International AMM Web Site

Thursday, 27 October 2005
Time: 15:30 to 16:15

The Purpose of the Web Site

The AMM web site is presented as a service to the leaders of the Association throughout the world. These leaders, in turn, will present the information to the members for whom they are responsible. The first purpose here is communication for and by the leaders of the Association throughout the world.

A second purpose is spiritual growth. The web site is meant to bring us closer to Mary so that we can imitate her virtues and follow her example.

Features of the Web Site

•  Three Languages

The web site is available in three languages: English, French, and Spanish. When you link to the web site, the first choice you make is which language to use. You can change language at any time while you are browsing the site.

1 PowerPoint Slide—text and screen shot

•  AMM Documents

This section of the web site contains official documents of the AMM. Here you find the international statutes and the approved national statutes. The documents are available as web pages, or you can download them as Microsoft Word documents. These are presented to assist new locations of the AMM in writing their statutes by giving examples of what has been approved. This section also contains an English version of the rite of blessing and investiture in the AMM. It has letters from the International Coordinator and the Director General. It has the notes from the Coordinating Council meetings. And it has the final document from the last International Encounter and recently added the communications about this Encounter.

5 PowerPoint Slides—1 text and 4 screen shots

•  Formation and Catechesis

This section of the web site contains catechetical and formation materials. For the leaders themselves, the section contains presentations from various meetings like this one. The talks in the formation section are more comprehensive and are not arranged as catechetical lessons.

For the members under the care of the AMM leaders, the “Monthly Catechesis” contains information about the Association, the Miraculous Medal, the apostolate, personal holiness, etc. Each presentation is about two or three pages with discussion questions. The formation and catechesis documents are available as web pages or you can download them as Microsoft Word documents.

7 PowerPoint Slides—1 text, 3 screen shots on formation and 3 screen shots on catechesis

•  Discussion Forums and Calendar

This section is available free of charge to leaders who want to have online discussions. You enter the section with a user name and password. This section is not meant for the public for two reasons.

•  First, the leaders of the AMM should be free to discuss among themselves subjects of interest to them without interference from spam or the general public.

•  Second, this section contains personal information about the leaders of the AMM, which should not be available to the general public, those who send spam, or those who misuse personal information.

Besides the discussion area, this section of the web site also includes a calendar.

4 PowerPoint Slides—1 text and 3 screen shots

•  Newsletter, AMM eBulletin

The electronic newsletter, AMM eBulletin , is the last section of the web site that I will describe. The idea has been to publish a new issue of the electronic newsletter quarterly. This practice has broken down this year for a number of reasons. One is my reassignment has occupied my attention and Benjamín has not had the opportunity to take over the project. Another is that many of the articles were not submitted. And as the project got further behind, it became less organized.

These are some of the features in each issue of the eBulletin .

•  About This Issue of AMM eBulletin

•  From the Director General

•  From the International Coordinator

•  A Feature Article

•  Links to the Monthly Catechesis

•  Coming Events of International Interest

•  News from Around the World

3 PowerPoint Slides—1 text and 2 screen shots

The Success of the Web Site and a Few Problems

Is the web site successful? I believe so, but the full answer to that question is really up to you. The resources are there for you to use. Up until this year, new materials on the web site have been available regularly, as we had planned and proposed when we opened the site. The material has been available to you, the leaders of the AMM. Have you used it? Has it helped you? Each of you must answer that for yourself.

I believe the most popular parts of the web site are the eBulletin and the monthly catechesis. I also think that the official documents and other resources are helpful when someone needs them.

We have tried to keep the web site fairly simple. In some countries the resources for access to the Internet are not very reliable or fast. A simple site is more useful than one that is complex. For the same reason, the web site is directed to leaders. If technology is not easily available, then the leaders can share the resources on the web site with their members in some other ways.

I have heard a few complaints about translations. We have made progress, but some catecheses and the text on some pages seem to have escaped translation into French or Spanish. It takes time to put everything into three languages. In Perryville, where the webmaster works, there are no native speakers of French and no native speakers of Spanish who have any facility with computers. I have tried to suggest that those who use the site in French or Spanish volunteer to translate. I have done most of the translation to English myself. Since I have to read the material anyway, I thought I might as well translate it.

I have also heard a few complaints when pages are late, but most people have been very kind and sympathetic. I regret the delays and thank you for your patience.

The Discussion Forum and Calendar

Although many people have registered for the Discussion Forums, there is almost no activity on them. This is quite understandable. Using a discussion forum takes time, and most of us are very busy. Also, there are not many of us who use the site regularly, and a discussion forum needs a certain number of people who are online often in order to hold a discussion.

A discussion forum is not like ordinary web pages. The people using the forum are the ones who create the content. Someone asks a question or raises an issue, and others write about it or make comments. The result is an on-line “discussion.” Because our discussion forum is for leaders, I do not see any need to monitor the discussions regularly.

The Discussion Forum section includes a calendar. As you saw on the slide, the calendar is almost completely empty. The calendar was included in the design of the web site as a way for the AMM in a country to publish events that may be of interest to the rest of the Association. It is a little-known secret that any user of the forum can add to the calendar. You do not need to submit information to an administrator for the calendar. If the calendar is empty, then no one looks at it. And if no one looks at it, then there is no point in posting to it. And the problem only gets worse.

The Formation and Catechesis Pages

The formation pages on the web site make the talks from meetings, like the AMM Encounters I and II, available to leaders everywhere. It gives some of the benefit of the meeting to those who were not here. And it gives the newer locations of the AMM an opportunity to catch up with the rest of us. There are many ways that local leaders can use the formation materials on the web site.

The catechetical program is the work of the Coordinating Council. At each of the meetings we have worked on the plan for catechesis. We developed a schedule and themes for more than a year into the future. We also selected someone to be the author of the catechesis. The result has been an outstanding array of catechetical material—as many as 18 catecheses, depending on language. Even though some authors have not yet actually written their catecheses, what is available should be very helpful.

The hope of the Council was to have a new catechesis each month. It would be something that could be used in any local catechetical program. For example, the catechesis could be included with the materials for the monthly domiciliary visit apostolate of a group. If the local council believes that their groups should take more than one month to discuss a catechesis, then the series will be useful for a longer time. And if you are new in the AMM, you have a library of catecheses as a resource for some time into the future when you can develop your own program.

I believe that our formation and catechesis program has been a great success. When I describe to others in the Vincentian Family what we have done for our members, they always admire the program. The catechetical program is always looking for new ideas and materials. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with the International Coordinator, Fr. Benjamín Romo.

Three Unanswered Questions

What is the future of the AMM web site? Its purpose is to serve the Association. Here are three questions for you to consider. Your opinions and ideas will be helpful to the International Coordinator and to the Coordinating Council.

•  How is the web site useful to you?

I believe everyone would agree that the web site is useful. However, the web site accounts for about half the expenses of the international AMM. If any part of it is no longer needed, removing it would provide a little savings. If any part of it can be improved so that it is more useful, that would help you and be a more efficient way for us to use our resources.

•  What should be done with the Discussion Forum?

The Discussion forum seems to be used less than any other part of the web site. I think it is a good idea in principle. Why do so few people use it? How should it be changed, or should it be dropped completely? Should there be a training program? And if so, who would do it?

•  What else is needed?

Like everything else in the organizational structure of the international AMM, the web site exists to promote communication between branches of the Association and share common resources in order to make the AMM more effective. What else would you like to see on our web site?

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