Table of Contents
Getting started
How is your chapter going to celebrate DeMolay Month? This page is full of information designed to help you with DeMolay Month planning. Note that this page is not meant to be read top to bottom. It is a collection of resources that can be used together or separately.
If your chapter doesn’t have a plan yet, this page will make planning quick and easy. Start with Step-by-Step Guide to DeMolay Month Planning. It will give you an overview of planning your DeMolay Month celebration. There are several more examples, worksheets, and idea starters that will help with every step in the process.
If your chapter already has a plan, this page may help make your DeMolay Month even better. Review through the material and make sure that you haven’t forgotten anything. Use the resources in this page to add an extra element or two to your plan.
DeMolay Month is the time of year when every chapter is focused on activities that involve the local community. The two main goals of DeMolay Month are community involvement and promotion of DeMolay.
DeMolay Month is your best public relations opportunity of the year. DeMolay Month activities should be aimed at catching the attention of people outside of DeMolay. Try to plan events that get the chapter out into the public, or that get the public to come to the chapter. Contact your local government officials to try to get a proclamation or resolution. Encourage your chapter’s members and advisors to talk about what the chapter is doing and to invite friends to attend events. Send information about your events to the local media and utilize social media. After a successful event, send pictures and a description of the event to the media.
DeMolay Week is the week which includes March 18th. During DeMolay Week, chapters should put forth an even more focused effort. Most of the major DeMolay Month events are scheduled for DeMolay Week.
Try to plan something that will keep DeMolay in the minds of your members each day during DeMolay Week. Your chapter doesn’t have to hold a fullscale event each day. There are creative ways of promoting DeMolay that don’t require a lot of planning or effort.
March 18th is the anniversary of the date DeMolay was founded in 1919. If at all possible, your chapter should plan an event to be held on March 18th, or visit a chapter that is holding an event.
It’s up to you and your chapter to make your community aware of DeMolay. Increased community awareness means increased community support for DeMolay programs and membership.
Outstanding Chapter Award
Earn the DeMolay Month Outstanding Chapter Award
Your chapter can earn a DeMolay Month Outstanding Chapter certificate for taking part in DeMolay Month. Just follow the steps in this page, then fill out the entry form, below, and submit it to DeMolay International by April 26, 2024.
All event descriptions must include the date of the event and the names of the members who attended. Please note the date and names of the people pictured with all photos you submit. Please send the highest quality image available. Be sure to include your chapter’s name, the date of the picture, and the names of the people in the picture in the description box when available.
Please note that all pictures submitted will become the property of DeMolay International, and may be used in issues DeMolay publications or promotional materials.
To be considered for the DeMolay Month Outstanding Chapter Award, your chapter must accomplish at least six of the activities listed below. For each activity your chapter completes, please provide the requested information. Winning chapters will receive a DeMolay Month Outstanding Chapter certificate.
- Organize a DeMolay Month planning committee within your chapter and have that committee hold at least one meeting.
- Hold a DeMolay Devotional Day Observance.
- Have a proclamation for DeMolay Month signed by your Mayor, City Council, or Governor.
- Hold a Community Service Project.
- Hold a special initiation class (of at least two new members) in honor of Dad Land, one of your advisors, or a prominent Mason or community leader.
- Have a social event with your chapter’s sponsoring body.
- Get a press release or picture of a DeMolay event published in your local paper during March.
- Have your chapter take part in a community-wide event or parade to highlight DeMolay in your area.
- Hold a special event in honor of your parents.
- Hold an Alumni, Past Master Councilors’, or Old Timers’ event or meeting.
Step-by-Step Guide to DeMolay Month Planning
This guide shows you step-by-step how to plan a great DeMolay Month. If your chapter does not have a DeMolay Month tradition, some of the steps may seem difficult. Just give it your best effort. Even if you don’t ask for a proclamation or send out press releases, you can still have a great DeMolay Month. Each year you can add to your DeMolay Month tradition. The most important part is getting started, so read through this guide and proceed!
Have a Great DeMolay Month
Execute each activity in your plan. Have a good time! Encourage your chapter members and advisors to talk about successful DeMolay Month events at school and work.
Be Proud of Your Success
After a successful activity or event, send a press release with pictures to your local media to say how great the event was. Also send your press releases, pictures, proclamations, and any newspaper clippings to the DeMolay Headquarters so that they can be filed in DeMolay’s archives or used in DeMolay publications. Use the e-mail [email protected]
Build on Your Success
Once DeMolay Month is over, think about ways that you can keep up the enthusiasm and community support that you have started. Send thank you letters or cards to VIPs and people who contributed to your DeMolay Month activities. Be sure to write down any good ideas for future events or next year’s DeMolay Month.
Press Releases Made Easy: The Basics
Have you ever wished that you saw the name “DeMolay” in the newspaper more often? Have you ever held a chapter event and thought that it would have been worthy of an article in the newspaper or a report on television? Did you know that there is something you can do to help make that happen? Sending a press release is the best way for you to draw the attention of a media outlet to your DeMolay chapter. This guide will show you how to create an effective press release so that you can raise awareness of your chapter and of DeMolay in general.
What is a press release?
A press release is an announcement that is made by a company, organization, or person that alerts media outlets to something that the sender thinks is newsworthy. One of the primary ways the media finds out what is going on is through press releases.
Who can send a press release? Anyone can send a press release.
What do media outlets do with press releases?
Reporters and editors decide which press releases to follow up on. A reporter might publish the whole press release, or a portion of it, word-for-word. The reporter could create a news story using the facts from the press release. The reporter could contact the sender to get additional details for a more complete news story. The reporter could decide not to publish the news.
Is there any way to guarantee that my chapter’s news will be published?
The media outlet decides which stories will be published. A press release is not an advertisement so it doesn’t cost any money, but there is no guarantee that it will be published. Unfortunately, uncontrollable factors and timing will play a part in the success of your press release. However, this guide will give you several suggestions on how you can increase the likelihood that your news will be published.
What type of chapter news is worthy of a press release?
You may send a press release for every event that your chapter holds, but some events are more likely to be published than others. If the event is a routine happening, it is probably not worth sending a press release. If the event is something that is out of the ordinary for your chapter, a press release is probably worthwhile. If the event is something that is out of the ordinary for your community or is truly outstanding, a press release is definitely warranted. Periodic happenings like installations or honor investitures may seem routine, but they are actually excellent opportunities for press releases. The part that is most newsworthy is not that you held another ceremony, but rather that new people were installed or honored. A press release about such an event should concentrate on the new officers or honorees. Other happenings that are not related to an event, like a chapter member winning a DeMolay International scholarship or prize may also be newsworthy. Consider sending a press release for:
- Election and/or installation of new officers
- Receiving/giving awards or special recognition
- Special programs/activities (i.e. DeMolay Month)
Press releases follow a different writing style than a paper for school or an e-mail to a friend. It is important to follow these guidelines so that your press release will be given proper consideration.
Objective, Factual, Specific Information
Try to state the information in a natural, objective, and matter-of-fact manner. On the other hand, try to draw the reader into the story and keep it interesting. Use specific details rather than vague or general statements. Try to give the reader a reason to think that the news you are announcing is interesting and important, but avoid over-selling your point.
News Shouldn’t Sound Like Advertising
Newspapers don’t like advertising disguised as a press release. Give information rather than opinions and avoid anything that sounds too much like an ad. For example, instead of “Come on down for a great meal…” use “The dinner is open to the public.” If you want to slip an opinion into the release, use a quote. For example, “Mr. Smith, a chapter advisor said, ‘The young men have been working hard at planning this event. I think it will be the best event of the summer.’” Quotes also make a press release more interesting.
The Title
Press release titles are not the same as newspaper headlines. A press release title should not be funny, shocking, or cute. The title should simply state the what the press release is about. The title should state the “who” and the “what” of the news. The title can be longer than a typical newspaper headline, but should not be more than two lines.
The Body of the Release
All of the most important information should come first, and the least important information should come last. The goal is to get all of the important information out before the reporter moves on to the next story. With a well-written press release, you can cut off the bottom half of the release and still get the important information.
The Introduction
Within the first paragraph, you should try to give information about “who, what, when, and where,” as quickly as possible. Information about “why” can be included as well or it can be spread throughout the body of the release.
Keep It Brief
Press releases should be short and to the point. Most press releases should be less than a page.
The “About DeMolay” Statement
After the body of the press release, there is often a statement to assist reporters that may be unfamiliar with the organization. The “About DeMolay” statement should always be included. It should read:
DeMolay is a community-based international organization for young men, ages 12 to 21. DeMolay members learn life-skills, responsibility, and cooperation by working together to plan and carry out their customized program of social, sports, and community service activities. Adult volunteers act as role models and advisors. Since 1919, DeMolay has encouraged more than a million young men to become leaders of character, including many successful businessmen, public servants, entertainers, and athletes. For more information on DeMolay call 1-800-DEMOLAY or visit www.beademolay.org.
Additional Ideas If your chapter has received a proclamation or other form of commendation that is related to the subject matter of the story, send a copy of it along with the press release. If you have photographs that are relevant to the article, include them along with the press release. Try to select a picture with one to four people. Note what the picture is showing the names of the people in the photo.
Although there are no strict formatting standards for a press release, there are some accepted guidelines that should be followed. Following these guidelines will make your press release more likely to be published.
Be sure that your press release contains all of the following elements (more or less in this order):
The words “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” to indicate that your news can be published immediately. In rare cases, you may want to use “FOR RELEASE AFTER (Preferred Date)” to indicate that you are giving advanced notice, but want the news published later. Be aware that publishers may not follow your preferred date.
The name of the chapter, a contact person (most likely the Chapter Dad), and his address, phone number and email address. The contact person should be knowledgeable about the news item and should be prepared to answer questions if he is contacted. (Contact information can be moved to the end for an email press release.)
A short but complete title; one that gives the reader an impression of what the press release is about.
The body of the press release is the content of the news item.
The “About DeMolay” statement should be informative and brief.
Additional means of finding out more information.
Three hash marks to indicate the end of the release. “###” (If you have to use a second page, center the word “MORE” at the bottom of the first page.)
Please see sample to follow in designing your press release.
Once your press release is ready, how can you get it into the hands of someone who might publish it?
When should I send a press release?
You can send a press release before the event. For a daily newspaper, television station, or radio station, send the press release three to five days before the date that you hope it will be published. Allow more time for a weekly or monthly newspaper. Regardless of whether you sent a press release before the event, if an event went well you can send a press release afterwards to help raise awareness of your chapter and of DeMolay. You should try to send your press release within a week after an event.
Who should I send a press release to?
Once you have put forth the effort to write a press release, you might as well send it to several media outlets. Assemble a list of local media outlets and ways to contact them. Keep the list handy so that you can use it again next time. Tip: Any media outlet is a potential target for your press release, but you are likely to have more success with small-town and community newspapers than you will with large-scale media outlets.
How should I send a press release?
E-mailing or faxing your press release is quick and easy, and is fine for low priority press releases. However, if you want to increase your likelihood of success, print the press release and send it by mail. Place a stamp on the envelope and address it by hand. For highest priority press releases, deliver the press release by hand. This method is especially effective with small newspapers where you might get to meet the reporter or editor in person. Tip: Bring along an inexpensive DeMolay pen and give it to the editor or reporter along with the press release.
How do I assemble a media list?
You can develop your media list all at once in an afternoon, or you can start with a handful of contacts and add a few more each time you send out a press release.
To begin, think of the five nearest neighborhoods, communities, or towns and make a list of the local newspapers for each. Next, add the names of the city or regional newspapers that are popular in your area. Ask your chapter’s chairman or other Masons for the names of local Masonic newsletters and add them to your list. Last, add the names of local radio and TV stations that have news broadcasts or communityoriented programming. There are several web sites that list media outlets by area (e.g. newslink.org) that will help in creating your list.
Once you have the list of media outlet names assembled, you’ll need to get contact information for each. Call the main telephone number or the “news” telephone number. When you get an operator, say “I have a press release about [a local community event]. Where should I send it?” Write down the name or department that you are given. Follow up by asking for a mailing address, direct phone number, fax number, and e-mail address.
How to Ask for a Proclamation or Resolution
A proclamation is a signed document from a government official, such as a mayor or governor, which officially and publicly announces something. A resolution is an official declaration of a city council or a similar government body that is read into the minutes of an official meeting and voted on by the members of the body. A resolution will require more planning than a proclamation since it has to be placed on the agenda of a scheduled council meeting. Proclamations and resolutions are often used to name a day or period of time in honor of a person or organization. A proclamation or resolution can be a great way of attracting attention to your chapter and gaining credibility in the community. Follow these steps to ask for a DeMolay Month or DeMolay Week proclamation or resolution.
Prepare a Package of Information
At minimum, your package should include a cover letter explaining your intention and giving information about your chapter, a page of background information about DeMolay, a list of your chapter’s DeMolay Month plans, and a sample proclamation.
Select Your Target
Select the mayor or a local councilperson and lookup his or her office in the government pages of the phone book. If someone connected to your chapter personally knows a local public official, ask him or her to help you make the first contact, and introduce you.
Make the First Contact
Call the office of the official you have selected and ask for the press representative. Have the package of information you prepared with you by the phone. Introduce yourself and tell the person that you are working on behalf of your DeMolay chapter. Give a brief explanation of DeMolay and your chapter and be sure to mention that DeMolay is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization for youth. Next, tell the person that you would like to know how to go about asking for a proclamation or resolution.
Send the Package of Information
Send the package of information immediately following your conversation with the press representative. If any additional materials were requested, send them as well.
Follow Up
Ten days after you talk to the official or the press representative, make contact again to ask for the status of the request. If no decision has been made yet, ask when you should call again. Keep calling back until a decision is made. Whether you are successful or not, send a thank you letter to the official and his staff.
Attend the Signing
If you are successful, find out if you can set an appointment for your chapter to attend the signing. At the signing be sure that each member wears a suit and tie. Be gracious and express how grateful you are for the official’s time. Bring a camera to take a group picture with the official.
Afterward If your chapter receives a proclamation or resolution, be sure to capitalize on your success:
• Frame the document and hang it in a place of prominence in your chapter’s meeting place.
• Inform your jurisdiction’s Executive Officer.
• Send a copy of the document and any pictures to the DeMolay International Service and Leadership Center so that it can be considered for the DeMolay News and other publications and can be filed in DeMolay’s archives.
• Send a press release to the local media along with any pictures of the signing.
• When sending any other DeMolay Month press releases, attach a copy of the document to increase the press release’s credibility. All materials for this Award must be received by April 26, 2024.
Idea Starter
Having trouble thinking of ideas for DeMolay Month activities or events? Here are several possibilities. Customize the activities on this list to meet your chapter’s needs.
- Host a community-wide Mother or Father of the Year contest.
- Teach seniors to use the internet.
- Host a story-hour for children at the library.
- Put on a community play.
- Offer to do yard work or big household chores for seniors in the area (paint a room, clean out a garage or attic, move furniture, small home repairs, clean the gutters, etc.).
- Volunteer at a local Special Olympics event.
- Read to the elderly at a nursing home.
- Clean up a park. Fix and paint old or worn equipment.
- Start a community garden.
- Paint over graffiti.
- Read to the blind.
- Volunteer at a local food bank or soup kitchen.
- Work with a local charity like Habitat for Humanity.
- Host a blood drive.
- Host a community walk-a-thon or bike-a-thon with proceeds benefiting your chapter’s favorite charity.
- Recognize a teacher of the year award.
- Collect stuffed animals and donate to the local police station.
- Hold a dance and invite everyone in your class/school to attend.
- Have a family bowl-a-thon or skate-a-thon with proceeds benefiting your chapter’s favorite charity.
- Plant a tree and dedicate it to someone.
- Volunteer at a local humane society or animal control office.
- Host a city-wide pen pal effort to stay in contact with our military forces.
- Hold a “dog walk”.
- Build a ramp for the home of a person in a wheelchair.
- Provide refreshments at a local Bingo night.
- Co-host a child identity day at the local mall in conjunction with the local police and fire department.
- Offer to paint house numbers on the curb in reflective paint.
- Adopt a pothole and raise funds to repair it.
- Plant flowers and plants along a highway or main road.
- Clean up a vacant lot.
- Deliver flowers to a nursing home.
- Host a one-day youth leadership conference for all area youth.
- Start a recycling program at school.
- Hand out new smoke alarm batteries door-to-door and encourage residents to change their battery. This could be done in conjunction with a local fire department.
- Organize a community pet show.
- Hold a spaghetti or chili dinner to thank those who have made a difference in your life (parents, clergy, teachers, elected officials, civic leaders, neighbors, grandparents, advisors, etc.)
- Hold an event to honor all of your communities military and their families.
- Donate bagels or doughnuts to fire or police stations in the morning.
- Hold a penny drive with pennies benefiting your chapter’s favorite charity.
- Hold a drunken driving awareness talk with local officials at the high school.
- Host a “parents prom”.
- As a chapter, arrange to wear coats, ties, and DeMolay pins to school on the same day.
- As a chapter, arrange to wear DeMolay shirts or jackets to school on the same day.
- Hold a community breakfast.
- Donate an afternoon to spiffing up and making small repairs to a local house of worship in need.
- Provide DeMolay flyers to local houses of worship to insert in their weekly bulletin.
- Wash city police cars or fire trucks.
- Host a career day at your local school. Invite community leaders or anyone in your community with an interesting career to speak.
- Work with local Shriners to arrange a clown performance at a facility for people with special needs, a nursing home, or a children’s hospital.
- Have an aluminum can drive with proceeds benefiting your chapter’s favorite charity.
- Mow lawns or shovel snow throughout your community.
- Clean a veteran’s cemetery.
- Offer to tutor students in younger grades.
- Volunteer as phone operators for a public television or radio telethon.
- Create a community service and emergency phone number directory and distribute it to community residents. (Make sure the DeMolay logo appears on the sheet.)
- Have a door-to-door canned food drive to benefit a local food bank.
- Hold a safety belt checkpoint at the local high school and give candy to those buckled in.
- Present an award to a community leader.
- Donate new flags to public buildings.
- Volunteer at a children’s hospital.
- Present an “Outstanding Citizen” award.
- Provide refreshments after a religious service at a local house of worship.
- Collect and donate clothing for a local homeless shelter.
- Purchase flowers for a religious service.
- Team up with a local auto shop to sponsor a free auto safety inspection at school.
- Send corsages and boutonnieres to teachers with a DeMolay brochure and a thank you note.
- Hold a “family night at the movies” at your local Masonic building for families in the community featuring two favorite family films and free popcorn and sodas.
- Host a fun fair for school-age children in the community.
- Collect money and donate an item in the community, such as a defibrillator for the local mall.
- Get a local government official to proclaim DeMolay Week or DeMolay Month.
- Hold a fundraising event with proceeds benefiting your chapter’s favorite charity.
- Donate a copy of “Hi, Dad!” to the local library.
- Set up a DeMolay information booth at the mall.
- Host a variety show or talent contest.
- Conduct a devotional service at a local memorial for war veterans. Place flags or wreaths on the site.
- Visit a veteran’s hospital.
- Have a member sing or play the National Anthem at a sporting event.
- Conduct a “servant auction” in which chapter members are “sold” for a day’s labor to local citizens in exchange for donations to your chapter’s favorite charity.
- Honor the Masons in your community who have rendered outstanding service to DeMolay or to humanity.
- Purchase an ad in the local paper.
- Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper explaining DeMolay and the opportunity it offers to today’s young men.
- Hold a free car wash.
…Add your own ideas.
Internet Options and Tools
The internet offers DeMolay chapters more publicity options and resources than they could possibly imagine. From searching for ideas, phone numbers, pictures, to other DeMolay material.
Searching Online
Using the internet you can look up almost any topic to help you with your DeMolay Month plans. We suggest using any of these websites for the best results: Google, Yahoo, and Ask. After you choose your site, find the space provided that allows you to type what you are searching for. The more general your search, the more options you will find. If you are specific, you will find exactly what you are looking for right away.
Chapter web sites & Pages
It is always a good idea for chapters to have a web presence. In today’s society, people are going to look for you electronically before they approach you in person. All DeMolay sites should contain appropriate content. This means if you wouldn’t want your Mother of Advisor to see it, it should not be in the chapter’s web page. This does not mean your chapter site cannot be fun and colorful or have music and games on it. Just be sure that what you are creating makes DeMolay look good and not bad.
The web site’s home page must contain the complete name of the chapter, jurisdiction, or appendant group represented. The home page should also state the city, providence or township in which it is located as well as the jurisdiction.
Allegiance Statement
All DeMolay publications and web sites must have the DeMolay International allegiance statement posted on it somewhere. Small variations which include the Executive Officer are acceptable but otherwise the statement should read:
This web site is the official web site of _____________ Chapter and acknowledges the authority of and yields allegiance to DeMolay International of which Frand S. Land was founder.
Internet Advisor(s)
Anything the chapter posts online from flyers to web sites should have Advisory Council approval. There should be a specific Advisor in charge to oversee these types of items or projects. They should always have full administrative rights and a basic knowledge of how it works. They must be a registered Advisor with DeMolay International and have gone through D.A.D. training. The Internet Advisor’s name and contact information must be posted on the web site.
Free Web Site Companies
Chapters may decide to purchase their own domain name, web site, or hosting. That is up to each individual chapter to decide. There are a few suggestions for free web sites: Webs.com, Facebook.com and Weebly.com
Copyrights and Trademarks
All copyright and trademark laws must be observed. While it is great to have lots of information, logos, games, and pictures in the site, make sure you have permission to use them if they require it.
Linking
Links to external web pages and resources must be noted so as to make it clear to the user that the content of the external web site is not provided or maintained by those associated with the DeMolay site. All pages of the web site must contain a prominent link to the “home page” or must contain the required information for the home page.
Youtube and Other Videos
Videos and slideshows are great ways to show others what DeMolay is or a great keepsake of what the Chapter has done. Videos posted online should only be done after being reviewed by the Internet Advisor or the Advisory Council. Make sure to use only pictures and videos that will enhance DeMolay’s image and not detract from it, or embarrass any DeMolay member. You may want to ask everyone involved in the show if they approve before posting it. If the Chapter has a web site or page, it is always a good idea to link or embed the video on the site. Youtube offers both options to right of the video while playing.
Private Information
Advisors and Adults: Private information of adults (age 21 and older) such as mailing/street address, emails or telephone numbers must not be posted to general access area of the web site without the consent of that individual. Members and Minors: Private information of individuals under the age of 21 and any information by which a person could gain access to the private information of a minor must not e available in a general access area of the web site without the expressed written consent of the minor’s parents.
