There's a form for that.

Not too long ago, one of our Elected State Officers came bounding up to "Dad" Labagh with a booklet in his hand. Jubilant, he started showing it to him. He said it came from California and that it was a really great Installation Planning Guide. He asked "Dad" Labagh why we didn't have such a thing. Our Executive Officer laughed and pointed out a copyright page where it showed that the booklet originated here in Pennsylvania.

The PA DeMolay website has so many resources on it that it is easy to forget what is already available at your finger tips. That's why I wanted to draw your attention to two important pages on our site that don't seem to get visited as often as they should.

First, we have the Chapter Supplies page located at http://www.pademolay.org/resources/supplies/forms.html. This page has links to several forms and guides that are of great use to your Chapter. They include several simple worksheets, sample orders of business, attendance registers, brochures, and more. This page is your "one stop shop" for paper forms for your Chapter.

The other page is the Policy and Guidelines section located http://www.pademolay.org/resources/policies/policies.html. This page is chock full of documents that every Advisor and DeMolay should read. It has all of the Executive Officer's official policies, as well as 10 guides to help with planning and Chapter operations. If you have a question on the rules of PA DeMolay or you are looking for some guidance, this is your place!

I've had a lot of people say to me in recent weeks "I didn't even know this was available!" To paraphrase my favorite TV show as a kid - "Well now you know, and knowing is half the battle."

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

PA DeMolay Website Plugs

Well, hello there intrepid reader! You're probably asking yourself "Self, why hasn't the PA DeMolay blog been updated since last Thursday?" I have an answer to that question! You see, you're blog-master fell ill on Monday before being able to post his musings for that day. However, he's back in an action and feeling fit, so we're here with an update!

The PA DeMolay website, located over at www.pademolay.org, has been seeing a lot of changes, many of which may not be popping up on your radar yet. Here's a list of important updates you should be aware of:

• PA DeMolay has updated its Zero Tolerance Policy. Please make sure you download and read this important policy clarification.
• Convention 2013 registration and information has been posted. Get it on your calendar now and plan to party by the bay with PA DeMolay!
• Key Man Conference 2013 registration and information is now available. Even if you aren't from PA, check this out! Plus, for PA DeMolay's, we've found a way to make Key Man more affordable than ever!
• Some people may not remember that we have a Military Service Gallery in our "People" section. Take a moment and read about our Brothers who are serving in the armed forces.
• The May 2013 Keystone Crusader has been posted.

I appreciate everyone's patience and I hope that you're just as excited about PA DeMolay's summer program as I am!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

PA DeMolay Website is Down

Please be aware that the PA DeMolay website is down and will remain offline for about a week. We are in the middle of changing servers, which has interrupted service. We appreciate your patience.

Attack of the web zombies!

Many of you know that I am what some might call a connoisseur of a very specific trope of movies - the zombie flick! From "Shawn of the Dead," to "Zombieland," to my all time favorite "Dead Snow" (Sara?), I love a good cheesy zombie movie. Most modern zombie movies start the same way - a terrible virus hits the planet creating a plague of zombies intent on dining on as many brains as possible in as little time as possible. The virus is easily spread, infecting thousands, until it seems that only a small band of humans are left to fend off the shambling horde. I think you get the picture. What does this have to with DeMolay, though?

Well friends, it seems that we have a zombie like virus going around in PA DeMolay. I have worked hard to to classify this disease, which I call "Websiteratum Lazitorum" - lazy websites! It is a plague that seems to have infected almost all of the Chapter websites out there and I have begun to feel like the guy with a shovel bashing in zombie heads when trying to round up these web sites.

This isn't to say that we don't want you to have a Chapter website - far from it! However, we want you to have an up to date website! There is nothing more frustrating than going on the internet, finding a website with exactly what you want, only to discover that it's 3 or 4 years old. Ugh! As an example of this disease, I will pick on my home Chapter - Erie. Erie has gone through many versions of its website; some were good, others were not. However, if you go to www.eriedemolay.org all you'll find is a blank Wordpress page. That's it! But, you're probably saying to yourself "Why is that such a big deal?"

*takes a sip of coffee and then does a spit take*

Why is it such a big deal?! Because that website is the public face of your Chapter! Having out of date or no information available online is the same as having no website at all (and sometimes it's even worse to have bad information!)

There are two kinds of these website zombies. The first is like your traditional lumbering grey matter patron - a shell, with no content, no thought, and a blank stare. The current Erie website is one of these.

The second is like that moment in zombie movies when a person sees someone that he or she loves that has become a zombie. They recognize the person, but the afflicted have no memory of who they were and the people they loved. This would be the website with out of date information and a complete lack of updates.

What can you do to avoid becoming a web zombie? Simple - update your website! Find out who controls it and then find someone to start working on it. I know of very few Chapters that don't have a member who is at least a little bit web savvy. This is a great project for a DeMolay who can't make meetings because of other commitments, but wants to give something back to the Chapter. Arm him with a shovel and let him bash your web zombie into next year!

In all seriousness, though, our jurisdiction needs to take a hard look at the websites our Chapters have and get them updated. This topic isn't going to go away. You are going to see myself and "Dad" Labagh begin waging a crusade on these websites that even Jacques would have been proud to have been a part of. So, why not pre-empt us and start updating now!

Frat!~"Dad" Seth Anthony

"The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”

Now it's time for a irregularly scheduled post from your Webmaster:

I hope that you are all enjoying the new website. It certainly is a labor of love. We have condensed several hundred web pages into less than one hundred. Hopefully the site is easier to navigate, and more user friendly. That was the goal after all!

As has been stated here before, and elsewhere on the site, if you have an idea that could make this site better, please let me know. I've spent the last three days tweaking the site, adding new features, and adjusting pages to meet our standards.

When I look back at how much work this site was I tend to cringe. It was a challenge to be sure... but a it was a good challenge, that made me think, and that pushed my skills into new areas. Even at the toughest times I was reminded of the quote that I used to title this post. Somehow I think the boss will agree with that sentiment!

Until next time!

~ Seth