Comments at the PROBE gathering in Kansas City

One of the basic elements of Public Relations is doing a good job and taking credit for it. We frequently sell ourselves short by failing to do this.

Chapter leadership often turns to the PRO only at show time-"We need an ad."

But Public Relations is much more than that. Truly, show publicity should be just a small part of what a chapter PRO does throughout the year. Every PRO should have a budget. Most chapters too often overlook this.

External PR is just what the name implies-putting the chapter name before the public. Too often, the chapter PRO becomes nothing more than the guy who takes the ad copy to the newspaper. But effective PR is based on name recognition-in this case, the name of the chapter/chorus. But the media need to have news or some other hook for them to run something about your chapter. Unless you purchase an ad, don't expect more than a brief PSA about a guest night or other similar event in the life of your chapter.

However, if the guest night includes a visit from an outside expert, then you've got the news angle.

Take credit, too, for the many charitable activities in which your chapter participates. Whenever such events take place, be sure you have a photographer there to record the activities. Don't simply ask, "Who has a camera?" Get quality photos. If the event is large enough, notify the media in advance and perhaps they'll provide coverage. But don't fail to have your own photographer there, too. Take action shots of the performance, not a photo of someone handing someone else a check-what is known as a "grip and grin" and is absolutely boring. A photographer will come down close to the chorus or quartet and get a good photo. There won't be backs of heads or dirty tables in a quality photo.

Youth outreach events offer another great opportunity for the PRO to do his thing. But again, get quality photos. Don't take them from the back of the auditorium, so far away that faces are unrecognizable. Also, action photos need not, perhaps even should not, include the entire chorus.

A concise, well-written piece accompanied by a quality photo and caption will get into the newspaper. First of all, the work is done. Some minor editing is all that will be required to insure the article conforms to the newspaper's editorial guidelines. Stick to one topic in any article. Don't cram it full of disjointed information. In that case, if it runs at all, it will be so severely edited you won't recognize it. It is more likely to be completely rejected.

The other aspect of PR is internal-the PR efforts directed to chapter members and guests. This is doing a good job and giving credit for it.

Don't ever be guilty of missing an opportunity to say thank you to a chapter member. This is the ideal opportunity to involve the chapter Bulletin Editor. People love to see their name in print.

Chapter bulletins should be upbeat and positive. Consider the guest who takes home your bulletin full of negative comments-people who can't sing in tune; show tickets or ads not being sold, etc. That guest takes the bulletin home to his wife-who actually reads it! Do you think she'll want her husband to go back to that kind of organization?

Bulletin editors have control over what is published; they don't have to publish something simply because it's given to them. Develop an editorial policy for your chapter bulletin and then publicize it, so everyone knows what is expected. If submitted material doesn't meet those guidelines, edit it or send it back to be rewritten (with directions).

The chapter PRO is in a position to directly influence all aspects of the chapter and chorus's life. All chapter officers should understand this and involve the PRO in every project or event. The PRO is the direct link to every member, the district, and the general public.