Up to now, this handbook has addressed dealing with the news media and your unit personnel and their families. However, these are not the only audiences that have an interest in National Guard activities. They are not the only persons who would be interested in or important to your unit's existence and acceptance in the community. It's important to consider the entire community as your audience, and that includes groups such as civic leaders, employers, other government agencies and citizens in general. A unit with an effective public affairs program includes these groups as often as possible. Two time-tested methods for reaching these audiences include the operation of a speaker's bureau and the production of open houses at your armory, base or training site. SPEAKER'S BUREAU Operating a speaker's bureau within your unit provides an opportunity for your most effective and knowledgeable members to make presentations to local audiences. Some places to promote the availability of National Guard speakers include: Service clubs, Chambers of Commerce, religious groups, community groups, youth organizations, schools, colleges and veterans groups. Check with your higher headquarters and the full-time state public affairs office for speech-writing ideas along with audio-visual aids such as videotapes and printed material. OPEN HOUSE An open house at your unit is an excellent way to tell the National Guard story directly to citizens or a select group of individuals you invite. If your unit does not have the capacity to host a public open house, consider conducting a more limited program for the employers of your members. For any open house event, the key to success is adequate and thorough planning. Allow several month's lead time for planning, and check with your higher headquarters for guidance on regulations and policies that govern what you can do and what funds can be spent to host your guests. Since planning for, setting up and conducting an open house will compete for precious training time, be certain that everyone understands what duty status will cover their participation. You will find that preparation for an open house requires a generous amount of volunteer effort, so you will have to plan accordingly. Work with local news media to spread the word about a public open house, and don't forget to issue reporters special invitations to attend the event. When you're hosting a boss night for employers, work with your unit members to ensure invitations are issued to appropriate people within that person's civilian workplace chain of command. Contact your headquarters and full-time public affairs office for additional assistance with audio-visual materials and other presentation items that could be used during an open house. END