Our WSJ Society Website Status

As I noted in the last newsletter, our website is being phased out by our former employer JCI.  This website’s recent history is like a 10+ year old orphan that hasn’t had a true home for quite some time.  It started out fine but has had various foster homes in business units no longer part of JCI.  Most of the JCI people we have asked so far have crossed paths with this website sometime in the past but now have little knowledge about its current status.  It needs a new home and is quite complex to update, so the prevailing opinion is that it needs to be retired and/or rebuilt.   We are getting help from the individual who helped set up our present site over a decade ago.  He is now an independent consultant.  The initial expenses for this new path seem reasonable at this time, but we will have to see if there are cost surprises ahead.

We hope the present website will stay active to serve our needs through the next quarterly luncheon which is April 16, 2026.  After that we plan to transition to a simpler version of what we now have on a rented site that we will have control of.  The new format is planned to be a tool for sharing information to and from our members (present and future).  It will not attempt to link to JCI information or be a place for members to create common interest groups (which never took off anyway).  It probably will not have the appropriate features to handle financial transactions like dues or luncheon payments.

In the event there is a transition time when you can’t find us on the internet, or the email help@wsjsociety.com (which is connected to our website) doesn’t work,  here are a few ways you can try to reach us.  They are both referenced in past newsletters.  The email address wsj.president@gmail.com which is used for PayPal communication, will not be affected by any changes to our website.  However, it is not actively monitored outside of the normal quarterly luncheon registration/payment cycle.  There is also the old-fashioned postal system where you can write a paper letter and send it with a stamp to: WSJ Society,  P.O. Box 510105, Milwaukee WI. 53203.   Neither of these meet today’s expectations of immediate communication, but they should still work.

 In case our communication links are disabled longer than expected. Our 2026 Alioto’s luncheon dates are April 16, July 17, Oct 16.   A timely $30 check to our PO Box, with Chicken, Red meat, or Salad selected, will get you a seat, a meal and a surprise of what else is on the plate.

Until next update,

                                           Gene