Recently, I am seeing more and more requests for help in presenting the Internet in Lodge. This is a very difficult subject in many lodges. The last generation of Masons are split on it's concepts. Some are using the internet regularly and understand it's capabilities. Others do not understand. Those who do not understand tend to be somewhat afraid of the vast internet and what it can do. Those who don't understand and are defiant are the main targets of well put together Internet presentation.
Like anything new, the internet will have to pay its dues to the nay-sayers. There will be those who fight its use in their lodge because their lodge has been fine without it. It is like it probably was when the younger part of the lodge wanted to convert from coal to fuel oil for their heating fuel,and again several years later when it was time to convert from fuel oil to natural gas, or when a member first introduced getting a telephone in the lodge, and a few years later, an answering machine. Opposition to change will always present itself in the most stubborn ways.
You have to involve these nay-sayers and let them touch and feel the new item of interest. The one who is the verbal and the most against the internet in lodge should be the one who "touches the knobs." He is the one you want to operate the computer for this part of the presentation, if it is possible to get him to do it. If he won't, have one of his friends operate.
Before you begin planning your presentation, you should download and install a slick program called ICQ. It is free and is the easiest to operate tool for presenting the Internet to those who know little or nothing about it. It can be downloaded at the following locations:
Goto one of these sites and download ICQ. Click on the Icon that says 'Download ICQ' and follow the screen instructions.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After you've downloaded ICQ, go back to the site you downloaded it from and sign their guestbook. Tell them you downloaded ICQ from their site. This will insure it will remain available at that site. DO NOT FORGET THIS PART OF GETTING ICQ. We want it to be readily available.
You now have the best Internet program for Internet presentations in a Masonic Lodge. But it is not all you need. You need to learn how to operate ICQ, you need someone to talk to on ICQ, and you need to build your presentation to lead your audience right into this part of the presentation. MAKE SURE YOU LEARN ICQ BEFORE YOUR PRESENTATION. It is very simple and you can learn it in a couple of minutes.
The result we are looking for is to show the uses of the Internet for Masonry. I am going to begin this seminar at the end and work my way back to the beginning of a presentation. ICQ will be used and it is very important that the program is well known by the person putting on the presentation. So it will be the first tool aquired and learned.
For a list of Masons on ICQ, goto the Masons at ICQ page and browse the list.
Each user on this list has a UIC number. Write the number down for several of the brethren. Get about twenty of them. Then click your ICQ menu flower. When you have a menu, click on the ICQ button on the bottom of the menu and select add user. Add these numbers to your list. ICQ will then notify you when that person is on line.
To send a message on ICQ, right click on a name in your list and select Message, Chat, etc from the menu. If you select message, type a message and click on the send button. If you select chat, a box will appear with a chat button to click.
You should begin to use ICQ immediately after it is downloaded. Learn the program well. In two or three days you should have a firm handle on what can and can't be done with ICQ.
This program should be the last demonstration in the presentation, and you should use the person who is most against the internet at the lodge. If you know ICQ well, this demonstration will be a snap and your audience will be impressed. This is not all there is to a good presentation. It is the last part of the presentation. The next to last part will be added in the next couple of days.
Good luck, and keep moving forward,
Carl A. Davenport
WebMaster