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Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:07 pm
by chriswoodut
susanspow wrote:This is a new calling for me and I haven't had any guidance. Am I supposed to write up every calling that's called?
I think you'll go crazy trying to track all of them. I'm the ward clerk and help track callings to try to keep LCR up to date and I often miss callings. The computer system doesn't even track callings over time. In other words, you can't see what callings a person has had in the past -- only the calling they have today.

I know some on here just take the sustaining list used for ward conference and include that. I don't even do that. I just list the presidents of each organization and if one changes, I note that.

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2019 10:04 pm
by davesudweeks
As ward clerk, this normally falls to me - we have never had a ward historian called in the 20 years I have lived in this ward. If I have a good assistant clerk to assign the coordination to, I do that. Here is what I do:
- Ask each organization to provide information (1 paragraph to several pages, their choice) using the questions provided on the ward history template as a guideline. Some organizations provide something and some do not. I tell them in advance this is their opportunity to have a voice in the ward history and I won't do it for them.
- Write up the current ward organization list at the beginning and the end of the year (this can be printed from LCR at the beginning and end of the year for reference).
- List/describe any significant events (members who passed away the previous year, missionaries who served, local disasters that affected the ward, members serving in the military, children born, etc.)
- I do not include the sustaining list from ward conference as our stake instructs they will add it from their records - I would include that if they did not tell me to leave it out.
- Some years I have included the ward calendar, which adds 12 pages to the report.

If anyone wants to PM their email address to me, I would be happy to send some examples. They are certainly not perfect and not the same as others, but if you don't know even where to begin, they may give you some ideas.

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2019 11:01 pm
by KerryBird
I noticed that you omitted adding photos, which I think are an important part of the annual history. I am careful about adding photos of children, however, since you should ask parents for permission first. As a stake clerk, I recently sent out an email asking the wards to submit their history all online this year. I also want a printed copy to keep on file in the stake office.
I am hoping that the church will eventually come up with a form, similar to the one we use for stake conference. Then, we can submit it online and have it saved for future review

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:01 am
by chriswoodut
kerrybird wrote:I noticed that you omitted adding photos, which I think are an important part of the annual history. I am careful about adding photos of children, however, since you should ask parents for permission first. As a stake clerk, I recently sent out an email asking the wards to submit their history all online this year. I also want a printed copy to keep on file in the stake office.
I am hoping that the church will eventually come up with a form, similar to the one we use for stake conference. Then, we can submit it online and have it saved for future review
I second the photo idea. Since I submit our history electronically and length isn't a concern, I did a lot of photos last year. It has gotten really easy to include them and obtain them if the organization is using a private facebook group or similar tool. In fact, I've found it's easier to get photos than have somebody write something up (depending on the organization).

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:38 am
by davesudweeks
kerrybird wrote:I noticed that you omitted adding photos, which I think are an important part of the annual history. I am careful about adding photos of children, however, since you should ask parents for permission first. As a stake clerk, I recently sent out an email asking the wards to submit their history all online this year. I also want a printed copy to keep on file in the stake office.
I am hoping that the church will eventually come up with a form, similar to the one we use for stake conference. Then, we can submit it online and have it saved for future review
I don't add photos. Adding photos requires securing individual permission from each person in the photo (per church policy as I understand it), not just parental permission for the children. As ward clerk, I am not going to take the time to do that if I'm compiling the annual history in addition to my other clerk duties. If organizations submit photos with their information, I assume they have followed church policy and secured the appropriate permissions so I leave them in the organization's information that I add to the ward history. I have done graphs and charts in the past if I felt they would add to the clarity of the information. Graphics and photos tend to make the final document digitally large and since we are instructed to email it I have to keep file size in mind.

But as I have stated previously, there are hundreds of different ways to do an annual history and each unit should follow the direction from their stake on what is desired.

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:46 am
by KerryBird
I started a stake Facebook page where members can post photos of events. I think this may help with the annual history, if I want to include some of them. I don’t know if you would still need to get permission to use photos if they are already in the public domain

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:50 am
by KerryBird
Having members share photos on a stake or ward Facebook page is a great idea. We started a stake page a few months ago. Would you need permission to include photos from there, since they are already published in the public domain?

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:19 am
by davesudweeks
kerrybird wrote:Having members share photos on a stake or ward Facebook page is a great idea. We started a stake page a few months ago. Would you need permission to include photos from there, since they are already published in the public domain?
See item 6, here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/pag ... b-internet
I read this as "written consent" must be obtained from everyone who's photo will be posted online (even in a private facebook page).

If a member posts their own photo of themselves on a stake or ward facebook page, I would assume they are giving permission for that photo to be shared (at least on that page). However (for example), if a RS president posted a photo of the sisters attending a RS activity, did each sister give written permission for her photo to be posted to the facebook page? Does that automatically mean that they would be fine with their photo being included in a ward history that will be sent to SLC for historical archiving?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but believe caution is advised (especially in this day and age).

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 3:46 pm
by lajackson
I would start at this page for instructions on how to prepare the annual history.

The annual Officers Sustained form is a part of the history. It is fine if the stake provides it. If the stake does not, the ward should include it as a part of the ward history. You do not normally need other calling and release information in the history.

Any photograph used in the history requires the completion of the Permission to Use Photographs form wherein the owner of the photograph lists everyone in the picture, certifies that he or she has obtained the rights or permission from them to be in the photo, and then signs over all rights to the photograph to the Church. The form is available at the link above and is the primary reason I do not use photographs in the history. If I took a photograph of members that I wanted to use in the history, I would not be able to sign the permission form because I would not have any evidence of permission from the members in the picture that I had obtained their rights to do so. This is different from the written consent described earlier in this thread for online photos, although that written consent would probably work for the photographer for the history, as well.

If information about anyone who is not a member of the Church is mentioned or picture used in a history, they must sign the Annual History Consent Form, also at the link above.

Re: Annual ward history template?

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:27 pm
by KerryBird
It might be time to change the policy on getting permission slips. I see a lot of photos online and in church magazines and the Church News of large groups of members and nonmembers. I doubt they have everyone sign a slip