. Press releases should always be approved by your Youth Director, because they represent USY to the greater community. Don't forget to include the standard USY tagline at the bottom of the press release (see the sample Press Release below).

Sample Press Release:

Signs and Posters
Hang USY signs and posters all around your synagogues, especially in the youth lounge. Also, post signs and poster in your local Jewish Community Center, along with USY pamphlets and stuff. Posters are available from the regional or international offices, but feel free to make your own. Make them eye-catching and easy to read from far away.

Newspapers

Title
Come up with a fun and catchy title! Try to include your chapter/region name or mascot in the title and toss in some Hebrew. Some chapters use names like Kol Ruach Chadash or The Schmoozer! A really neat name just might be the thing that convinces people to sit down and read your work.

Scheduling
It is extremely important that your newsletter is produced on a regular schedule (monthly is probably best). You will need to give people plenty of time to write articles plus you need lots of time to layout, print, and distribute the paper. Decide ahead of time if you want to publish monthly newsletters or maybe just four for the whole year (like Achshav!). Make a plan and stick to it!

Distribution
Send your newsletter to all paid and potential members. Mail copies to your local, regional, and international office. Also, leave issues in your synagogue, especially in the youth lounge.

Getting Articles
A great newspaper will reflect many different views about topics relevant to its audience. Include a wide variety of articles to catch many different people's interests. The best way to do this is to directly ask many different types of members for short, informative articles. What's the latest news from the Middle East and what do USYers think? Ask people to write about a recent movie or book with Jewish content or submit work they've already done, like a poem or story for school.

Layout
Keep the layout basic, uncluttered, and consistent. If you have features that will appear in every issue, such as messages, calendars, regular columns, etc., put them in the same place in each issue. For instance, the calendar may always appear on the bottom right of page two and the T. O. column on the top left on page three. Select easy to read fonts for articles and headlines and make sure that your colors are easy to read (print black on very light colored paper, avoid loud colors that are hard on the eyes).

On-Line Services

The Internet is a huge network of computers all over world, connected by phone lines. The Internet is used to communicate via electronic mail (e-mail) and to post information to the public. The most popular way to distribute information is through the World Wide Web, the graphical system of "hyper-linked" pages. By clicking on words from one page, users are transported to relevant pages. Through the 'net, chapters can communicate regarding programming successes and failures, members can review chapter calendars, and sightseers can look at pictures from the latest chapter event.

USY Web Page
International USY has its own growing web page with tons of information on USY: summer programs, the International Board, pictures from International Convention, weekly Divrei Torah, Your USY, and much, much more. The USY Web Page is located at www.usy.org.

International USY Listserv
A Listserv is an e-mail based service that circulates messages via the Internet to a group of people about a specific topic, such as USY. Each person on the list can add messages to the mailing list to be distributed to the rest of the group. If you join the USY Listserv, anything you write will be sent to everybody subscribed to the Listserv.

Before you subscribe to the Listserv, read the Ten Commandments of Listserv Message Posting.

To subscribe to any of the USY Listservs, or change the setting for your subscription to any of the listserves, click here.

Web Page Content Ideas

• Membership E-Mail Directory:
  Post a list of your current members with e-mail along with their e-mail addresses. You can also include an alumni directory!
• Flyers and Mailings:
  You can easily adapt your flyer into a section on the web page. Be sure to include the vital information such as time, date, location, cost, what the program is about, and who to contact for more information. Add a printable application form! Be careful about putting information like phone numbers and addresses on the web, though. It is extremely public and many people don't want their personal information available world-wide.

  There are other mailings besides flyers that your chapter might be producing, including newspapers and calendars. These are very important and can also be easily formatted for the web. At a glance, a calendar can provide upcoming chapter events for forgetful USYers. Newspapers make incredible additions to a chapter web page.

• Announcements:
  A regularly updated web page that is packed with information relevant to its audience is sure to become a popular site. Announcements are a great way to accomplish this. Offer Congratulations to USYers who have achieved accomplishments outside of USY. List upcoming birthdays on the web page, include a few jokes or thank yous to people who have contributed lately. You can include a Hebrew word of the month or a new chapter/region ruach song.
• Minutes and Other Stuff:
  You may want to include the latest minutes on the web site, as well. They should be complete with all of the important goings-on in the meetings and as brief as possible.

  Your chapter/region might have its own logo, mascot, or banner. It's possible to create a graphic of this to include on the web page. A USYer might be a budding artist, so why not ask him/her to draw a cartoon for the site. If your chapter has poets or writers, invite them to put some of their work on the web page. If a USYer delivered a D'var Torah at services last week, stick it on the web page.

Yearbooks

Staff
A large part of creating a yearbook is coordinating a staff. You will need an editor-in-chief who organizes every aspect of the yearbook from its conception to its publication. The editor sets (and obeys) dealines, makes phone calls, uses a computer for layout and typesetting, and is a creative person. Keep your advisor/director constantly involved. This keeps you and the staff aware of what your limits are and the adults aware of what you are doing.

Planning and Organization
First, choose theme for your yearbook. Hebrew or Yiddish words may inspire a creative theme. Next, decide on a style for the yearbook. This goes along with your theme; it can be flashy and eye-catching, elegant and fancy, or more traditional and simple.

The first really major decision you must make is how you are going to publish the yearbook. Most likely, you will use a computer with a good desktop publishing program either at your local synagogue or at the editor's home. You could also do a cut-and-paste job. While this doesn't sound very glamorous, it's cheap and some very neat yearbooks have been created this way.

You also must decide how you are going to print the yearbook. Investigate the pros and cons of all possibilities before you decide.

Content Ideas

Deadlines and Getting Stuff Done
So when should you work on all of this stuff? Well, the planning and organization can and should happen as early as possible. Most of your articles will come a lot closer to the end of the year, but work on many pages well ahead of time. For example, there is no need to wait to do "A Walk Down Memory Lane..." or Chapter/Region Information and you should work on the Year in Review as events occur and you print pictures.

After all of the scheduling, you must fairly decide who does what. Then clearly indicate to your staff what you expect from them and what their deadlines are. Always keep in close contact with them and don't leave things to the last minute!

A great way to layout the yearbook is to have a party. Your staff can get together in a relaxed setting (with food, of course) and work on selecting pictures and laying out pages.

Publication and Printing
Make sure that your articles are all neatly typed, and that grammar and spelling are correct. Also make sure that you have enough space for each article. If not, edit appropriately.

Now what about your pictures? A great way to put pictures into the yearbook (especially if you are using a desktop publisher) is through a scanner. However, it is unlikely that your synagogue owns one; someone you know may have one. If not, forget it. Just resort to good ol' Elmer's glue and a pair of scissors.

Proofread your prints, over and over. Check for mistakes and make sure they looks good. Share copies with your entire staff, advisors, and chapter board and get their opinions. Expect to make many changes and revisions.

You may decide to have the yearbook professionally printed, depending on your schedule or budget. Well ahead of time, you should investigate local printing shops as well as huge yearbook companies to compare pricing and timing. You may decide to just print the yearbook on your home computer since you only need about 20 or 30 copies. Either way, make sure you have the support of your board and advisors, especially if you are spending big money to have it printed.

Distribution
If your chapter/region already has a complicated mailing process, then you may want to use it to distribute your yearbook. You could also simply pass copies out at an event (like elections). Talk to your advisor about which venue to pursue. Be sure to share copies with your Regional and International offices!

Board Communications

USY Board meetings can produce a lot of amazing programming and projects or they can be a big waste of time. Following are some tips to improve (and hopefully speed up) your USY board meetings:

• Schedule well in advance.
• Prepare and distribute an agenda in advance.
• Begin with a D'var Torah relevant to the board and/or the meeting's agenda.
• Everyone should have a turn to speak and order should be maintained at all times.

Problem Solving
We all know how critically important it is for USY Boards to work together and share responsibility, and we all know how easily problems arise and programs suffer. If your board is having trouble communicating, try Dena Zigun's Five Simple Steps For Better Board Communications:

• Talk to Your Board
  Regular communication between board members is essential to making a chapter work. Meet on a regular basis, stay in touch through e-mails, and don't be afraid to call other officers up to chat.
• Write it Down
  A letter can be an effective way to help organize and express your feelings and gives others something to refer back to.
• Be Persistent
  Persistancy lets people know you are serious and not willing to see a project die to lethargy. Don't let people forget but take care not to be annoying, either.
• Be Respectful
  Speak in a calm voice, and always show courtesy. Being understanding of others makes them more likely to listen to you.
• Treat others the way you want to be treated
  Everybody wants to be treated decently and respectfully. It will be much easier to get along if everyone gives the same courtesy they expect from others.

Correspondance

Correspondance is the area of communication that includes thank-you notes, congratulatory letters, Birthday cards, etc. These types of communication are very 'human' and personal and can go a long way in keeping members active and others supportive. It's up to the Communications Vice President to make this contact with the general public.

Some regional boards send birthday cards to each of their members. This is a very nice touch, but it's extremely difficult to pull off. It may be better to encourage chapters to send birthday cards, rather than regions.

Every time something is donated to USY, a letter should be sent thanking the giver. For example, if a parent is particularly helpful with a program or someone donates a TV for the youth lounge, they deserve a letter. You may want to use Recognition Sheets, so that anyone can suggest a special someone who deserves recognition.

Sample Recognition Sheet

International USY Communications Programs

International USY features many Communications-related programs which need your input and support.

Achshav!
Achshav! is USY's newsmagazine, published four times annually. The editors are members of International General Board and work very hard on planning each issue, soliciting articles, editing, choosing pictures, etc., and laying out each issue. Each region should have an Achshav! liaison to solicit articles and news from their region. Often, Communications VPs are required to find or write articles for Achshav!

LaNasi
LaNasi is the Chapter Presidents' newsletter, produced by International USY. It is a unique newsletter aimed at supporting the Chapter President (often cited as the toughest job in USY), and providing leadership tips. Regional Communications VPs should supply the International Communications VP or LaNasi editor with the names of three to five responsible Chapter Presidents as candidates for LaNasi writers.

USY On-Line
USY On-Line is a rapidly growing part of USY Communications. Many new programs, such as the web page and the Listserv, have become extremely popular and essential. Regions which have gone on-line find web pages an extremely useful way to distribute information such as event applications, schedules, e-mail rosters, and more. Each region should also have an On-Line Services chairperson to monitor all Internet-related communication.

Helpful Handbooks

Neat advice and tips also come from International USY, in the form of handbooks such as this one, or often via informal e-mails or phone calls. There are two International Board Weekends a year open to all regional and international board members. At the weekends, USY's leaders hone their skills and share their talents and ideas. It is one of the few times that communications-related people can get together and brainstorm and, thus, a very important time.

• View the Introduction and Table of Contents.
• Request a Hard Copy of the Communications VP Handbook.
• E-mail Greg Abdallah, your USY Communications VP.
• Back to the Top.