1. MORI:The Masonic Online Registry Interface An Introduction

2. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. 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 subordinate body management features for use by subordinate body secretaries, including: roster management, finance and dues tracking, and mailing lists for individual lodges.

3. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Lots of Databases  The Problem:  Many Grand Bodies maintain a database to track their membership. Additionally each subordinate body also tracks their membership. Resulting in lots of databases.  Total databases = number of subordinate bodies + 1  Keeping data in sync is very difficult.  The Solution: One Database, One System  Move the Grand and subordinate bodies to one database running at a central location, either professionally hosted, or at the Grand Body’s offices.  The synchronization problem goes away.

4. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. End of Year Reconciliation  The Problem  Time consuming end of year process to reconcile the Grand Body’s database with those of its subordinate bodies.  The Solution: One Database Stays in Sync with Itself  By using one database the complexity of reconciling databases is eliminated. If everyone is using the same database reconciliation is simple.

5. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Mail, Forms, Storage, Errors, Double Entry  The Problem:  Most Grand Bodies receive change of information forms from lodges (new members, degrees, change of address, dimits, NPDs, etc.) via postal mail, email, or non-integrated web forms.  The Solution: Let the secretary do the work.  Allow secretaries to log into MORI and do their own updates.  Enforce strict business rules on the handling of all data.  Write business rules into the system to automatically enforce your Constitution.

6. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Address Changes  The Problem:  The average American moves eleven (11) times in their life. This translates into lots of address changes.  Getting timely address change information is difficult and expensive.  The Solution: USPS Address Correction Service  Let MORI integrate with the USPS Address Correction Service.  MORI can process hundreds of address changes per second.

7. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Training  The Problem  How do you get Grand Body staff, and subordinate body members to use the system?  How do you train them?  The Solution: It’s just a web page  Use what they already know: The World Wide Web.  Hold regional training sessions. One trainer can train 10-15 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 started using MORI this way.)

8. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Adoption, Change, and Lodge Resistance  The Problem:  Secretaries of subordinate bodies may have a previous Grand Body provided system, or may have created their own.  The Solution: Solve the Lodge’s Problems for Them  Get the acceptance of the subordinate bodies by providing them with a one stop solution that includes all registry, finances, mailing lists and other functions.  Tie it directly to the Grand Body.  No more double entry! No more paper forms! They can fix their problems without a form or a phone call!

9. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Security  The Problem:  How do you protect data from being abused?  How do you protect data from being deleted?  How can you protect from a rouge secretary?  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.

10. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Security  The Solution (continued)  Every subordinate body user uses a three part login consisting of their Grand Body Number, a password of their choice, and a key assigned to them by MORI. All three are required to log into the system.

11. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. The Problem: Employees are Expensive  Running a registry department using manual entry of paper forms, emails, 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, which leads to errors.  The Solution: Let the subordinate body secretaries do the work.  Leverage large volunteer work force to lower the Grand Body’s expense of maintaining records.  Giving subordinate bodies control over their data creates a win-win situation. They get to fix issues. The Grand Body doesn’t need to do the work.

12. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Plural Members  The Problem  Managing plural members is troublesome and highly error prone.  The Solution: Let the Computer Handle It  Let the system enforce your Constitution and its rules for plural members automatically.  When an event happens to a member send the secretary an automatically generated email telling them what happened.

13. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Subordinate Body Mergers are Messy  The Problem:  How do you preserve history?  How do you determine where members originally joined?  How do you handle a plural member of two subordinate bodies that merge?  The Solution: Integrate Mergers From the Beginning  Mergers are completely integrated into MORI.  MORI tracks complete subordinate history, with a complete display of all mergers.

14. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Masonic Fundraising is Complicated  The Problem:  Masonic fundraising is more complicated due to the subordinate body and district structure.  Crediting donations to subordinate bodies, and districts using traditional fundraising software can be difficult. What happens when a subordinate body merges mid year?  The Solution: Integrate Fundraising  Fundraising is completely integrated into MORI, there is only one member/donor record. No need to enter address information, deceases, etc. into two systems.  Donations can be credited to members, in which case the allocation to subordinate body and district are automatic.  System handles non-member donors.

15. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Separate Registry and Fundraising Sys  The Problem  If you have a fundraising system and a registry system how do you keep them in sync?  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.

16. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. MORI Features  One database for all users and subordinate bodies.  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.

17. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. 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 registry operation.  Integrate with USPS Address Correction Service and improve your mailings.  Leverage volunteer workforce to maintain your Grand Body’s records.

18. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Future Directions  Create a multi-jurisdictional user community around MORI to share in development and ongoing maintenance of the system.  Why should every jurisdiction reinvent the wheel? MORI exists today.  Track foreign affiliations transparently to the end user.  Automatically manage offices held based on certificates of election and the Grand Body’s roster of officers, DD’s, etc.  Automate inter-jurisdictional communication for registry events, such as NPD, dimit, etc.

19. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Why You Should Consider MORI for Your Grand Body  Many of the problems facing a Grand Body registry and fundraising department have been identified and dealt with.  MORI tightly integrates your subordinate bodies with your Grand Body. Let the subordinate bodies do the work.  MORI is a system designed specifically for Masonry, and Masonic related bodies.  MORI can automatically enforce your Constitution.  MORI is available today.  MORI is supported by a professional services company focused on Masonic IT solutions.

20. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. About MORI & Vita Rara, Inc.  MORI is a product of Vita Rara, Inc.  MORI: Blue Lodge Edition (Available Today)  MORI: OES Edition (Available 3Q06)  MORI: Royal Arch Edition (Available 4Q06)  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.

21. © 2006 Vita Rara, Inc. Getting on MORI  If you are interested in MORI contact Vita Rara c/o Mark Menard:  mark@vitarara.net mark@vitarara.net  (518) 369-7356  Download this slide show and further information at:  http://www.vitarara.net/mori.php