August 2010 Aerograph Webmaster Report
During the NWSA 2010 Reunion #36 in Dallas on April 30, the new and improved Naval Weather Service Association website was launched. With the tremendous help of Mike Gilroy and the support of our out-going President, Earl Kerr, the new NWSA website came online with many new features.
The purpose of our NWSA website is to promote the NWSA to potential members, increase communications amongst members, and encourage participation and donations to our organization, especially for our scholarship fund and our annual reunions.
Since the website is an online extension of the Aerograph, the website was designed to include many of the same areas of content. With the kind assistance of the Aerograph editor, Charlie Jordan, we were able to build into the new website much of the same look and feel as the Aerograph.
The newest feature of the website is a “MEMBERS ONLY” area containing, to start with, copies of the Aerograph back to 2005 as well as the most recent BELLINGER LIST. This can only be accessed with an ID and PASSWORD and for the sole use of our membership. Contact the webmaster to request your ID and Password. It is hoped that with a few chosen articles from the Aerograph made available on the website, it will encourage others to want to join the NWSA if only to have access to the complete newsletter!
We have included a “Necrology” on the website where we can remember those who have come before us, grouped by name as they appear in the Aerograph’s; with the Aerograph edition date where the complete write up can be read. This again this is intended to add motivation for joining the NWSA – to have access to the Aerograph.
Since our Scholarship awards have been a big draw for non-members, this topic has been given top billing on the site. Development is in progress to help ease the application submission through the use of additional information and on-line forms.
Since our annual reunions are a great area of interest, this area will be populated with all the reunion news as possible. Currently, our next reunion is well advertised with the information already provided by Marty Nemcosky and the Hampton Roads Chapter.
I am in the process of uploading the AG SCHOOL CLASS PICTURES, starting with the A-School. When this is completed, the B-School class pictures will be uploaded next.
Lastly, but of no less importance, is the increased communication provided to our elected officers, committees, and local chapters by the use of dedicated email addresses for each predominately displayed on the site. This system can only be effective with the cooperation of all to provide a contact person’s information that should be used.
Those interested in our scholarship program will have clear contact points to each local chapter. Also, those interested in joining the NWSA will find information on each chapter with an email address to use for contacting the chapter.
These navalweather.org email addresses will act as a “mask” to cover personal email addresses and protect against intrusion and internet spam.
It is hoped that the NWSA website will be used by members to keep current with local chapter activities as well as news and events of the NWSA itself. This, of course, can only be done with the help of you, the entire membership. Please feel free to submit any information that you feel you’d like to see on the NWSA website. This could be for local chapter interest or for the general membership itself.
Please enjoy the new site. Suggestions and participation by you, the member, is highly encouraged.
Mahlon
