On Wednesday, October 12th, 2022, at the National Chapter in Detroit, MI, members of the OFS-USA Database Committee provided a demo of the new database to the National Fraternity.
The National Database for the Secular Franciscan Order of the USA contains information about all our members and our fraternities at all levels, as well as other organizations and individuals involved with our Order, such as the Provinces to which our fraternities are bonded, and the Friars and Sisters serving as our Spiritual Assistants.
The NEC initiated the project to replace the existing database, which is implemented in older technology and very difficult to maintain and support. The new database is being developed by a team of OFS members, and guided by a Steering Committee of current and former NEC members. Fourteen months ago, the Database Committee selected a database/web application builder called Caspio, and began designing and building a system to be implemented on WordPress.
Database Committee Chair Bill Mussatto reports that Release 1 of the new database will be ready for implementation in the Spring of 2023. Release 1 will contain all the necessary day-to-day functions, as well as some new enhancements and functionality. This release will not be in time for the annual reporting cycle for the Regions, so the existing process will be used in early 2023.
The Database Committee will be sharing more details regarding training, and the schedule for cutover to the new system, in early 2023.
A sample page can be viewed here:
Saludos y Bendiciones…. Me siento muy afortunado de conocer a la Orden Secular Franciscans de EE. UU.
Su Página, es muy completa y todo su contenido Excelente…. Felicitaciones y Bendiciones para su Nuevo Consejo, y para cada Hermano y Hermana que conforman éste maravilloso Equipo de Colaboradores Ofs.