By Frances Swensson

Internal Communications (IC) has some new ideas to help our Atlanta chapter be better informed!

Beginning in July 2023, we ask all ARCS Atlanta board members who want to communicate with the membership via email to submit an IC Request Form. 

(See below).  After gaining approval for the email(s) from the chapter President, Board members will complete the form with all pertinent information including:

• proposed dates for emails to be distributed to the members
• all copy/text with date, time, and location of event
• special instructions for the event
• registration information including costs, meal choices, etc.  

Submit the IC Request Form to the Internal Communications Chair 30 days prior to your first requested email date; the IC Chairman will then coordinate all requested dates with the master IC calendar for a balanced process of communication.

PUSH to PLAN!  Internal Communications encourages ARCS Atlanta Board Members to formulate and schedule all needed communications for the year this July 2023.  If we plan ahead and submit all email requests by September 1, 2023, we can have an organized 2023-2024 Master Communications Calendar with more effective information going to our members.  

Thank you!  The Internal Communications Committee and our members will appreciate all Board Members’ efforts to make our communications more compelling and informative by participating in this new process.

Internal Communications Request Form

Section 1

Provide dates for ALL emails associated with the event: Invitation - Reminder - Final reminder. If you believe that you need more than 3 communications, please confer with the IC Chair.

Section 2

Please provide a brief description of the event or subject of the emails - please include the date, location, cost and time of the event, the committee or chair organizer(s), whether food is to be served and the choices, whether guests are invited and whether there is a limit to number of participants and/or guests, whether a waiting list is needed, can registration be canceled and by when, whether registration fee can be refunded, text for the confirmation email, speaker and topic information, if appropriate, special instructions re: event – i.e. walking shoes, masks etc. 

Section 3

Include text for each email, be sure to include the following:

- ARCS Logo is always a header element

- Text for Subject line for each email

- From address

- All graphics, links, photos

- Contact information for questions, concerns

Section 4

If you would like to include a brief bio for the speaker, - 150 words or less - you may upload the file here.

Section 5

If on-line registration is needed, specify the field(s) needed for registration (i.e., meal choices, cost, payment method, guest information), text for final reminder, and instructions such as parking info.  Please indicate which fields are mandatory for completion. Please remember the information for the final reminder will be sent only to registered members and guests. 

Section 6

If on-line registration is needed, it will also need to be tested.  Please provide a date for testing, all options that need to be tested, and who will be testing each option.

**The last email prior to the event will be generated by the system and will only go to members who have registered.  This email can be sent on a specific date or a set number of days or hours prior to the scheduled event.  The email should contain important instructions or information only.  Please provide the requested date, time, and text for this final email.