Tech Forum

Can anyone tell me if there is a way, short of making a non-Church web site, for making an on-line repository accessible only by authorized individuals which would contain data for each Aaronic Priesthood holder in the stake, by ward? It would include pictures of the boy, personal contact information, progress markers toward DTG award, etc.

In what I have read so far, a site that is outside the Church purview is discouraged. I almost seems to me that a lot of this information is already in MLS, but I don't know if there is a way to pull it all together since I'm not an MLS guru.

Any pointers are appreciated.

Bob D., STS Queen Creek AZ Chandler Heights Stake

bobd1830 wrote:It would include [...] personal contact information

Whatever you decide to do, you may want to bear in mind that confidential information should never be stored online using "shared internet services" such as Google Docs - take a look at slide 14 here:

http://broadcast2.lds.org/eLearning/ics ... layer.html

Yes, your point is well taken. That's why I said in my original post that "a site that is outside the Church purview is discouraged". What I would really like to know is if there is some way to do this within MLS.

MLS is not "on-line" (although some of it's functionally is on church websites), and it doesn't support photos (but the church directory does).

There are Custom Fields in MLS, but if I recall the reporting is a bit weak and it's doesn't transmit to the stake.

And since you've now limited yourself to the ward computer, you could as easily go with a spreadsheet for tracking.

bobd1830 wrote:Can anyone tell me if there is a way, short of making a non-Church web site, for making an on-line repository accessible only by authorized individuals which would contain data for each Aaronic Priesthood holder in the stake, by ward? It would include pictures of the boy, personal contact information, progress markers toward DTG award, etc.

In what I have read so far, a site that is outside the Church purview is discouraged. I almost seems to me that a lot of this information is already in MLS, but I don't know if there is a way to pull it all together since I'm not an MLS guru.

Any pointers are appreciated.

Bob D., STS Queen Creek AZ Chandler Heights Stake

Although I can see why such a tool might be useful on the ward level, I'm curious as to why the Stake YM Presidency thinks they need/should have access to detailed information on individuals. The Stake YM Presidency is responsible for training the ward's YM Presidency, but they do not fulfill assignments that should be fulfilled on the ward or family level. Handbook 2, 15.4.1. Although they do council with the ward's YM Presidency over the needs of the youth in the ward, that still doesn't grant them access to the personalized information on the youth.

In any case, MLS does not handle Duty to God progress or photographs. The DtG website, dutyofgod.lds.org, does not currently provide access for leaders to sign off or review progress on the award. Although I think there is the potential for access like this within Leader & Clerk resources, at the present time access to that system is extremely limited, and that isn't likely to change in the near future. The online directory does have photographs and contact information, but access to photographs of youth is restricted, and the directory doesn't handle DtG either. So, given the tools the Church has provided, no, there is no way to create an online repository of this information.

allenjpl wrote:Although I can see why such a tool might be useful on the ward level, I'm curious as to why the Stake YM Presidency thinks they need/should have access to detailed information on individuals. The Stake YM Presidency is responsible for training the ward's YM Presidency, but they do not fulfill assignments that should be fulfilled on the ward or family level.

Was going to post the same - but didn't want to come across as being argumentative. For me - the stake don't need this information.

On a more general point - I see more and more, stake youth leaders trying to run things as if they were ward based.

dannykos wrote:On a more general point - I see more and more, stake youth leaders trying to run things as if they were ward based.

Most stake leaders were once ward leaders, and usually very good ones. It is sometimes difficult to make the transition from doing to teaching and training.

I believe it does make sense for stake leaders to have access to the things ward leaders do, however, so that they can provide meaningful training.

lajackson wrote:Most stake leaders were once ward leaders, and usually very good ones. It is sometimes difficult to make the transition from doing to teaching and training.

I believe it does make sense for stake leaders to have access to the things ward leaders do, however, so that they can provide meaningful training.

Then again, leaders that are good at doing may also be a symptom of a problem. Ward leaders that are good at teaching and training the young men to administer the Aaronic Priesthood program on their own are more likely to make the transition to teaching and training other ward leaders to do so.

dannykos wrote:Was going to post the same - but didn't want to come across as being argumentative. For me - the stake don't need this information.

If I was argumentative or off-topic, I apologize. As an assistant ward clerk, I view part of my calling as the protection of the confidential information contained within the Church's systems for our ward. While I can appreciate the stake leader's desire to support each of the young men in the stake by tracking their progress in the DtG program and helping the ward leaders identify problem areas, it just seemed that the request involved the clerk divulging confidential information to the stake, particularly the boy's contact information, age, and any photographs. I understand that some of the information may already by available to the stake leaders through the directory (currently, household contact information and which priesthood office the boy is ordained) but others are not, and it seems prudent to keep that information restricted to the leaders in the ward, who have the responsibility to encourage the YM in the optional DtG program.

Thanks to all who have responded. I found that there is an excellent tracking tool for the individual boys to use at https://www.lds.org/young-men/duty-to-god?lang=eng#d. I have encouraged the stake leaders to get the ward leaders to encourage the boys to use it. I think that fits best with the principle of agency that we're given.

Again thanks for your comments. They were helpful.