Tell them about successes, however small and what approaches the chapter is taking to solve problems in the house. That fancy typestyle might look classy on the screen, but it can be so hard to read that your alumni could toss it in the trash can. Keep your type simple enough and large enough to get your message read. Your alumni lead busy lives. Make it simple for them to understand what is going on and how their chapter is doing.
Nothing turns off a reader faster than long dull columns of gray type.
Focus your readers' attention with creative graphic elements - art, photos, boxes, screen tints. That will help them better understand your message. The best layout and writing can be undone by poor artwork or photos. So don't be too clever. Too many newsletters wander away from their purpose and are cluttered with too many graphics.