Suggestions for Members without Callings List

[aebrown]

I would be happy if they just made the display of full birthdays optional--this is somewhat sensitive info. I wonder why is this info on the Members without callings list. It is not on the Members with Callings list.

It makes sense that as you are considering what persons may be good candidates to serve in a calling, the age would be helpful -- certain callings require people of a certain age, and others require people of a minimum age. And sometimes the age is not enough -- if you are considering someone to serve in an Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidency, for example, you often need the birthdate as well.

That said, it does seem to me that when you use the checkbox to hide the age, the system should hide the birthdate as well -- if you've decided you don't need the age on a report, it's hard to imagine why you would need the birthdate. That would be a very simple change that would probably address your concern.

[stanmoore1]

Yes, a checkbox to hide birthday would be very nice. I am in a YSA ward where all of the members are close to the same age, so it would be nice if this info was optional.

Thanks!

[kisaac]

Stanmoore1,
Several considerations....
First I understand you are suggesting a simple yet functional improvement to LDS.org tools. please submit your request from within the LDS.org "feedback link."

Second, there are several ways already suggested to "get around" your concern, and I'll give a couple more.

I would always use MLS for such a report because I want more control over my output, it can truly be a "custom" report. Actually, you are requesting more of that same ability to customize what you get from LDS.org. I'm just not sure how quickly it will become as powerful as MLS already is. Don't be side-tracked by the "temple recommend" issue, you don't need to use that as a filter if you are not given authority to see it.

For your "simple" list, print it off of LDS.org and hide the birthdays with a piece of paper or white-out, then photocopy and distribute. With a little more trouble, copy to clipboard and paste to a spreadsheet, stripping out the formatting and selecting the delimiters correctly, and delete the columns you don't want.

For more control, use MLS, either by printing the Members without callings list, or use the "custom reports" feature as rontilby and others have suggested. Use the link here in the wiki for help.

Why do I use a "qualifier," or "filter," like a current temple recommend? Why do I have more than one pair of clothes?
The simple "show me everybody who doesn't have a calling" list is a "t-shirt and jeans" solution, but those rarely fit very many situations perfectly. Some callings are for anyone, while other callings probably need a level of commitment to the gospel for the potential candidate to succeed in the calling. The "qualifiers" help you find those that have whatever level of commitment you think may help your selection process. Obviously, a temple recommend would probably be important for most leadership callings, suggesting an understanding of gospel principles and a commitment to follow them. It would be an appropriate "qualifier" in those situations. I've used it before, and sometimes combined it with others, like this one that uses four "qualifiers" for a possible Relief Society President in a traditional ward.

Show all MARRIED SISTERS, OVER 40, with a CURRENT RECOMMEND that DOES NOT HAVE A CALLING
Incidentally, I often don't add "does not have a calling" for the leadership positions, and just have the report print what calling they do have along with their name. In that way, those that have other callings may also be included on the list.

Other possible "qualifiers" you can use to filter your list, that are not "temple recommend" sensitive. These may not narrow your list as much, which may help, or hinder...
Is Home Teacher
Is visiting teacher
Is returned missionary
Is Elder, etc

I regularly run a report that I call the WHY NOT list.
As in "why don't these people have a calling?" Built like this:
Show ALL MEMBERS OVER AGE 26, WITH A CURRENT TEMPLE RECOMMEND and CALLED as a VISITING TEACHER, and DOES NOT HAVE A CALLING....
Then my bishopric or organization heads can look over this list and ask Why Not? Why don't these members, who are temple worthy and shown a willingness to accept a home/visiting teaching assignment, have a calling?

[dannykos]

great post - but not sure about the age qualifiers? I've seen/called RS presidents under 40!?

[russellhltn]

The only age qualifiers I know of (off the top of my head) are adult vs. youth, or maybe YSA vs. SA. Within the youth program, there's certainly qualifiers to decide which program they belong in.

[stanmoore1]

Yes, thank you kisaac for the very insightful post. I also thought of editing the PDF file electronically with a program like Acrobat X Pro to get rid of the birthdays.... Thanks again everyone!

[kisaac]

great post - but not sure about the age qualifiers? I've seen/called RS presidents under 40!?

Yes! It's just an example (which I already regret using!) I've seen many young and single RS presidents, and we certainly don't want to stereotype. The point I was trying to make is that with MLS, almost anything is a possible qualifyer, and you really can sort through a 400+ ward. We must realize that this method is just a tool, of course, and may actually be limiting our selection processes if used wrong, and become to stereotypical. Besides, how many times is the perfect person for the calling one that doesn't already have one? In some cases, perhaps its the easy way and hope we can fill a call without the "domino effect" of taking from one organization to staff another. In truth, You'll probably start with your ward list, and begin narrowing from there, using pondering and prayer at every step of the way to find your real answer.

[vandenberg]

It would be wonderful if the current functionality on MLS of designating "potential candidates" could propagate out to lds.org. This functionality is needed to take the members without callings list from a list of inactive members plus those who need callings to truly a list of members without callings.

In our ward, for example, there are probably a dozen or so people at any time that should have callings but do not (or who have callings, but that we need to circle back with our clerks to update our records to reflect reality). A list of that people is incredibly useful and helps us, in particular, make sure that recent move-ins and converts do not get overlooked for callings--something that we can all agree is a top priority.

However, the members without callings list is 277 people long because it includes every person on the ward's records who does not have a calling--including those who we are virtually certain do not live in the ward, but for whom we haven't been able to complete the steps necessary to send out records; people who don't want to receive home teachers, much less a calling; and those who due to age or disability are unable to hold any calling.

As a result, the list of 277 is not useful at all. MLS allows us to designate "potential candidates," and then filter accordingly which turns the list into the useful one that we need. But having access to this via lds.org would make a huge difference as increasingly our discussions about callings happen via e-mail or at locations other than the ward building.

[mevans]

It would be wonderful if the current functionality on MLS of designating "potential candidates" could propagate out to lds.org.

The church continues to add more Leader/Clerk features online. We don't know if/when this will be available, but the goal seems to be making all of MLS available via the web. A new version with more features is slated to be released soon.