Hey Clete, what's the deal with this thing called Hubcap EXTRA I get on Thursdays?
I started sending meeting reminders on Thursday mornings as president-elect in 2014-15. Lately, I have been experimenting with Bulletin by Club Runner, which I am now calling Hubcap EXTRA. Using Bulletin to send the reminder is a way for me to learn how to use Bulletins.
Hey Clete, why do you want to learn about Bulletins?
Bulletins are a way to send newsletters to club members. It looks like email newsletters you would receive from someone using Constant Contact or Mail Chimp. The difference is Bulletins are integrated into Club Runner, the database we use to run many club functions. Because our website is also integrated with Club Runner, Bulletins can pull information from these sources automatically into the newsletter. Some examples are birthdays, Rotary anniversaries, upcoming speakers, club events, club executives, and others. Eventually, the Hubcap will be produced using Club Runner Bulletin.
Hey Clete, what's wrong with how we publish the Hubcap now?
For many years, we have used MS Publisher to assemble the Hubcap. Still, because it is not integrated into Club Runner, some information must be collected from Club Runner, usually printed, and then re-typed anew into MS Publisher. The end product of the current method is a PDF file that can be printed or read on screen. It looks like a printed newsletter. For this reason, we have always felt compelled to produce an even number of pages. We used to print and bring a small number of Hubcaps to the meetings. I vividly remember Roger Styles complaining when a particular Hubcap used only a part of a page and, therefore, was wasting space. With Bulletin, the length of each Hubcap will be as short or as long as we need for that week's content.
Hey Clete, with this Bulletin thing, the information is only as good as the information we put into Club Runner. Right?
Yep! When we schedule speakers, the president-elect enters the information into Club Runner, which automatically puts it on the website and into the Hubcap. The same will be true for all upcoming events.
Hey Clete, what else changes with the Bulletin?
That's it. We will still have a message written by the president (or delegee), the "It Happened Last Thursday" meeting report, and any special items as needed. As always, the deadline for all Hubcap content, whether emailed or updated in Club Runner, is Sunday at 6:00 P.M.
Hey Clete, what does this Bulletin thing cost?
It is included in the subscription the club pays for Club Runner. So, no additional cost.
Hey Clete, when will you make the change, and will I still get a reminder on Thursday?
I want to do it as soon as practicable because the process will be much easier for me. I will do it when I feel I have learned everything I need. A reasonable goal might be July 1. I intend to continue sending the reminder as a Bulletin. I also want to increase the number of photos, as long as the images are not reused (I generally don't re-use pictures that have appeared in other Hubcap issues or on our club's Facebook page).
