Quarterly Report Woes

This is my first time doing the Quarterly Report as a Ward Clerk. I've reminded people a few times, but I'm still missing HT and VT information, as well as attendance information for the priesthood. So, a couple of questions:

- Is it better to wait and submit the report late, or just take my best guess at the missing information?

- For future reference, what have you done that worked well to get the information needed for the report on time?

Thanks,

bedone wrote:- Is it better to wait and submit the report late, or just take my best guess at the missing information?

I always submit the report on time with the best information I have as approved by the bishop. After you submit the report, you can still make changes by updating the report.

Among other things, the report is used as the starting point to calculate your budget allowance in the future. You mention that you are missing three items. None of those three items figures into the budget calculations.

bedone wrote:- For future reference, what have you done that worked well to get the information needed for the report on time?

There is this interesting thing called agency. I do the very best I can to encourage on-time submission of reports and to keep up the reminders if leaders and secretaries are late. I leave it to the bishop to do the rest of the encouraging, until he is satisfied with the reporting effort provided.

The parable of the importuning widow (Luke 18:1-8) is often helpful for both of us (except for the avenging part). Personal reminders at church, phone calls, emails, texts, all have differing levels of impact on different people. And in many cases, just an early enough reminder to get them started is enough. I think the best reminders begin in ward council meeting at the beginning of the reporting month. "This is a reporting month." Then at the last ward council meeting, we give a specific due date. I like to see it be the Sunday on or before the 10th.

Having served in many leadership callings over the years, I have found that intimating a release does not work at all. Most would be quite willing to accept that option.

I tell the EQ/HP/RS leaders to record all visits and contacts in LCR no later than the 15th of the month, because I simply transcribe the numbers from there into the quarterly report.
As for attendance, if I can't get accurate numbers from the leaders, I look at the "potential" lists and make my best guess as to how many of them attended meetings in June.

drepouille wrote:I tell the EQ/HP/RS leaders to record all visits and contacts in LCR no later than the 15th of the month, because I simply transcribe the numbers from there into the quarterly report.
As for attendance, if I can't get accurate numbers from the leaders, I look at the "potential" lists and make my best guess as to how many of them attended meetings in June.

Wow, I didn't know you could do either of those two things. That makes things so much easier. It would be nice if there was some kind of training for LCR.