Communicating in the Forum

Yesterday (1/18/05) during the Directors Forum Subcommittee’s conference call one member suggested that we establish a listserv for Diocesan Directors. Here is a description of a listserv and here is a description of a Blog. A key difference between a listserv and a blog is this. Listserv messages are sent to your E-mail’s inbox. Once you subscribe to a listserv messages are automatically sent to your inbox. To access the messages on a blog you must use your web browser to access the blog. In short with a listserv messages come to you and with a blog you go to the messages. However, it is possible to subscribe to a blog through “Really Simple Syndication” (RSS). Committee members heard a number of Diocesan Directors say they did not want additional email in the inbox and so we stayed away from using a listserv. At the same time, a number of Diocesan Directors identify a need for greater and more frequent communication within the Diocesan Director’s Forum. The questions seem to be which tool will most effectively facilitate further communication among DDREs?

The future of the DDRE Forum is a related question. The future of the Diocesan Director’s Forum is in our hands. We have two choices. The Forum can be the 2 to 4 hours we spend together at the Annual Meeting or it can serve the needs of the Diocesan Directors on an annual basis; facilitating communication and discussion, providing educational opportunities and lobbying for the needs and vision of Diocesan Directors and our role in Catechetical Ministry. I hope we chose the more active role for the Forum. It seems to me that the first step in moving the Forum is to find a method of communication that we will and do use.

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Don Kurre