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Feature Articles:
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Details On—and Reasons for—Tech Changes
> Director General Donald Ross had reiterated, in his Saturday afternoon address, what all Lodge and Chapter officers had been told in a spring mailing: That every Lodge and Chapter in the fraternity would be required to have all computer hardware/software in place to support Internet capability by June 1, 2005; that this deadline could have no exceptions or extensions.
On Monday morning, new Vice President/Business Operations Tom Conway and Acting Supreme Secretary Joe Meyer (Director of Information Systems as of Sept. 1) went to the lectern to explain why.
“It’s important to focus on the desired outcome from change—not the means of accomplishing change,” Conway said. “Technology is merely a tool that supports work processes.”
For nearly two years, coordinating teams of Moose International staff, along with selected Lodge representatives, have researched options and have developed plans for a completely revised Membership Management System that will utilize Internet “.Net” technology much more modern than the current circa-1997 LOOMIS system, to transmit data and communications on membership and Lodge/Chapter/Moose Legion operations much more efficiently between these units and headquarters. This will incorporate the implementation of Centralized Dues renewals and collections (see page 15) and will be ready for implementation by September 2005—hence the requirement for all Lodges and Chapters to be ready with Internet capability in their offices by next June.
The LOOMIS replacement system, dubbed “LCL.Net,” will offer to all users, Meyer said, more on-screen information, better ability to locate and correct errors, more reliable data integrity and much greater ease of use. For more info on all changes and requirements, contact the Moose International Information Systems Department at 630/966-2234.
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Please click on any photograph below to view a larger image.
Tom Conway
Joe Meyer
Conway utilized his PowerPoint visuals to brief his audience on the details of the June 1, 2005 deadline by which every Moose operation will be required to have a working Internet connection in place—and why; he detailed the advantages of planned changes to the “LCL.Net” operating system, and to the QuickBooks-Pro accounting system.
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Wehrmeister Briefs on New Journalism Award Categories for Websites, and on Coming CD-ROM Newsletter Seminar
> Since its creation in 1961, the Moose Journalism Awards program has recognized excellence in communications to our members only in print form. But as of 2005, that changes, Director of Publications Kurt Wehrmeister said at Monday morning’s General Session.
Per decision this spring of the International Publications Committee, Wehrmeister announced, entries will be accepted up to March 1, 2005 in two new General Excellence categories—one for Lodge/Chapter Websites, and another for Association Websites.
To enter, operators or Webmasters of such sites need only to send an e-mail to Publications Department office manager Teresa Ehlert (TEhlert@mooseintl.org) indicating which of the two categories is being entered, and the site address. All entering sites will be reviewed by the Publications Committee, with final decisions to be made during its April 2005 meeting.
Wehrmeister also announced that he is working with two Ohio Moose—International Publications Committee Chairman Jim Grandy and newsletter editor Phil Dick of Findlay—to create an interactive CD-ROM version of the Moose Publications Seminar, to feature both visuals (including samples from excellent Moose newsletters) and narration. Target date for completion is early 2005.
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Kurt Wehrmeister
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August/September/October 2004
