MEET US AGAIN, FOR THE FIRST TIME

BECAUSE I HAVE so much to say and because Moses discusses our new Zoomer Census in his column (see Last Word/First Word, pg. 90), he has graciously ceded his President’s Column space to me.

Since arriving in February, revamping the website has been at the top of my priority list, right next to giving members tools to manage how much email they receive from us.

Whether you’re renovating a home or a website, the best architects don’t start with details of room sizes or windows (or fonts or colours), they ask about purpose. What is the primary objective for the space? How do you want visitors to feel?

Those are tricky questions. I wanted our website to reflect two complementary but distinct purposes. I like to say our CARP members can do good and do well; that is, they can learn about or support our advocacy work, and take advantage of great member benefits. And, of course, they can also get involved in the community of chapters and volunteers who support both of these objectives.

I wanted our advocacy pages to summarize our key issues in clear, readable language, to provide helpful tools for people to protect themselves and to offer opportunities for members to join CARP’s campaigns. As a friend of mine says, the best negotiations happen when the diplomats are at the table and the battleships are in the bay.

I wanted our benefits pages to not only showcase the many advantages of being part of a 300,000-member organization but I wanted them to be attractive and easy to use too.

I think our new site uniquely reflects our purposes. And I love how members can now choose exactly what type of email communications they receive. I hope you’ll check it out. As the saying goes: meet us again, for the first time.