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Did you know the Chapter News section is one of the most widely read departments of The Delta? Alumni members are eager to see what their chapter has been up to, and the Chapter News section is often the first page they flip to after opening the latest issue of the magazine.

 

Submitting chapter news also gives the General Fraternity staff in Lexington a chance to promote positive news stories to various constituent groups, including thousands of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Not sure how to write a story about your chapter's recent milestone or upcoming event? The Chapter News Submission Form is here to help with a few easy steps.

 

(For additional tips on drafting and getting a press release published by local and regional media outlets, check out the Generating Positive Press resource.)

 

A few things to consider before getting started...

    • Chapter news submissions should be written as they would appear in a newspaper or magazine.
      • Stick to third person: "The Alpha Chapter has won Greek Week for three consecutive years."
      • Avoid 1st person: "Our chapter has won Greek Week for three consecutive years."
    • Think beyond philanthropy and service events
      • Major milestones (noteworthy recruitment numbers, anniversaries, a record number of dollars raised for philanthropy, etc.)
      • Innovative LEAD sessions
      • Examples of individual members seeking campus leadership positions
    • Avoid long, wordy paragraphs whenever possible; concise and well-written stories are more likely to get published

Step

1. Who, What, When, Where, Why?
Example 1: Recap of recent service event: Last fall, Delta Phi Chapter participated in TerpThon, the University of Maryland's 12-hour dance marathon benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Example 2: Description of innovative LEAD session: Zeta Kappa Chapter hosted a career planning LEAD session open to the entire Fresno State campus last spring to provide students with essential skills for landing their first job out of school.
Example 3: News story about individual accomplishment: Alpha Chapter Commander James Frank Hopkins was elected president of the Virginia Military Institute Honor Court last semester.
2. If this is an annual event, how long has your chapter been hosting or participating? How has the event evolved over time?
Example 1: Delta Phi Chapter has participated in TerpThon since its inception in 2003. The chapter has taken a bigger role in the event each year, this time raising more than any other student organization.
Example 2: The chapter started using the career-building LEAD session several years ago just for seniors. Zeta Kappa started inviting the same guest facilitator, a faculty member from the University's career advancement office, to work with the chapter each year. This year, the chapter decided to open the event to the whole campus to provide a useful service for fellow students and as a way to recruit potential new members.
Example 3: Before his election to president, Hopkins had served as his class's representative to the Honor Court for the previous two years.
3. How many people attended the event? Any special guests of note? (If this news story is not about an event, skip to next question.)
Example 1: 150 students and faculty participated in this year's TerpThon, including the University president, the head football coach, and local leaders in the College Park community. Delta Phi Chapter provided 5 of the 150 event captains.
Example 2: Though the session only included a few seniors in the first year, the most recent workshop – open to the whole campus – attracted over 100 students interested in polishing job skills to launch their careers.
Example 3: Hopkins is the third consecutive Sigma Nu to hold the position.
4. What motivated the chapter/individual to participate in this particular event or accomplish this goal?
Example 1: In addition to expecting all members to participate in other campus organizations, several members of Delta Phi Chapter have family members who are cancer survivors.
Example 2: Zeta Kappa wants to see its members succeed through graduation and beyond in their careers. The career workshop – which has now blossomed into a campus-wide event – shows the school and local community that Sigma Nu is serious about developing leaders for successful careers.
Example 3: When asked why he sought the position, Hopkins said he wanted to advance the peer-accountability system that had defined the Institute since its founding. "I care deeply about advancing the Honor Principle at VMI and I'm grateful my classmates have given me this chance to lead such an important student organization," he remarked.
5. What steps did the chapter take to achieve this milestone or make the event a success?
Example 1: Six months before the event, the chapter organized a fundraising page so friends and family members could donate online. The chapter also teamed up with a sorority to host a letter-writing campaign for the fundraising effort.
Example 2: The chapter knew it needed an outside facilitator – someone familiar with the subject who could engagingly facilitate the LEAD session. Reaching out to the University's career planning office seemed like an obvious choice.
Example 3: Members of Alpha Chapter campaigned on Hopkins' behalf in the weeks leading up to the election. Alpha Chapter is well known around campus for encouraging its members to seek leadership positions in other campus organizations.
What are the chapter's goals moving forward?
Example 1: The chapter hit its fundraising target of $10,000 and hopes to build off this momentum for next year with an ambitious goal to double the total amount raised.
Example 2: The chapter intends to build off this model and begin hosting additional campus-wide LEAD sessions covering effective study habits, time management, and tips for finding internships.
Example 3: In this new role, Hopkins has goals to continue educating fellow cadets on the merits of the Honor System. Under Hopkins' leadership, the Honor Court has also set goals to incorporate information about the Honor System in the campus tours for prospective students.
Images
Submit images (photographs, flyers, logos, etc.) from your event that can be included with Facebook/Twitter posts. High-resolution images must be submitted for The Delta (1 MB in size or greater). Check the box and further instructions will be emailed to the address provided below.
Contact Information
Leave a phone number and email so we can contact you with potential follow up questions.
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Links
Links to any additional news coverage, event pages, photo galleries

The Delta

© 2015-2022 Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc.
9 North Lewis Street, P.O. Box 1869, Lexington, Virginia 24450
Phone: (540) 463-1869 | Fax: (540) 463-1669 | Email: headquarters@sigmanu.org

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