Frequently Asked Questions

Grants

How can I receive a Universal Grant Form or know if an establishment qualifies?

Grant forms can be obtained from www.foe.com along with the requirement sheets for all the funds.

Can grants be submitted to an individual?

No, the Grand Aerie Charities are specifically established to provide grants for medical research, aging programs, child abuse, etc. The funds do not allow for benefits to a single individual. Typically the local Aerie or Auxiliary does a special event fundraiser to help the brother or sister in need.

Who does the grant check get sent to?

Unless otherwise specified by the State Secretary, all grant checks are mailed to the Aerie/Aux. Secretary that submitted the grant. Grants should be sent in at least a month in advance for any special function.

What are the amounts available for grants?

Each state is notified on how much in grant funds it has available for each of our charities for the coming year. This number is based on the State's previous year's general donations that were non-earmarked. Depending on the availability of funds it will be up to each State to decide which grants are approved.

Can additional funds be requested with earmarked grants?

Yes, when requesting back additional funds, the donation check and grant request form must be sent to your State Executive Board. It will be the decision of the board to approve or deny the additional fund request.

Charities

Can one check be made out for all the charities?

Yes. One check can be made out to the FOE Foundation. Please be sure to include a note or write on the check which fund(s) it is to be applies to such as Cancer, Kidney, MD, Jimmy Durante Children's Fund, Jimmy Durante Child Abuse Fund, Children's Aids, Diabetes, Spinal, Alzheimer's, Golden Eagle, Parkinson's or Circle of Life. One check can be written to FOE Memorial Foundation and under that fund is the HOME Fund.

Should checks be earmarked for a state project?

Yes. All checks for a state project (when that money is to be returned to that respective State) must be earmarked. The checks should be made out to the specific charity the state is requesting funds to be donated to and earmarked in the memo section of the check for "State Project".

How should checks for the GWP or GMP project be made out?

The checks should be made payable to the FOE Foundation with a notation on the bottom of the check that it is to be credited to either the GWP or GMP project, such as TLC.

Where do the charity checks get sent to?

Charity checks can be sent to the Grand Aerie Charity Dept. at 1623 Gateway Circle S., Grove City, OH 43123.

Are there supplies to order for the Charities?

Yes, there are charity shirts with charity logo and charity pins. These can be ordered from the Supply Department or download the order form from the Web site.

J.O.E.

How do we start a Junior Order of Eagles Club (J.O.E.)?

You must first get Aerie approval and then, check with your members who have children and/or grandchildren and see if they are interested in participating.

What is the minimum amount of children you need to organize a J.O.E.?

The Grand Aerie does not have a minimum requirement for the J.O.E.

What is the minimum age requirement to be a J.O.E.?

The age is determined by each individual JOE. This then becomes part of their by-laws.

MMS

Can a transfer be processed on MMS?

No, a transfer can not be processed on MMS. It must originate with a transfer card in the home Aerie being sent to the transferring Aerie and then forwarded back to the home Aerie. At that point the completion may be done by sending an e-mail to membershiprecording@foe.com, with the member's name, GA number (if you have), the Aerie number transferring to and the Aerie number transferring from.

Is the MMS Mandatory?

Not at this time but the mandatory deadline is 12/01/2008.

How can I get a member back on my roster if I dropped them in error?

If the drop was within the last twenty-four hours, you can go back to the person's member record and change their status back to initiated/re-enrolled. If it has been longer than that, e-mail membershiprecording@foe.com and they will reactivate them for you.

How do I get a member on my roster that has been a member for years and is not listed?

If you have a member that should be on your roster and is not, send an e-mail to membershiprecording@foe.com with the members name, GA number (if you have ), address, birth date and initiation date for a complete search.

When is the last day to report each month?

The last reporting day is the last BUSINESS day of each month at midnight eastern standard time.

MMS Support

I hear a sound when I try to bring up a report and nothing happens!

This is a pop-up blocker issue. Try holding Ctrl while clicking the View/Print button for the report. If that doesn't let the report through, all pop-up blockers must be turned off or set to allow from https://mms.foe.com.

I can't get the sign on page to come up.

Make sure that Internet Explorer is the browser being used and that the address to the site was entered in the address line and not any search field. Searches will not be able to find the page.

I've forgotten my password!

Go to the sign on screen, enter your User ID and click the "Forget Password?" button to have it sent to the e-mail address we have on file for that User ID.

How do I add a dual member?

Go to the work with members screen and click the Add Dual Members link. Enter the person's GAID# and follow the next couple of steps to have them entered in as a dual.

Dues receipts are not lining up correctly when printing!

First, click Help -> Documentation -> Printing Dues Receipts, read through that and make sure that the necessary options in MMS and Adobe Reader are configured to print correctly. If they are and the receipts still are not lining up, click the Properties button for the printer on the Adobe Reader print window. Make sure that it is set to print on 8.5x11" paper in landscape mode. (May need to manually set these). Also, if there is an option to rotate 180 degrees, some users have had success with that.

I added members in a batch a while ago, but they still aren't showing up on the roster!

Click Local Membership -> Batch Entry and make sure that the "Report to Grand Aerie button" was clicked for the batch to send them in. They will post into membership the following working day from when that link is clicked.

How do I print a report showing only X (IE - name) and Y (IE - birthday)?

To print custom reports that aren't provided for already under the Reports button, you will need to have Microsoft Excel installed on the computer. Go to the work with members screen; enter the search criteria for who you want to appear on the spreadsheet (Leave everything blank and select Members in good standing from the status list if all active members are wanted) and click the Export Excel link. The spreadsheet will either open in a new window, or the Open/Save File window will appear. The spreadsheet will include every last bit of information about the members included in it. Use Excel to edit out whatever is not needed for the report and then print.

How do I track local numbers for drawings, etc.?

To track additional information that there isn't already a field for on the member record, you would use a local field. To setup local fields, click Local Membership and select it from the list. A help document explaining how to setup and use local fields can be found by clicking Help -> Documentation.

Who can register for MMS?

Local Secretary, State Secretary, State President, State Membership Chairman, State Bulletin Editor, Grand Aerie Officers.

How do you register?

Send an e-mail to localsupport@foe.com with name, title, Aerie/Auxiliary number (local) or name, title & State (state level).

How does training happen?

The "Welcome Packet" is attached to the e-mail received containing the User ID and temporary password. It walks through getting to the sign on page and signing in/updating password. On the local level it also explains basics such as searching for members, editing them and adding new/re-enrolled members through batch entry.

How do I get support?

First suggestion would be to click Help and read the MMS FAQ and the various help documents found under Help->Documentation. Second would be the MMS Forum also found under Help. If all else fails, an e-mail to localsupport@foe.com.

Grand Madam President

How do we request the Grand Madam President visits our Auxiliary during her travels?

First, make sure your Per Capita Taxes are paid in full. The Grand Madam President can only visit an Auxiliary whose Per Capita Tax has been paid. Then, send your request to your State Madam Secretary. When it is time for your state to be visited, the Grand Auxiliary Office will notify your State Secretary and ask for her recommendation on where the GMP should visit. It is customary for her to include the Auxiliary of your State Madam President during her visit.

What is expected of our Auxiliary when the Grand Madam President visits our Auxiliary?

Once you have been notified that the Grand Madam President is going to make an Official Visit at your Auxiliary, the Madam Secretary will need to make lodging accommodations for her during her stay. The Auxiliary is only responsible to pay for her lodging on the night of her Official Visit. Any other days that may need booked will be paid for by the GMP. It is customary for the Auxiliary to also provide transportation from the airport when she arrives, to and from any events you may have planned, as well as transportation back to the airport upon her departure or even helping her to get to her next visit when within driving distance.

Our Auxiliary is having an event. How do we request a Grand Auxiliary representative?

The Grand Auxiliary will send a representative for the following events:

• 25 - 50 - 75 - 100 year anniversaries with or without initiation
• All other anniversaries where initiation will be held
• Grand openings of new facilities
• Fire fighter and police officer award nights
• Zone, regional, state/provincial conventions and conferences

You may send your requests to the Grand Auxiliary Office for any of the above events. Please send your requests to our office as far in advance as possible.

My Auxiliary is having problems. How to we get help?

Look to the resources available to you. The Rules and Regulations Book, Ritual Book, Officer Handbook, Local Auxiliary By-Laws, the Aerie Constitution & Statutes Book and Aerie House Rules are all tools that should be read, studied and used to help determine what steps are needed during specific situations. Many of the questions can be answered in one or more of the publications listed.

I have exhausted all of the resources available to me and still cannot find the answer to my question. What do I do next?

You may ask for assistance in writing by mailing or e-mailing your question to GMP@foe.com. A response will be sent as soon as possible.

How do I obtain my own copy of the Rules & Regulations or Constitution & Statutes books?

Contact your Local Secretary. These publications may already be available at your Local Auxiliary. If they are not available, you may place a personal order through the Grand Aerie Supply Department. However, you will be required to pay for your order in full before it will be shipped. Only the Madam Secretary may place an order on the Auxiliary's Supply Account.

My Auxiliary wants to make a donation to the Grand Madam President's charity. How do I make sure her charity is credited for our contribution?

All checks for the Grand Madam President's Charity should be made out to "F.O.E. Foundation" and earmarked with her specific charity or GMP Project. This is the only way to assure that charity is credited with your donation.

How do I submit questions to be answered in the "Auxiliaries Want to Know" column in the Eagle Magazine?

Address all questions to "Auxiliaries Want to Know" and send them to the Grand Auxiliary Office by mail. You may also submit your requests by e-mail by sending them to GMP@foe.com and using Auxiliaries Want to Know as your subject line.

How do I obtain a press release and photo of the Grand Auxiliary Representative that has been assigned to our event?

Once a representative is assigned to your event, the press release, photo, and any related paperwork will all be forwarded to the local secretary of the Auxiliary hosting the event. If this information is not received in a timely manner, please notify the Grand Auxiliary Office so that it may be sent again if necessary. If you would like media relations assistance to announce the visitation or related event, please contact marketing@foe.com.

New Aeries/Auxiliaries

What are the qualifications for organizing a New Aerie/Auxiliary?

The organizer must be a current member of the Order, in good standing and should know something about the Fraternal Order of Eagles, what the Eagles have done in their communities, in their State/Province and what they are doing nationally.

How do I go about organizing a new Aerie/Auxiliary?

The first step in organizing a New Aerie/Auxiliary is to survey the proposed site. Upon receiving the completed survey in the Grand Aerie, if approved by the Grand Aerie, commissions will be issued. An organizational packet will be sent to the individual listed, along with a set of instructions.

How many Charter Applicants must be reported before I can Institute the New Aerie/Auxiliary?

A minimum of 50 or more New Charter Applicants must be secured before the Aerie can be instituted. You should sign well over the required minimum, not only to start the Aerie off with a large membership but to increase your income. Keep in mind, the 50 Charter Applicants cannot be dual members.

Why should I organize a New Aerie/Auxiliary?

You will be playing an important part in the growth of this fraternity and you will be awarded the highest honor that can come to any Eagle Leader. You will also receive a Charter Deputy Organizer's Pin, $1,000 in expense money, $10 for every Charter Member you bring into the New Aerie, which will be refunded after the New Aerie is Instituted, a Legion of Honor Award and much more.

Grand Worthy President

What is the difference between an agent and a deputy grand worthy president?

The Aerie must be suspended in order for an Agent to be assigned. An Agent has the authority to remove officers and sign legal documents, a Deputy Grand Worthy President does not have the authority to remove officers or sign any legal documents and the Aerie does not need to be suspended in order for a Deputy Grand Worthy President to be assigned into an Aerie/Auxiliary.

How do we request a representative to attend a function?

An e-mail should be sent to the office of the GWP explaining the time, place, and date of the event as well as whom you would like to attend. They will review and respond.

When the Aerie is suspended, how does this affect the Auxiliary?

An Aerie suspension has no effect upon the Charter of the Auxiliary and the Auxiliary is considered to be in good standing.

May the Aerie officers be employed by the Aerie?

Only if the bylaws of the Aerie allow for the employment of Aerie Officers. Also, the Aerie Trustees, Aerie Auditor, and their spouses or persons living in a marriage like situation may not be employees of the Aerie at any time.

If the Aerie officers are not fulfilling the duties of their office, who do I contact?

The Grand Worthy Presidents office should be notified in writing with the signature of at least one member of the Aerie or Auxiliary being affected.

Eagle Magazine

Why don't I get the Eagle Magazine anymore?

Eagle Magazine is mailed every other month to:

• State/Provincial Aerie/Auxiliary Officers
• Local Aerie/Auxiliary Secretaries
• Local Aerie/Auxiliary Presidents
• Aerie/Auxiliary New Member Producers

Eagle Magazine will be available and downloadable at www.foe.com.

How can I get an article in Eagle Magazine?

Send a story/photo electronically to Eagle editor at eaglemagazine@foe.com please put the copy in a Word document or even in the body of your e-mail. Photos should be sent as very large JPEGs, as a resolution of at least 300 is required for the magazine.

How do I submit a photo and caption for the Contributions and Donations online?

Send your photo and a brief overview of the donation or event to marketing@foe.com. The Contributions and Donations are updated monthly.

Bylaws

How do I find out if our Aerie or Auxiliary is incorporated?

You must contact the Department of State in which you live (not the State Aerie or Auxiliary).

If the Aerie is incorporated, doesn't that mean the Auxiliary is also?

No. The Aerie and Auxiliary have their own Federal Tax ID Number; therefore, they would each have to apply for their own Incorporation papers.

Victory

What is Victory?

Once the Charter of an Aerie or Auxiliary is surrendered or revoked, the members in good standing on the rolls of that particular Aerie or Auxiliary are sent an application for joining Victory. Victory is a Holding Aerie/Auxiliary, which means the members can join Victory until they decide if they wish to transfer to another Aerie/Auxiliary, or they may stay in Victory permanently. The dues are paid to the Grand Aerie Office. The dues for Aerie Beneficial Members are $30 per year and the dues for Aerie Non-Beneficial Members are $25 per year. The dues for Auxiliary Beneficial Members are $8 per year and the dues for Auxiliary Non-Beneficial Members are $7 per year. If the member was a Beneficial Member in his/her original Aerie/Auxiliary at the time the Charter was surrendered or revoked, they remain a Beneficial Member in Victory. The member also keeps any titles they may have acquired.

Ritual

Will the Pledge of Allegiance have to be recited?

The Auxiliary Ritual will recite the Pledge. The only marks against a team on the Pledge and/or ode to the Canadian Flag are if a team does not recite it. There has been no decision as to how the grading of individual team members is made in this situation. You must salute the flag first, drop the hand and bring it back up to say the Pledge. For any Canadian teams, whichever ode you say will be fine as we have no print copy. The entire team must recite the same ode.

Who May compete on a B-2 Team?

It must be either the current serving officers or last years officer. These names must appear on the officers list on file in the Grand Aerie office filed by your Madam Secretary each year.

May we substitute a member of a B-2 Team?

The Ritualistic Committee may permit a team to work with one substitute in an emergency situation.

When the conductor steps forward one step turns towards the candidates and says, "This station is dedicated to home", is this acceptable?

No, the conductor is to stand to the extreme right of and in line with the candidates throughout the initiatory ceremony. She may turn her upper body, use hand gestures, etc. But she must not step forward. The Madam conductor may step out if she give the ode and must step forward when she gives her charges.

What is meant to the extreme right of the candidates?

It is 1 -2 steps in line with the candidates.

When handing the flag to the Madam/Worthy Conductor, will the Vice President be charged if she/he steps out of the station?

No. The Madam/Worthy Conductor shall go to the station of the Madam/Worthy Vice President and receive the flag from her/him.

Must the Madam/Worthy President demonstrate the signs during Initiatory Ceremony?

Yes, the President must demonstrate all of the signs of the Auxiliary/Aerie and must do them correctly.

Records

Where can I find the following information:

• How long have I been Secretary of my Aerie or Auxiliary?
• When a specific member served as Worthy President of his Aerie.
• How to contact a particular Aerie.
• When will you be mailing out the Past President's Certificates and Gold Cards
• Is it possible to get a Past President's Gold Card replaced?

Please contact the Record department at records@foe.com.

Could I get the dates of the next convention and the prices of registration and the banquets?

On the Web site under events and then under convention.

Financial Advisor

If we are just refinancing our mortgage, do we have to get approval from the Grand Aerie Financial Advisor?

Yes. Section 110.4 states that all real Estate transactions must have the approval of the Financial Advisor.

Why do we need a Financial Advisor?

The primary function of the Financial Advisor is to ensure that the proper procedures provided for in our laws have been followed by the local Aerie Officers. This includes proper notice to the members as well as timely information that is in the best interest of the Order.

Programs

Is the Program department amenable to receiving new ideas?

Absolutely! Please feel free to send any ideas for new programs to programs@foe.com and we will gladly review them and look into their feasibility.

Membership General & Promotion

What is the average age of our membership, and how long has the average member been involved in the FOE?

The average age is 52 years young with 11 years of service to our Order.

Do you have any suggestions on how to promote membership in our communities?

The Grand Aerie is loaded with promotional items and ideas. We have many years of experience and are willing to aid any and all that are interested. We also send the local Aerie Secretary information on a regular basis, so please check with the Aerie Secretary or the Grand Aerie at any time.

How do I apply for membership?

Download the membership application.

Public Relations / Local Publicity

How can our aerie/auxiliary get help to announce our event/donation to the media?

Submit your information for media relations support.

Web Related

General

Will the site have a searchable database of the constitution, statues, tribunal decisions, bylaws, etc.?

Not at this time. This is a good suggestion and will be considered for future enhancements/additions to the site.

Is the information on the site printable and reusable (for newsletters, etc.)?

Yes, the information is owned by the FOE and is printable and reusable for FOE needs.

How often will the site get updated?

The site will be updated as needed to keep the information new and useable.

How fast will we get responses from the Grand Aerie?

The speed of responses from Grand Aerie members depends on that person. The Web site, nor Web committee is held responsible for their response rate.

Can downloadable forms be enlarged?

You can enlarge forms on your computer by increase the percentage in which the screen is viewed. This may also be marked as zoom on some computers.

Can we purchase items online - is the site safe?

You will not be able to purchase items on the www.foe.com site at this time.

Local Web Sites

Will you help new Webmasters build Web sites?

Yes, tools and templates for local aeries/auxiliaries to build Web sites are now available. In addition, we will provide additional training and support to assist local Webmasters with the transition.

What tools are needed for a new Web site?

NO new software is needed to build or connect a local site to the main site. The sites can be built and updated through an online administrative system developed as part of the web site. It is based on Microsoft technologies and is easy to use.

How do I get signed up for a new Web site?

Contact dstacey@foe.com and provide your e-mail, contact information, and Aerie or Auxillary number.

What tools are needed to update our exsisting site from the new site?

No new software is needed to build or connect a local site to the main site. If you experience trouble, try to connect using to connect using http://66.34.1.62/ instead of http://www.foe.com. Your user name and passwords have not changed and remain the same. For example, if you were going to connect to Aerie 2715 to update the web site using Frontpage, you will need to connect to http://66.34.1.62/2715/.

What is the cost to run a local site/help develop a local site?

There is no cost associated with the tools/templates the Grand Aerie will provide local members to build sites.

Will training be provided to help Webmasters?

Yes, there is a training manual as well as additional training and support to assist local Webmasters with the transition.

Will local sites be linked or look like the new site?

Yes, local sites will look similar to www.foe.com in order to maintain consistency. However, we will provide different style and layout options to offer some variety for local and state sites.

Will local sites still use Frontpage?

No, Frontpage will not be used or required to maintain local Web site.

Where will the local sites be hosted?

The local sites will continue to be hosted through the Grand Aerie.

Will we have to redo updates?

Yes, local Webmasters will have to copy/paste exsisting content into the new site style and layout.

Is the Grand Aerie planning to keep the old server hosting local sites built before the CMS tools were available?

The contract with the server in Texas hosting many of the local sites built before the tools were available will not be available after February 27, 2009. Any sites hosted on that server will be lost after February 27, 2009.

Submitting Information/Events

How can we submit our information?

Event information can be submitted using the online form on the Events page.

Will all event information be listed - date, location, place, etc. and all that are submitted?

Yes, all relevant event information submitted will be included in the listing.

Do I need power point to submit information?

No, power point or any other software is not needed to submit an event.

Can pre and post convention information be posted online?

Yes, there is a dedicate page to convention information and post photos/announcements.

Supplies

Who is able to order supplies?

Only the secretary is authorized to change orders to the aerie/auxiliary's supply account, If you are not a secretary check with them first. They may have the items you are looking for on hand or may add them to their next order.

How do I obtain a copy of the Constitution, Rules and Regulations, Officer Handbook or directory if my secretary doesn't have them available?

As a member you may place a personal order. Send your order to supplies@foe.com or mail it to the Grand Aerie. An invoice will be produced for you that will include shipping. The total invoice will either be mailed or e-mailed back to you. Once you payment has been received you order will be shipped promptly.

What is the minimum order requirement?

All orders must total $10 in order to be processed. If you are placing an order that totals any amount less than $10, you will be charged a small order fee (SMF). The SMF will be equal to the different of $10 and your order total. If your order total is $7.50, your SMF will be $2.50 to equal $10.

Why am I being charged $5 for freight if it cost less than that to ship?

Our minimum shipping cost is $5. This includes the cost of packaging and processing your order. If the actual shipping charges are over $5 you will be charged the actual cost.

Where can I order online?

Currently, we only have the capability of taking your order by e-mail, fax, mail or phone.

How do I make sense of the stock numbers?

Every item the Supply Department sells has an assigned stock number. In most cases, if the stock number ends in 'A' it is used by the aerie only. If the stock number ends in 'X' it is used by the auxiliary only. If the stock number ends in 'B', both the aerie and auxiliary use the same item.

There are items in the catalog that are free. Are they actually free and how many can I order?

Most of the Programs & Activities items are free of charge, except for shipping. These items are to be used as tools to increase your membership, attendance and participation. Most of them are not meant to be handouts. On those items, please only order two of each item. These may be photo copied if extra copies are neded. The Program & Acitivities Department create and print those tools in the Grand Aerie Office. There, we need to keep our cost as low as possible to continue to provide them to you for free.

When are the Constitution and Rules & Regulations updated?

The Articles of the Inc. Constitution and Statues are revised every other year on the odd years (2007, 2009). The Rules & Regulations are revised every other year on the even years (2008, 2010, 2012). The final revisions for both are approved at the International Convention each year, therefore the new edition of each book will be available towards the end of each year depending on if it is an even year or an odd year.

How long will it take to receive my order?

Allow two weeks from the date your order is received by the Supply Department to receive your order. Please remember the Supply Department shuts down for inventory at the end of May and at the beginning of December. The Grand Aerie Office also closes the last week of the year. If you believe you will need supplies during this time, please make sure you order well in advance. No orders will be shipped during the shut down periods.

I received the wrong item. How do I return it?

You may return any unused, unopened item to the Grand Aerie Office within a reasonable amount of time. Ship them to then Grand Aerie Supply Department and include your name, Aerie or Auxiliary number and the invoice number the items were purchased on your account will be credited as quickly as possible.

Sports

How does an Aerie or Auxiliary host a sporting event?

You will need to send in a written proposal which includes description and photos of Aerie and location of event, hotel availability, access to airport, plan for the event, prior events held by Aerie or at the location, letter from Aerie and Auxiliary that will support and help on the event and if the event is not held at Aerie, a letter from the bowling alley, softball complex, rental hall that is able to host and handle event. You will then need to mail this to the Grand Aerie Programs Department at 1623 Gateway Circle South, Grove City, Ohio, 43123.