Provision of Keys for Stake Technology Specialists

Dear All

I am now officially Stake Technology Specialist. I want to find out what is the normal provision for keys for Stake Technology Specialists. I am a very busy individual and finding time to set up and fix things is difficult. Given that I understand the Stake Technology Specialist to have overall responsibility for equipment, data and telecoms for the Stake I thought it was not an unreasonable request to have a master key to get into any of the buildings to be able to fix things.

I contacted the Facilities Manager and he seemed quite willing to arrange for me to get a master key. However the Stake Presidency have intervened and don't think I need a master key. It is planned to get me a Stake Centre key and that is it. The justification being that they feel that for the individual Wards I will need to meet with the local leaders when I do things anyway. I understand what I mean but in practice this may not be practical for me. Given that I am also my ward YSA representative, At the moment most evenings are taken up with something YSA related which I am supposed to attend and this week it has been every single evening including Sunday. Given that this leaves me narrow windows when I can get things done, having the extra complication of having to arrange to meet people in Ward building or borrow a key is something I could do without.

I will admit to being fairly annoyed regarding this after all the Stake Presidency can make a decision but it is my already overburdened time which gets wasted as a result.

I wondered if in other Stakes the Stake Technology Specialists get a building key or not or whether it really is such an unreasonable request.

I have keys to the stake equipment, the stake office, and 3 wards. I do not have keys to get into 6 other wards, but I haven't pushed for them. I rarely need to visit them.

When I was STS a few years back, I had access codes to all of our buildings (they don't need keys), keys to all clerk's offices, and passwords for the computers. I'm not sure how I would have done the job without these tools.

The main reason for this was most of my time was spent using MIS (before MLS), and we needed to touch a ward's computer to get updates for our stake SMIS system. Today, with MLS data being transmitted from ward to stake automagically, I might be able to live without the extra access.

In the end, though, it's up to the local leadership to decide how the job should be done. So, what worked for our local units may not translate to everyone.

I am also sorry if my tone is not as positive as it could be but I am encountering amount of frustrating problems in my calling. Part of me wonders if the Stake Presidency do not want me to have a key because they do not trust me. I could argue that given the responsibilities and levels of access a Stake Technology Specialist has, if they do not trust me then I should not have been called as Stake Technology Specialist in the first place.

I was in a similar situation, made worse, for me that 5 of the 8 buildings I support are between 30 minutes and 1.5 hour drives for me. After a couple experiences driving 1.5 hours and waiting in a bitter, freezing cold parking lot for an hour for my arranged local leader to meet me to open the building, I really pushed hard for a master key. I also preferred to do much of my work from 4 to 6 am, giving me time with my family after work. I made my case with a position paper and gave my reasons for wanting the access. Wireless installs in the buildings, 4 FHC's, etc... My problem wasn't the Stake Presidency, it was our PFR. For some unknown reason, wouldn't provide the access even though the SP had approved. So the SP asked me to call the PFR each time I needed into a building, and my keys quickly appeared. We have masters to all the buildings now, there are 2, we must check them out with a member of the Stake Presidency, and then return them when a task is complete. This seems to satisfy both our PFR and our FM group.

My advice is to find a way to make it reasonable that you need this access be reasonable with them, in this post you've taken a pretty hard edge, I would soften the tone if you are to get anywhere. My final point was the interruption of local leaders time (away from their families) for the sole case of letting someone into the building.

I think for my part given that I already have enough on my plate without having to also look after Stake technology meaning that when it comes to fixing something, finding a slot in and amongst may be hard enough as it is. Having to add to that complexity also having to arrange to pick up a key or be let in makes it even worse. Especially if it might end up being a more last minute thing such as finding I have some time I did not expect to have.

I can talk to the Stake Presidency about it. For the moment I have only been officially called for less than a week (though doing it by assignment for a few months previous to this). The focus of the work so far has all been on the Stake Centre where I am installing some cabling. I haven't needed to do anything with the other Chapel's yet. To some degree I suppose it would be good to focus on sorting out one before moving on to the next. If it turns out that I don't end up having a lot of cause to go to the other Chapels then it might not be so much of an issue. However the rollout of broadband to all meetinghouses in the Stake may be happening later this year depending on how smoothly things go in UK HQ. In that case I may well have cause to have to look at all of them.

carljokl wrote:I wondered if in other Stakes the Stake Technology Specialists get a building key or not or whether it really is such an unreasonable request.

I suppose it is nice to have keys. I had a key to my building and my home ward clerks office. I was able to work on that computer on my own time to become familiar with the computer and program(s).

Other than that, I have never had any keys. If someone had a problem that needed fixing, they either met me, or arranged to have the building and office opened for me by someone else. If they could not do that, it did not get fixed.

For the most part, it worked. And for the most part, they worked with me on my schedule, as long as my requested time was not unusual or in the middle of the night. And while I served, I usually was also serving in a key leadership position. In fact, I have been doing STS work since 1990, but have never ever officially held that calling, other than according to MLS.

So, it can be done without keys. I think it could be done more efficiently, with less troubling of other people, with keys. But along with the computer fixings, I also provided a lot of computer user training, so they needed to be there anyway.

For what it's worth, the old computer policy did say the STS was to have the necessary keys and passwords. The current policy does not. Instead it says "Assistant stake clerks should not access confidential membership and financial records, except as requested by a bishop or the stake president."

When I was called as STS I was given a master key to every building in the stake. Fortunately, my stake presidency simply understood that I needed access in order to do my calling, so there was never any question. The master key has proved invaluable over the years for:

• Satellite broadcasts (access to satellite receiver in two different buildings)
• New network cabling
• Installing and maintaining broadband connections (meeting with the ISP, etc.)
• Installing A/V updates at 5:00am (my preferred time to do a lot of this work)
• Replacing failed hard drives
• Installing new computers
• etc.

Could I have done all that without a master key? Sure, but it would have slowed me down, forced me to do work at less than ideal times of day, and created a hassle for many other people.

That said, I always respect the decisions of my stake presidency. I explain the pros and cons of any issue that requires their authorization and give my recommendation, then they decide. Their decisions make my life easier sometimes and harder other times, but either way, I figure out how to do what needs to be done to fulfill my calling.

I couldn't do my calling as STS without a Stake Master key that opened everything. I am quite a busy person and having a master key enables me to get in and get the job done on my time schedule rather than having to coordinate building access every time. There are times when I am down at a chapel for several hours, and times when I need to pop out and get supplies and come back etc. I woudn't be able to do this effectively without having a master key.

I would encourage you to talk again with your Stake President and explain to him that it would be in the best interests of the Stake if you were to get a master key. What you may find is that perhaps the reason why you don't have a master key yet is because there aren't enough to go around at present

Good luck!

I heard that a number of years back the number of building keys in use by the Church was reduced. There was concern that too many people had keys and that some of them were not reliable and did not lock up buildings properly leading to burglary. It turns out that we did have a Stake Technology Specialist in the past and I was able to talk to him. When he had the calling, he had a master key for the Stake.

My worry with my current calling is the motivations for calling me. The Stake leadership seems very determined to have a YSA outreach centre created for Huddersfield Stake. One of the requirements for that is that is that an Outreach centre is that it have a Technology Specialist devoted to it. I was called (being YSA) to be the Stake Technology Specialist which would tick that box on the application form. However I am somewhat concerned whether that ends up being the overriding motivation for calling me and as such could affect how seriously my calling is taken and how much support I get in it. In terms of a Stake master key, if my being called was a box ticking exercise then it might not be taken seriously enough to worry about the practicalities about getting into all the buildings in the Stake but rather giving me a key for the Stake Centre (not that I even have that yet) as the primary focus will be looking after the Outreach Centre (assuming we get it).

carljokl wrote:However I am somewhat concerned whether that ends up being the overriding motivation for calling me and as such could affect how seriously my calling is taken and how much support I get in it. In terms of a Stake master key, if my being called was a box ticking exercise then it might not be taken seriously enough to worry about the practicalities about getting into all the buildings in the Stake but rather giving me a key for the Stake Centre (not that I even have that yet) as the primary focus will be looking after the Outreach Centre (assuming we get it).

I don't see much value in your attempts to outguess the stake presidency's motivations. You have accepted a calling and so you need to fulfill it as faithfully as you can. As I mentioned earlier, if you have concerns about the master key, present your concerns to the stake presidency. Let them know how having a master key will improve your ability to fulfill your calling, and reduce the burden placed on several other leaders. Once you have presented your recommendation and the stake presidency has made their decision, move forward in fulfilling your calling as best you can. We all have limitations and challenges in our callings and it does no good to worry about those once those with priesthood keys have made their decisions -- just go forth with faith!

aebrown wrote:Let them know how having a master key will improve your ability to fulfill your calling, and reduce the burden placed on several other leaders.

You may want to wait until you have a need to update or fix those computers. Trying to show a need when you haven't had to do anything yet would not be a point in your favor.

I have made my case about the key and like to remain optimistic given apparently most of the STS's in our region have a Stake master key. I am still waiting for a decision. Given that the last post was the 6th of June and it is now the 27th of June, I won't exactly be able to call this a quick turn around. As it is I am doing networking at the Stake Centre practically every Saturday. It is a real pain to have to keep chasing keys to get in. I don't know if it is just being spoiled by the business world but when I do things commercially, decisions about important things are made fairly quickly and if I order something from my supplier it turns up in a box the next day. When dealing with the Church sometimes it takes weeks or even over a month to sort out things which really should not be that hard. I wonder if there are Stakes somewhere in the Church where everything just runs like clockwork....also if I could move to one of those...

carljokl wrote:I wonder if there are Stakes somewhere in the Church where everything just runs like clockwork....also if I could move to one of those...

Thirty days is a pretty fast turn around for a building key in our area.

The 14 of July and it has now been established the Stake Presidency are going to stick by their original decision so no Stake wide key for me. I have not yet needed particularly to get into other buildings yet but time will tell how much of a pain it is. At least I should get a Stake centre key. I could have had it a month ago though if I hadn't pushed for a Stake wide key.

This isn't really just related to the key question but I am having plenty of moments of feeling fed up with the Stake Technology Specialist calling. Sometimes I feel like telling the Stake Presidency "I Quit!" and this seems a fairly bad sign after only being in the calling for a few months. It is just like trying to get anything done is a battle or drawn out uphill struggle.

An added complication now is that my contract with the University has finished leaving me between contracts (or unemployed if you prefer). The area that I am in is a poor place to find IT work. I have barely managed to get much of anything done in my calling yet that I set out to do. If I have to relocate to find work I won't be able to finish much of what I have started. I am hoping perhaps to beat the odds and find IT work in this area, I can hold out on savings until November. Part of me wonders thought if I have to move again if it would be an opportunity to cut my losses with the STS calling. This is probably not the most righteous way of looking at it but how I am feeling about the calling lately.

My advice: It's a calling. Do the best you can with what you have. One day, you will be released and need to be able to let it go. The decisions out of your control are not your concern. If you cannot access a building without a key, you cannot access the building - responsibility for that lies with those who control key issue, not you.

Our FM group is currently rekeying the exterior doors, clerks' offices, and bishops' offices of all units and a single master will be available. I've been told that there will be a master key for the Stake Clerk and for the Stake Technology Specialist as well as for the stake presidency.

Rick.Winterton wrote:Our FM group is currently rekeying the exterior doors, clerks' offices, and bishops' offices of all units and a single master will be available. I've been told that there will be a master key for the Stake Clerk and for the Stake Technology Specialist as well as for the stake presidency.

I agree with the idea of the stake presidency having the authority to whom get the keys. I am the STS for my stake and I was provided a key that gets me in everything that I need. It works great because I don't have to ask the stake president, the bishops or anyone else to get me where I need to go. In my book, we are like an extension of the FM group. They have people who specialize in doing certain work and there are people who have keys because they are at the buildings every day or very regularly.

However, I do feel like we need a "master" key so that when we do the work in the buildings that we can go and do anything we need to. We don't have to worry about having a bishop, a FM member, or anyone else on site with me. I actually do better work by myself than I do with a lot of people hanging around and don't know what to do. I feel like I waste their time. I do it because it is my calling, but for them it's not, so it takes time from their family.

It's like me going to upgrade a firewall at one of my buildings in the near future. I won't need anyone at the building and I can walk in, do what I need to do and walk out. I have another building that I will do the same thing to. So to me we need our keys to do what we need to do when we need to do it. I don't abuse the privilege but it is nice to be able to do what I need to do.

Just my two cents worth.

davesudweeks wrote:My advice: It's a calling. Do the best you can with what you have. One day, you will be released and need to be able to let it go. The decisions out of your control are not your concern. If you cannot access a building without a key, you cannot access the building - responsibility for that lies with those who control key issue, not you.

I agree with this. I have a key for the Stake Centre but most issues I try to assign out to others. I don't want to travel for an hour to do a 10 minute job I can explain to someone else, then travel back.

It all seems rather academic now anyway. The Stake Presidency has made there decision and I have a Stake centre key and that is it. Their justification is that the Stake Presidency wants to limit the number of Stake Master keys. When they first made the decision I protested and tried to argue why I should have a master key. In the end it didn't make any difference except delaying my getting a Stake Centre key by over a month while the Stake presidency considered my argument and went with their original decision anyway.

At the moment it isn't so much of a problem as most of the work I have been carrying out is at the Stake Centre anyway and I haven't had so much need to get into specific other buildings yet but as soon as I do I can see it as being a pain. It also seems a shame if I am responsible for the whole Stake but in the end am spending all my time trying to sort out one building.

I have lost some of my drive too. The big project at the Stake Centre has been my rolling out of wired networking. I have reached one milestone with it but am still trying to connect the wings of the Stake Centre with a cable. Everything that has been done so far has been paid for out of my own pocket because the budgets are not available for the FM to get it done. Some of my family are complaining that it is unfair and I should not be paying for this myself. I make the point that the Church never asked me to do this so I am doing it because I want it to get done and if the Church won't pay for it all I can do is pay for it myself. I can't keep that up though as my employment contract has come to an end and until I am secure in something else I am not in a position to keep paying out money in the quantities I have done. That means that until that time there may not be much in the way of other projects because there never seems to be any budget or FM willingness to pay for anything and I don't have the money to pay for it either for now. I would just like to try and tie up the Stake Centre work I am doing and then wait and see. I have the materials I just need to install it.

I wish to post only once and will then withdraw from this discussion.

1) On 3 June you said you have "enough on [your] plate". Every situation is different, but personally I would caution against an attitude of this kind. No matter how busy your life and calling may be, there is always someone even busier. I don't know your stake president's schedule, but I'd guess his burden is heavier than most people are aware.

2) Stake Technology Specialists are assistant stake clerks. In most cases, therefore, my understanding of your calling is that you work first and foremost under the direction of the stake clerk. Ultimately under the direction of the stake presidency, yes; but in the normal course of events the stake clerk should be your first contact.

Do you counsel with him? Have you explained your concerns regarding the key question or other issues? (Rhetorical questions...) If so and he agrees, he can be your advocate and put forward a stronger 'case' to the stake presidency on your behalf, if appropriate. If so and he doesn't agree, you can leave it at that - without needing to take up the stake presidency's time. Either way, you and the stake clerk should be something of a 'team' - with the added benefit of you feeling less 'alone' and unsupported in your calling.

I wish you every success in the calling, I really do - but from experience have learned that how you interact with people is as important as what you do. (You made a comparison to the business/commercial world in one of your posts and I know that where I work it's the ones with the best attitude who go the furthest, so it's not just a 'church' thing.)

1) I always seem to have enough to do that I can't do everything I am supposed to be doing so I prioritise. I appreciate that the Stake Presidency is busy and have a lot of other things to deal with. In some respects I wish I had greater autonomy so that I could make more decisions without having to push so many decisions to the Stake Presidency but the policy states that many things have to be approved by the Stake Presidency. I am perhaps guilty of being over critical or not understanding enough of that. It is especially easy to get into that mindset when others around are also being quietly being critical but I know that is a slippery slope.

2) I realise that the Stake Technology Specialist is an assistant Stake Clerk. I spoke to the Stake Clerk the week I was called as STS because I assumed I reported to him. He said that as much as the Stake Technology Specialist is an assistant stake clerk he thought that in practice the role was really independent and that as far as he was concerned I did not report to him but would work directly with the Stake Presidency. I believe that is the first and last time I have talked with him (possibly ever).

At this point I am resigned that this is the decision that has been made. I feel I made as strong as a case as I could already and it didn't make a difference. I don't think I can make a stronger case until I could actually build up a body of evidence to show how inconvenient it is proving for myself and others that I do not have a key. I have not had to get into the other buildings as yet. That might well change if the rollout of broadband goes as planned towards the end of this year.

I do need to get into Dewsbury Chapel which is my local Chapel to install a proper patch panel but I have decided to leave that at least until reaching the next milestone with the Stake Centre cabling.

You need to remember that as STS you are an assistant stake clerk and you are part of the Stake Presidency's staff. The stake president holds the keys of decision for his stake and unless his desire is contrary to church policy, it is to be followed. I faced a similar situation when I was called. It took years to earn my way to a sub-master key. Be patient, magnify your calling, build confidence and trust. Eventually they will see that what they want you to do is being hampered and honestly delayed by your lack of access. Then they MAY issue you the desired keys. Don't try to force your leaders - it will backfire.