I'm the Stake Assistant Clerk for Membership and Technology. I've searched this forum and others, and reviewed the Family History Computer policy manual and CHI, but find nothing that answers my question.
We're building a new meeting house in our stake that when finished will house two wards. The building is wired for high speed internet and the Church's satellite system.
My question is: How do we go about getting two or three computers for a Sunday School classroom to teach the Family History course?
All the instructions I find pertain to Family History Centers, which this is not. All other buildings in the Stake have two or three computers for the Family History course in a classroom. We'd like to get two or three for the new building, too, but it seems no one knows how to go about it. I've discussed it with the FM, but he can only find instructions pertaining to Family History Centers, not Sunday School classes.
Any help or guidance will be greatly appreciated.
Classroom computers for Sunday School
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As you mentioned your Family History center is not official. Your best option would be to contact your FM group and see if they have anything that's been turned in that you could use. When administrative computers are upgraded the older ones are usually returned to the FM group. I'd start with them.E&LDow wrote:I'm the Stake Assistant Clerk for Membership and Technology. I've searched this forum and others, and reviewed the Family History Computer policy manual and CHI, but find nothing that answers my question.
We're building a new meeting house in our stake that when finished will house two wards. The building is wired for high speed internet and the Church's satellite system.
My question is: How do we go about getting two or three computers for a Sunday School classroom to teach the Family History course?
All the instructions I find pertain to Family History Centers, which this is not. All other buildings in the Stake have two or three computers for the Family History course in a classroom. We'd like to get two or three for the new building, too, but it seems no one knows how to go about it. I've discussed it with the FM, but he can only find instructions pertaining to Family History Centers, not Sunday School classes.
Any help or guidance will be greatly appreciated.
If they cannot help, another option - aside from spending money - would be to contact members of the stake and see if anyone has any pc's they would be willing to donate to the cause. This is how we got our start - from donated pc's.
You also might contact a local college. We were blessed with a dozen used computers a few years ago that are working perfectly in our "unofficial" family history centers in four buildings in our stake.
Hope this helps.
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The Family History class resources are the responsibility of the unit and the stake. How those resources are acquired is up to the unit and stake leadership to decide. I know this does not provide you with the hoped for answer.
There is currently no program for the Church to provide computers for this class. As Techgy posted, the options are for the unit or stake to purchase the needed equipment using budget funds or donations, or for the equipment to be donated. Since it is not an official family history center the restrictions against soliciting the donations (funds or equipment) may not apply.
I doubt that the local FM Group has the authority to obtain or redirect cascaded computers. Even so I would still ask them if they would request through the Area FM Office the possibility of obtaining some cascaded computer equipment.
There is currently no program for the Church to provide computers for this class. As Techgy posted, the options are for the unit or stake to purchase the needed equipment using budget funds or donations, or for the equipment to be donated. Since it is not an official family history center the restrictions against soliciting the donations (funds or equipment) may not apply.
I doubt that the local FM Group has the authority to obtain or redirect cascaded computers. Even so I would still ask them if they would request through the Area FM Office the possibility of obtaining some cascaded computer equipment.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
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Computers other then FHC or Unit administration are not officially recognized, so you're totally on your own there. Not just for obtaining the machines, but the OS, Anti-virus, etc.
Some of the FamilySearch partners will give out free copies of their software for these unofficial machines, but you'll have to ask each vendor on how to do that.
Some of the FamilySearch partners will give out free copies of their software for these unofficial machines, but you'll have to ask each vendor on how to do that.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
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I'd look real hard at the CHI before deciding it's OK to solicit. I'd start with looking at the guidance on budgets.jdlessley wrote:Since it is not an official family history center the restrictions against soliciting the donations (funds or equipment) may not apply.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
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Thanks to all. The responses are pretty much waht I expected, but I was requested to find out.RussellHltn wrote:I'd look real hard at the CHI before deciding it's OK to solicit. I'd start with looking at the guidance on budgets.
As I understand the policy, it's pretty clear cut that we're NOT to solicit donations of computers. Our Stake Priesthood leaders agree.