In an interconnected world of websites, Facebook and smartphones, in many ways, a lodge website becomes THE key point of linkage for a modern lodge.  It's a natural evolution, born of the same impulse that would have members of a previous generation scan the lodge newsletter each month, or read the busy bulletin board whenever they walked into the lodge hall.  Conversely, when a lodge is 'off the grid,' without a website, and more alarmingly, without an e-mail contact address, they position themselves as essentially dorment to the new generation.  They. Don't. Exist. 

For sure, it's not fair.  I'd wager that some of these off-the-net lodges are active, warm and welcoming groups.  I am the first in line to commend the wisdom of grandparents to the next generations, and am convinced that in missing knowing them, youth will miss out on so much.  But the fact is, the perception of the younger generations is fleeting, and will crowd out disconnected lodges in favor of those who are connected.  There are simply too many connected lodges now to bother with the others, especially in larger, multi-lodge cities.

So, what is a lodge to do about it?

The first thing that must be done is to ensure you have an e-mail address available on your grand lodge website and in all printed documents.  This can be a traveling address, that goes with the office, or it can be the address of a trusted correspondent, who would enjoy answering inquiries on behalf of the lodge.  E-mail is less formal, so it is no longer necessary that the volunteer be the actual lodge secretary or master.  What is important is that this person regularly track their e-mail, and that they happily correspond with any inquiries.

Next, a simple website can be the work of an afternoon, where one or two brothers (and their sons, neighbors or grandsons) help them create a basic webpage with contact information, a calendar, photos, address and introduction letter.  Anything else can be added over time, such as history, links of interest, volunteer opportunities, etc.  If you keep this page updated with an hour of work each month, you'll have a place where members and guest alike can go to check meeting times, menus, and phone numbers.  Your local internet provider, or hosts like GoDaddy.com would charge around $30 annually for a simple website.  Shop around because pricing is competitive.

This website, www.ChurchillLodge.org, is essentially the work of one not-so-technical volunteer, and costs about $120 a year to host.  We bought our domain name through GoDaddy.com, then hosted it through a local 'open source' web developer.  'Open source' is a type of software which is non-commercial or cooperative, as opposed to proprietary (and expensive) brand-name software.  Ours happens to use DNN or DotNetNuke as a platform - the structures and text blocks of our website - while another good open source provider is Joomla.  Our $120 a year pays for the software that this website is made with, the hosting (where it sits on the internet), and the website name. Content, graphics and photos are all generated by the members.

Since starting this Churchill project in 2009, we've taken the website about as far as we can with our own labor.  Recently, a group of the brethren have all chipped in for a one-time project to pay for a more professional look to the website.  You will soon be able to see a before-and-after page, showing how we used to look.  I'd describe the content as solid but the look as entirely too text-driven, without enough white space or graphics.  --My marketing background showing through.  The resulting graphical treatment will take our thematic elements and conjure up a much more effective Churchill look.  I'm excited to see the results, sometime in March of 2011.  Cost?  About $300 for the new skin (website ~art) and about $300 for some additional photo and PayPal functionality.  Some of you may have noticed that we also host a website for our neighborhood Shrine club, TheChairmen.org, a group that is also paying $400 toward their own website redesign.  All told, we chipped in $1,000 toward the project.  These are all one-time fees, which some of us opted to pay, once we knew the lodge was 'a keeper.'

Oh, did I mention that we think that PayPal integration will help us sell ties and pins, and more easily bill for dues and dinner fees?  There are a whole lot of other benefits that will come from this update, and just in time too.  We have some charitable and high-visibility events coming up that will bring in a lot more visitors. 

You see, a modern lodge's website really IS a working metaphor of its brick and mortar.  In our case, as a traveling lodge with no permanent home, this website IS in many ways, our building, our connection point, and the first place the brothers check when they begin to plan for lodge night.

I'll be commenting on this project as we move forward, and will log some of our suggestions on the discussion forms.  If your lodge is interested in 'borrowing' some of our themes or content, please call or write.  We would be thrilled to see another few Churchill Lodges spring up around the US.  Or, another Ben Franklin lodge (like in Wisconsin).  Or a George Washington lodge.  Or one honoring Spinoza, Descartes, John Locke, etc., etc.

Check back with us from time to time, to see the new website design.