Torch: WI | Page 13

building a chapter website

by shay pezzulo, NJCL communications coordinator

Salvete, omnes!

ABOUT ME: My name is Shay Pezzulo, and I’m your National Communications Coordinator. While the CoCo is not allowed to edit the NJCL website directly, I’ve been building websites for competitions at a local, state, and national level since eighth grade.

Chapter publicity is an essential part of the Junior Classical League; personally, I believe that a website is fundamental to the success of a local chapter’s promotion. Although building a website may seem daunting at first, it’s a lot easier (and more fun) than it looks!

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LAYOUT & DESIGN: Be sure to keep the layout of your website simple; it’s perfectly acceptable to use a template. Remember, functionality is most important in a chapter website. Also, make sure that your design maintains a healthy balance of words and photos.

CHAPTER INFORMATION: It's always a good idea to include a section with membership forms, officer info, minutes from your meetings, an archive, or even a handbook if you have one.

ACTIVITIES/EVENTS: Whenever you have an upcoming Toga Party or Saturnalia Festival, be sure to update your website about it! Add any posters or any promotional items to the website so that they’re easily accessible. In addition, be sure to document all your activities with great stories and photos!

CURRENCY/UPDATES: I recommend updating your website at least once a month in order to document all chapter events. Even if your chapter hasn’t had any recent activities, adding interactive features, minutes, or simply changing the design of a certain page can keep your website from getting stale.

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to read on (and to see a poster summarizing this article), turn to page 14.

page thirteen