PUBLIC RELATIONS UPDATE

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PUBLIC RELATIONS - UPDATE
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Public Relations - Update

• Public relations efforts are vital to Rotarys
  continued growth and service.
• Creating a positive image for Rotary is the
  responsibility of every Rotarian, both locally
  and globally

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Paul Harris said..

• In the promotion of understanding, it is
  important to reach large numbers, non Rotarians
  as well as Rotarians, and you cannot reach large
  numbers privately.
• - Paul Harris

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District 7070 PR Committee

• Chairman
• Dave Andrews, Oshawa Parkwood
• Members
• Jamie Maynard, Past PR Chair Woodbridge
• Joanne Ashley, RADAR Whitby - Sunrise
• PDG Bill Patchett, PDG Cobourg
• Sum Cheung, District 7070 Webmaster Toronto
  Eglinton
• Amy Doyle Belleville
• Arnel Schiratti Oshawa
• Jean Baker-Pearce Alliston
• Darryl Patterson East York

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Our Goal Today

• Our Goal today is to
• Share your best PR practices from your Rotary
  club with all of us
• Update you on the PR Grant Application
• Show you a PR Checklist for your Club
• Provide some PR dos and donts
• Remind you to
• Use the District 7070 Website
• Distribute The New District 7070 Newsletter.
• Lets Twitter The Rotary Way with Darryl
  Patterson

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Our Goal Today

• Time does not permit us to go through our entire
  presentation
• It will be available to you on the
  www.rotary7070.org website on Monday , October
  19, 2009
• So sit back, relax, and join in the fun as we
  travel through Rotary and Public Relations

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Best PR Practices

• We want to hear from you
• What has worked for your club so far this year?
• Any success stories?
• What has not worked for your club so far this
  year?

November 14, 2009
District Conference - 7070
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District 7070 PR grant for 2009-2010

• The Rotary International Board of Directors has
  approved the continuation of Public Relations
  (PR) Grants in 2009-2010.
• PR Grants are designed to assist districts to
  reach the general public by promoting Rotary and
  improving Rotarys public image.
• Grants are awarded to districts worldwide on a
  competitive basis.

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District Conference - 7070
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District 7070 PR grant for 2009-2010

• PR Grants enable districts to place
• television and radio public service announcements
  (PSAs)
• billboards
• banners
• ads
• newspaper supplements in their communities.
• Districts are strongly encouraged to utilize
  pre-produced Humanity in motion materials to help
  promote a consistent message. (available on the
  Rotary.org website).

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District 7070 PR grant details

• Only districts are eligible to apply. One
  application will be considered per district.
• Grants of up to US10,000 per district will be
  available until funds are depleted.
• Districts must contribute a minimum of one-third
  of the total grant amount requested.
• Funds are awarded on a competitive basis based on
  the quality of the application and to ensure an
  equitable spread of Rotary promotion worldwide.

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District 7070 PR grant details

• PR Grant applications was signed and approved by
  District Governor Doug Byers and sent to RI
  Headquarters before the July 15, 2009 deadline.
  Here is what we hope to get
• CTV Television Network in Canada will air the 30
  - second Humanity In Motion PSA in 48 spots (some
  in prime time) on their recently acquired A
  Channel television station in Southern Ontario to
  more than 1.3 million viewers, targeting adults,
  35 years of age and older .
• The PSA will be simulcast on The A Channel (Law
  Order, The Tonight Show with Conan OBrian, The
  Daily Show and The Ellen Degeneris Show) It will
  also be on Monk, and Law Order SVU.  
• Broadcast Dates November 2009 

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District Conference - 7070
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District 7070 PR grant details

• Humanity In Motion V Public Television Service
  Announcement entitled The Missing Piece. It
  goes like this ..
• Making the world a better place is an intricate
  puzzle and piece by piece , the women and men of
  Rotary have worked hard to fight hunger, promote
  literacy, and move the world toward peace. But
  there is still much to be done, still some
  missing pieces, and one of those missing pieces
  is you. Learn how you can help Rotary put
  together a better world at Rotary.orgRotary
  Humanity in Motion.
• Be sure to go to the rotary.org website . Click
  on Humanity In Motion V and look at the
  television public service announcements, and see
  the one called The Missing Piece
• The PSA asks the viewer to
• go to rotary.org to learn more about Rotary
• challenges them to join Rotary.

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District Assembly - 7070
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District 7070 PR Grant Roll Out Plan

• Roll Out Plan If We get The PR Grant
• Notify all Club Presidents with the broadcast
  times and dates.
• Ask Presidents to
• Inform all of their club members with the
  broadcast schedule.
• Encourage the Club members to see the Humanity In
  Motion V Public Service Announcement. They must
  be familiar with the PSA in case they get
  questions from their friends and family and the
  general public.
• Ensure that ALL club members to have a good
  well-informed answer to the question What Is
  Rotary . They will be asked that question as a
  direct result of the general public who has just
  seen the PSA on TV.

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District 7070 PR Grant Roll Out Plan

• Roll Out Plan
• Insert into the District 7070 Website the
  broadcast schedule for the general public to view
  the PSA.
• Encourage website viewers to go to rotary.org to
  learn more about Rotary.
• This really becomes an invitation to ask about
  becoming a member of a Rotary club in their area.
  
• Encourage Club Presidents to put a special link
  on their Club Website, which is directed to the
  general public and encourages their website
  visitors to
• view the PSA
• go to rotary.org to learn more about Rotary
• Encourage them to join Rotary

November 14, 2009
District Conference - 7070
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A PR checklist for your club

• PR Checklist
• The importance of getting Rotary's image out to
  the public.
• Does your club have a Public Relations Chair?
• Do you know the media in your area?
• Do you send out press releases?
• News media as members of your club?
• News Media Theme Week at a weekly Rotary meeting?
• Who are our publics? Who are your audiences?
• Tools of the trade 

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1. Getting Rotarys image to the public

• Public Relations informs communities around the
  world that Rotary is a credible organization that
  meets real needs.
• When your Rotary club has a positive public
  image, your members are motivated to be active
  and to be looking for prospective members to join
  your club.

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2. PR chair for your club

• Does your Club have a Public Relations Chair?
• Does your Club have a Public Relations Committee?
  
• Do you have the Club PR Manual?
  http//www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/26c_en.pd
  f
• Has The PR Committee read the Club PR Manual?
• Has The PR Committee met?

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Club PR committee role

• Your PR committees role in your club
• Develop a plan to provide the public with
  information
• about Rotary
• about your clubs service projects and activities
  

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Clubs PR committee responsibilities

• Achieve your PR Goals for the upcoming year
• Familiarize yourself with RI Resources (see
  Public Relations Resources in the Club PR Manual
  for details)
• Create awareness of your club activities among
  your members, the media, and the general public
  (see Key Rotary Messages in the Club PR Manual
  for details)
• Enhance projects and activities to make them more
  appealing to the media (see this component of
  Public Relations in the Club PR Manual for
  details)
• Help create a public image conductive to
  membership development (see Developing Membership
  through Public Relations in the Club PR Manual
  for details)

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Work with your club committees

• Service Projects Be aware of upcoming projects
  that would be of interest to the media
• Membership Tailor your efforts to target
  potential members of your community
• Rotary Foundation Be aware of upcoming
  Humanitarian Grants projects or visiting
  scholarship recipients
• Club Administration Notify the media, in
  advance, of who is on the weekly program AND to
  help design your clubs website so that it will
  appeal to the media and the general public
• Assign a member of your PR Committee to be a
  liaison with each of these 4 Committees. Make
  sure your PR Committee is up to date with ALL
  club activities.

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3. Know your media in your area

• Print Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Regional, SNAP
• Radio Local Stations
• TV Local, National, Cable
• Do you know the news editors at each media
  location?
• Give them a call.
• Invite them to a Rotary Meeting

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4. Press releases

• Do you currently do your own press releases?
• Can you send out press releases if the District
  7070 PR Committee gives you a template?
• Do you use information from the RI (RI News
  Weekly Updates and PR Tips) and our District
  Website for Rotary Information?
• Are your press releases being published?

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5. News media as club members

• Do you have any News media as members of your
  club?
• Are they on your PR Committee?
• Are you actively searching for one to become a
  Rotarian?

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6. News Media Day Rotary meeting

• Do you have a News Media Theme at one of your
  regular weekly Rotary meetings ?
• Once a year? 
• Do you ask one of the media to be your guest
  speaker?

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7. Who are your publics or audiences?

• Rotarians
• General public
• Potential members
• Potential organizations or people who may become
  good sources for fundraising
• Potential organizations or people you have helped
  or may need Rotarys help.

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8. Some Tools of the trade

• News Releases
• The New District 7070 Newsletter
• Websites
• Rotary International
• District 7070
• Your Clubs website
• Electronic Media Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, You
  Tube . and beyond

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Public Image Resource Group

• Appointed by the RI president, the Public Image
  Resource Group provides information and support
  to Rotary clubs and districts to help them
  promote projects, share success stories, and
  explain what Rotary is and does through the
  media.
• It also works to improve Rotarys overall public
  image, a priority outlined in the RI Strategic
  Plan 2007-10

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Zone 24 Public Image Resource Group

• The role of Rotarys Public Image Resource Group
  for Zone 24 32 (Canada, Alaska, and part of
  Russia, St.Pierre and Miquelon, and a portion of
  New England) is
• to liaise with Rotary International on behalf of
  all of the Districts in our zone and pass that
  information to each of the District PR Committees
  
• Rotarys Public Image Resource Group for Zone 24
  32 Representative is Brian Torsney of The
  Rotary Club of Burlington, Ontario

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Some Advice

• CELEBRATE THE SUCCESSES WITH ROTARY DAY
• Rotary is in the news EVERYDAY
• Rotary has a great brand that took over a 100
  years to build Lets leverage and improve on
  it..NOT change it
• Lets celebrate and brag about our successes.
• Rotary clubs and districts are encouraged to
  select a day to highlight Rotarys involvement in
  the local and global community.
• ROTARY DAY Any day can be a Rotary day in your
  community. The key is planning a high-visibility
  service project or event that helps communicate
  what Rotary is and does

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Job of a Journalist

• To inform
• To entertain
• To provoke discussion
• To inquire and investigate
• To report the truth
• To attract audiences (that attract advertisers)
• To be the government/business watchdog (the fifth
  estate)

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Job of a Journalist

• NOT
• To support Rotary
• To make the world a better place
• To sell products or fund raising tickets
• Journalists report The Bad News
• Good news doesnt sell well with the media
• OUR JOB How to package the story into an
  interesting news item

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What media need

• Newsworthy Stories
• Breaking hard news (e.g. results, this just
  in!)
• Trends (e.g. Are service clubs still relevant)
• Rankings (e.g. Top 10 myths about Rotary)
• Human Element (puppies and babies i.e. Habitat
  for Humanity - mom opens door to her new home)

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What media need

• Local angle for local media (e.g. Local
  celebrity in town for movie opening or local boy
  makes good Wilf Wilkinson press)
• National perspective for national media (e.g.
  Canadians ranked as worlds most Canadians vs.
  US)
• Unique angles (e.g. Building an AIDS
  orphanage.. On your family vacation)

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What media dont need

• Another bingo/fundraiser function
• Focus on who you are helping is there a child
  that can be interviewed/personal story
• Ask yourself Why would I care? - Put
  yourself in the viewers home, watching TV or
  reading the paper, or on the internet
• Another handing over a cheque
• Tell the story of the Rotarian why did he/she
  care about the cause what were the challenges

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What media need

• Colourful Quotes
• The inside scope that will inform their
  audiences
• Sound bites that drive a point home
• Creative Visuals
• Pictures, images and film that will interest
  readers and viewers
• Take your own photos and send them with your story

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Different types of media

• How they package the news
• TV -- looks for short, uncomplicated stories and
  great visuals
• Radio -- lots of time to fill with interesting
  people, experts and local stories. Get your Club
  President on a Talk Show.
• Newspapers -- look for a good mix of news,
  analysis, photos, quotes, local stories
• Magazines -- typically focus on a sector or
  geographic region, feature vs. news-based

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Media relations overview

• Rotarians.. Here are some Dos
• Get to know which reporters cover which beats
• Call at the right time of day
• Condense your story into a 15-second pitch
• Put yourself in the reporters shoes and make
  your story newsworthy (useful information,
  topical theme, not too commercial)
• Give the media lots of notice before events
• Take no for answer, find out why and adjust

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Media relations overview

• RotariansHere are some Donts.
• Assume your story will be considered big news
• Assume youll get news coverage because youre
  nice or because you advertise
• Waste journalists time with unimportant details
• Lieabout anything!
• Bother journalists at deadline time
• Hound journalists endlessly

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Rotarys challenges

• Misconceptions religious organization, purple
  fez hats, old guys, stuffy club, etc.
• No perception no visibility
• Good news story vs. seedy, lurid, scandalous,
  sexy story.which one gets published?
• Rotary week and the mayor gets shot
• Is your Rotary News story relevant?

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Rotarys opportunities

• Rotary Clubs are shrouded in mystery what
  happens behind closed doors
• Accessible elitism attracts members/media
• Where the big shots go to speak. Media know
  this
• Cool projects Habitat for Humanity, Partners In
  Service, Trump Aids, Gift of Life
• Neat members who are prominent in the community,
  who act like clowns on the weekends, etc.
• And yeswe are helping people

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How to get press coverage for Rotary

• Top 5 ways how you can get press coverage for
  Rotary
• Speakers media advisories
• Negotiate with speakers about joint media
  announcements
• Contact target media
• Globe Mail/Star/Post
• Toronto.com or other local websites
• TV Community News Calendar
• Community newspapers

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How to get press coverage for Rotary

• Public Service Announcements
• Call your TV/radio station
• Ask who you can send your PSA to
• Fill out request from Rotary International on the
  RI Website, and get the video PSA (Humanity In
  Motion III, IV and V)
• These announcements are already canned for you

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How to get press coverage for Rotary

• Be a little thought provoking
• Are service clubs relevant to our society?
• What would happen if service clubs disappeared?
• Shall Rotary take on the AIDS issue?

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How to get press coverage for Rotary

• Wilf Wilkinson is a great Canadian story Last
  Year, This Year and Next year too
• Small town Canadian accountant rises to become
  the top Rotarian in the World
• If hes in town, offer the journalists an
  interview
• Use the invitation, bios, press releases that
  already exist and adapt locally
• And our own Bob Scott as Past Chairman of The
  Rotary Foundation is another great opportunity to
  tell The Rotary Story

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How to get press coverage for Rotary

• CALL
• When you send a press release. follow-up
• Are you sending it to the right person?
• Explain to the reporter or News Editor why you
  think it would be a good story for the
  publication /show
• Ask what kind of stories they are interested
• And call again next time

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How do we package this?

• Press Releases
• Cover Your Clubs Committees News
• Needs to be
• visual for TV
• thought provoking for radio
• new or timely for newspapers
• Huge magazine/website opportunities
• Has to have local appeal for community
• Stories about children for parents/women
  magazines
• Business angle

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How do we package this?

• Feature Articles
• Face of Rotary is changing (diversity)
• Branding angle for service clubs
• Rotarys International angle
• Rotary Media Tour take a tour of your local
  media
• Editorial Luncheons
• Rotarys Birthday Week

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8. Some Tools of the trade

• District 7070 newsletter
• Websites
• RI
• District
• Your Club Website
• Electronic Media Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, You
  Tube..and beyond

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What is Twitter?
Simplicity has played an important role in
Twitter's success. People are eager to connect
with other people and Twitter makes that simple.
Twitter asks one question, What are you doing?
Answers must be under 140 characters in length
and can be sent via mobile texting, instant
message, or the web. Twitter

• Micro-blogging service
• A quick way to share information
• A social tool that has the potential to balloon

November 14, 2009
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District Assembly - 7070
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Case Study Tweetsgiving.org

• A very clever, well planned, successful viral
  fundraiser.  The goal was to raise 10,000 to
  build a classroom for children in Tanzania.
• Tactics
• Asked twitterers to tweet along with web address
  and the hashtag tweetsgiving
• Enlisted influential twitterers (via direct
  messaging) as seed evangelists
• Chip-in for donations
• Results
• People tweeted 3,000 gratitude messages
• They gained 1,337 twitter followers
• Tweetsgiving was a top trending term on Twitter
  for 48 hours
• Tweetsgiving.org received 15,830 page views from
  7563 visitors in 101 countries
• More than 100 press and blog mentions

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Case Study 12for12k.org

• An ongoing year-long effort to raise 12,000 for
  12 different charities.
• Each month, a new charity is featured.
• Tactics are fluid, but they include
• Tweeting, badges, chip-in for donations, raffle
  contests.
• Results
• Website traffic 3,117 unique visitors with 6,239
  page hits
• Twitter 100 pages of search results for the
  12for12k hashtag
• Twitter 300 users of the 12for12k hashtag
  between 11.00am and 1.00pm EST
• Twitter Topping numerous Twitter trend sites
  (above March Madness hashtag)
• Donors 459 contributors, raising a total of
  14,847.69
• Amount Target of 12,000 was raised in just 6
  hours.
• On average, more than 1,000 was being donated
  per hour.

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Tips for Getting Action Participation

• Hashtags, Seeding, Trending
• Widgets and logos for people's blogs
• Logo that's avatar-sized for Twitter pic
  modification
• Reason for people to constantly tweet about it
• Chip In widget (http//www.chipin.com/)
• Get commitments to blog or tweet
• Encourage re-tweets (RT)

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How You 7070 Can Use Twitter

• Raise awareness for clubs in the district
• Get more participation in District events
• Get fundraising activities events noticed
  outside our district
• Its OK to be a follower, make an account!
• Participate! Retweet and use hashtags.
• Follow us twitter.com/rotary7070

We already have 120 Followers!
November 14, 2009
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How To Get Your Events Twittered

• E-mail your tweets to tweets_at_eastyorkrotary.org
• In your email, include
• Event title Treat it like a short call to
  action
• Date of event
• Link for more information This is key
• Tweets dont have to be events.
• Announce new members, brag about successes, talk
  about the organizations you support

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District 7070 Newsletter

• Rotary News (Published about 6 times annually for
  District 7070)
• 8 to 10 pages emailed to Club Presidents
• cascaded to all 7070 Rotarians
• located on the District 7070 website
• Includes
• District Governors newsletter
• Stories and photographs about district projects,
  clubs and their members
• Editorial submissions are welcomed from all
  Rotarians as long as they pertain to District
  7070
• Deadline First day of the published month

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District 7070 Newsletter Editor

• We found a new Editor for 2009-2010 !!!
• The team of Nancy Gilbert and Dave Andrews
• Heres how it works
• Club Presidents will send stories to your
  Assistant Governor for the next edition.
• District Governor will write a letter
• District Chairs will also contribute to The
  Newsletter
• Assistant Governors send articles from the Club
  Presidents.
• The Cost to you and to The District 0.00

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RI website www.rotary.org

• Provides on-line resources and up to date
  information on all aspects of Rotary Go
  Searching !!
• You will find
• Up to the minute RI News from around the world
• Resource materials on all Rotary topics
• Is your Club President signed up to receive
  Weekly RI News Update via email? This is the
  place.
• Is your PR Chair signed up to receive PR Tips via
  email? This is the place.
• Have you signed up for the International
  Convention in Montreal min June 2010? This is
  the place.
• Have you seen the Rotary YouTube Channel? It
  starts right here

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RI website www.rotary.org

• Public Service Announcements RI print, radio,
  and TV announcements that clubs can use to
  promote Rotary
• Recognition Programs RI and Foundation awards
  and recognition programs
• Key messages more facts and Rotary information
  you can use in your news releases

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District website www.rotary7070.org

• Provides on-line resources and up to date
  information on all aspects of Rotary in District
  7070 GO Surfing. Our Webmaster, Sum Cheung will
  show us how easy it is to use.
• Be sure to log in with your ID and password. Your
  ID is your email address.
• List of all District and Club Leaders
• The District Advisory Board
• Meeting Time and location of each Club in the
  District
• News and events from Each Club Your Club Pres
  and Secretary can add info about your club.who
  is doing what, when and where

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District website www.rotary7070.org

• District news, events, meetings who, where, and
  when
• You can keep your club member data and service
  projects and your club events up to date tell
  everyone brag about your accomplishments to
  Rotarians everywhere
• Who in your club updates your information on the
  district website?

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District website Whats next

• Club of The Month want your club featured?
• Tell Dave Andrews and Sum Cheung all about your
  club what you are doinggive us some neat
  stuff. Why should your be Club of the Month.
  12 months and only 12 Clubs can be featured
• Professional Directory
• Tell us about your business get your message to
  2,100 Rotarians
• Shall we proceed with setting this up? YES or NO?
  Please let us know.
• What is your company willing to pay to advertise
  in this Directory. HOW MUCH? HOW OFTEN?
• What else should be on the District Website?

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Your club website

• Does your club have a website?
• Is the info up to date?
• Do you allow club members to advertise and link
  to your website?
• Keeps the website costs down.
• 34 of the 54 clubs in District 7070 do have
  websites. Surf the net. What are you waiting
  for?
• Give us a call Sum Cheung can teach you how to
  set up your own Club Website

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Who Are Your Local Media

• Checklist for 2009-2010
• Please send to Dave Andrews
• Who are the media that you use or would like to
  use in your area.
• Media name
• Name of news editor and email address

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District PR Awards

• 2009-2010 District Awards for the Club with the
  best Public Relations Practices
• Show me what you have done in throughout
  2009-2010.
• The PR Committee recommends to DG Doug who should
  receive this high honour
• What else can we do for you?

November 14, 2009
District Assembly - 7070