[RivCompanions] Emmaus Online Chapter

[McKay, Murray]

Companions:

> Emmaus Chapter is currently using our chapter meetings to go through the formation materials with the Memphis postulants.   We have been using Google+ Hangouts to allow Noel and Michael to participate.   However, the postulants are finding this distracting and unproductive because:
>
> * The sound quality through Hangouts is sometimes poor making it difficult to understand what people are saying
> * Even when the volume is turned up all the way, it is difficult for everyone physically present to hear the particpants on the computer (and turning the volume up seems to make the sound quality issues worse)
> * The transmission delay through Hangouts disrupts the normal flow of conversation
> * The postulants are interested in building community, but they have not met (in person) the people in the Hangout, so have no sense of who they are
>
> My take on this is that while physical meetings work well, and Google Hangout meetings work well, mixed physical and hangout meetings do not work as well.
>
> Our last chapter meeting, on 10/5, was a physical-only meeting (due to Noel and Michael being unavailable, and because the location of the meeting wasn't set up for online access).   This meeting went quite well and was productive for the postulants.
>
> Therefore, unless there is strong objection, Emmaus will be doing physical-only meetings, at least for a while.   Once the postulants get to know the participants better (Noel and Michael are visiting Memphis at the end of October), we may review this policy again.
>
> Regards,
> Murray

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