UNIT SPOTLIGHT: Jefferson RTA

Many of our local Units produce a newsletter to keep members informed on upcoming events and membership news. The Jefferson Retired Teachers Association emails their newsletter to their membership using the software Smore. These newsletters look similar to email blasts you receive from LRTA or other organizations versus a standard PDF file.

Dr. Carol Henry Turner, Jefferson RTA President, decided to use an email format for the Jefferson RTA newsletters when she experienced issues mailing the newsletter. “It was hard to get to members, and mail can be expensive,” Dr. Turner remarks.

When she decided to give electronic newsletters a try, Dr. Turner reached out to her daughter who is a school principal in Texas. Her daughter creates the newsletters for school and was able to advise Dr. Turner on which route to go. Dr. Turner decided to purchase the program Smore, which is $79 a year.

Sample of the Jefferson RTA electronic newsletter.

Purchasing and using the Smore software has made the newsletter more interactive. Dr. Turner can include links to outside articles and resources within her newsletter to share additional information to her members. She can also include meetings and pictures without worry that she will run out of space. If someone wants to add community or members news to the next newsletter, they send it to her and Dr. Turner adds it in. “It’s so easy. I don’t have to recreate it every time. I can just update it or add a section.”

Not only have they experienced a cost savings, Dr. Turner comments that her members enjoy the interactive newsletter. “They love it!”

She says members really took to the electronic newsletter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The electronic newsletter became the primary mode of communication when it was harder to meet in person and mail service was spotty. “It made it much easier for everyone,” says Dr. Turner.

For more information about Jefferson RTA, contact Unit President Dr. Carol Henry Turner at (504) 913-8710.

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