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ADelphi is the computer program that runs the membership
system for all English Freemasonry at Freemasons’ Hall. It is a
very significant program developed upon Oracle, the world’s
leading database software. The United Grand Lodge of
England (UGLE) system was called ADelphi after the Greek
word for Brother and also, because it is a process to obtain
information, it is a play on words of the Greek consultation
of the Oracle at Delphi.
A programme of development funded by UGLE is now
currently underway in conjunction with the Provinces,
to extend the basic ADelphi program, which started
primarily as a project just for the needs of Freemasons’
Hall, into a system for the benefit of all the Provinces and
the membership as a whole. This exciting new system is
to be called Provincial ADelphi.
Provincial ADelphi will be of major benefit, as it is likely
in time to become the main system by which most Provinces
communicate with Masons in their Provincial area, and by
which these Provincial offices connect with the Freemasons’
Hall database.
As Masons become increasingly contactable through
their use of the internet, their Provincial offices will
be able to arrange membership renewal, subscriptions,
meetings, Visiting officers and even seating plans through
Provincial ADelphi.
The Annual and Installation Returns will be processed
through this route, as will letters to Masons about Provincial
matters. Soon the Masonic Year Book for each Province will be
produced electronically, and then it may be possible for any
Mason to quickly access the up-to-date information directly
on the internet.
The potential for saving a great amount of time, especially
in Provincial offices, and the consequent likely cost-saving
is a significant benefit of introducing the system countrywide.
This whole process has been designed to be a collaborative
programme in conjunction with the Provinces. Before any
development work took place, the Director of Operations
at UGLE and key members of the IT Team visited Provinces
across the country to explain what was happening and ask
them what features they wanted.
A series of workshops with many more Provinces then
took place at Freemasons’ Hall to identify precisely the type
of specification that was required for the system.
A Project Plan was created and approved by the Board of
General Purposes. A set of three specially selected Provinces:
Hertfordshire, Surrey and Somerset, were contacted and
agreed to be ‘Pilot Provinces’ to test out the developments
as they were created, and agree a standard approach on behalf
of every Province.
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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