Lodgeroom UK

Does a Brother here have any knowledge of the software "Complete Lodge Secretary" please? If so, how useful has this been for maintaining a Lodge database please? The screenshots look good but how good is the software in practice?

Many thanks.

I've started from scratch although I am under GLoS. I have letters, minutes, summons and ritual all on USB stick making it easier for the next secretary to take over.

You can downlaod and have a triel use I believe.

When I was sec i created a speadsheet system which covered everything. but you would need to have some spreadsheet knowledge, no more I suspect than using a software system like this.

Be aware that it is now an annual fee rather than a one off payment

http://answers.informer.com/49121/quest ... he-license

The problem I find with some software is they do not always make it clear that it is a yearly payment.

The good part of this software is that it interacts with the UGLE database.

Thank you Brethren for your helpful comments. I did note that the new version interacts with the UGLE database and that it is an annual subscription. I am helping out the Lodge Secretary.

There's no point reinventing the wheel!

Alistair wrote:I've started from scratch although I am under GLoS. I have letters, minutes, summons and ritual all on USB stick making it easier for the next secretary to take over.

Please tell me you have copies on something more substantial, though!!!

USB sticks are great for toting files around, but I wouldn't trust one as my main storage

Yes - any single form of storage is not really ideal.

Of course you don't have to do what I do: Primary storage on a computer with mirrored hard disks (so if one fails there's no problem), secondary backup online (aka "The Cloud"), plus a local backup of the whole computer every now and then to a removable hard disk, plus occasional archive backups of my data to removable media such as DVD-R!

So at any given time I have at least 3 copies that are no older than 1 day, with one "off premises" in the event of a fire or theft, and an archive in case of data corruption ;-)

Sad, I know, but it keeps me happy! hehe.

Yes I should have said I also have a main computer and written paper files

Has anyone else been notified of the requirement to have a 'bound' copy of the Lodge Minutes? I used to do my own using a spiral comb binding machine, but the way I read it is that it has to be permanently bound into a book to create a historic record of your lodge!

Ive been looking at the skeleton Lodge Minute book from Letchworths

Your thought please?

It's in the Information for Guidance etc etc etc booklet - page 23 in the current version online