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MORI: The Masonic Online Registry Interface An Online Case Study
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Grand Lodge of New York MORI Adoption Case Study
Installation: January 2005 Users: 200+ Lodges: 600 Primary Modules: Registry Fundraising Lodge Secretary System USPS Address Correction Service Wiki Notes Mail Room Annual Reconciliation Grand Session Reports © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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What is MORI? Complete web-based system to manage a Grand Body. It includes: Full in-house registry functions, Lodge, district and region management, Grand session reports package, Mailing room functionality, Fundraising module, Comprehensive Lodge management features for use by Lodge secretaries, including: roster management, finance and dues tracking, and mailing lists for individual lodges. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Lots of Databases
One (1) Grand Lodge Database using an old database system 600 Lodges separately tracking their roster in: Manual book form, Home grown computer systems, or Grand Lodge Member developed Access Program Keeping data in sync between subordinate lodges and Grand Lodge is very difficult. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: One Database, One System
Move Grand Lodge and subordinate lodges to one database running at Grand Lodge. Use a modern feature rich database engine. By using one database the lodges and Grand Lodge will agree on member information and lodge membership numbers. The synchronization problem goes away. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
MORI was installed at Grand Lodge of New York in January of 2005. Grand Lodge has been running on MORI exclusively since the first week in February 2005. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: End of Year Reconciliation
Time consuming end of year reconciliation process to get lodge databases and Grand Lodge database in sync. Mailing and processing annual reconciliation packets is very expensive, highly error prone, and had become damaging to relations between Grand Lodge and the lodges in the jurisdiction. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: One Database Stays in Sync with Itself
By using one database the complexity of the end of year process has gone away. Lodges who are on the system are in sync with Grand Lodge. Mailing of packets can be discontinued for lodges using the system greatly decreasing mailing expenses. Let them download it and print it using their paper and ink. With simple Constitutional changes lodges will submit their annual returns via MORI completely eliminating all postage and printing expenses. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
With approximately 600 lodges, 2006 is running four months ahead of 2005. Due date for return submission is January 30. Over 1/2 of all returns have been audited and closed as of February 14, This compares to less than 1/8 at the same time last year. When there are problems they are far easier to solve. New York looks forward to an even smoother cycle in 2007. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Mail, Forms, Storage, Errors, Double Entry
Every change of address, every degree, every drop for non-payment, every restoration, every dimit, everything required a piece of mail, paper handling, manual entry, filing and long term storage. Forms were frequently incorrectly filled out. Forms can be entered incorrectly. Fixing a mistake is far more expensive than getting it right the first time. Mistakes damage relationship with the Lodge secretary. Double entry is the enemy of accurate record keeping. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Let the Secretary do the Work
Enforce strict business rules on the handling of all data. Write business rules into the system to automatically enforce the Constitution. Allow secretaries to log into MORI and do their own updates. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
Secretaries began using the system in late Sept. 2005 Over 1/3 of lodges have an account on the system. Registry form mail to Grand Lodge has already seen a very significant decrease. Over 11,000 edits have been done by Lodge secretaries. Over 1,000 events have been entered by secretaries. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Address Changes
The average American moves eleven (11) times in their life. This translates into lots of address changes. Sending mail to bad addresses is expensive. Your fundraising letter could get returned. A critical notice to an officer could be returned. Your jurisdictional magazine could bounce. Ouch! Getting timely address change information without integration of Address Correction Service is difficult and expensive. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: USPS Address Correction Service
Use the US Postal System’s Address Correction Service provided on CD. Allow a Grand Lodge user to upload the CD into MORI and automatically fix the bad addresses with the information provided by the USPS. MORI can process approximately 700 address changes per second using our current hardware configuration. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
We have done several monthly cycles with the USPS. Total processing time for several thousand address changes has taken a few minutes. It probably took more time to open the envelope, route the disk to the operator, and upload the file than it did to fix the addresses. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Training How do you get 600 lodges and Grand Lodge staff onto one system? How do you train them? © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: It’s just a web page
Use what they already know: The World Wide Web. Anyone who can browse a web page can use it. Anyone who doesn’t know the web can learn it quickly. Hold regional training sessions. One trainer can train users in four hours. These users go on to mentor others onto the system. Make available a simple “Getting Started Guide” for more advanced users as a download. (Over 50% of our adopters have gotten onto the system using the guide.) © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Adoption, Change, and Lodge Resistance
Secretaries around the jurisdiction were using a member developed Access program to manage their lodges. Program was buggy. Volunteers were tired of supporting it. Members could not get fixes to their issues. Updating the program was difficult. Program did not enforce strict Constitutional correctness. Some lodges were using home grown systems. How do you get them to give them up and embrace a standard? © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Solve the Lodge’s Problems for Them
Get the acceptance of the Lodges by providing them with a one stop solution that includes all registry functions tied directly into the Grand Lodge system. No more double entry! No more paper forms! They can fix their problems without a form or a phone call! Include a compete suite of dues, financial management, mailing and other functions. Make it a complete system. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
Secretaries began using the system in late September 2005. Over 200 lodges have accounts on the system as of February 7, 2006. We intentionally did not do a state wide roll out of the new system. We have been signing up secretaries on a first come first basis. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Security How do you protect data from being abused?
How do you protect data from being deleted? How can you protect from a rouge secretary? © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Rules, Audit Trail, Three Part Authentication
MORI has a complete set of business rules to manage the data in the system. End users do not have direct access to the data. Everything goes through the MORI engine. Every change that is made by a Lodge user is recorded in an audit trail. We know who change what, when from what to what. We save every record before and after editing. Every Lodge user uses a three part login consisting of their Grand Lodge Number, a password of their choice, and a key assigned to them by MORI. All three are required to log into the system. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
Over 11,000 edits have been made by secretaries. Over 200 lodges use the system. Over 1,000 registry events have been submitted. Only minor issues have arisen from Lodge users, which were quickly fixed. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Secretaries are Forever
Masters may come and go, but secretaries die in office. Once you become secretary it is hard to spread the load. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Spread the Work Out
MORI is completely multi-user. Allow the secretary, with the Master’s assent, to add Assistant Secretaries to MORI. Assistants can use all secretarial functions, except adding additional assistants. Now a secretary can start training his replacement, or divide the labor. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
Lodges are starting to add assistant secretaries. We have lodges where one member manages the roster, another handles receipts, and another handles vouchers and budgeting. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Employees are Expensive
Running a registry department using manual entry of paper forms, s, or re-entry of web based forms is expensive: Salaries, Benefits, Rent, Heat, Lights, etc. These can add up to big money. Manual entry is boring mindless work. People make errors. Paper forms can not enforce business rules. Frequently the secretaries fill them out wrong. Membership in many jurisdictions is declining. Resources to run a registry department are decreasing. Grand Lodge needs to raise its per-capita tax to close the gap. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Let the Lodge Secretaries do the Work
Leverage large volunteer work force to lower Grand Lodge’s expense of maintaining records. By giving Lodges control over their data and letting them do the work MORI creates a win-win situation. Lodges are happy because they have visibility to Grand Lodge’s data and can fix it. Grand Lodge wins because the data is maintained by a volunteer work force. Everyone wins because errors are eliminated from the data. Give lodges “ownership” over their data so they can own the problems. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Plural Members
Managing plural members is troublesome and highly error prone. Secretaries of plural members frequently do not know when a status effecting event has occurred that may effect one of their members. Enforcing business rules on plural members is complex and error prone when handled manually. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Let the Computer Handle It (1 of 2)
Let the system enforce the Constitution and its rules for plural members automatically. When an event happens to a member send the secretary an automatically generated telling them what happened. Do not allow the secretary of a plural affiliate to restore their member until the NPD has been cleared up. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Let the Computer Handle It (2 of 2)
Make sure the system completely handles multiple NPD’s, restorations, and clearances correctly and automatically. Create a system for notifying foreign jurisdictions if necessary. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
Plural members have become a non-issue in NY. Secretaries of plural members receive s from MORI whenever an event is recorded for one of their members. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Lodge Mergers are Messy
Lodge mergers are a modern reality. How do you preserve history? How do you determine where members originally joined? How do you handle a plural member of two lodges that merge? © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Integrate Mergers From the Beginning
Mergers are completely integrated into MORI. MORI tracks complete lodge history, with a complete display of all mergers. MORI permanently records what lodges a member has belonged to. MORI completely preserves all member and lodge records through a merger. MORI automatically handles memberships of plural members through mergers. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
We have performed eight mergers to date. All member data and historical information has been preserved. Committing a merger to the database takes about five minutes. We have entered merger histories back to the 1960’s. We have provided a tool too allow staff and secretaries to rebuild member affiliation histories. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Masonic Fundraising is Complicated
Masonic fundraising is more complicated due to the Lodge and District structure of most jurisdictions. Crediting donations to Lodges, and districts using traditional fundraising software can be difficult. What happens when a lodge merges mid year? What if you have more than one fund to track? © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Integrate Fundraising (1 of 2)
MORI contains a complete fundraising system. Fundraising is completely integrated with the registry database, there is only one donor/member record. No need to enter address information, deceases, etc. into two systems. Donations can be credited to members, in which case the allocation to Lodge and district are automatic. Third party donors, such as estates and district associations, can be added to the system and assigned to a Lodge and District or only a District if there is no Lodge to credit. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Integrate Fundraising (2 of 2)
Third party donor records are permanent. Allowing you to track donations from non-members over time. Fundraising tracks donations through mergers and is capable of splitting donations across district lines for cross district lodge mergers. MORI can track multiple independent “funds.” (i.e. For instance you could run multiple 501(c)3 corporations in MORI each with its completely separate accounts.) © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Separate Registry and Fundraising Sys
If you have a fundraising system and a registry system how do you keep them in sync? Which one is authoritative for the donor/member’s information? Which one do you use for mailings? Are all address changes going into both of them? (Double work!) © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: One System for Both Functions
There are no synchronization issues for fundraising because it is integrated directly into MORI. By integrating fundraising into MORI it partakes of the USPS Address Correction Service. Your fundraising letters are more likely to get there. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
The New York Masonic Brotherhood Fund has been running integrated with MORI since the beginning of its current campaign, June 2005. Synchronization between the former freestanding fundraising application and the registry system has stopped. Matching donations to members has greatly improved. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Getting Reports Out Fast and Cheap
How do you get reports to your district, and lodge fundraising chairmen quickly? © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Deliver Reports over the Web
Allow district and lodge fundraising chairmen to log into MORI. Only show them fundraising functions. Only show them data pertaining to their lodge or district as appropriate. Allow them to check as frequently as they like. Serving a report over the web is very inexpensive compared to printing, stuffing envelopes and mailing them. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Where are we today?
Lodge and district chairmen are starting to use the system to retrieve their reports. Timely reporting helps to spot errors. The earlier and error is found the easier it is to fix. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Problem: Volunteers Have Limited Resources
Volunteers are limited in time, and resources to execute a large long term project. Volunteer driven projects are hard to rely upon for mission critical functions. MORI took two years from planning to completion. Grand Lodge needed a modern up to date system using the latest proven technologies and best practices. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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The Solution: Hire a Pro, Share the System
Use someone who was a Mason and a secretary. Someone who understands the problems, and can create a solution. Use a company who can support the project long term. Create a long term community around MORI by sharing the system with other jurisdictions. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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MORI Features One database for all users and lodges.
Everyone in the jurisdiction uses the same system. No more islands of disconnected data. Uses standard web interfaces, all you need is: A web browser An Internet connection Built on an open source foundation. MORI uses a standard database engine available via ODBC for custom reporting. The complete source code is available with the system. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Why MORI? Eliminate complaints, errors, and synchronization issues.
Automatically enforce your Constitution. Lower postal expenses. Lower staff expenses by eliminating manual entry. Integrate fundraising with the rest of your Masonic operation. Integrate with USPS Address Correction Service and improve your mailings. Leverage volunteer workforce to maintain Grand Lodge Records. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Registry Features Find Member Edit/view member Add member
Add domestic affiliate Add foreign affiliate Manage pending foreign affiliations Member Information: Basic biographic information: home, work and snowbird address, Masonic status, title and years of good service, Degree dates, Lodge affiliations and per lodge member status, Complete registry event history, Offices held, And more. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Registry Event Management
MORI manages all entry of registry events to the system and only allows addition of events that are constitutionally permissible. MORI will automatically generate events for plural affiliations when they are affected by an action taken in another affiliation and notify the secretary of the plural lodge. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Registry Event Management: Example
Member belongs to Lodge A and Lodge B. Member is dropped for non-payment of dues from A. MORI automatically drops the brother from Lodge B and notifies the secretary via that the brother was involuntarily dropped. MORI will not allow Lodge B to restore the brother until Lodge A has acted on the NPD. Lodge B can still drop the Brother for non-payment of dues, in which case both would need to clear the brother before he is returned to good status. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Add Foreign Affiliate A secretary can add a petition for affiliation from a foreign member to MORI. Grand Lodge staff are presented a complete list of pending foreign affiliations broken down into new, pending, approved and denied petitioners. Grand Lodge can record notes on each petitioner in the system to note dates when inquiries have been sent to other jurisdictions, responses received, etc. Grand Lodge either approves or denies the request for affiliation. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Lodge & Grand Lodge Functions
Find a Lodge Add a Lodge Merge Lodges Annual Returns Close Year Process Returns Reports Find District Add District Manage Regions Manage Grand Lodge Roster Print Roster © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Mailing and Report Functions
Mailing List Builder output to: Labels Excel/Dbase Process USPS ACS CD Reports Annual IRS Tax ID Report Officers w/ Bad Addresses Report Annual and Current Census Dues Cards User Audit Service Certificate Order Form Grand Session Reports: Grand Secretaries Attendance Vote Entitlement Votes by District Ballots District Envelope Label © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Fundraising Functions
Manage Donation Batches Generate Thank You Letters Search Donations by: Campaign Category/Sub-category Last Name/Org Name Grand Lodge Number Check Number Amount Range Start/End Date Lodge and/or District Ad-hoc Donation Report Tool by: Fund, Lodge or District Arbitrary Grouping and Summing District and Lodge Report Manage funds, categories/sub-categories, contributor types, and organization types. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Future Directions Create a user community around MORI to share in development and ongoing maintenance of the system. Why should every jurisdiction reinvent the wheel? MORI exists today. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Future Directions Track foreign affiliations transparently to the end user. Automatically manage offices held based on certificates of election and Grand Lodge roster of officers, DD’s, etc. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Future Directions Automate inter-jurisdictional communication for registry events, such as NPD, dimit, etc. Allow communication mechanism to be configured on a per-jurisdiction basis to handle: Automatic generation of standard printed letters. Sending messages for jurisdictions that allow . Sending MORI.Net messages for other jurisdictions using MORI. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Why You Should Consider MORI for Your Grand Lodge
Many of the problems facing a Grand Lodge registry and fundraising department have been identified and dealt with. MORI is a system designed specifically for Masonry. MORI is available today. MORI is supported by a professional services company focused on Masonic IT solutions. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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About MORI & Vita Rara, Inc.
MORI is a product of Vita Rara, Inc. MORI is available under an Open Source License. Vita Rara is available to install, integrate and help your jurisdiction get up and running on MORI. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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MORI Technical Specifications
Language: Java 1.4. Moving to Java 1.5. Major Third Party Components: JBoss Application Server MySQL 4. Plans to move to MySQL 5 in the near future. Apache Struts 1.2.7 Apache Chains 1.0 Apache Commons © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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MORI Technical Requirements
Server Any current version of Windows Server; Mac OS X, Linux, Sun Solaris, and many other Unix systems; IBM OS/390; IBM OS/400; or other system that supports Java. End user machines Web Browser Internet Connection © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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Getting on MORI If you are interested in MORI contact Vita Rara c/o Mark Menard: (518) To contact the Grand Lodge of New York call: © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc.
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