Newsletter Competition

Rules

The IWGS newsletter competition is to honor pond society and water garden club newsletters. Newsletters play an important role in communicating news and information between pond society members. They help members and nonmembers develop an interest in pond society and water garden clubs' goals

By combining creativity, individuality, and dedication, the competition winners will distinguish themselves in service to their members. The award-winning newsletters will illustrate the importance of the skills and talents of hard-working club's members.

Eligibility

All local Pond Society Groups and Water Garden Clubs are eligible to enter.

Three issues from the year of Jan07 –Dec 07 are submitted.

Entry deadlines must be met

There is no entry fee.

Submission

To enter send an email to . Include web site where issues may be viewed and signify which issues you would like judged. Or send PDF of issues.

Entry deadline is October 10th

Winners will be notified by December 15th 2008

Awards

Certificates for the three best newsletters will be awarded. Two winners will receive an award from the IWGS. The winning editors will also receive a chance to judge next year's competition/critique. If the winning editor is an IWGS member the editor will also receive a beautiful waterlily painting.

Judging Criteria

Newsletters will be judged on four different categories. They are: fundamental elements, recommended topics, editorial quality and design and delivery. Each entry will receive a written critique from the judges informing them of areas of excellence and topics to improve. This feedback is designed to help participating clubs. By utilizing the judge's expertise they can improve the content and format of future newsletters.

Fundamental Elements

frequency, title, logo, mission statement, contact information publication date, officers contact, mailing address, policies, membership details, next meeting highlights

Editorials Quality

Grammar, craftsmanship/ coherence, and originality of the newsletter, overall impression

Design and Delivery

attractive presentation, navigational aids, art quality and appropriateness,

Scoring

Three Judges will score each entry. A combined total score from all three judges will determine the highest score. The first two categories are statistical. The score is determined on their presence or absence. The second two categories are qualitative. The scores are determined on a scale of 1-poor 2-good 3-fair 4-excellent A commentary and critique will be provided for each entry.