Posted Tithing Settlement Signup Sheets - Proper?

The word running around now of several years, at least in a few Stakes in my area, is that CHQ has requested that tithing settlement signup sheets not be posted in public view (i.e. the clerk's office door).

Is this official policy or not?

Nothing I've heard - just posted mine on my door today

ckmcdonald wrote:Is this official policy or not?

This really sounds like an unfounded rumor to me. When faced with such questions, I politely say to the person who is reporting that CHQ said we're not supposed to do X, "That's interesting. Could point me to the Handbook section or official letter that said that? That would really help me as I counsel with my stake presidency on this issue."

Nine times out of ten they can't point to anything official -- they just heard it from a friend of a friend. Every once in a while, they actually can point me to something official. Either way works out great -- if they have no source, I dismiss it as yet another rumor and move on with my life; if they have a source, I've just learned something new and I can discuss the issue reasonably with my stake presidency.

I suppose it hinges on how you view the interview schedule. On the one hand, it certainly makes sense that Tithing Settlement is just like any other interview, and we generally don't advertise the fact that Sister Jones has a meeting with the Bishop on Tuesday Night. This view would probably result in the Executive Secretary making a lot of calls, inviting people to come meet with the Bishop. Of course, you could also take a more practical approach, and decide that since everyone has been invited to TS, noone will be all that fussed about a signup sheet.

dannykos wrote:Nothing I've heard - just posted mine on my door today

We were chastised for posting ours on the door a few years ago. But it had nothing to do with Tithing Settlement, it had to do with the fact that using tape (or even sticky-tack) on doors is expressly forbidden by our FM group.

We have not had any concerns expressed regarding person's signing for Tithing Settlement on the sheets (now) taped to a classroom table outside the Clerk Office.

I'm suspecting that our local trend to avoid posting a TS signup sheet is based on a long chain of rumor and hearsay. If indeed it is not based on any official Church policy (which appears to be the case), I'm quite surprised how well intrenched the idea is in my area.

The only explanation I've heard for the practice is that toward the end of the signup period one might scan the list and see who didn't sign up.

I suspect that any Bishop of Stake Pres has the prerogative to implement such a practice at the Ward or Stake level. Maybe that's now the idea got started in my area.

If no one in the forum presents a reasonable explanation for why a TS signup sheet would be inappropriate, I believe I'll tell our Bishop (who wants a signup sheet but believes it's policy not to have one) that he can have one - assuming the Stake Pres hasn't made a statement on the subject.

Thanks for the input.

ckmcdonald wrote:The only explanation I've heard for the practice is that toward the end of the signup period one might scan the list and see who didn't sign up.

What I've seen done is have a sign-up sheet with one page per-day. Remove the days that have passed. I think that would take care of that concern.

RussellHltn wrote:What I've seen done is have a sign-up sheet with one page per-day. Remove the days that have passed. I think that would take care of that concern.

That's what I do - one sheet which has the next sunday and thursday on that I'm available for interviews. Then put up another sheet for the next week.

ckmcdonald wrote:I suspect that any Bishop of Stake Pres has the prerogative to implement such a practice at the Ward or Stake level. Maybe that's now the idea got started in my area.

And that's a good point. It's certainly not against policy for a local priesthood leader to decide not to post signup sheets. The lack of a general Church policy wouldn't tie his hands in this regard. But other priesthood leaders in the area also shouldn't assume that just because other leaders in the area have implemented such a policy that they need to do so as well. Only priesthood leaders in the direct line of authority over a unit would have any say in the matter.

RussellHltn wrote:What I've seen done is have a sign-up sheet with one page per-day. Remove the days that have passed. I think that would take care of that concern.

We do it this way as well. Also, we pull the sign-up sheets daily - in other words, we put them all out before Church on Sunday and pull them down after we finish counting Tithing. We keep them in the clerk's office so if someone want's to add their name any other time, a member of the bishopric or clerk can get the sheets for them to sign. Once a date is passed, that sheet does not go back out.

As I think about it, privacy should be something we are concerned with, I personally hadn't associated TS with this issue, though I should have....BUT ... In my wildest imagination, I could never see a scenario where I CARED whether someone else was doing tithing settlement.... I sign up, I move on - Though when I've been involved either as an ExecSec or a Clerk, we would assign times.. everyone is on the list already....

I've never thought of it as a privacy issue before either. We don't leave the sheets out for long periods of time for the simple fact that they become drawing paper for every child who can reach the table (and the fact that the table might be pulled into a classroom during the week and the sign-up sheets could get lost). We should all be meeting with the Bishop during tithing settlement every year anyway (whether or not we have paid tithing) so having your name on the sign-up sheet is pretty innocent, in my opinion. If anyone was concerned, they could always talk to the Bishop or Executive Secretary about a private appointment for their Tithing Settlement.

Interesting post. The past two years I've posted the sign up sheet while I'm at church and taken it down before I left. I then email the whole ward with the sheet to continue sign up during the week. No one has complained. We also do tithing settlement all in one day so sending out the email is a good way to prevent people forgetting.

kennova wrote:We also do tithing settlement all in one day...

TinMan picks jaw up from desk...


I believe that posting schedules actually generates more sign ups from those who are only part tithe or non-tithe payers.

TinMan... That has not been my experience in 2 different wards, doing numbers, we generally saw 20%-30% better participation by assigning time slots, than posting a sign-up sheet.

Old thread, but it still comes up first when people search for a tithing declaration sign up sheet, so here's an option. I built a free tool called
[WardSignup](https://wardsignup.com/) for this. The bishopric sets interview times, and members pick a slot from their phone. Everyone who leaves an email gets an automatic reminder. There's no sheet on the door, so nobody can scan it to see who hasn't signed up. You can also run separate times for the bishop and his counselors. There are no ads and no spam, and about 50 wards and branches use it now.

Jonathan

General Handbook 34.3.1.2
Tithing Declaration
The bishop meets with each member during the last few months of each year to receive his or her tithing declaration. In rare circumstances when the bishop is absent, the stake president may authorize one of the bishop’s counselors to fulfill this responsibility.