29 Apr
2003
29 Apr
'03
11:39 a.m.
-We are getting some lively discussion and some good ideas. Maybe by
adopting the creative approach and using limited, targeted distribution we can
accomplish the goal of having a newsletter and still reduce our costs.
Regarding content, we will always need input from the members, but maybe
we could form an editorial committee so the burden is not all on one person.
In that way, if our goal is to do an issue each quarter, we can determine
in advance the general structure for each issue. Then we could then ask
for specific submissions to fit the theme or structure of each issue. This
might make the process easier.
We could do the general planning a few issues in advance, and then just
plug in the articles as they come in, and tie up any loose ends. It wouldn't
hurt to have some deadlines to keep things on track.
It seems to me that we have a lot of bright creative people in the group,
and based on the input already received, I think we should be able to find
a way to get this done, and then we can get back to enjoying some
homebrew...
Dave
------Original Message-------
From: John Longballa <longballa(a)hotmail.com>
Sent: 04/29/03 10:33 AM
To: mba(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Re: Newsletter
Sounds great! I don't think that anyone proposed cutting off members who
would prefer to receive a hard copy, or eliminating hard copies of the
Boiler. My thought was to send out copies to anyone who wanted/needed
one,
and save the costs on those members who opted to receive the newsletter
electronically. The hard copies ARE great for inspiring new memberships,
which is why I was placing them in all the homebrew shops.
As long as most articles will make it in, I think you'll have good
response.
I had articles that I wrote that were not printed because of space
limitations (?), and that can be frustrating, considering that everyone
always complains that there's never any member writings to print! I was
writing up descriptions of the meetings, but sometimes they would not be
printed. Oh, well.
John
From: allan.boyce(a)usbank.com
To: mba(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Re: Newsletter
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 10:22:47 -0500
I read all the email on TheBarn, and I peruse the website pretty
regularly,
but I still like getting my hard copy of The Boiler. I
also know that we
have some members that are NOT internet connected, and for them, The
Boiler
is really the only tangible evidence that we have a
club at all! I spoke
with a couple of new members on the I Love Beer Tour this past weekend,
and
they were internet connected, on TheBarn list, knew
where the web page
was,
and were STILL upset that they have not been informed
of club events via
a
newsletter since they joined last November. A
newsletter is "proof" that
they were informed.
The copies of The Boiler that I have received have been great. But I
propose that if there are no articles to publish, then we should just
print
a one or two page Boiler ON SCHEDULE that has whatever
article(s) that we
have, plus a listing of upcoming events.
If some members voluntarily agree to get their Boiler online, whether via
a
PDF file in their email or on the website, then that
reduces cost for the
club. But I think everyone should make that choice for themselves.
The old saying goes, "If you're not part of the solution, then you're
part
of the problem." Today I volunteered to write two
articles for the next
issue. (OK, so I'm an overachiever! ;-D) But if everyone who has posted
an opinion on The Boiler takes time to write ONE article a year, we'll
have
no end of content with which to fill it. Consider it a
challenge!
Print it, and they will come....
my 2 cents...
- Al
"John Longballa"
<longballa@hotma To: mba(a)thebarn.com
il.com> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Re: Newsletter
mba-bounce@theba
rn.com
04/29/2003 10:08
AM
Will:
Those are some great ideas. As the former secretary of the MN
Homebrewers,
I distributed the Boiler and thought about those same cost-saving
measures;
at a board meeting, I made the very same suggestions that you just made,
but
for reasons that I do not remember, the decision was made to continue
with
the traditional distribution method. Perhaps the
current board could
revisit these ideas. The Boiler was costing approximately $125 per issue
for printing and mailing costs, just as a point of reference. I would
print
about 150 copies, send 50 to members, send 40 to breweries, brewpubs,
beverage distributors, and homebrew shops that supported MNHBA, and place
the remainder in the Twin Cities' homebrew shops for MNHBA promotion.
John
Will wrote:
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2 cost savings ideas:
1. Put the Newsletter on the web site (not sure if it
is there now)
2. Ditribute the newsletter via email instead of snail
mail
3. Give members the option of not receiving the
newsletter via snail mail if they would rather get via
option 1 or 2 above.
I believe this would not only save postage $$ but also
printing expense.
As to content, I believe that someone has to take the
lead and that you cannot rely on member contributions.
It may be helpful to try coming up with an ideal
layout and then say: we need an article on wheat beer,
we need a an article on bottling methods, and an
article on new gadgetry or something like that. This
would make it easier for those who wish to provide
content. If someone is gung ho to write something on a
different topic, they would just need to clear it with
the editor.
From the perspective of a writer, the hardest thing to
some up with sometimes is a topic. So an open ended
request such as: we need content can make it more
difficult.
My $0.02 worth
Cheers
WH
--- Dave Cox <north-shore-brewer(a)earthlink.net> wrote:
_________________________________________________________________
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Greetings!
I am sure that some of you have wondered when the
next issue of our
newsletter, The Boiler, will be published. I have
heard a certain amount of
discussion about this subject, including whether we
should even publish a
newsletter.
Some people have made the argument that in view of
our limited budget, and
the fact that a newsletter is expensive to produce
and mail, this is
something that could be eliminated. It has also
been suggested that the
fact that people are not submitting articles
reflects a lack of interest in
the publication. Maybe these things are true.
I agree that the e-mail list is effective for those
members who have access.
But it does not serve all of our members, and it is
not as effective as a
means of attracting new members.
I would like to see The Boiler continue. I believe
that it is important not
only for current members, but as a means of letting
potential new members
know what this group is about. It lends credibility
to the organization and
lets others know what we have been doing.
But here is the catch. If we are to continue to
produce the newsletter, we
need input from YOU. Rick and I could fill up the
space with our own
musings and clever observations, but that wouldn't
do much to increase the
circulation. The thing that makes a newsletter
interesting is variety. Just
as the variety of interests and experience of the
members make MHBA
interesting, the newsletter needs input from a
variety of sources.
Submissions can range from technical topics to
equipment to beer styles to
events to anything you think other members would
find informative and
interesting.
Your newsletter editor Gloria does a great job, and
she is waiting for your
articles. If you want to see the project continue,
send her your
submissions now.
Dave
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