Annual ward history template?

Discuss basic duties of stake and ward clerks, including where to begin.
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OdoomMK
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Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:35 pm

Re: Annual ward history template?

#11

Post by OdoomMK »

Please Where can I find the Ward history cover sheet?
drepouille
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Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Annual ward history template?

#12

Post by drepouille »

There is no cover sheet for wards and branches. Only for stakes and districts.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
davesudweeks
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Location: Washington, USA

Re: Annual ward history template?

#13

Post by davesudweeks »

OdoomMK wrote:Please Where can I find the Ward history cover sheet?
You can ask your Stake Clerk if the Stake would like you to use the Stakes and Districts one (like ours does) or if he has another format he would prefer.
dawolf
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Re: Annual ward history template?

#14

Post by dawolf »

I'm going to join the chorus of asking for a template. Also a lot of the data that is asked in the basic report is already in the LCR.
scgallafent
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Location: Riverton, Utah

Re: Annual ward history template?

#15

Post by scgallafent »

dawolf wrote:I'm going to join the chorus of asking for a template.
Asking whom? This is a user-to-user support forum with no official Church presence. There are a few Church employees who participate, but we're not the ones that would decide to provide a template or design it.

If you really feel there needs to be a template beyond what is provided in the Stake, District, and Mission Annual Histories guide, that request needs to go to your stake clerk and then he and your stake president can communicate that need to their presiding authorities.
chriswoodut
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Location: Utah

Re: Annual ward history template?

#16

Post by chriswoodut »

I came to the forum looking for a template or requirements as well, even though this is my 2nd or 3rd go at the ward history. It looks like I'm doing what others are.

Here's what I include:
- Ward theme
- Deaths
- Births/adoptions
- Marriages (I try to include marriages of children of family members that aren't in the ward but I know I miss a lot)
- Activities / big calendar items like camps, conferences, etc
- Missionaries serving from our ward
- High level leadership list
- I ask each organization to include a summary of some of their bigger activities and ask for a couple photos if they have them. Honestly, the RS and YW provide pretty long histories with great photos.
- I include our ward newsletters that get delivered on fast sundays (that's like 80 pages worth of scanned docs). We may stop doing the newsletter since so much is online now but until then I'll include it.

For 2018, I'm going to add the following (based on what I read on this thread):
- Maybe Statistics that LCR won't have -- average sacrament meeting attendance
- Family history & temple work -- our ward usually has a project for something family history related. One year was indexing. This year is the great jail break of 2018 where our FH consultants are helping our ward "save a ward" on the other side by trying to get one name submitted from each person in our ward that is older than 12. They are so far ahead they're going to easily get it done but it takes a lot of visits to people's houses to get them setup on Family Search and help them find a name.

I will say I have a couple organizations (ok, the men) that are difficult to get something out of. If know anything about them I will put something in before considering it complete.

My document for 2017 is 109 pages; 30 pages from myself and the organizations (a lot of white space in there) and 79 pages are the newsletters. The newsletter really packs on the length.

Chris
gail1221
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Re: Annual ward history template?

#17

Post by gail1221 »

davesudweeks wrote:
allendreher wrote:This is my first time as stake clerk putting together the annual history. I have some information from the previous stake clerk, however, I have from mid July of last year through the end of the year as the stake clerk.

We just had bishopric training last night and when I asked the bishops if they knew what went into an annual history, you could hear crickets. I know where some of the confusion is.

I am curious to see what the cover letter that the stake clerk provided. This could be beneficial for the units. The stake has decided to use the basic option for reporting. I'm into keeping things simple.
As the ward clerk, I write up a narrative on general ward activities. Things like; deaths, marriages, births, special meetings or temple trips, average sacrament meeting attendance, leadership changes during the year in the ward, boundary changes, etc., etc. My piece is usually 1-2 pages. I include a listing (2-column format) of all the organization leaders at the end of the past year. I ask each organization to provide something from their organization. Most are 1-2 paragraphs. This year our Primary president provided the entire text of the annual primary program (this year, the youth provided their own quotes instead of memorizing ones given to them so it is a special record). If an organization chooses to not provide anything, I don't worry about it, but the bishop reviews it before I submit to the stake.

This is what our Stake Clerk requested from each unit this year:
1. Cover sheet (this is the general "stakes and districts" one)
2. A brief narrative describing the year’s important events and developments. Include faith-building stories,
3. The unit’s calendar, and
4. The Officers Sustained forms read at ward and branch conferences.

Our ward's history for 2017 currently stands at 9 pages plus the calendar and cover sheet. RS did not provide any input this year so it may grow a little - the bishop is going to "encourage" them... The stake will insert the officers sustained form so we are not sending that to them.

I have several past ward histories in my files (have been a ward or branch clerk several times - it's a glorious calling for me) and could share them on an individual basis. If you want to pm me your e-mail address, I could send an example or two from past years.
davesudweeks...if there are examples you could send me, or any information to help me get started, I'm all ears (and eyes). I don't find a way to email or pm you? If you can post a way, I will gladly get back to you. I was sustained in November, and now am tasked with the Annual Ward histories! So overwhelmed!!!
Gail Cruz
Surprise,AZ
gcruz1221@gmail.com
chriswoodut
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Location: Utah

Re: Annual ward history template?

#18

Post by chriswoodut »

gail1221 wrote:
davesudweeks...if there are examples you could send me, or any information to help me get started, I'm all ears (and eyes). I don't find a way to email or pm you? If you can post a way, I will gladly get back to you. I was sustained in November, and now am tasked with the Annual Ward histories! So overwhelmed!!!
Gail Cruz
Surprise,AZ
For next year, you may consider starting the history and then adding to it as you come across things. I do this and it works well when I see a wedding announcement, funeral, or we have a baby blessing -- then I just add it to the doc. When I get to the end of the year, I have less to do and I included things I probably wouldn't think about at the end of the year.

I find the organizations that also use this approach provide me with better histories. Those that don't do anything until I ask struggle. I have found this year that a couple orgs have posted pictures or announcements on our ward facebook page of activities which has let me add some info to the history.

This year I'm going to include the ward directory from LDS.org with the photos, if I can. I noticed the download pdf option wasn't working quite right the other day.

Our stake has me submit an electronic copy so I haven't been concerned about length. Therefore, I include photos and other things that really add to the length. Two photos can take up a page. We dropped our newsletter part way through the year and moved to electronic sacrament meeting programs and announcements so I won't include many newsletters this year.
davesudweeks
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Location: Washington, USA

Re: Annual ward history template?

#19

Post by davesudweeks »

Gail Cruz - I'll email a couple of them to you tonight.

For those who want a specific template: if the church wanted everyone to do it exactly the same, they could provide a form or template for everyone to follow. I think the Lord is OK with a bit of variation as each of us works to magnify our own calling our own way. Perhaps something about not being commanded in all things...

I think its great to share notes and examples, but each of us is an individual and differences are OK.
habutler
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Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 8:13 pm

Re: Annual ward history template?

#20

Post by habutler »

I'm on my fourth year doing a history, either for ward or stake RS. I think all of these ideas are great.

There actually is a template available. Here is the link: https://www.lds.org/callings/church-his ... rt-eng.pdf

This is very basic, and I think might leave out some interesting details. However, maybe this is enough? I just discovered this form a couple of days ago, AFTER I had already finished my history for 2018. :)
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