Ward Assistant Executive Secretary Permissions- 2013 Version

I was just called to be the Ward Assistant Executive Secretary. I searched for "assistant secretary" and looked through 12 pages of posts on the subject. My take away from the results is that it is a custom calling, and so all the spiffy tools of recent times (clerk.lds.org, LDS Tools Reports, etc) are not available to me to fulfill my calling.

With threads like LDS.org replacing MLS? and others pointing to how we are heading to an online only experience, has there been any progress on what those of us in this very common (according to the threads below) custom calling are supposed to do?

The most recent updates are from a year ago, so I wanted to start up a new thread to see if there was any more recent information.

Relevant threads that I found:
Access for Ward Assistant Clerks and Ward Executive Secretaries (Sep 2012)
Tools Permissions (Apr 2012)
Leadership and Organizations categories
Assistant Ward Executive Secretary can't view lds.org/leader (Jan 2012)

BarkerAJ wrote:has there been any progress on what those of us in this very common (according to the threads below) custom calling are supposed to do?

The best we've been able to offer is to inform the powers that be about the situation. They may need to alter the assignments. It would be good to review HB2: 4.6.5 and HB1: 13.4.4 to see what duties you might be assisting in. Most of them have to do with coordinating with leaders. I don't know what tools someone in that position would be using other then the directory which is open to all (ignoring the problem with people who have set their privacy to "leaders only".) At this time there is no on-line meeting agenda tool, calling tracker, or HT/VT reporting. I think the only useful on-line tool is the quarterly reports. But that's usually managed by the clerks.

Most of the tools that are on-line are for clerks. Perhaps your assignment would be more appropriate for an assistant clerk? That is a standard calling.

Some things can be worked around. For example, you could be made a calendar administrator. For others there are no work arounds. So it really depends on what "they" want you to do.

If the calling is not listed in the handbook, then I don't expect it to ever become a standard calling. And I've heard of no plans to accommodate custom callings.

russellhltn wrote:

BarkerAJ wrote:has there been any progress on what those of us in this very common (according to the threads below) custom calling are supposed to do?

The best we've been able to offer is to inform the powers that be about the situation. They may need to alter the assignments. It would be good to review HB2: 4.6.5 and HB1: 13.4.4 to see what duties you might be assisting in. Most of them have to do with coordinating with leaders. I don't know what tools someone in that position would be using other then the directory which is open to all (ignoring the problem with people who have set their privacy to "leaders only".)

In our ward the assistant executive secretary primarily handles appointments for the bishopric counselors. Other than the directory he mostly uses the Action and Interview List which is in the Clerk Resources area. Access to 'leaders only' information in the Directory is occasional also useful.

russellhltn wrote:Most of the tools that are on-line are for clerks. Perhaps your assignment would be more appropriate for an assistant clerk? That is a standard calling.

Officially we asked the stake to call our assistant executive secretary as an assistant ward clerk largely so he has easy access to the Action and Interview List. But since he is called as a clerk we can ask him to do other things if there is a need.