Page 1 of 1

Removing, Renaming Miscellaneous Other Callings

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:39 pm
by jbh001
In the Other Callings of the Organizations section of MLS, we have created several custom organizations (e.g. Ward Mission, Activities Committee, Music Staff, etc.)

I need to change the names of some of the callings (i.e. Sacrament Meeting Chorister to Ward Music Director).

In other organizations (e.g. Relief Society) I can click on Custom Callings within that organization and rename the existing callings or delete obsolete entries. This does not seem to work in the Other Callings section. Specifically, only the custom callings that have NOT been assigned to an organization are available to edit. So because the the Sacrament Meeting Chorister has been assigned to the Music Staff custom organization, I cannot find a way to edit any of the custom calling names, I can only add new ones. It seems like I used to be able to do this, but I can't remember how I did it. Maybe one of the MLS software updates eliminated this functionality.

Any ideas?

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:47 pm
by russellhltn
Can you delete it? Or perhaps you need to remove the person and then delete/rename the empty calling.

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:59 pm
by jbh001
RussellHltn wrote:Can you delete it? Or perhaps you need to remove the person and then delete/rename the empty calling.
No. Although I wonder if this functions similar to the geo codes that automagically disappear once they are no longer linked to anything (but I doubt it).

I think I might have to delete the custom organization to get those custom positions to reappear in the custom callings section where they can be edited/deleted, and then recreate the custom organization.

The problem is I vaguely recall stumbling upon a master list of custom callings (i.e. positions that had been created locally instead of being included with the software), but like so many other things in MLS, once you find it, it's had to find it again (I'm beginning to wonder if I'm my memory of it was really just wishful thinking). Some of the functions/features only get used once a year (like tithing settlement, or Seminary & Institute enrollment), and I find myself have to rack my brain wondering how I did it the last time.

Another example is baby blessings. I know that there is a way to create the certificate and membership record simultaneously, but the spacing with which baby blessings occur in our unit always seems to be just long enough for me to forget how it is supposed to be done, and then I always end up guessing which method to use and consistently guess wrong (it seems). I finally figure out too late the way I should have done it, but by the time I have to do it again, I have forgotten which of the several methods works.

In training other clerks or fulfilling requests from others, someone will invariably ask if I can create such and such a report. My answer is usually, "oh yes, in fact I've seen this pre-defined report that shows just the information you are asking for, I just have to remember how and where I found it and how to find it again." HT & VT reports are the biggest problem, because the HT & VT supervisors like the report that has phone numbers on it, and I always find the other one without the phone numbers. I then have to hunt through the whole organization again, all the while muttering, "now where did I find that report, I know it is in here somewhere."

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:18 pm
by russellhltn
jbh001 wrote:Some of the functions/features only get used once a year (like tithing settlement, or Seminary & Institute enrollment), and I find myself have to rack my brain wondering how I did it the last time.
Sounds like the problems I've had at work processing some data for delivery. Most of the stuff is automated so I don't have to do anything. Some requires me to do a few things before it can be delivered.

After forgetting, figuring it out, forgetting, re-figuring it out, making a mistake and re-doing it, I finally started creating a procedures "manual". I say "manual" because all it is a directory. In the directory is a file written in Notepad that lists the steps. I then save the file with the name of the process, such as "Baby Blessing". It's not in minute detail, but enough that I can remember how to do it.

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:13 am
by terrysackett
RussellHltn wrote:After forgetting, figuring it out, forgetting, re-figuring it out, making a mistake and re-doing it, I finally started creating a procedures "manual". I say "manual" because all it is a directory. In the directory is a file written in Notepad that lists the steps. I then save the file with the name of the process, such as "Baby Blessing". It's not in minute detail, but enough that I can remember how to do it.

That's a great idea! Thank you for that.

As for the first issue, I have edited many of the custom callings in my ward computer, and in fact I did some major housecleaning yesterday. Keep in mind that some callings are native to MLS and cannot be deleted (like "den mother" which was in use when I was a Cub Scout in the 70s, but hasn't been used since I think the late 80s). I know that Ward Music Director is a native calling, and I think Sacrament Chorister is too, though I'm not sure. There are wards, like mine, where these callings are held by separate people.

However, if you know you created the calling name, it should, as you indicated, show up under the custom organization for which it was created. That would be the only thing that I can think of trying, so you may have to do what you said about deleting the organization and starting from scratch.

I think if you click Organizations in the tool bar, at the bottom of the drop-down list is where you find Other Callings. I think the custom callings are listed there, at least for the Miscellaneous department.

Every once in a while, I get the crazy idea to open the Help file, which has been helpful once, if I remember generously. Maybe something in there will lead you in the right direction or suggest something you forgot to try.

You mentioned that you created a Ward Mission organization. I did the same thing several months ago, but ended up deleting it a couple of months later and putting the callings back in Miscellaneous because it created an issue that I can't remember at the moment. I think it had to do with the WML's name not showing up on the Officers Sustained form when the calling wasn't where the program looked for it. I may be wrong about that, but have you had any inconveniences with that?

Coming from a Cub Scouting background before being called as ward clerk, and being the pack trainer for my ward, I also created a class in Primary called "Pack 262" because I don't like the outdated and/or misspelled Cub Scout leader position names in MLS. I haven't yet had any problems with it, but it is a class and not a separate organization (which I tried originally).

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:30 am
by jbh001
Success!
Navigate to Organizations > Other Callings > Custom Positions. At the Show: drop down list, select Custom Organization. You can now add, edit, or delete to your heart's content. (I knew I had stumbled across it somewhere before.) It is bizarre that these custom positions don't show up when Show: is set to All. Perhaps this is a bug that needs to be fixed in a future version of MLS.

For Cub Scouts, I tried messing around with creating custom classes in Primary for Activities Days and Cub Scouts, but it turned out to be more work to maintain those custom classes than I wanted to do (or wanted to train anyone else to do) on a regular basis. I ended up creating the following custom callings for Primary to handle it.

Activities Day Leader
Activities Day Assistant Leader

Wolf Den Ldr. (8-yo; Pack 792)
Bear Den Ldr. (9-yo; Pack 792)
Webelos Den Ldr. (10-yo; Pack 792)
Webelos Den Ldr. Asst. (10-yo; Pack 792)

Assistant Scoutmaster (11-yo; Troop 792)

Cubmaster (Pack 792)
Assistant Cubmaster (Pack 792)
Den Chief (Pack 792)
Committee Chair (Cub Scout Pack 792)
Committee Member (Cub Scout Pack 792)

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:39 pm
by terrysackett
jbh001 wrote:Success!
Navigate to Organizations > Other Callings > Custom Positions. At the Show: drop down list, select Custom Organization. You can now add, edit, or delete to your heart's content. (I knew I had stumbled across it somewhere before.) It is bizarre that these custom positions don't show up when Show: is set to All. Perhaps this is a bug that needs to be fixed in a future version of MLS.

For Cub Scouts, I tried messing around with creating custom classes in Primary for Activities Days and Cub Scouts, but it turned out to be more work to maintain those custom classes than I wanted to do (or wanted to train anyone else to do) on a regular basis. I ended up creating the following custom callings for Primary to handle it.

Activities Day Leader
Activities Day Assistant Leader

Wolf Den Ldr. (8-yo; Pack 792)
Bear Den Ldr. (9-yo; Pack 792)
Webelos Den Ldr. (10-yo; Pack 792)
Webelos Den Ldr. Asst. (10-yo; Pack 792)

Assistant Scoutmaster (11-yo; Troop 792)

Cubmaster (Pack 792)
Assistant Cubmaster (Pack 792)
Den Chief (Pack 792)
Committee Chair (Cub Scout Pack 792)
Committee Member (Cub Scout Pack 792)

Thank you for the info! I'll check that out. Your Scouting callings look pretty close to mine, too, and I'm so glad to see another person correctly using Cubmaster as one word, instead of two! :D

Using standard calling names in MLS

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:33 am
by aebrown
SR Ward Clerk wrote:You mentioned that you created a Ward Mission organization. I did the same thing several months ago, but ended up deleting it a couple of months later and putting the callings back in Miscellaneous because it created an issue that I can't remember at the moment. I think it had to do with the WML's name not showing up on the Officers Sustained form when the calling wasn't where the program looked for it. I may be wrong about that, but have you had any inconveniences with that?
There are several callings that have to remain in their original location with their original names. These include quorum leaders, auxiliary presidencies, bishoprics, clerks, mission leaders and others. There are two important reasons for retaining the original names:
  1. The Officers Sustained form will fill in the names of the people filling all these callings;
  2. The names of those people will also flow to the Ward Leadership list in Stake MLS.
It would be nice if MLS weren't so rigid, but I can understand why it was implemented that way, and as long as it works that way, there are benefits to using the built-in names. If the leadership directory of MLS is ever hooked up to the LUWS leadership directory (for which many of us fervently hope :)), I would bet that using standard calling names will facilitate that linkage as well.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:38 am
by aebrown
jbh001 wrote:Success!
Navigate to Organizations > Other Callings > Custom Positions. At the Show: drop down list, select Custom Organization. You can now add, edit, or delete to your heart's content. (I knew I had stumbled across it somewhere before.) It is bizarre that these custom positions don't show up when Show: is set to All. Perhaps this is a bug that needs to be fixed in a future version of MLS.
Excellent find, jbh001! I knew it had to be possible, but I guess I just made the outrageous assumption :D that "All" would actually include all positions as I was hunting through MLS to find this. Fortunately, you were more creative in your search.

This is a great example of why this forum is so valuable -- most people would never find that in MLS, but by searching this forum, they can now find the solution.