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Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 12:39 am
by wrpollock
How is it that I have received records of individuals that have no address and no phone number? All I have on the record is the name, city and state. We have four wards in our city so how is it that I am getting these records. To complicate the matter there is a little note attached that said that the previous location of these individuals was unknown. There is no previous unit number so I am assuming that HQ is sending this to me. Can someone please clarify this for me?

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 7:56 am
by jaj78
There was an official notice sent out on June 21, 2013 to Bishops and Clerks about members whose address is unknown (accessible at the Official Communications Library). Here's a snippet:
Beginning with the third quarter of 2013, up to 20 membership records previously
moved from your unit into the address unknown file will be returned for further research,
and each quarter thereafter additional records will be returned until all such records have
been reviewed. Specific instructions for clerks are found on the reverse.
And here are the instructions:
ADDITIONAL STEPS FOR FINDING AND RESCUING LOST MEMBERS
For each of the returned membership records, the following steps should be taken:
1. Contact the occupants at the member’s last known address and ask them if they
have a forwarding address.
2. Use postal services to find a forwarding address.
3. Call any last known telephone numbers.
4. Send an email to any last known email addresses.
5. Contact known family members and relatives.
6. Contact known friends, Church members, and full-time missionaries.
7. Contact ward priesthood and auxiliary leaders.
8. Check available online social networks.
After following the above steps:
• If a forwarding address is identified, move the membership record to the new
ward or branch using MLS.
• If no address is found, forward the membership record back to the address
unknown file (these records will not be returned again to your unit).

My impression is that the intent is for wards to have a second try at locating members whose last known residence was within the ward boundaries. Perhaps the sleuthing department at SLC ran cold, and the hope is that there is some local "stone left unturned." My ward received records for a family that we sent to Address Unknown two years ago, whose address is still unknown. After we try again each of the steps for finding lost members from the October 29, 2012 letter, I suppose we can return the record again to CHQ and iterate.

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:39 pm
by Gary_Miller
This is good to know as we also had some of these records returned today and it showed the previous ward was our ward it also had the date when it was sent out.

I had not seen this letter yet. I will be sure to ask the Bishop about it on Sunday. We will need to come up with a plan on how to get these turned around quickly.

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:47 am
by jwtaber
Not necessarily in the ward boundaries, though. We overhauled our boundaries a few years ago, and records sent from before then are coming back to the wards they were sent from. I'm going to tell the clerks that got those records to investigate them rather than pass them to the "right" ward.

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:29 pm
by RossEvans
jwtaber wrote:Not necessarily in the ward boundaries, though. We overhauled our boundaries a few years ago, and records sent from before then are coming back to the wards they were sent from.
I noticed the same thing with several records within the batch our ward got back. These particular addresses used to be in our ward, but another ward annexed them about a year ago.

I think the immediate first step, as it is with all questionable records that arrive from the Address Unknown heap in Salt Lake, is to mail to those addresses (if present at all) with Return Service Requested and see if a forwarding address pops up. But since these addresses are old and stale, and normal USPS forwarding service is only good for 18 months, that will reduce the likelihood of such hits.

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:01 pm
by lajackson
RossEvans wrote:I think the immediate first step, as it is with all questionable records that arrive from the Address Unknown heap in Salt Lake, is to mail to those addresses (if present at all) with Return Service Requested and see if a forwarding address pops up.
That is actually step two of the eight-step process to be followed, according to the June 21, 2013 Notice. jaj78 posted a copy of the instructions earlier in this topic.

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:07 pm
by Gary_Miller
jwtaber wrote:I'm going to tell the clerks that got those records to investigate them rather than pass them to the "right" ward.
One thing you might want to remember. Its not just the clerks responsibility to investigate these records, there is whole ward council that should help in this matter as well.

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:13 pm
by jwtaber
Of course. Meanwhile there are a few units in my stake that were already skittish about sending records out, particularly for those who they know are in the area but don't have a specific address. I wonder how they're going to react to this. Meanwhile, I have to figure out what to tell the clerks and bishops before Sunday - my stake had 111 records kicked back.

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:26 pm
by lajackson
jwtaber wrote:I wonder how they're going to react to this. Meanwhile, I have to figure out what to tell the clerks and bishops before Sunday - my stake had 111 records kicked back.
Read jaj78's post. Or better yet, go get the Notice dated June 21, 2013 at the Official Communications Library and have them read it from the source.

Point out to them the last line that says, after following these instructions "these records will not be returned again to your unit."

Re: Records sent to my ward with no address?

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:29 pm
by Gary_Miller
jwtaber wrote:Of course. Meanwhile there are a few units in my stake that were already skittish about sending records out,
If they have done the steps then they should follow the instructions and send them out. I have no problem doing this as those at CHQ have other means in which they can find address. Means such as cross referencing and contacting relatives who are members that may know where they are.
jwtaber wrote:particularly for those who they know are in the area but don't have a specific address.
If they know for sure they are in the area then they should keep trying to get the correct address. However, if they just think they are in the area then they should follow the steps and send them to CHQ once they are sure they are not there anymore.
jwtaber wrote: I wonder how they're going to react to this. Meanwhile, I have to figure out what to tell the clerks and bishops before Sunday - my stake had 111 records kicked back.
Just remind them of President Kimball's motto, "DO IT" and tell them to get to work.