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Ward Bulletin Builder

Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 1:30 pm
by wrigjef
I have a thought based on a current need. Our ward program person got wrapped up in a family thing that has taken him away from church and has been gone longer then expected. He has been in contact with the bishopric member who gets things set up so he has been continuing to do the program and emails it to someone who will be at church to print out and make copies. He has missed a few times because he has sent the program to the wrong person, has sent it late or sent the wrong (old) program.

It would be nice if there was a program/bulletin builder on the website. This could be ward specific according to log on. The church could take a few of the (approved) most popular formats for ward bulletins and make them available in a builder. Much like blogger does with creating blogs. There could be a, ward specific, data entry area for a ward program person to fill in speakers, songs, and other info that could be stored until time to print it out.

Another option may be for the church websites to allow for a, ward specific, dropbox where whatever template and the current working copy of the bulletin could be stored and accessed.

Both of these options would provide a fail safe in the event a program person has something come up, someone else, another ward leader, can then access the material. It may also provide a simple tool for someone that is unsure of how to create a ward bulletin. It may even provide some consistency and give good reminders of what kind of information should be included in a ward bulletin.

Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 8:48 pm
by aebrown
This has been suggested previously; see the threads:

Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 11:33 am
by tomjoht
Have you seen the new Newsletter application? Here's more info: https://tech.lds.org/wiki/Newsletter.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 11:43 am
by russellhltn
I think he's talking about a printed bulletin. That would be a nice enhancement to the on-line Newsletter app.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 2:46 pm
by wrigjef
you are correct. My post had to do with a printed bulletin. With all that has been discussed, the issue of a common respository for the electrons is not really addressed. I would like to see a tool that not only gave me some of the greatest format options, but also allowed data to be entered and stored until time for printing AND that the data/format/finished document, be accessable to several leaders.

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:52 am
by failproof
You mean like a sacrament meeting program that says who is conducting, has prayers and speakers, hymns and some announcements? I like that idea. Also makes the calling easy to transition to someone new who may not have the same word processor or publication software, etc. And by tying in to the membership record, there's never a misspelled name because it finds the persons being entered as you type and allows you to select them.
Maybe a ward music specialist can choose to enter the selected songs themselves or call the person in charge of making sure the bulletin is filled out and printed each week. Even bishopric members could enter the assigned speakers themselves if desired, etc.

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:45 am
by aclawson
You can always create a .pdf or google docs forum... that would make it very easy to do.

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 12:06 pm
by failproof
But then you still just have a form dependent on a single individual who has the weeks information and not in a place that anyone that needed to could get to it, as is the point in the case of wrigjef's original post on this thread. If it's entered somewhere in the cloud, then other members can help populate it and/or retrieve it.

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:04 pm
by aclawson
failproof wrote:But then you still just have a form dependent on a single individual who has the weeks information and not in a place that anyone that needed to could get to it, as is the point in the case of wrigjef's original post on this thread. If it's entered somewhere in the cloud, then other members can help populate it and/or retrieve it.

Google docs form, or hosted/shared adobe form.

Meeting Bulletin application

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:04 am
by davebailey
I had a similar idea over the weekend and started documenting it here.

https://tech.lds.org/wiki/User:Davebail ... g_Bulletin

Feel free to comment.