Online Permission Slips & Registration Forms

I would like recommendations on how to securely collect permission slips and registration forms online instead of trying to collect paper copies from everyone. At our most recent youth conference we had almost 500 participate and registration using paper copies was a nightmare. There has to be a better way. I am not comfortable using google docs for this because of many reasons. Has anyone out there used a secure online system to get parental permission for church activities? Is the church developing something? Ideally, I would like it to feed information received directly into a database (or spreadsheet) so I can do custom reports by ward, age, assigned youth conference group, food allergies, T-shirt size, medical needs, etc. My current plan of action for our next big activity is to try to write a database in Microsoft Access and use its email data collection feature (Outlook will automatically populate the database as reply emails are received). Has anyone done this? How did it work? Is typing their name enough of a digital signature for parental permission? Any security concerns? (I think this would be just as secure as people scanning their forms and emailing them to me--It would just be a digital email form instead.) Any different suggestions?

I like this concept, however we must always keep in mind that whatever we do cannot leave behind those who do not have access. What about those who don't have e-mail? What about those who don't use a computer? What about those who do but do not want to fill out an online form or deal with yet another e-mail?

Since LDS.org accounts require linkage to a membership record, this would be a perfect place to link the registration to a real person, but I'm reasonably confident there is no structure at this time to support that and it is likely not high on the priority list. After all, volunteer time to manage registration documentation for a Stake Youth Activity does not consume 1 penny of tithing funds.

When considering "on-line", you need to be aware of policy found in Handbook 2: 21.1.22, which limits what can be done.

But it goes on to say "On occasion, official Church Web sites may be approved for other purposes, such as multistake projects, special events, and young single adult activities and organization. To seek approval for such a site, the organization’s priesthood leader submits a request stating the purpose and need to a member of the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area Presidency."

As I understand it, the church has a contract with a commercial provider and when you get permission, you will be hooked up with them. It does add to the cost.

If you can do it via e-mail, then I think you'll be fine.

I'm not sure how permission slips would work - how would you collect a valid signature electronically?

Is this a multi-ward event? If so, you might push the problem back to the ward level to collect the paperwork.

I volunteer with a youth soccer organization, and one of the things we have found out is that not all hospitals are willing to accept an electronic signature for medical release forms. You need to be especially careful, and should check not only that the nearest hospital to any place you are visiting, but also their trauma escalation centers, all accept electronic signatures. Federal and state laws also can describe what is considered a valid electronic signature, so make sure that you consult with a lawyer familiar with contract disputes in your area to find out how to collect the signatures properly.

Our organization uses electronic signatures for registration, and our local hospital accepts these, but we have found that when travelling our we should always carry a paper copy with an ink signature on it. We usually just ask the parents to print and sign their registration form (which has the medical release on it), and we keep those on file for one year. Each year they have to reregister, and each year we get a new form and archive all the old ones for the required period (generally until the minor reaches the age of 24).

One thing you could do is buy OCR software, send the parents the permission slip PDFs, and ask them to fill out everything but the signature field electronically. Then, when the slips are turned in, have someone do this: Scan in all of the permission slips and make sure the OCR software reads the relevant information.

You may be able to find some reasonably-priced OCR software that also puts the info in a database.

At can be done easily with Google Forms. This is how we collect information for youth conference registration, song requests, feedback, etc. You can either create the form and email out that form or create a webpage with a link to the Google form.

For my business, I use a company called "SmartWaiver" - you can upload any type of form and give a link via email - or Facebook, etc. The Youth had an activity at my business recently and it was so easy for the Stake to send out the link to all the Wards and we even had an ipad on site for those that signed up last minute or to view the recent sign ups that weren't on the print out list
It not only records when they fill it out, you can make certain fields mandatory - so they can't skip over it - allow multiple children with one. adult sign in, etc.
It is a monthly subscription depending on the number/month. You can always print out all the waivers IF you want them or download into a file so they can be sorted alphabetically, etc. to make sign ins at events much easier.

It’s been 8 years since this thread was started and it still looks like the church hasn’t created a digital signature permission slip. Why are they behind legal documents and major loan providers when it comes to getting this in practice? I’m not buying a computer and printer just to send these paper slips with my kids. This should all be done on a phone for those who have one. These forms are consistently sent out last minute and not practical to get printed 15 minutes before an activity. Very disappointing. We all no messaging for activities is already terrible and then a paper permission slip is sent out last minute.

djensen4576 wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 5:40 pm It’s been 8 years since this thread was started and it still looks like the church hasn’t created a digital signature permission slip. Why are they behind legal documents and major loan providers when it comes to getting this in practice? I’m not buying a computer and printer just to send these paper slips with my kids. This should all be done on a phone for those who have one. These forms are consistently sent out last minute and not practical to get printed 15 minutes before an activity. Very disappointing. We all no messaging for activities is already terrible and then a paper permission slip is sent out last minute.

Digital solutions present their own problems, namely that you have to be able to load the slip on a computer and then sign it.

That being said, most people can.

As a YSA, it's a non-issue because I don't have kids.

What I'd like to see is the ability to not have to carry around a temple recommend, and just have my recommend digitally attached to my membership record.

Then I just go to the temple and present my driver's license, and the worker at the desk just inputs my name, DOB, and maybe address into the computer, and then the computer says whether or not I have a valid recommend.

Here is the next best thing. Give me the ability to select the youth that will be attending and enter the general information about the activity and then be able to print all the forms with the youth names and activities leaving the remaining information to be filled in by the parent/guardian. The burden on getting these forms and tracking them down leaves leaders with either taking youth and taking on the liability themselves or leaving youth out. It should have to be that way.