Vestnik Bi-Monthly Newspaper

Vestnik, which translated means “bulletin,” is SPJST’s member newsletter published twice a month. It has been a builder of images and a shaper of opinions and attitudes about the fraternal activities, insurance and other benefits available to members.

Subscriptions to the Vestnik are free upon request to members of SPJST. Non-members may purchase a subscription to the newspaper at the rate of $25 annually. Subscription requests by mail may be directed to the Controller’s Office, in care of the SPJST Home Office in Temple.

The VESTNIK is first and foremost interested in hearing about your lodge’s charitable and civic activities. We want to know what your lodge is doing. There are many activities at your lodge that deserve attention in the VESTNIK. After all, your members and potential new members want to know about the great work you are doing and how they can become members. We would especially like to hear about your lodge’s projects and news about the following subjects:

  • District Meetings/Events
  • Lodge Anniversaries/Picnics
  • Community Service Projects
  • Youth Club Events
  • Fundraising Activities
  • Organization/Chartering of New Lodges
  • Social and Other Events
  • Mortgage-Burning Ceremonies
  • Parade Entries
  • Lodge Officer Installations
  • Publicity for Future Events
  • Recognition/Awards to SPJST Lodges
  • Patriotic Events
  • Membership Drives
  • 50-Year, 75-Year, Age 96, Age 100
  • Submissions must be timely. Mail or email your submission within two weeks of the date of your lodge’s event.
  • Information should be clear and complete. Answer the five Ws (who, what, where, when, and why).
  • Make sure to mention who benefited from the lodge activities – children, veterans, etc.
  • Submissions should be typed or neatly handwritten, double-spaced. Email submissions should be embedded into the email or sent as Microsoft Word attachments.
  • Write clearly. Use your simplest English. Never use fancy wording or terms that only a member of your lodge would understand. Most important, be honest, impartial, accurate, and brief. Never use a quote unless it is direct and accurate, and always identify your sources.
  • Include a contact person and daytime/evening phone numbers in case we need more information.
  • When sending information about upcoming SPJST events, please include your name and contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
  • Calendar items should include the date, time, location of the event, and contact information for readers to call if they want more information.

The VESTNIK will publish wedding, engagement, milestone birthday, milestone anniversary, new member, and achievement announcements for SPJST members.

Either the bride or groom must be an SPJST member for engagement and wedding announcements. Either the husband or wife must be an SPJST member for anniversary announcements. Achievement announcements include a significant event in an SPJST member’s life. This includes (but is not limited to) awards, academic achievements in college, business achievements, and promotions. We ask that announcements be kept brief. Photos may be submitted with announcements.

  • When sending wedding, engagement, milestone anniversary/birthday, new member, and achievement announcements, please include your name and contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address). Photos may also be submitted with announcements.
  • Please send engagement announcements at least three or four weeks before the wedding date to ensure timely publication. Please send wedding and milestone anniversary/birthday announcements within two or three weeks following the event for timely publication.
  • All announcements are subject to editing for length and journalistic criteria. Lengthy wedding announcements will be edited to a reasonable length or be charged $20 for additional space.
  • The VESTNIK will publish obituaries/resolutions of sympathy for recently deceased SPJST members. Photos may be submitted with obituaries/resolutions of sympathy.
  • When sending obituaries/resolutions of sympathy, please include your name and contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
  • The VESTNIK will publish family reunion information. The information must be submitted by an SPJST member and must include the member’s lodge number.
  • When sending reunion announcements, please include your name and contact information (daytime/evening telephone numbers and/or email address).
  • Reunion information should include the date, time, location of the reunion, activities, and contact information for readers to call if they want more information.
  • The first announcement will be printed with complete information. Future announcements will be condensed on the reunion calendar, pending space availability.
  • The VESTNIK will not publish post-reunion information or photos.

The VESTNIK welcomes photo submissions from lodges. Both 35mm prints and digital images are acceptable.

  • Newspaper photos, photocopies of photos, photos printed on computer printers, Polaroid photos, and negatives are not acceptable.
  • Photos should never be bound with paper clips, stapled, or have writing on the back.

Digital Photographs

Digital images emailed to the VESTNIK can be used if they meet the same standards as those for 35mm prints, and some additional
standards related specifically to the quality of digital images. A camera with at least three megabyte capacity should be used.

  • Not all digital images are created equal. The key to good, reproducible digital photos is the file size of the image, with larger, higher resolution images being preferred. It is important to create, save, and send the image in high enough resolution. Digital photos must have a minimum resolution of 1,500 by 900 pixels, or dots, per image to be reproduced with acceptable quality; the higher the resolution, the better. Digital cameras generally can be set for high resolution using words like “high” versus “low” resolution, or by actually selecting or setting dimensions in pixels. We realize it takes longer to email larger files, but print requires a higher resolution than the web.
  • Do not send in prints made from digital images send in the image itself via email.
  • Use a JPEG format (.jpg).
  • Please DO NOT embed the photo in a document such as Microsoft Word. Enter the caption in the text of the email and send the picture as an attachment.
  • Please do not crop the photo. Sometimes we need a little space to help fit it correctly.
  • If it is a scanned photo, keep the resolution at a maximum of 300 dots per inch (DPI) and a minimum of 150 DPI.

Paid advertisements are accepted provided that they do not conflict with SPJST’s products or local lodge events. Political candidates must be SPJST members. Advertising rates are:

  • Commercial – $6 per column inch
  • Non-Profit Organizations – $4 per column inch
  • Local Lodges – $2 per column inch