Each year Rotary Clubs in District 9320 compete for the Frank Connock Shield.

This is awarded by the Bulletin Adjudicator to the best all round Club Bulletin

[Top] [Criteria] [Contacts] [Suggestions] [Why?] [Known Clubs]

Criteria used to judge club bulletins for the Frank Connock Shield:-

1. EDITORIAL(S) (10%)
   This does not necessarily have to come from the Bulletin Editor.
   The President, Club members, Rotaractors, etc. should be encouraged to submit guest editorials.
   WHAT IS AN EDITORIAL? - An Editorial is a piece of writing in which a specific opinion is expressed
2. COMMITTEES AND CLUB INFORMATION (25%)
   Brief interesting summaries of club or committee activities, financial standing, Project progress reports.
   Visitors or guest speakers – brief summary of speakers speech.
   Pen Sketches of Rotarians, especially new members and if possible clear photographs.
3. DISTRICT INFORMATION (10%)
   Information of what is happening in the District. It is also nice to hear what other clubs are getting up to.
4. ROTARY INFORMATION (20%)
   Rotary International news
   Articles from Rotary Publications (not repeats from Rotary Africa - There is a lot of information on RI's website - www.rotary.org )
   Rotary information
   Manual of Procedure (MOP) – in lay man’s language – or questions and answers from Getting to know Rotary, would make interesting reading – especially for new Rotarians.
5. PROGRAMME AND REGULARITY (20%)
   Weekly/monthly programmes, highlighting important events such as Committee/Director’s meetings, DG’s visit, induction dinners etc.
   Monthly Rotary Themes
   Birthdays and Anniversaries
   A year planner
   Clear indication of the regularity of the bulletin i.e. weekly, fortnightly or monthly is essential as well as whom your Bulletin Editor is.
6. READABILITY, PRESENTATION & ORIGINALITY (15%)
   Articles should be interesting, eye-catching and not too long.

	Please do not forget to include an Ann’s column. Feed back as to what they are doing is not only eye-opening to the Rotarians but could be very informative to the DG’s Ann.
	Remember to let your Ann / Partner read the publication!!!

Important

	You should send a copy of your bulletin to the DG, DGE & DGN.
	If you want to be considered for the Frank Connock Shield then send a copy of each issue to the Bulletin Adjudicator.

Contact Details of the current Bulletin Adjudicator (and others)

Some suggestions...

WHAT IS AN EDITORIAL?
An Editorial is a piece of writing in which a specific opinion is expressed

WHAT IS AN ARTICLE?
It is an objective reporting of the facts without your own opinion. This would include report backs on projects or even human-interest stories and pen sketches of interesting people.

(Thanks to Cheryl Botha for these definitions)

Some of the replies to the question - "Why should a club produce a bulletin?"

Melodene Stonestreet - The Bird Call - Flamingo Welkom
 

	This is a vehicle for communication of club activities - news of members, future meetings, projects etc.
	It should keep members abreast of activities if they have missed a meeting or two.
	It should be able to impart Rotary information to club members in 'lay terms', and so broaden the average Rotarian's knowledge.

PJ Cloete - The Sunset Times - Lukhanji Sunset

	A Bulletin is a great tool to keep the members, Honorary Members, interactors and community appraised of what is happening in the Club.
	A powerful education tool if used correctly and a valuable communication channel for the growth of a Club.
	I cannot imagine a Club without one.

Linsley Pudney & Marieke Robers. - A Friendly Word - Port Elizabeth

Its the glue that keeps the Club together.!!

Kingsley Kingon - Buffalo Tide-ings - East London

	I think they are there to inform members on what is going on in the Club;
	To tell members about projects and fellowship events that are coming in the future;
	To report on members' attendance;
	To give the Anns a place where they can report to the Anns' Club;
	To encourage members to attend events, such as the District Conference;
	To report on fellowship events that have happened, preferably with photographs;
	To inform members about Rotary and Rotary Foundation;
	To entertain! (That is why my Bulletin always has a "jokes" section)
	To give members a place where they can air their opinions on Rotary matters ("Letters to the Editor.")

Karen de Jager - PE Wester - Port Elizabeth West

	The bulletin is an information tool - a reminder of coming events and weekly duties of club members
	It acts as "minutes" taken from the previous meeting - those club members who were unable to attend the weekly meeting can read what happened, who the guest speaker was and what he/she had to say as well as items mentioned in point 1 above
	The bulletin editor places articles in the bulletin taken from various publications as well as the RI website to increase club members' knowledge about Rotary
	Details about birthdays and anniversaries - showing an interest in the greater family of Rotary

Ian Pringle - Diaz Digest - Algoa Bay

	Duties
	Coming events / speakers
	Report backs
	A bit of social reading and and laughter

Hazel Dell - Krotarian - Kroonstad

"Well, I think it's important to keep in contact with the members especially with those who can't be at every meeting, to give them report backs as to what has taken place and to inform them as to what will be happening in the future. Also to give them all a few articles to hopefully enjoy and also to gain a little more knowledge about Rotary."

Andy & Les Crowe - Donkin Chronicles - Port Elizabeth East

	Keep members informed and involved.
	Good marketing ploy for the club (both within and outside of Rotary)

Heather Howard - Rotary Round-Up - Port Alfred

	Yes, every Club should have a Bulletin:
	A bulletin is like a tapestry weaving together all aspects of Club life, creating a picture of the Club's activities and achievements for every reader, Rotarian or not.
	The bulletin lets members know what the others in the Club are doing, keeping them informed of projects so that readers can form the impression of the Club working as a unit, even when they are attached to different committees. And references to matters at District and RI level widen the Rotarian's horizon.
	A bulletin also offers a good opportunity for Presidents to convey, in measured tones, a written message about something he or she feels really strongly about within Rotary.
	At a practical level, it's a very useful tool for the dissemination of information - duty rosters, birthdays, coming events, work parties, sick lists and so on. And thumb nail sketches of individual Rotarians add a new dimension to our knowledge of one another - in one "Personal Portrait" we discovered that a quiet elderly Rotarian had been an heroic bomber pilot in the war, another had started his colourful adventurous and successful career as a lifesaver on Durban beach.
	But above all, I think, a bulletin's main significance is in the recruitment and retention of members. Recruitment, because a potential new member could gain from a good bulletin an impressive picture of what the Club is all about; retention, because a good bulletin should convey to all Club members a friendly, caring, sharing, encouraging feeling of being part of something really worthwhile.