Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

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sbradshaw
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Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#1

Post by sbradshaw »

We have an out-of-unit sister who needs to be entered into MLS as a "Relief Society Adviser to Young Single Adult Sisters." We created an out-of-unit membership record for her, and made sure that she's in the right Relief Society, but she doesn't show in the list of candidates for the calling when we go to add the calling. She needs to be able to access the ward directory but can't until she's assigned a calling.

Another clerk in our stake looked at his MLS to see how his was entered in (each ward in our stake has two or three out-of-unit Relief Society advisers) and it appeared just as it was supposed to, but when he clicked the name of the calling as if to change the person it brought up a dialog box that says "<person name> is not a valid candidate for the selected organization and position. If you continue this person's information will be cleared. Do you want to continue?" Was there a change since MLS 3.5, that kept the out-of-unit advisers as they were entered before, but doesn't let new ones be entered?
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#2

Post by jdlessley »

I tried to replicate the problem in our ward MLS. I ran into the same problem after I had entered the record information for an out of unit sister (my mother who lives in another state).
sbradshaw wrote:Was there a change since MLS 3.5, that kept the out-of-unit advisers as they were entered before, but doesn't let new ones be entered?
There may have been a bug introduced with the MLS 3.5.1_21247 build. We'll have to see if others report the same issue.
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russellhltn
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#3

Post by russellhltn »

jdlessley wrote:There may have been a bug introduced with the MLS 3.5.1_21247 build.
A bug or enforcement of non-obvious policy? I'm wondering if there isn't limits to the callings that a out of unit member may hold. Presumably they are an out of unit member precisely because they are needed to fulfill that calling. That's understandable in the case of a member of the bishopric of a YSA ward, but I'm so so sure it's valid for "Hymn book straighter".

A quick look at the handbook and I see no requirement that the "Relief Society Adviser to Young Single Adult Sisters" must be married. As such, it would seem that that calling can always be fulfilled from within and there's never a need to go "outside".

I don't know if that's the case here, but that's one possible answer.
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sbradshaw
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#4

Post by sbradshaw »

This issue still hasn't been resolved. I'm now in a different YSA stake, but I've been called to the same calling (stake assistant clerk), and am running into the same problem. Based on my experience in two different YSA stakes, this is a common situation where a Relief Society Adviser to YSA Sisters is an out-of-unit sister.

I think part of the reason that this particular calling is commonly filled by an out-of-unit sister is it provides a way for a bishopric member's wife to serve in the same unit as her husband, while also allowing young single adults to fill other important callings such as Relief Society President.

The fact that we can't put them in their callings anymore means that they can't access the ward and stake tools, such as the calendar and directory on LDS.org. This is a major inconvenience for them in our wards. If it is a matter of policy, I'd like to know what you'd suggest we do; but if it is just a bug, I'd love it if we could get it fixed soon.
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#5

Post by russellhltn »

I would suggest calling Local Unit Support. They might be able to tell you if this is bug or policy.
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#6

Post by Gary_Miller »

I think the problem is that Relief Society Adviser is a non-standard calling, its a custom calling. The HB states that other than Bishopric members all other callings are to come from within the members of the ward, not from out of the unit. Trying to make one of the Bishoprics wives a RS Adviser would not fit within the HB guidelines for Out of unit calling for YSA wards. The facts are Bishops and Stake Relief Society Presidencies preform the role of adviser to ward RS presidencies. So having a RS Adviser would not be in line with the HB.
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#7

Post by russellhltn »

Gary_Miller wrote:I think the problem is that Relief Society Adviser is a non-standard calling, its a custom calling.
The OP indicates this is about "Relief Society Adviser to Young Single Adult Sisters". HB2: 9.2.5 does show "Advisers to Young Single Adult Sisters" as a valid calling. Since it's in the Handbook, I would expect to find it as standard calling in MLS.

Gary_Miller wrote:The HB states that other than Bishopric members all other callings are to come from within the members of the ward, not from out of the unit.
If you can reference the section, then that can settle if this is policy or quirk.

Edit: HB 2: 16.3.3 also mentions "The bishopric may call a worthy married couple as ward young single adult advisers." Granted, this is under the section titled "Young Single Adults in Conventional Stakes and Wards". But in 16.6.1, we see "Young single adult wards use the regular program of the Church as much as possible." It may be worth seeing if MLS will cooperate with this idea. Failing that, I don't see what other option there is but to go back to the Stake President to report a problem and ask for direction. Going to the Area Authority if needed.
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#8

Post by Gary_Miller »

russellhltn wrote:
Gary_Miller wrote:I think the problem is that Relief Society Adviser is a non-standard calling, its a custom calling.
The OP indicates this is about "Relief Society Adviser to Young Single Adult Sisters". HB2: 9.2.5 does show "Advisers to Young Single Adult Sisters" as a valid calling. Since it's in the Handbook, I would expect to find it as standard calling in MLS.
Here again we are talking aYSA ward where all postions are to come from members of the ward. So this calling would come from the single adult members of the ward. Not from out of unit members. I know sounds crazy but its just a theory.
Gary_Miller wrote:The HB states that other than Bishopric members all other callings are to come from within the members of the ward, not from out of the unit.
russellhltn wrote:If you can reference the section, then that can settle if this is policy or quirk.
I don't have HB1 in front of me but it can be found around page 93. That's where it talks about YSA stakes and wards.
russellhltn wrote:Edit: HB 2: 16.3.3 also mentions "The bishopric may call a worthy married couple as ward young single adult advisers." Granted, this is under the section titled "Young Single Adults in Conventional Stakes and Wards".
We are talking YSA Wards. There are no married couples, with the exception of the Bishopric, in YSA Ward.
russellhltn wrote:But in 16.6.1, we see "Young single adult wards use the regular program of the Church as much as possible."
I don't think this applies to this situation as we are not talking about program we are talking about a calling for an out of unit member in a YSA Ward.
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#9

Post by sbradshaw »

It occurred to me that I haven't tried putting them in as (ward) "Young Single Adult Adviser" or "Stake Young Single Adult Adviser" as opposed to "Relief Society Adviser to Young Single Adult Sisters" – I'll try those callings and see if they work... But if you do see the specific policy that bishoprics are to be the only out-of-unit members in a YSA ward, I'd be interested in having that confirmed. Also I'd like to know if there are similar policies restricting what positions can be called into the YSA stake (an out-of-unit member with a stake calling rather than a ward calling).
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Re: Out-of-unit member "not a valid candidate"

#10

Post by eblood66 »

sbradshaw wrote:It occurred to me that I haven't tried putting them in as (ward) "Young Single Adult Adviser" or "Stake Young Single Adult Adviser" as opposed to "Relief Society Adviser to Young Single Adult Sisters" – I'll try those callings and see if they work... But if you do see the specific policy that bishoprics are to be the only out-of-unit members in a YSA ward, I'd be interested in having that confirmed. Also I'd like to know if there are similar policies restricting what positions can be called into the YSA stake (an out-of-unit member with a stake calling rather than a ward calling).
The relevant references are Handbook 1 9.1.6 and 9.1.7 both under the Leadership sub-heading. It indicates callings other than the bishop and councilors are called from the membership of the ward and callings other than stake president, councilors, high councilors and stake RS presidency are called from the membership of the stake.
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