Navy League Awards: Mackie Awards

Submission Instructions

A. NEWSLETTERS

Submission Instructions

- Send a minimum of four newsletter issues published in 2007
- Please include two (2) copies of each issue.
- Be sure to indicate your council size, the name of your newsletter editor and who receives it (in addition to your Council membership).

Categories: There are separate categories for region, state, and council newsletters, and council newsletters are further divided into small (up to 125 members), medium (126 - 499 members) and large (500+ members). There is a winner and a runner-up chosen for each category. Newsletters are judged on the basis of how well the editor works with the resources that he or she has. The overall appearance of a newsletter is a factor, but "slickness" is not, so a neatly produced newsletter created on a typewriter might beat out a color one produced on a computer, for example.

Criteria: The judges take into account:

• frequency (must be issued a minimum of four times a year)
• quality of writing
• readability & layout
• timeliness
• subject matter
• visibility in the community
• good use of photographs
• distribution

A checklist of what you may want to look for in your newsletter is available below:

Your Newsletter -- Is It a Mackie Contender?

This checklist was designed as a tool to help you improve your newsletter. Look through the list to see what ideas you can use to improve your publication.

Format

• Do you have a masthead? Pick a name and have it rendered graphically.
• Is the editor's name readily visible?
• Do you have an issue and volume number?
• Is the editor and/or council's address easy to find?
• Do you have page numbers if there are several pages?
• Do your headlines stand out from the rest of the copy?
• Is your type large enough to be read easily? (Applies only to those who have a choice of type sizes.)
• Do you stick to a very few styles of type? Do your articles all have the same size type? Too many type styles and sizes clutter up a newsletter and make it hard to read.
• Do you stick to one format? (Three-column, two-column or one-column.)

Content

• Are your articles short and to the point?
• Are your articles well written and interesting?
• Is your writing grammatically correct?
• Are there any typos? Catch them before the newsletter goes to print.
• Do you have someone else read through your newsletter to proof it and check for clarity and readability?
• Is your only news the next dinner meeting and the biography of the speaker? Try for a greater variety of information.
• Is there a variety of news from your council, the state, the region, and National Headquarters? Do you use headquarters-provided Legislative Reports?
• Do you have articles about the sea services?
• Do you have articles about all the good things your Navy League Council is doing in the community?
• Do you include pertinent quotes?
• Do your headlines grab the reader?
• Is information easy to find?
• Do your articles follow a logical progression? Are like articles grouped together?

Graphics

• Do you use more than one piece of clip art or on-line art per page? Try to keep clip art to a minimum--it clutters up the page.
• Is your artwork interesting and relevant or just filling up space?
• Are your photographs clear and well reproduced?
• Do you use photographs to graphic advantage? For example, one large clear photograph is better than four fuzzy ones.
• Is your newsletter reproduced clearly, or are you using a third-generation photocopy of the original artwork for your masthead? Remember that if you are photocopying, photographs do not reproduce well. If you must photocopy photographs, try to take photos that are slightly underexposed with good contrast.
• Do you use "white space"? Running copy to the edge of the page instead of leaving a margin makes it harder to read. Leave space around photographs, headlines, pull-out quotes, and your masthead. An airier layout is easier to read.
• Do you switch typefaces from article to article? This is very hard to do well. It's better to have only two type styles: one for headlines, and another for body copy.
• Is everything laid out straight on the page?

Distribution

• Do you have advertisers?
• Do you distribute your newsletter to influential non-members such as:
• Mayor
• Board of Supervisors
• local libraries, high schools, colleges and universities
• active duty sea service people -- especially your adopted ships, units, or facility personnel
• radio, television, and newspaper editors
• religious leaders
• potential members
• community leaders and members of your congressional delegation?
• Do you provide extra copies to people featured?
• Do you send a copy to National Headquarters (Director of Public Relations)?

B. WEBSITES

Submission Instructions

• Websites entered must have been in general use for at least part of calendar year 2007.
• Websites that are not currently available online may be submitted via CD-ROM.
• Passwords must be provided to the judges for websites that are password protected
• Website Submissions may be emailed to:

publicrelations@navyleague.org Subj: Mackie Award - Website Submission
or faxed to Director of Public Relations – (703) 528-2333
MACKIE AWARD – WEBSITE SUBMISSION

The following fields are required for entry:

Name of Council/Region/Area: _____________________________
Title of Website Entry ____________________________________
Site URL http:// _________________________________________
(Please enter only the URL, any additional text will result in an error)
Password for access to protected site/pages: ____________________
Name of Webmaster: ______________________________________

Categories

The categories for the websites will be the same as the newsletters: separate categories for region, state, and council websites. Council websites are further divided into small (up to 125 members), medium (126 - 499 members) and large (500+ members). There is a winner and a runner-up chosen for each category. Websites are judged on the basis of how well the webmaster works with available resources. The overall appearance of a website is a significant factor, but equally important elements are compelling content, clearly defined goals and easy navigation. A good web site puts the needs of its users first.

Criteria: Entries will be judged on the following seven criteria:

• Design
• Innovation
• Content
• Technology
• Interactivity
• Copywriting
• Ease of use to target audience

What makes your website a good Mackie contender?

• Credible, original content relevant to the local council, local sea service activities and regional or national Navy League goals and activities
• Be interactive; good interactivity engages the user and makes your site memorable
• Clearly defined goals
• Easy to read
• Be well-organized
• Easy to navigate
• Valuable, timely information to the user, not lots of data
• Consistent design throughout
• Offers quality, compelling content
• Visually attractive
• Proper use spelling and grammar
• Loads quickly
• Uses special effects only if they add value
• Have working links
• Builds user loyalty; c ustom-tailor the information to user preferences
• There's some way to contact the people responsible for the site; usually an e-mail address or phone number and street address

Send all submissions to Director of Public Relations, Navy League of the United States, 2300 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22201-3308.