Introducing the ORAS Member Hub 🚀
Managing your membership and planning your next night under the stars just got a whole lot easier. We’ve officially launched the ORAS Member Hub—your new home base for everything happening in our community. No more hunting through emails or menus; everything you need is now just a click away.
What’s waiting for you insideThe hub is designed as a simple, two-column dashboard that gives you a bird’s-eye view of your membership and our upcoming activities.
On your main dashboard:
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Real-time Observing Conditions: Check cloud cover, wind, temperature, and moon phases at a glance. We’ve powered this with lightning-fast data so it loads instantly without slowing down your browsing.
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Your Event Calendar: See what’s coming up at ORAS and stay in the loop on events currently in progress.
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Digital Ticket Booth: View and print your event tickets from one central spot (we’re currently putting the finishing touches on this integration!).
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Member Resources: Direct access to our growing library of guides and materials.
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Community News: The latest announcements and updates meant specifically for our members.
In your sidebar (Account at a glance):
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Quickly check your Membership Status.
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View your Order History or update your Profile Settings.
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Manage your account details without jumping through hoops.
Ready to explore? Getting to the hub is a breeze:
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Log into your ORAS account on our website.
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Head over to the Member Hub page.
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If you aren't logged in yet, the page will simply remind you to sign in so we can show you your personalized info.
This is just the beginning. We’re already working on deeper integrations to make your experience even more personal. Soon, the hub will highlight events you’ve already registered for, send you helpful renewal reminders, and offer even more curated member resources.
Since this hub is still a work in progress, you might run into a few links or features that aren't quite active yet. We appreciate your patience as we polish those final corners!
Take a look around and let us know what you think!
Ticket System updated!
Over the past updates, we’ve completed a series of major improvements to the event tickets system, focusing on reliability, pricing flexibility, and ease of management.
Phase 3.1 — Reliability & Sale Window Enforcement
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Tickets now only appear when they are actually on sale
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Off-sale tickets are completely hidden (not just disabled)
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Sold-out tickets respect sale windows and visibility rules
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Checkout safety improvements prevent invalid or expired tickets from being purchased
Phase 3.2 — Time-Based Pricing (Pricing Phases)
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Tickets can now support multiple pricing phases (e.g. Early Bird, Regular, Last-Chance)
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Prices automatically adjust based on date/time
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The correct price is locked in at checkout and recorded with the order
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No manual price changes required — pricing transitions happen automatically
Phase 3.3 — Tickets Editor Redesign (Admin UX)
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Redesigned tickets editor with a clean, WooCommerce-style layout
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Easier navigation between multiple tickets
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Pricing phases redesigned into a clear card layout with expandable advanced options
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Ticket names, prices, and sale status now update live while editing
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Add / Remove tickets and pricing phases update instantly (no page refresh needed)
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Numerous editor reliability fixes (no blank rows, no delayed updates)
🔒 Important:
These updates do not change how tickets behave for members or the public beyond the intended improvements. All changes were internal, reliability-focused, and admin-only where applicable.
Print On Demand!
You’ll now start seeing apparel and other merchandise available directly in our WooCommerce store. To kick things off, we’ve added a T-shirt as a live example of how the process works.
How it works:
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You place your order on our website
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The item is printed on demand
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It’s made and shipped directly to you
This means no mass production, no excess inventory, and high-quality items created specifically for your order.
More products will be added over time, so check back often as we expand our merchandise offerings.
Giving Page Updated
Our Giving Page is officially live!
What's new:
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One-Click Giving: We've added a secure donation button to the page, so you can support our programs without any extra steps.
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Outdoor Classroom Finished: Since the classroom is now complete, we've updated the page terminology and removed the old calls for project funding.
Thank you for helping us bring the outdoor classroom to life—we're excited for what's next!
Website Launched!
I am thrilled to officially launch the new digital home for the Oil Region Astronomical Society. Our new website is designed to be a hub for our community, making it easier than ever to stay connected with the stars and each other.
What's waiting for you:
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Refreshed Design: A modern, mobile-friendly interface so you can check sky conditions or event times from the observatory or your backyard.
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Interactive Feedback: We've implemented a new feedback system (and yes, we've tested it!) so you can share your thoughts and suggestions directly with me.
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Community Updates: This changelog will be your go-to spot for news, site improvements, and society announcements.
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New Member Portal: We’ve overhauled our membership system using the Paid Membership Pro platform.
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Secure Payments: We’ve switched from PayPal to Stripe for a smoother checkout experience.
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ORAS Gear & Passes: WooCommerce is now live! You can now purchase ORAS Observer Passes directly through the site.
This launch involved a massive effort to copy and transfer the original site content while modernizing the backend. A significant amount of custom theme work and coding went into creating the style you see today to ensure it serves our society for years to come.
Take a look around and let us know what you think. We’re just getting started!