53 - How to View a Connect Group

Connect groups represent your lodge, chapter, or other fraternal organizations. Each group has its own page with news, events, photos, files, and more.

What is a Connect Group?

A Connect group can be:

• Your local lodge
• Your Grand Lodge or Grand Chapter
• A committee (DeMolay, youth groups, etc.)
• A special interest group
• A district or region

Think of it as your lodge’s “page” on Connect - its own space with all its information and activities.

Finding Groups

From Connect Home

1. Log in to Connect
2. Look for “Groups” or “My Groups” in main menu
3. Click to see groups you belong to

From the Group List

1. Click “All Groups” or “Browse Groups”
2. See complete list of groups
3. Find the one you want
4. Click to view

From a Post or Event

If you see a post or event:

1. Click the group name at top of post
2. Opens that group’s page

From Search

1. Use the search function
2. Type group name
3. Select from results

Viewing a Group Page

Group Header

At the top you’ll see:

• Group name: Lodge name, number, jurisdiction
• Group photo: Logo or building photo
• Cover photo: Banner image
• Follow button: To follow the group
• Officers: Current leadership

Group Tabs

Click tabs to see different sections:

News/Posts

• Recent announcements
• Updates and discussions
• Member posts

Calendar/Events

• Upcoming events
• Past events
• Meeting schedule

Photos

• Photo albums
• Recent photos
• Event pictures

Files

• Important documents
• Forms to download
• Meeting minutes
• By-laws and procedures

About

• Group information
• History
• Meeting location and times
• Contact information

Pages (if available)

• Custom pages created by the group
• Committee information
• Special programs
• Resources

Members (if visible)

• Member directory for this group
• Current officers
• Member list

News/Posts Tab

What You’ll See

• Recent posts from the group
• Announcements from officers
• Photos and updates
• Pinned important posts

Interacting with Posts

You can:

• Read posts
• Like posts
• Comment on posts
• Share posts

See:

• How to Like a Post
• How to Comment
• How to Share a Post

Creating Posts

If you have permission:

• Click “Create Post”
• Share news with the group
• See How to Create a Post

Calendar/Events Tab

Viewing Events

See:

• All upcoming events
• Calendar view
• Event details

To view an event:

1. Click the event name
2. See full details

RSVPing to Events

1. Click on event
2. Click “RSVP”
3. Select Yes, No, or Maybe

See How to RSVP to an Event

Creating Events

If you’re an officer:

• Click “Create Event”
• See How to Create an Event

Photos Tab

Photo Albums

See:

• All photo albums for this group
• Recent photos
• Event photos

Viewing Photos

1. Click on an album
2. Browse photos
3. View slideshow
4. Download if allowed

Uploading Photos

If you have permission:

• Create new album
• Upload photos to existing album
• See How to Upload Photos

Files Tab

Accessing Files

See files organized by:

• Folders
• File type
• Date uploaded
• Name

Downloading Files

1. Find the file you need
2. Click on file name
3. File downloads or opens

Common files:

• Meeting minutes
• By-laws
• Forms and applications
• Calendars
• Reports

Uploading Files

If you’re an officer:

• Upload documents
• Create folders
• Organize files
• See How to Upload a File

About Tab

Group Information

See:

• Full group name
• Number and jurisdiction
• History and description
• Meeting location
• Meeting times
• Contact information
• Directions and parking

Meeting Information

Typically shows:

• Regular meeting schedule
• Location/address
• Map (click for directions)
• Special instructions

Contact Information

May include:

• Secretary contact
• Lodge phone number
• Lodge email
• Website
• Social media

Custom Pages

Some groups create custom pages for:

• Committees
• Special programs
• Historical information
• Resources and links
• FAQ sections

To view:

1. Click “Pages” tab
2. Select page from list
3. Read content

Group Membership

Following a Group

To get updates from a group:

1. Click “Follow” button on group page
2. You’ll see their posts in your feed
3. You’ll receive notifications about their events

See How to Follow a Group

Unfollowing a Group

To stop seeing updates:

1. Click “Following” button
2. Change to “Unfollow”
3. You won’t see their posts automatically

Note: You can still visit the page to see updates, you just won’t see them in your feed automatically.

Members vs. Followers

Member:

• Officially affiliated with the group
• Appears in member roster
• Based on your membership record

Follower:

• Choose to follow group’s updates
• Receive notifications
• See posts in feed
• Can follow groups you’re not a member of

Privacy and Visibility

Public Groups

Anyone can:

• View the group page
• See posts and events
• See photos and files
• Don’t need to log in

Members Only Groups

Only members can:

• See full group content
• View all posts
• Access files
• See full calendar

Must be logged in to view.

Private/Closed Groups

Only invited members can:

• See the group exists
• View any content
• Participate

You must be added by an administrator.

Group Roles

Members

Regular members can:

• View content
• Like and comment
• RSVP to events
• Follow the group

Officers/Administrators

Officers can:

• Create posts
• Create events
• Upload photos
• Upload files
• Manage content
• Edit group information

Notifications from Groups

What You’ll Receive

When following a group:

• New post notifications
• New event notifications
• Event updates
• Important announcements

Managing Notifications

Control what you receive:

1. Go to Contact Preferences
2. Set notification frequency
3. Choose what types you want

Options:

• Immediately
• Daily digest
• Weekly digest
• Never

Multiple Group Membership

Belonging to Several Groups

You might be in:

• Your local lodge
• Grand Lodge group
• Committee groups
• District group
• Special interest groups

Managing Multiple Groups

To see all your groups:

1. Click “My Groups”
2. See list of groups you’re in
3. Click any to visit

To see activity from all:

• Your feed shows posts from all groups you follow
• Filter by specific group if needed

Mobile View

On phones and tablets:

• Group pages are responsive
• Tabs may be in a menu
• Swipe through photos
• Same functionality, different layout

Troubleshooting

Can’t Find a Group

Problem: Looking for your lodge but can’t find it.

Possible reasons:

• Not set up yet
• Different name than expected
• Private group (not visible)

Solutions:

1. Try searching different ways
2. Contact your secretary
3. They may need to add you
4. Group may need to be created

Can’t See Group Content

Problem: Group page is mostly empty.

Possible reasons:

• Members Only group and you’re not logged in
• Private group you’re not in
• No content posted yet
• Privacy settings

Solutions:

1. Make sure you’re logged in
2. Check if you’re a member
3. Contact group administrator
4. Ask to be added if it’s private

Can’t Post to Group

Problem: Don’t see option to create posts.

Why:

• Only officers can post (common)
• Group has posting restrictions
• You need special permission

Solution:

• Send content to an officer to post
• Comment on existing posts
• RSVP to events and participate

Group Information Looks Wrong

Problem: Meeting time, location, or info is incorrect.

Solution:

• Contact a group officer
• They can edit group information
• Needs to be updated by admin

Using Groups Effectively

Stay Informed

• Check your group pages regularly
• Follow groups you’re interested in
• Enable notifications for important groups
• Read posts and announcements

Participate

• RSVP to events
• Like and comment on posts
• Share valuable information
• Help make the group active

Be Respectful

• Keep content appropriate
• Follow group rules
• Respect privacy settings
• Support your fellow members

For New Members

Getting Started

1. Find your lodge’s group
2. Click “Follow”
3. Complete your profile
4. Introduce yourself (if allowed)
5. Explore photos and files
6. RSVP to upcoming events

Learning About Your Lodge

Use the group page to:

• See meeting times
• Learn lodge history
• Meet current officers
• See upcoming events
• View photos from activities
• Access important documents

Need Help?

Contact your lodge secretary or webmaster if:

• You can’t find your lodge’s group
• Can’t access group content
• Information looks wrong
• You need to be added to a group
• You have questions about permissions
• You want to create content for the group

Next Steps

• Follow a group
• View calendar
• Browse photos
• Download files
• RSVP to events