In April the Lodge sponsored a new web site located at http://bpoe2188.org. This is a brand new site started from scratch and adds many new features. There are many features that have not yet been implemented.

 I hope I can make this a regular column that will provide Lodge Members with (a) helpful hints and tips on using the website and (b) ideas and plans for improving the Lodge website.

Previous Lodge Websites. While there have been previous websites sponsored by the Lodge, this is a new website. This means that the User Name that you may have used previously, will not work on this website. You will need to register again. See below.

Registration. Well this simply means that you are obtaining a User Name and a password that permits you to view and use website features that are restricted to Lodge Members.  You are prompted to choose a User Name and password; as well as enter your email address. You selection of a User Name is critical. Choose one that you will remember. Hint: You can use your email address as your User Name.

 You only need to do this once.

Forgot Your Password? If you forgot your password, I do this all the time! You can enter your User Name in and request that your password be sent to the email address you used during your registration. The website will send the user name and password to you. Hint: After you request that the password be sent to you, please change your password by clicking on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the website. This will display a page that displays basic information about you. There is also a link at the top of this page titled “Manage Password” that you can select to change your password. The website will send you an email message that contains your new password.

Site Lockout. The website has a protective measure built-in. If you attempt to log in with a bad User Name and/or Password, five (5) times within ten (10) minutes. The website will prohibit you from logging in for approximately 15 minutes. After you wait 15 minutes, the web site resets your User Name and Password. Alternatively, you can always request that your Password be sent to you. See “Forgot Your Password?” above.

Lodge Calendar. I update the Lodge Calendar shown on the home page almost daily to reflect the latest information about Lodge Activities. Check back frequently.

Announcements. Generally, when I add a special event to the calendar, I also, add an item to the Announcements to the right hand side of the Home Page. The announcement will be scheduled to display about 5 days prior to the event and will be removed from the announcements column after the start of the event. 

Okay, so what? Well did you know that the website will send you a reminder of all announcements and events on the calendar automatically?

Here is how to get these emails. At the top of the Lodge Activities calendar, you will find a symbol like this:  This is the symbol for RSS (Really Simple Syndication). In either case when you click this symbol you are presented with a capability to have the events for the next 15 days downloaded to your browser or email, depending on your computer. The same is available for you to receive a notification of each announcement. 

This is a great way for you to make use of the web site to keep up to day with the latest events.

Picture Gallery. Did you know that you can view pictures taken at various Lodge events? This feature is restricted to Lodge Members. Thus, you will need to log onto the website to see these pictures. They are located under the “Activities” Tab. Pat Graves take these pictures and they are uploaded to the website. You can download a picture if you wish and print it out. You also are permitted to upload your pictures to the website. I will cover how to do this in another column.

Electronic Distribution of “THE HORN”. After you have registered with the website, and then navigate to the tab titled “Contact Us” and then to “Get the Horn Electronically”, you can elect to receive The Horn via email, rather than snail mail. Please read the instructions on this page and you can join your fellow Lodge Members that are on the road to saving the Lodge thousands of dollars per year.

That is it for this edition. If you have ideas on how to make the website better or how we can use the website for other things, please drop me a line at webmaster@bpoe2188.org. Note- we need people to help with and contribute to the website.