1939 - Convention Report

              T W E N T Y - F I R S T PROVINCIAL CONVENTION 59
REPORT OF PUBLICITY SECRETARY, NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL DISTRICT
Mrs. H. J. Montgomery, Publicity Secretary, Wetaskiwin.
One hundred and thirty- one Branches have reported to' me and their
news appears in the " Edmonton Journal" each week. Fifty- one have re­ported
every meeting-, 25 not even taking holidays in summer. The remain­ing
80 seem to report when they think they have something of importance.
We have been able to have the news from about 15 Institutes appear
every week except during the time of Their Majesties' visit to Canada when
papers were crowded for space. Due to a mistake in mailing, the news did
not appear on September 30th, but that was accidental.
I know if you are a good Institute, you open with O Canada and close
with God Save the King, that you have your minutes read. This is of no
value for publicity nor does it matter who made and seconded motions. Some
Institutes occasionally send me reports filled in with name of Branch, Sec­retary,
date and attendance and leave the remainder of the space perfectly
blank. This is absolutely useless and it is a waste of postage to send it. I
only know that your Institute is alive and has met. This is of course of in­terest
to the Secretary and Treasurer but no use for news.
Please write your reports in a friendly manner and do not hesitate to
tell everything even if you have to turn the page over and write on the
back of it. Be particular when you tell me of a farewell and say who
the person is, where they are going, if their family is going too and i f it is
a permanent move, where and when you held the farewell, what you gave
her, who presented it, etc. If you do this it makes a nice1 little story, but
i f not, there is little I can do with it. When you have a paper of speaker
and they talk on Legislation, Health, Education or any other subject, will
you tell me what phase they talked about for there " are so many and to just
say their paper was on education does not convey much news.
In closing I wish to especially thank the " Edmonton Journal" and the
editor of the Women's Department for their co- operation and courtesy, and
also thank the Secretaries who have been so good in sending reports for I
know they are busy women.
REPORT OF PUBLICITY SECRETARY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT
Mrs. Charity P. Norton, Publicity Secretary, Cooldale.
Publicity can be estimated in dollars or expected value received for
space. In large papers, especially overcrowded newspapers, space comes
very high, anywhere from 50 cents to $ 5.00 an inch. The papers want items
of interest to every one of their readers; and they want up^ to- the- minute
news. I am told on reliable information that large papers, only about 25
percent of the material received, ever appears; the rest goes into the waste
basket. This brings me to the very gratifying generosity of the Lethbridge
Herald, which gives us at least two and a half columns every week, and the
articles appear exactly as I send them in— no blue- pencilling yet.
The Albertan gives us about one column each week, not always in one
column, often in seperate items. .... , .....