COMARA News - 9 Aug 2007

Send Nominations for the Board of Directors

The COMARA Board of Directors will meet in August 14. This is a big meeting. Items for decisions include:

  1. Nominees for the three Directors for a three year term.
  2. Finalize menu and cost for the September 23 Social.
  3. Review of quarterly newsletter.

We need any suggestions for a Director before the meeting. You may nominate yourself or another memeber. Members who have served the past three years are Irv Dostis, Walt McKee, and Peter Weiss.

The menu for the September 23 Social at That's Amore and cost will be determined at the meeting.

Send news to share.

The next quartely newsletter will be reviewed at the next Board meeting. If you have some news to share, please send it as soon as possible. We can also use a picture or two in the article.

Torus antenna being disassembled for shipment to the bone yard.

The torus antenna at Clarksburg is being removed. See news_70808-torus.htm for a picture. Comments received from from members have been added to the page. If you would like to add yours, you can reply to this email.

2007 Social - September 23, 2007

http://www.comara.org/social/2007-social.htm

In case you missed it, the next social is scheduled for Sunday, September 23, 2007 at "THAT'S AMORE" restaurant located at:
     15201 Shady Grove Road
     Rockville, MD 20850

The cost, menu, and deadline for reservations will be publised on the website after the meeting.

COMARA Night at Strathmore - October 20, 2007

http://www.comara.org/social/strathmore.htm

At Joel Alper's suggestion, we are sponsoring "COMARA Night" at the National Philharmonic Orchestra Concert on October 20 at the Music Center at Strathmore. Tickets are limited and must be ordered through COMARA.

Email to COMARA

Email you send to COMARA is monitored - sometimes the same day, and sometimes a week or more goes by. If it is a request to update your contact information, your record is updated when the email is found. Of course, after you sign in, you can update your own information. For faster action, send it to the webmaster. Mainly because a copy goes immediately to the webmaster's email address.

Some email is forwarded to the Board for action. For example, the news items you submit are forwarded to the newsletter editor. (Jack Hannon)

When sending email, add a subject line that is not blank and one that doesn't look like spam. Spam is a problem for us just as it is for you. It's possible that your email may be inadvertently deleted with spam. If you don't get a reply, send another request.

Web page problems?

If you think a page has a problem when you view it, let the webmaster know. A lot of the code behind the web site was created five years ago. Standards have changed, and so have operating systems and browsers. All pages have been viewed using several browsers.

One member did send and email describing a problem. It didn't take long to determine the likely reason for the problem. It's a subtle bug, and will soon be resolved. So, if you think something may be wrong, let us know.

Privacy, Registration, Sign In, PIN, and Web Page Access

Several months ago, we began to have people submitting registration forms who are obviously not Comsat alums. While handling the problem with bogus registrations, I realized that some additional feedback should be provided to members.

Members who register will receive future newsletters. Members who have never paid dues do not gain access to any additional pages after sign in. Members who have paid dues and sign in have access to all pages.

Full access to the COMARA web site requires several steps:

  1. Submit a registration form.
  2. The webmaster examines the received information. If it appears to be legitimate, a unique PIN is assigned to the record.
  3. The Treasurer enters received dues payments.

These three steps aren't clearly described in the web site at this point (but soon will be). The most important reason for these steps is protection of the contact information you provide. As far as we know, these have been adequate.

Your privacy is protected by

  1. Inspection of registration.
  2. A check is received.
  3. Members sign in using PIN or password.
  4. Your contact information is only available to other members who meet the first three steps (and then only if your checked the box that allows your information to be shared with other members.
  5. Newsletters are individually addressed. Your email address is never included is newsletters emailed to others.

COMARA - Comsat Alumni and Retirees Association
www.comara.org
PO Box 34594
Bethesda, MD 20827