North Carolina Mason
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/830913
Dear Mason Editor:
I have been sending news
items in and sometimes they get
in, sometimes they don't. What's
up with that? What do I have to
do to get into print???
Signed,
Baffled Brother
Dear Baffled,
I'm glad you
asked! While
there are many,
many items I can
fit into a 16-page
newsletter – this
is one very big
newsletter – there
are often many
more that I can't.
ere are some
good reasons why
one news item is
perfect and why
another won't ever
hit print. Why?
Here are some reasons …
Timeliness. Our news-
letter goes out every other
month, so it hits mailboxes in
mid-to-late February, April,
June, August, October and
December. So, if you send
me a promo for an event
happening in the next couple
of weeks, I can't use it in the
newsletter. e event will be
a memory by the time anyone
reads about it.
If you send me an item
that happened a couple of
months ago, it will be VERY
old by the time it hits print.
We're working hard to keep
the news in the newsletter as
timely as we can, so we can't
use anything more than a few
weeks old. Send your stories
and photos in AS SOON AS
YOU CAN after the event
ends. at increases your
chances of getting a little bit
of newsletter real estate.
And don't forget – you can
post your news on the North
Carolina Facebook page!
Here's how to find it: http://
bit.ly/2mhrl1a
Photos. Everyone and
their brother can
shoot a picture
these days from a
smart phone. It's
so easy and handy.
Trouble is, the
pictures are often
not very good.
Here's what we're
up against at the
Mason. We create
two versions of the
newsletter – one for
online reading, and
the other for print/
mailing. Reading the
online version is easier on the
eyes because it is so clear and
because photos are displayed
at higher resolutions.
What does that mean? e
higher the resolution, the
sharper and clearer the image.
So, if you send smart phone
photos, they must be clear
with no blurring or we just
can't use them. at's because
when they run in the printed
version, they will look terrible
and you won't be able to tell
one face from another.
Your goal in shooting
photos is to shoot the clearest
and best-lit shots you can.
If you have a digital camera,
choose that over a smart
phone. Only the newest smart
phones can really take a good
photo we can use.
Now, a word about who's
IN the photo. So many
brothers send in shots of large
crowds of people lined up and
smiling happily. While that's
a nice thing to do, making
sure everyone is included, the
truth is that nobody looks at
those photos because there are
too MANY faces. Try to keep
your group shots to five or so.
Remember to list names, left
to right, including spelled out
titles. (Check your spelling
on the names before you hit
"send."
Subject matter. I want
to be up front about this
first rule. As proud as we all
are of our new officers each
December and January, and
as much as we thank them
for their service, this is a
photo we just can't run. ere
are more than 300 lodges in
NC and virtually all of them
send in their officer installa-
tion photos each year. Even
though the newsletter is a
large one, we can't fit them
all in. And we can't pick and
choose one lodge to highlight
over another.
I'm sorry about that – it's
truly a moment for all of us to
celebrate. But take heart. You
CAN and SHOULD post
those photos and identify your
officers on the North Carolina
Facebook page. It's there for
exactly that purpose! Please
"like" the North Carolina
Mason page – there's a lot of
news there!
Missing information.
When you send in an item,
make sure you have answered
these questions: Who, what,
when, where, why and how.
Who is this about, and who
Page 4 The North Carolina Mason May/June 2017
T
h
e
m
i
s
s
i
o
n
o
f
f
r
e
e
m
a
s
o
n
r
y
i
n
n
o
r
T
h
C
a
r
o
l
i
n
a
i
s
T
o
r
a
i
s
e
T
h
e
m
o
r
a
l
,
s
o
C
i
a
l
,
i
n
T
e
l
l
e
C
T
u
a
l
,
a
n
d
s
p
i
r
i
T
u
a
l
C
o
n
s
C
i
e
n
C
e
o
f
s
o
C
i
e
T
y
b
y
T
e
a
C
h
i
n
g
T
h
e
a
n
C
i
e
n
T
a
n
d
e
n
d
u
r
i
n
g
p
h
i
l
o
s
o
p
h
i
C
a
l
TeneTs
of
broTherly
love,
relief,
and
TruTh,
whiCh
are
expressed
ouTwardly
Through
serviCe
To
god,
family,
CounTry,
and
self
under
The
faTherhood
of
god
wiThin
The
broTherhood
of
man.
(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
Good quality pictures are essential for suitable reproduction. e right to re-
ject any submission not suitable for use is reserved. Pictures will be returned
to the sender only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Email submissions are welcome; high resolution, unaltered JPGs and Rich
Text Format documents are preferred. Submissions and other correspon-
dence should be sent to the editor at 2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC
27608 or