Organizing Visiting Teaching

I am a new Relief Society President and am being introduced to the vt reporting and forms online, which are great, but I was wondering if there was anything visual to help in the process of making changes. For example, right now the ward has a magnetic board with strips of everyone's name on it, and as changes are made, the strips are moved around with domino effect that happens when making changes. I will be honest, I was stunned when I first saw this- I had asked "Isn't there a computer program for this?!" Is there one that my ward just does not know about it?"

It there is not, it would be nice to have something, maybe similar to what we see in Family Search as a "tree" view. So when you move a person, you can see the domino effect and are able to go back in and fill in the blanks because the computer has noted them. Something like that? Does that make sense?

Does everyone really use magnetic boards? really? If not, what does everyone do right now?

Lisa

There is an Android app called "President's Whiteboard" that was coded by a class at BYU-H. However it is one-way - you export the data from MLS (either HT or VT) and then import it into the app. You can slide families (sisters) around from group to group and also change the companionships. There is no way to "upload" the changes - you have to enter them manually by looking at the device and inputting them online. It is unclear if it will work with exports from Leader and Clerk Resources (I have not looked into that).

Here is the link to the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... yrum&hl=en

I don't think there is an IOS version.

davesudweeks wrote:you export the data from MLS (either HT or VT) and then import it into the app.

Since MLS doesn't contain current data, that won't work anymore. I'm not sure as LCR has an export.

By the time you hand enter stuff into any program, I'm not sure as there's any advantage over a magnet board or slips of paper.

lbr4 wrote:Does everyone really use magnetic boards? really? If not, what does everyone do right now?

I use pencil and paper. It is more compact and portable and I do not have to be at the magnetic board to do it.

Another system I have used is a word processing document that I edit. A spreadsheet would probably work better, but I have not yet set up one. With an electronic file, I can at least carry it around on my laptop.

I had not heard of the Android app but I may look at it.

I have heard that mission presidents now have a computerized tool that allows them to look at missionary companionship assignments without having to use a magnetic picture board. That would be nice if it is true.

Yes, decidedly low tech, isn't it?

lajackson wrote:Yes, decidedly low tech, isn't it?

And as someone pointed out, name a large church that does better. I imagine there's a number of good-sized churches that are envious of our systems.

Ok good to know. I would love to know if our great lds tech people have thought of something like this or if something is in the works.

It would be great tool! Just throwing that out there!

Thanks!

Lisa

lbr4 wrote:I would love to know if our great lds tech people have thought of something like this

It's not up to the tech people. The small group of developers work under the direction of the Priesthood department and/or a sponsoring department (in this case the General Relief Society Presidency) to create the programs they desire.

I have no idea if this is in the works or not, but chances are other things are a higher priority. So it's going to be awhile, even if it does come.

If I had to do this task, here's what I'd do:

• Print a list of companionships on colored paper.
• Print a list of Sisters to be visited on plain paper.
• Cut up the two lists:
  • Each companionship (or even teacher) on one strip of paper,
  • each sister to be visited on one strip.

You've now got a slips of papers that can be organized and shuffled around - magnetic board style - without having to type or write names! (I'm lazy that way.) Just make sure you're away from any fans or open windows.

thanks for the info and explaining the tech process.

To have to lay out little pieces of paper every time.... yeah, I think I will just stick with magnets.

lbr4 wrote:To have to lay out little pieces of paper every time.... yeah, I think I will just stick with magnets.

Nothing wrong with the magnets - just that you may have to update them for people who have moved in/out. That's why I was starting with a current print-out.

Since any list can be easily printed out at home, I've had no need for any other aids like magnets. Laying out the different types of lists-then making changes by notating it on the printed sheets then inputting information has stopped hours of transferring information.

However, I can NOT find a way to look at individual visiting teaching routes reporting information more than the previous 2 months. I would like to request that the visiting teaching information can be viewed for the quarter, rather than a month being added & a month being dropped. Quarterly information is confusing when we are looking at other quarters information. Also when we make changes in the middle of a quarter those sisters printouts are including other quarters information. Hope this makes since, to someone. Short take, keep the quarterly information together!

hardya1 wrote:However, I can NOT find a way to look at individual visiting teaching routes reporting information more than the previous 2 months. I would like to request that the visiting teaching information can be viewed for the quarter, rather than a month being added & a month being dropped. Quarterly information is confusing when we are looking at other quarters information. Also when we make changes in the middle of a quarter those sisters printouts are including other quarters information. Hope this makes since, to someone. Short take, keep the quarterly information together!

I have noticed several forum messages today about keeping quarterly information together and about April's visits not being displayed because the July check boxes have now appeared. I am wondering if the sudden uptick of these messages is related to the fact that we should all be in the middle of preparing to submit a quarterly report.

The instructions for the home and visiting teaching lines on the quarterly report state: "Record the number of families who were visited by home teachers during the last month of the quarter" and "Record the number of women who were contacted by visiting teachers during the last month of the quarter" (emphasis mine). When reporting home and visiting teaching statistics for the quarterly report due on July 15, the numbers reported should be based on the June (last month of the second quarter) visits and not on the entire quarter.

If you need to see home or visiting teaching information for a family/sister or companionship earlier than the rolling three-month window, you can view the family/sister/companionship detail page and see thirteen months of history (the current month plus one year).