VIS COMMITTEE – BUSY AS BEES!

The newly-approved California public website is now live! Please go to californiadar.org. If you don’t see the new public site, please try a browser refresh. If you are unsure how to do this, please go here:

https://clarion.californiadar.org/?p=986

In the works is an all-new CSSDAR Members’ website. This great new tool will be launched at Fall Councils, so be sure to attend the Saturday morning workshop!

We are also working on new chapter website templates. Several chapters have volunteered to be our guinea pigs (you know who you are), and we’ll get started on those in the next two weeks. If you have a website already that you are happy with, you will not need to make any changes other than move your existing site to the State server in the next few weeks. More info to come on that soon.

If, on the other hand, you’re hoping to have a new chapter website in the near future, you can begin gathering your content now. The menu items you may want to have are:

• About Us (information about the area where your chapter is located)
• Calendar (meeting/event information—do not list locations unless meeting is open to
   public!)
• Chapter Activities and Projects (information about your chapter’s public activities)
• Our Patriot Ancestors (this can easily be pulled from e-Membership)
• Chapter History (a brief history of your chapter’s founding or namesake)
• Contact Us (list of chapter officers and their email contacts)

Many of you have been asking what’s going on with the chapter websites, both existing and to come, so here’s a glimpse of what the committee the VIS Committee is currently working on. There are several important initiatives, as you can see from this list of the top items, followed by expected completion dates:

1. Complete redesign, restructuring and overhaul of the Members’ Website:set to launch just before Fall Councils
2. Establishing FTP access for all chapter webmasters on the new hosting server: early September
3. Designing and building all-new chapter website templates, using a Content Management System (CMS) called Joomla!: in beta testing with two chapters currently; expected to be launched for all at Fall Councils

The major VIS initiative of the Jamison administration is to move the majority of California websites over to this world-renown CMS, allowing for anyone with minimal word-processing skills to maintain their chapter’s website. No knowledge of html will be required! This new system will also allow for chapters who adopt Joomla! to have a password-protected members’ website for sharing of information safely amongst members.

If you are interested in moving your chapter’s website over to one of the Joomla! templates, please let this chairman know and we willl get you on the list. If, on the other hand, you’re planning a redesign of your chapter’s site in html, good for you! Here are some minimum content requirements that all California public websites will need to have going forward. Standardizing chapter website content will ensure we present a consistent “face” to prospective members.

Minimum Content Requirements

1. A welcome message on the home page. A picture of the chapter regent is encouraged.
2. Membership information – eligibility, resources, getting started, junior membership. This information will be provided to you.
3. About DAR – This information will be provided to you.
4. Either a chapter public calendar with meeting dates (no locations), public ceremonies, etc., or a simple listing of when the chapter meets (e.g.: third Tuesday of each month).
5. A listing of the chapter’s patriot ancestors.
6. A sampling of chapter activities and projects. Pictures are encouraged (photo releases required for non-DAR members).
7. Links to contacts for membership information.

Stay tuned to the California Clarion for the latest information! Make sure you subscribe (bottom of the page, right side) and you’ll receive updates directly to your email box. Now staying up-to-date is even easier.

Lots of changes are underway and the VIS Committee is busy as little bees getting ready for the new DAR year.

Please let this chairman know if you would like more information or help with getting ready for your new website.

Lisa Fox
VIS State Chairman
California State Webmaster
949.275.3736
webmaster@californiadar.org

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