North Carolina Mason
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/806220
It's easy to communicate,
don't you think? You talk, I
listen. You write, I read. Seems
pretty straightforward.
But then comes the day
you find yourself in charge
of lodge public relations.
Suddenly, communicating
seems about as
easy to pull off as
brain surgery.
I'm here to tell
you: it ain't brain
surgery. Or even
rocket science!
Full disclosure:
It's not always
easy. And it does
take some time,
but not a lot – just
time well spent.
As your friendly
local NC Mason
editor and
someone who has communi-
cated in print, online and via
social media for the last few
centuries (well, it feels like
centuries!), maybe I can help.
Looking at the PR require-
ments for our Grand Master's
Lion and Pillar Lodge of
Excellence application, let me
offer a tip or two.
1.
If you're the new PR
guy, take a minute to
enjoy it. is work is fun. Your
goal is to recognize news that
will interest your lodge, your
community and your fellow
Masons. Handy tip number 1
– if it interests you and makes
you want to know more, it
will interest others.
2.
If you're a terrible
photographer, never
fear. Recruit a brother who
has a way with a smartphone
or even better, has a real
camera that can take higher-
resolution pictures. Blurry
pictures should be retaken;
they look terrible when
printed on paper and we can't
do a thing with them. Gener-
ally, send one photo with
your stories to the Mason or
to post on Facebook, unless
you have a ton of
really good ones.
In that case, post as
many as you like on
Facebook.
3.
Where will
you get the
most eyes on your
Facebook stories?
Post them on e
North Carolina
Mason page (not
the NC Mason
page – spell the
name out and look
for the photo of the grand
officers and the square and
compasses) and the Grand
Lodge of North Carolina
A.F. & A.M. Don't know
how to post on Facebook?
Ask a tech-loving brother
to teach you or check out
this very basic how-to video
from Facebook: http://bit.
ly/2mhrl1a.
What kind of stories should
you send in and post? e
Mason welcomes Milepost
and Traveling the Tar Heel
State items, with photos if
possible. Use Facebook to
post UPCOMING meetings
of interest, invite brothers
from all over to come to a
fundraiser you're planning,
tell a moving story about
something that happened
recently to a brother or to you
(get permission of course).
Use your phone to make a
short video about something
happening at the lodge! (But
resist shooting photos or
videos in tiled meetings and
during degrees. Don't give
away secrets.) ink of NC
Mason items as stories that
capture history; Facebook
posts alert the world that
history is about to be made.
4.
e passing of a
brother, his wife or an
OES sister is always of imme-
diate interest to your brothers.
Feel free to post those items
on the Mason Facebook
page. Let's work to make
that a go-to space for those
notices, especially for those
who might want to attend the
funeral or send condolences.
5.
Keep your message
short and simple. In all
cases – for the Mason or for
Facebook or for local media
– there's no need to wax on
and on and on. People don't
take time to read long pieces
anymore; and you have about
five seconds to get their atten-
tion online, according to most
studies. Hit them with the
news in the very first line.
6.
Speaking of local media
… Get to know your
local editor. ere is much
less space to run stories in
newspapers now than ever
before, so anything you pitch
to them to cover – or to run a
story you have written – needs
to be of interest to many
people and written in a way
that captures readers. Be kind
to your local reporters. ey
are overworked and there are
lots of great stories out there.
Be patient if you don't hear
back right away. Always try to
Page 4 The North Carolina Mason March/April 2017
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(USPS 598-260) is published bimonthly by e Grand Lodge of AF & AM
of North Carolina, 2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608.
ird class postage paid at Oxford, NC 27565.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to e North Carolina Mason,
School Of Graphic Arts, Masonic Home for Children, Oxford, NC 27565.
Grand Master
A. Gene Cobb Jr.
Board Of Publication
Bill Faison (Chairman)
R. Kevin Combs
W.E. Warnock
John R. Beamon III
John S. Dodd
Editor
Beth Grace
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