Migrating To OA LodgeMaster

You might be asking yourself, 'Why should my lodge switch to OA LodgeMaster?' Here are a few reasons that might help.

1. It's a great membership management tool. Membership management is OA LodgeMaster's primary function, and it excels in that capacity. It can track multitudes of information for each lodge member, contains over 100 reports, and allows for convenient import and export of data.
2. It's the best management software out there. Many lodges have created software to help with lodge management, but none of them are as comprehensive or as developed as OA LodgeMaster.
3. It helps you stay in sync. OA LodgeMaster allows for multiple users, operating anywhere, to work with their lodge data and then synchronize with other users automatically. This also allows users to take a laptop to a place without an Internet connection (like at a camp for an event), make changes to the database, and then return home and sync the data with everyone else in the lodge.
4. It makes life easier. OA LodgeMaster is designed to make certain parts of running a lodge much easier. For example, OA LodgeMaster can automatically print OA membership cards on national stock; can automatically print mailing labels that only print once per household (to save mailing costs); and the Journey To Excellence Petition Wizard automatically calculates whether or not each requirement has been met and then prints the petition.
5. It manages a lot more than membership. For example:
   • Events.
   • Ceremonies teams.
   • Service hours.
   • Mailing labels.
   • Lodge assets.
   • Finances.
   • Unit contacts.
   • Auctions.
   • Lodge calendar.
   • Trading post inventory.
6. It helps you sleep at night. Since data is automatically synchronized over the Internet from each copy of OA LodgeMaster, we are able to do automatic nightly backups of every lodge's database so lodge leaders don't have to worry about losing that precious 'single copy' of the lodge database!
7. It's free. The software, the data migration, the server, the automatic backups, everything!
8. The more people that use it, the better it gets. As we receive feedback about OA LodgeMaster, we constantly work to improve it. This includes adding new features and fixing bugs to improving the entire experience.

To get started using OA LodgeMaster, a lodge goes through the following process:

1. Appoint an OA LodgeMaster Lodge Administrator. Submit an Appointment Of OA LodgeMaster Lodge Administrator letter to the national office, which must be signed by your council's Scout Executive (or his designee). This letter authorizes an individual in your lodge to manage OA LodgeMaster users in your lodge. This person is responsible for handing out user names and passwords to new lodge users. It is also the person that the OA LodgeMaster Staff will make contact with when we have completed setup of your lodge database. Typically, this will be an adult like the Lodge Membership or Administrative Adviser. Once appointed, OA LodgeMaster Staff will confirm the appointment by contacting the lodge staff adviser by phone and verifying the information.
2. Wait for the OA LodgeMaster Staff to contact the Lodge Administrator. In an effort to keep migration wait times as short as possible, we coordinate lodge migrations in sets. As each set is completed, we contact the next set of lodges who have submitted their Lodge Admin letters. When we're ready to convert your data, we'll contact you. To see the current status for your lodge, click here.
3. Convert your existing database. The OA LodgeMaster Staff provides free conversion of your existing lodge database. If you would prefer, you can also request that we create a blank database for your lodge instead of migrating your existing data. You can then use the Import feature of OA LodgeMaster to import your data on your own.
4. Login to OA LodgeMaster. After your lodge database has been setup, our staff will contact the Lodge Admin with login information for accessing OA LodgeMaster.
5. Install the offline version of  OA LodgeMaster (optional). Download the offline version by clicking the 'Download Offline Version' button after logging in online. The graphical installer is just like other installations in Windows. You'll need your Lodge Access Code to complete the installation, which is available on the download page. The Lodge Access Code, which must be copied from the download window and pasted into the setup program's Setup Wizard, contains a special code that gives you access to your lodge's database on the OA LodgeMaster servers. Once you finish the Setup Wizard, you'll be ready to use OA LodgeMaster!
6. Setup your users. You can create new users with the 'User Accounts' tool within OA LodgeMaster. Once setup, provide each user with their user name and password. This will allow them to immediately access OA LodgeMaster.
7. Join the mailing lists. Lodge Administrators will automatically be added to our mailing list (list-announce@lodgemaster.oa-bsa.org), but other users in your lodge may want to be added as well.
8. Get help if you need it. If you need help, visit the OA LodgeMaster support center, to view documentation, chat with users in the forums, or support support requests.