1. David Epstein, Vice President, Juneau Chapter 2088
Region IX Leadership Training Workshop Ellensburg, Washington May 31 – June 1, 2013
~ Digital NARFE ~
GEMS – Facebook – Twitter – OAM (Online Activities Module)
AND MORE!!
Presented by:
David Epstein, Vice President, Juneau Chapter 2088
Secretary, Alaska Federation of NARFE Chapters and Alaska e-Division Coordinator
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Region IX Leadership Training

2. Region IX Leadership Training
Topics to be covered
Global Electronic Messaging System (GEMS)
Online Activities Module (OAM)
Social media
Facebook
Twitter
AND MORE!!
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3. Before we get started……
The topics to be covered constitute but a few patches in the crazy quilt that is Digital NARFE
I am not an expert!
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4. Global Electronic Messaging System (GEMS)
Used by NARFE leadership to distribute information, including:
Legislative Hotlines
Action Alerts
Health and benefits news
Press releases, newsletters
Most practical use is in conjunction with “CAPWIZ”
Petition Congress with a few clicks of the mouse
To use this, you need to sign up on the NARFE web site.
Very efficient and effective. NARFE’s way of “reaching out and touching you”.
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5. Region IX Leadership Training
GEMS Example
This is a GEMS notification that came in an to me.
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6. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
Go to NARFE web site at and click MEMBER LOG IN button
This is a screen shot of what the NARFE web site will present to you – their home page. Note the “MEMBER LOG IN” button.
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7. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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8. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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9. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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10. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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11. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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12. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
Click on “Add & Join GEMS”
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13. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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14. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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15. Region IX Leadership Training
The renewal glitch
I did not expect to be asked to renew my wife’s membership, as she is a member in good standing.
Having the web site seek a renewal from me made my brain go into override, despite bringing up our chapter’s membership data and seeing that my wife’s membership was current.
I renewed her membership for two years, backed out of the process and logged back on.
The next screen depicts what I then saw.
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16. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join GEMS
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17. Renewal glitch aftermath
I reported the glitch to the NARFE webmaster, Member Services, and Lanny.
Reply and resolution were swift. NARFE National saw the same thing I had experienced, and took action to fix it.
There should be no more renewal requests for members in good standing, but if you experience one, report it to:
Drusti Naik
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18. Region IX Leadership Training
How GEMS works
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19. Send a letter to Congress
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20. The bottom of the screen
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21. Region IX Leadership Training
Voila!
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22. MOVING ON Let’s talk about the Online Activities Module, or OAM
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23. NARFE Chapters and Federations Online Activities Module (OAM)
NARFE Headquarters is constantly working to improve the timeliness and quality of the information it delivers to federation and chapter officers. For several years, it has offered monthly membership and financial reports through the website. Now in addition to the online reports, NARFE HQ has implemented a new Online Activities Module (OAM), which provides membership information on demand. This sophisticated online service is designed to perform intricate tasks with a simple click of a button.
The OAM was created to assist chapters and federations recruit and retain members by providing numerous options for online data retrieval. The objective of this project is to create tools to promote success and clarity in the operations of each chapter and federation. This module is designed as a toolkit for success in every level of NARFE operations.
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24. Online Activities Module
Note orange-bar Officer Resources box and click on it
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25. Online Activities Module
Click on top “Online Activities Module”
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26. Online Activities Module
Click on Enter Federation Activities
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27. Online Activities Module
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28. Online Activities Module
Select F-7A Update
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29. Online Activities Module
Click Exit
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30. Online Activities Module
Click on AK Chapters – Officer Roster
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31. Online Activities Module
Click on View Officers
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32. Online Activities Module
Click on Go
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33. Online Activities Module
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34. Region IX Leadership Training
Chapter Activities Reports available via OAM – a wealth of information!!
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35. Use OAM to email members
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36. Example: email Juneau Officers
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37. The OAM email template for Juneau chapter officers
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38. Region IX Leadership Training
OAM home page also contains a wealth of related information – Explore!!!
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39. Region IX Leadership Training
Welcome to Facebook!!
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40. Region IX Leadership Training
Facebook
Is the most popular social networking site
Launched in February 2004
Over 1 billion active users as of 09/2012, over half using Facebook (FB) on a mobile device
Facebook provides an online means by which friends can share information with one another – to “stay connected”.
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41. Region IX Leadership Training
How to join Facebook
Navigate your way to
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42. Region IX Leadership Training
Facebook entry page
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43. “The Wall” aka Timeline Your “home page”
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44. Region IX Leadership Training
NARFE Region IX Facebook Page (Get here by typing “NARFE Region IX” in the Search box)
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45. How to join the NARFE Region IX Facebook group
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46. Facebook Privacy Settings
Strongly advise you read up on these and decide how you want to set them up for your account
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47. The influence of social media can make a difference!
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48. Region IX Leadership Training
It works!
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49. Region IX Leadership Training
Twitter
Created in March 2006
Currently over half a billion registered users who generate over 340 million “tweets” a day.
Considered to be “The SMS of the Internet”.
Useful for short-burst, typically time-critical messages (limited to 140 characters or less).
I subscribe to CNN, New York Times, Federal News Radio Twitter feeds, among others.
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50. My Twitter Home Page (join Twitter at www.twitter.com)
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51. Region IX Leadership Training
SPECIAL BONUS SECTION!!!!
E-Divisions and their web sites
The evolution of the national e-Chapters.
Each Federation can create an e-Division.
Chapter #2363 is designated the world-wide e-NARFE Chapter for all e-NARFE members, and Federation e-Divisions will be part of e-NARFE Chapter #2363.
All Federations are encouraged to establish e-Divisions.
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52. Region IX Leadership Training
e-Divisions
e-Divisions will not have bylaws, officers, or a chapter number as they will be satellites of and hosted by the world-wide e-NARFE Chapter.
If a Federation elects to create an e-Division, then the Federation shall establish:  
An e-Division website that will be hosted by Headquarters IT staff via the world-wide web and be free of charge; and
A position of e-Division coordinator to oversee the website and provide content driven communications with the virtual federation members.
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53. Region IX Leadership Training
e-Divisions
The Federation President will be the e-Division coordinator until a Federation e-Division coordinator is named.
Once the Federation creates an e-Division, the federation will have access to all e-NARFE members resident within that federation in order to keep its members informed on state and local issues. Federations also derive some revenue from e-NARFE memberships.
All e-Division members will have read and write access to the e-NARFE blog.
For purposes of delegate count and voting at national conventions, Federation e-NARFE members will be included in the Federation delegate count as defined in Article V, Section #1B of the 2012 National Bylaws and exercised by the Federation presidents acting as the voting representatives.
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54. Region IX Leadership Training
The e-NARFE web page
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55. Region IX Leadership Training
The e-NARFE Blog
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56. Region IX Leadership Training
E-Divisions by State
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57. California e-Division Web Page
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58. Pennsylvania e-Division Web Page
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59. Alaska e-Division web page
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60. YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
In Closing
YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Register for GEMS and use it liberally!! Get others to do so!!
If you are on Facebook and haven’t joined the Region IX page – please do so.
Once you have joined, please add content.
Publicize the FB page in your chapter meetings and newsletters.
Encourage your fellow FB-enabled members to join and add to the content.
Federations that don’t have an e-Division site should launch one.
DO YOUR PART TO HELP NARFE SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION INTO THE DIGITAL AGE!!!
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61. Region IX Leadership Training
Feel free to contact me
David Epstein Phone THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!!
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62. A Queen Sara Production
THE END
A Queen Sara Production
All rights reserved – but then again, I have no rights!!!
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