The city of Chicago ranks as one of the ten largest cities in the United States. The city is made up of several blocks of houses occupied by neighbors. Sometimes they gather to discuss topics relevant to the block, the community, or the city in general. When this group is formalized, it is called a block club. Members of the club look out for each other; address community issues that arise as a unit; and have relationships with the police department, elected officials, and other organizations and individuals in the community. Of course, every neighbor is not going to participate; therefore, a well-written newsletter is one way to keep everyone informed.

The following five tips are ways to write an effective block club newsletter that will provide consistent and relevant information without offending anyone.

1. Some topics to cover in the newsletter include:

New neighbor welcome
Sex offenders
Notes and announcements from community organizations
Issues affecting the block or community directly
Events at nearby schools, libraries and places of worship
Phone numbers for emergencies and elected officials

2. Topics to avoid

Behaviorally challenged children
Religion, race, politics, sexual orientation or anything else that would create un uproar
Noisy/unruly neighbors

3. Make it easy to read by:

Keeping the tone positive
Using an 11- or 12- point font size. Bigger fonts may be needed.
Using short and simple paragraphs
Ensuring that grammar is logical and sentences flow smoothly
Using color and white space wisely

4. Consistency

Publish newsletter about the same time - monthly, quarterly, weekly - all the time. Also, try to keep the same general topics in each newsletter.

5. Get Help

Recruit assistance from neighbors to write, edit and distribute the newsletter. Remember, the block club is a unit.

Remember, if the above tips are followed, a well-written and informative block club newsletter will result. All that's needed to make it happen is a little information, a little time, and a great desire to share.