Ward and Stake Business Conducted via Conference Call?

[Guest mormonmusic]

Just wondering what everyone thinks about conducting Church business (presidency meetings, Bishopric meetings, PEC meetings, auxiliary meetings) etcetera by conference call. Have you ever done it? Would you consider doing it? Do you see any merit to the idea?

[gabelpa]

I see some merit to holding some meetings via conference call/internet telephony when conditions prohibit it, but not as a matter of course. There is a great value in meeting with others face to face.

Personally, I believe that the cut and dry Priesthood business should be conducted in person, i.e. Bishopbric meetings, PEC. Auxiliary meetings, presidency meetings, perhaps those can be held by teleconference if circumstances demand it.

[Gwen]

if you live in an area where some ppl drive 30 min or more for meetings it could be a wonderful thing to do.

i would say be careful that you don't discuss the really confidential stuff over cordless or cell phones. those are not secure lines. but the daily grind stuff, who will decorate for this activity, what date, who is teaching this lesson, etc go for it.

[Guest mormonmusic]

Other than the security of the phone lines, why do you think the face to face meeting is better than the conference call? Just curious.

[Guest mormonmusic]

I see some merit to holding some meetings via conference call/internet telephony when conditions prohibit it, but not as a matter of course. There is a great value in meeting with others face to face.

Personally, I believe .

What do you see as the value of meeting face to face? I'm just curious. I understand the security of the phone lines issue, but are there other reasons?

[MarginOfError]

Units can buy equipment to make conference calls easier from Church distribution centers. As conference and web technology improves, you'll likely see this become a much more common thing.

Currently, our stake presidency holds two of it's four monthly presidency meetings by conference call. If I were a bishop, I'd prefer to do a 40 minute conference call each week and then only a 30 minute face-to-face meeting for training and vital business.

[gabelpa]

What do you see as the value of meeting face to face? I'm just curious. I understand the security of the phone lines issue, but are there other reasons?

For one, you can pass pieces of paper around, especially hand-drawn notes. You also get more attention than if they have to deal with a child that won't go to bed, or the family pet videobombing the webcam.

[NeuroTypical]

I'm all for the church using modern technology (in this case, technology widely available for a quarter century) to help forward the work of the kindom.

Unfortunately, doing so often involves having to deal with people who feel technology is somehow an affront to the spirit, or even inspired by satan himself.

Back in school astronomy class, they showed me a painting of Gallileo and his telescope, having an audience with church authorities. He was gesturing towards the telescope, inviting people to look through. The church authorities were dismayed, holding their hands up to fend off the danger this heretical device posed.

Advances in technology isn't nearly as world-changing as the telescope was, but the reactions to such technology are still alive and well. As long as people fear change, and worry that information from unauthorized sources is a danger to them, then such common-sense ideas as using a conference call will meet resistance.

LM

(The Ward membership clerk has kept a close eye on me ever since I showed up with a shiny new lazer mouse with a wheel, and threw away the clerk computer's old trackball mouse.)

[Saguaro]

I think it's kind of funny that a couple of people mentioned phones lines being an issue becuase they're not secure. Reminds me of a low budget spy movie or something. I can see it now, the Elder's Quroum president is conducting a presidency meeting from his home by phone as a unmarked windowless black van slowly rolls down the street with guys sitting in the back at high tech computer consoles trying hone in on the EQPs wireless phone signal trying to find out why Bro Smith isn't doing his home teaching or hoping to confirm the rumor that Bro Jones hernia operation was actually a vasectomy.

:D

[Gwen]

i've had crossed phone lines (and baby monitors) on more than one occasion. so it's all funny till you realize others also may be having crossed phone lines too. maybe in most areas no one will know who it was and could care less and just can't wait to get their phone line back. but if you lived in an area with a high concentration of lds or in a very small town where ppl will know who you are and what you are talking about then it could become a bigger issue. not that i think ppl will be out to try and hear the call but if they do accidentally it's hard not to get curious and listen, especially if you know who it is.

[Guest mormonmusic]

I ran into this when I was a leader in our ward. Certain personalities refused to hold conference calls to conduct Church business. They preferred to go through the putting on the suit routine, driving an hour in total, and then the finding each other and getting started routine, even during the period when gas was over $4.00 per gallon.

I finally trained my last group of assistants and secretaries in how to use email, MS Word, and to open PDF files, and insisted on conference calls.

They were highly effective. We felt the Spirit regularly as we led each other in quorum instructions, and a lot of work got done with a minimal amount overhead. And, we were able to hold the calls at 9:30 pm after everyone was home and settled. Holding a meeting was so easy as was distributing agendas immediately after the meeting so everyone had a copy.

I had my most effective period as an HPGL with this group of men, and all meetings were conducted by conference call. Not one face to face meeting.

I think that if people would try conference calls, and bring their computer skills up to snuff, they would find they are a highly effective way of getting more done with less time invested, and done well.

[pam]

I could see some stakes doing it as in High Council meetings etc. When your stake is hundreds of miles in radius..and some members 2 hours from another..makes sense to conference call.

[Moksha]

I think it's kind of funny that a couple of people mentioned phones lines being an issue becuase they're not secure. Reminds me of a low budget spy movie or something. I can see it now, the Elder's Quroum president is conducting a presidency meeting from his home by phone as a unmarked windowless black van slowly rolls down the street with guys sitting in the back at high tech computer consoles trying hone in on the EQPs wireless phone signal trying to find out why Bro Smith isn't doing his home teaching or hoping to confirm the rumor that Bro Jones hernia operation was actually a vasectomy.

:D

This could be the ultimate deterent to those Methodist's snooping for details:

[Blackmarch]

I see some merit to holding some meetings via conference call/internet telephony when conditions prohibit it, but not as a matter of course. There is a great value in meeting with others face to face.

Personally, I believe that the cut and dry Priesthood business should be conducted in person, i.e. Bishopbric meetings, PEC. Auxiliary meetings, presidency meetings, perhaps those can be held by teleconference if circumstances demand it.

Ditto

[Mahone]

if you live in an area where some ppl drive 30 min or more for meetings it could be a wonderful thing to do.

i would say be careful that you don't discuss the really confidential stuff over cordless or cell phones. those are not secure lines. but the daily grind stuff, who will decorate for this activity, what date, who is teaching this lesson, etc go for it.

i've had crossed phone lines (and baby monitors) on more than one occasion. so it's all funny till you realize others also may be having crossed phone lines too. maybe in most areas no one will know who it was and could care less and just can't wait to get their phone line back. but if you lived in an area with a high concentration of lds or in a very small town where ppl will know who you are and what you are talking about then it could become a bigger issue. not that i think ppl will be out to try and hear the call but if they do accidentally it's hard not to get curious and listen, especially if you know who it is.

Mobile (cell) phones have a digital signal, and all carriers I am aware of encrypt these signals. It'd most likely be illegal in most places not to encrypt them, as otherwise eavesdropping would be a major issue.

Household cordless phones are a bit different. The cheaper ones often have an non-encrypted analogue signal, so are vulnerable to eavesdropping. If you mention sensitive information over the phone (e.g. bank details) and want cordless, get a digital set with encryption.

For one, you can pass pieces of paper around, especially hand-drawn notes. You also get more attention than if they have to deal with a child that won't go to bed, or the family pet videobombing the webcam.

There are a lot of video conferencing packages that solve the issue of passing around notes. You can interact far more than just watching each other on camera. In fact it's often easier to interact with each other with some of the features of the better video conferencing software.

[Guest]

When I was the ward activity coordinator, I did not hold a single face-to-face meeting. The activities committee held all meetings via telephone or email. It was the only way I could have done that job. Incidentally, I was not able to attend a single ward council meeting.

[Gwen]

There are a lot of video conferencing packages that solve the issue of passing around notes. You can interact far more than just watching each other on camera. In fact it's often easier to interact with each other with some of the features of the better video conferencing software.

lol i have this mental image of a meeting where they pretend to pass out notes. like on dora where they say, "this one is for you, catch" and then pretend to throw something through the screen.

yes i have to many little kids and watch to much tv with them. lol

[Guest mormonmusic]

When I was the ward activity coordinator, I did not hold a single face-to-face meeting. The activities committee held all meetings via telephone or email. It was the only way I could have done that job. Incidentally, I was not able to attend a single ward council meeting.

After reading one of your other posts Anatess, I learned that you're a remote worker/telecommuter like I am. I was initially surprised when so few Church members would buy into the remote conference calling concept, when the benefits to your time and convenience are so great. Perhaps they need a few months as a remote worker for the benefits to be seen.

If they ever change our Ward boundaries so I have to drive more than 10 minutes to get to the Chapel, and I'm a ward leader, I'm going to ask that I phone into the meetings. Everyone within driving distance can be present, but I'll be on speakerphone.

By the way, have you ever felt the Spirit on a conference call?

[NeuroTypical]

Progress marches on. Just got a letter (via the postal service, not an email) from my Stake Presidency about our upcoming Stake Conference:

We are pleased to have, for the first time, a combined general session on Sunday morning, utilizing the Church's broadcasting technology. This technology allows the conference session to be broadcast from the stake center to the other meetinghouses in our stake.

[mrmarklin]

Just wondering what everyone thinks about conducting Church business (presidency meetings, Bishopric meetings, PEC meetings, auxiliary meetings) etcetera by conference call. Have you ever done it? Would you consider doing it? Do you see any merit to the idea?

Makes a lot of sense to me.

The Church is way behind on this sort of stuff. For people who have to travel any distance at all this would be a great time-saver and convenience. I've never felt the Church was overly sensitive of saving time for people.

Like in the old days Ward teaching used to be called Block teaching. Because in Utah you would teach those on your block. Of course as the Church expanded here in the US and overseas this terminology became obsolete, and even funny.

Edited May 6, 2010 by mrmarklin

[Mahone]

Makes a lot of sense to me.

The Church is way behind on this sort of stuff. For people who have to travel any distance at all this would be a great time-saver and convenience. I've never felt the Church was overly sensitive of saving time for people.

Like in the old days Ward teaching used to be called Block teaching. Because in Utah you would teach those on your block. Of course as the Church expanded here in the US and overseas this terminology became obsolete, and even funny.

The LDS church is actually one of the leaders in utilising IT within religious organisations. The technology used within the individual wards could probably do with a boost, but the church actually has a massive IT infrastructure behind it, which isn't always apparent to most of the membership. A lot of people on here probably already know it, but the Chief Information Officer of the church has a blog on Joel Dehlin: Chief Information Officer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and LDSTech provides a forum to find out more information on technology used within the church.

[Guest mormonmusic]

Perhaps compared to other religious institutions we're doing well with technology, but I think there's a lot that could be done to improve our systems to further the work:

1. Allow remote reporting of home teaching/visiting teaching by the general membership, and also ward leaders.

2. Automatic generation of email lists for various auxiliaries

3. The ability to report home teaching visits, and contacts for priesthood leaders. Not just relief society.

4. The ability to track the level of contact home teaching families want from the Church.

5. Remote access to the system to stop the collisions when the clerk, HPGL, EQ and RS all need to use the system at the same time for reporting, report generation, list generation, etcetera.

It will require IT infrastructure and overhead, however, and I think this is one reason they let us limp along....

[Dravin]

2. Automatic generation of email lists for various auxiliaries

I haven't messed with MLS in a few years but from what I remember it was a fairly robust program and if it wasn't a standard report it wouldn't take more than a couple minutes to whip up as a custom report.

[Mahone]

Perhaps compared to other religious institutions we're doing well with technology, but I think there's a lot that could be done to improve our systems to further the work:

1. Allow remote reporting of home teaching/visiting teaching by the general membership, and also ward leaders.

2. Automatic generation of email lists for various auxiliaries

3. The ability to report home teaching visits, and contacts for priesthood leaders. Not just relief society.

4. The ability to track the level of contact home teaching families want from the Church.

5. Remote access to the system to stop the collisions when the clerk, HPGL, EQ and RS all need to use the system at the same time for reporting, report generation, list generation, etcetera.

It will require IT infrastructure and overhead, however, and I think this is one reason they let us limp along....

Mention it on the lds tech forum. It's not just LDS technical enthusiasts that hang around on there, but also a fair amount of IT staff working for the church. If you have suggestions for improvements, that is the place to voice them.

[MarginOfError]

Perhaps compared to other religious institutions we're doing well with technology, but I think there's a lot that could be done to improve our systems to further the work:

1. Allow remote reporting of home teaching/visiting teaching by the general membership, and also ward leaders.

This has been tinkered with in the past, but was shelved a couple years ago. There was actually a full working prototype when the Church leadership decided they weren't ready to release it. Now that the Church is preparing certain features of MLS to be used via the internet, we may eventually see a return to this idea.

2. Automatic generation of email lists for various auxiliaries

The inability of MLS to do this was based in the fact that there was only one field in which to store e-mail addresses for a household. That was sufficient a long time ago, but as internet and cell phone use grew, MLS quickly became insufficient to track ways to contact individuals. This was finally resolved last fall with a new MLS update that has fields for individual phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

The next limitation was that only people with sufficient access to MLS were able to update phone numbers and e-mail addresses. With the rate at which this contact information can change, it can be quite burdensome to try and track it all. In January, however, the Church completed a link between LUWS (local unit websites), LDS Account, and MLS so that updates to any one of those perpetuate through all three. So if a member updates his or her e-mail address through LDS Account, or through the new directory (still in beta), it gets updated in MLS automatically. This has reduced the work load significantly. With the use of a custom report, it isn't hard to generate e-mail lists for organizations, and with proper education, members can update their own e-mail addresses.

Eventually, this will be moot anyway. As the Church continues to develop LUWS 2.0, it will build a messaging system from which you can send e-mails and attachments to individual members or to groups of members via a secure system accessed on the ward website. This is likely still about two years away, but it is coming.

3. The ability to report home teaching visits, and contacts for priesthood leaders. Not just relief society.

The Church Handbook of Instructions doesn't recognize 'contacts' for priesthood leaders, so I wouldn't expect a change in Church reporting mechanisms. If you really want to be able to record 'contacts,' that is something you'll need to take up with the Quorum of the Twelve.

4. The ability to track the level of contact home teaching families want from the Church.

In an e-mail sent September 18, 2009, ward leaders were instructed specifically not to annotate membership records for the level of contact a member wished to have (or normally, not to have). The instruction was that we are to remember these members, perhaps through external lists, but that simply marking their level of contact in MLS and then ignoring them was contrary to the description in Moroni 6:4.

5. Remote access to the system to stop the collisions when the clerk, HPGL, EQ and RS all need to use the system at the same time for reporting, report generation, list generation, etcetera.

This is coming. It is available only to bishops and clerks via beta.lds.org, but will likely expand to more leaders over time (this small subset creates a good testing population). Currently we can only view certain reports, but it is expected that updates will become possible by the end of the year.

It will require IT infrastructure and overhead, however, and I think this is one reason they let us limp along....

Infrastructure and overhead are certainly a reason why development is not going faster. Development has sped up since the Church has opened some of these projects up to Community (members volunteer to do the programming) work. But there are still some big technical hurdles to clear.

For instance, information regarding finances and home and visiting teaching are stored on local machines. You cannot get this data from Salt Lake. So recording this data via the internet means either loading it into temporary storage at a central server and then pushing it down to MLS the next time a computer is booted up, or it means migrating all church information from local machines to a central server (or servers). Neither of these are particularly ideal solutions, especially given that not all units in the world, or even the United States, are on broadband connections. If the whole world were on high speed internet connections, some of the decisions might be easier to make and the obstacles easier to clear.

We must also remember that all of these applications are built and released in multiple languages. That alone takes a huge effort to produce. These features are coming, but for now we need to do our best with what we have.

If you're interested in software for sharing documents and notes during meetings, I highly recommend Google Wave.