SAI's national newsletter is published by Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. Reports of chapter activities are submitted by collegiate and alumnae chapters, and additional fraternity and philanthropies news originates from National Headquarters.
Excerpts from Tempo! are featured on the following Idea Pages:
- Fraternity Education
- Province Days
- Fundraising
- Service Projects
Editors Provide Submission Tips
To make the Tempo! National Newsletter interesting and pertinent, we depend on your regular input of chapter activities. By detailing what you’ve been up to, we can let your sisters around the country share in your achievements, charitable efforts and brilliant campaigns.
Chapter comments for both collegiate and alumnae groups are published in Tempo!, the national SAI newsletter. As always, comments should be sent to the appropriate editor. The following suggestions will enable you to show off your chapter in the best possible manner.
- The amount of text in each comment entry is limited to 200 words. Quite a bit of information can be conveyed in detail in this amount of space. Use the entries in this issue as a template for yours.
- If you want to include the complete list of graduating seniors or MITs, those will count as part of your 150-200 words. This national SAI newsletter can’t replace the chapter and province newsletters, but instead can offer an overview of chapter activities for the entire fraternity.
- Provide information of specific compositions performed and any possible theme tying them together. This can inspire similar assemblies in other chapters. And here’s a trick using the current design: We don’t count the words in the photo cutlines. So be specific of who, where and what’s going on in your submitted photos.
- Too often, chapters begin with “___ had a great/busy year!” to begin their comments. It’s understandable. Starting an article can seem daunting, and this is a reliable crutch. We empathize. We've all been there. Unfortunately, we end up with a commentary section where too many articles begin this way. Truly, the articles don’t need such an introductory sentence. We, the SAI audience, are already eager to read what you’ve been up to. Hit the ground running.
- Watch your exclamation points. An abundance can make your comments shout at the reader. Exclamation points are good in moderation. We’re not banning them, just asking you to cut back to use when you’re conveying truly big news.
- Don’t be shy about the themes, details and activities of your booths, floats, parties, etc. We all want to know your clever ideas. Tempo! can act as a trading post for ideas for fundraisers, parties, and the like.
- Have your members received any awards, certificates, gold stars, etc. from outside SAI? Mention that in your entry. The initiation details for Distinguished Membership will still run in Pan Pipes (continue sending in those forms, bios, and pictures as you have before), but a brief mention of DM initiation in your comments is welcome.
- Let us know of upcoming events you have planned. Give us an idea of your scope of events. Province Day reports will appear in their own section within the Chapter Comments.
- When possible, submit your entries in Word .doc format. Using a font size no smaller than 12 is very helpful. Those articles using double-spaced lines are easier to read and edit.
- If you can’t save as a .doc file, type the text inside the email message itself. It will help if your attachment file name identifies the chapter instead of just saying “Article for Tempo” or “Tempo Submission.”
- If sending photos digitally, try to use as large a resolution as possible. We print at 300 dpi. Usually the default setting on your digital cameras is fine for this. Keep in mind: Even if we don’t run the photos, we keep them for the national archives.
- Be sure to identify the articles you send with the following information:
- Date of entry
- Your name as editor
- Email address or regular address
- Telephone number (if you don’t have email )
- Complete name of your chapter (with state)
And, voila!, a 12-step program for making Tempo! convenient, informative, and inviting to read. We welcome your responses and comments and want to help you put together your news in the best possible package. We look forward to your chapter submissions.
