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Sacrament Meeting attendance list

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:35 am
by kwilloughby-p40
Recently, our Stake Presidency asked bishoprics to take attendance during Sacrament Meetings. Apparently, this would help us to identify the number of Sacrament Meetings attended for new converts (as required in the New Member Report), but also give us a picture of our overall membership attendance pattern.

Any idea on how I print such an attendance list? Our ward clerk and I went through the MLS but couldn't find such an attendance list. We can print attendance lists for Priesthood, Relief Society, youth, etc., but we want one that lists each ward member in alphabetical order.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

Best regards,

Keith Willoughby

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:16 am
by WelchTC
I don't know of such a report but I'm no expert on the MLS system. However, one idea to get the information you are requesting is to have your ward mission leader, ward missionaries and full time missionaries assigned to your ward (if you have any) act as greeters. Then they can follow up in their weekly ward mission council meeting.

Is your leadership asking for individual names that attend or just a count of the # attending?

Tom

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:07 pm
by daddy-o-p40
I'd use the Gospel Doctrine attendance list as it will have all the adults on it.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:12 pm
by russellhltn
enriquer wrote:I'd use the Gospel Doctrine attendance list as it will have all the adults on it.
Wouldn't new converts be in Gospel Essentials and not be on the GD list?

Personally I'd be leery about taking attendance in Sacrament Meeting since that could easily be too distracting. I like the idea of having the missionaries assigned as greeters. That allows them to get the info on new converts without distraction. I think it's worth suggesting to the Bishop.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:00 pm
by JasonG-p40
How many people do you average in your sacrament meeting attendance?

If it's not that big of a number, then having the missionaries, or a couple of people who've been in the ward for a while, to be the greeters would be a fine idea. You could just print out a ward roster and go with it. It's already broken down alphabetically, and since it's also broken down into families, you could check off the whole family at once if you saw them coming in together.

Another option would be to download the ward directory from your ward website, stick it in Excel, and then just have an empty cell beside each name where you can put a check if they're there and leave it blank if they're not.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:46 pm
by daddy-o-p40
RussellHltn wrote:Wouldn't new converts be in Gospel Essentials and not be on the GD list?
MLS does not produce a seperate roll for Gospel Essentials.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:36 am
by atticusewig
I thought that taking attendance in sacrament meeting
was listed as something we shouldn't do in the
Church Handbook of Instructions, but am probably
wrong on this.

But, since this is a tech list, here are some wildly crazy solutions:

1) FINGERPRINT THEM

Buy enough of those USB fingerprint scanners for each
entrance into the Chapel, and have people donate the use of
their laptops to run the software.

Pros: Everyone's fingerprint is unique so you won't count them twice.

Cons: Make sure to have some handwipes, because the scanners
don't do too well against children's snack-sticky hands.


2) VIDEOTAPE THEM

Now I know for a fact that videotaping in the chapel is strictly
forbidden by the Church Handbook of Instructions, so you would
need to setup the cameras at the entrances and face them toward
the foyers. Then run some face-recognition software.

Pros: People will forget that the cameras are even there.

Cons: Face-recognition software is expensive, but if one
of your members works for Homeland Security or you live in
Las Vegas, you might be able to get a deal.


3) AUDIO RECORD THEM

Audiorecording in the Chapel, on the other hand, I believe is
allowed by the Church Handbook, so microphone-up the
pews, and fireup the voice-recognition software. You can
be assured that everyone talks before or during sacrament
meeting - the reverance program just ain't what it used to be.

Pros: By recording the conversations you might be able to
measure the effectiveness of speakers, see how many members
are "really sustaining" those to callings, or just might pick up
some juicy pieces of gossip. Also, if you can get your local
Facilities Management people to agree, you could wire up the
pews, so any loud outbursts are greeted with a mild electric
shock.

Cons: Voice-recognition software isn't perfected yet.
False-positives might cause the wrong screaming
child to be shocked.


I've only listed those technically practical at this time.
Ideas I've left out: Rentinal Scanners, RFIDs implanted
in each member's scriptures, etc.

Also, for some reason you might have some trouble getting
members to agree to these methods. A few stern talks from
the Stake President should get them in line.

- Atticus Ewig

:D Everything above is a joke. Please, please don't implement any of them

Official Disclaimer

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 12:14 pm
by mkmurray
atticusewig wrote:...Also, if you can get your local
Facilities Management people to agree, you could wire up the
pews, so any loud outbursts are greeted with a mild electric
shock.

Cons: Voice-recognition software isn't perfected yet.
False-positives might cause the wrong screaming
child to be shocked.

...

:D Everything above is a joke. Please, please don't implement any of them
Yes, let me help reiterate that the Church in no way supports nor recommends ANY of these methods.

Thank you for the comic relief, atticusewig :D

BTW, there is no such thing as "the wrong screaming child" being shocked; any such child should be shocked! J/K

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:11 pm
by russellhltn
enriquer wrote:MLS does not produce a seperate roll for Gospel Essentials.
You're right in that Out-of-the-box there is no "Gospel Essentials" class, but there are generic Sunday School classes. Depending on how a given unit has implemented their Sunday School, not all adults may belong to the Gospel Doctrine class. In fact, I'm not sure if the Primary workers are listed since they would be in Primary at that time.

Custom report?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:02 pm
by greenwoodkl
Would a MLS Custom Report work? I haven't made any, so I don't know how flexible it is.