Stake Laptop?

[aebrown]

Bro Brown the problem with the scripture you chose to site [sic]

There's no problem with that scripture at all. I cited it with an intent to spur some thoughts about how decisions are made by inspired leaders.

[Gary_Miller]

There's no problem with that scripture at all. I cited it with an intent to spur some thoughts about how decisions are made by inspired leaders.

Ok I can agree with that.

On the other hand, I don't believe that the Holy Spirit will direct and guide an inspired leader to act contrary to the policies and guidelines governing the church, given through the Prophet in the Handbook.

[dannykos]

This is all very simple. Request is made of stake president to purchase inexpensive laptop. Stake president - being unsure of policy vs needs issues asks his priesthood leader for direction. Repeat as necessary until satisfactory answer to overcrowding solution found.

In reality - someone somewhere in the stake would be able to donate one if asked.

[johnshaw]

Our stake center is not large enough to fit the entire stake (we have good attendance), and I believe that is another reason for webcasting. I guess we could have multiple sessions though. They were considering building ward-sized stake centers because of webcasting, but I hear they dropped that plan.

Craig, our new Stake Center is the new design. We have 3 wards and a stake using it. The cultural hall is not large enough to have our single Ward Christmas party, our active count in Sac meeting is about 280.... IT IS SMALL --> And I believe designed with webcasting as a central component. I just wish someone would come out and say it.

[craiggsmith]

Craig, our new Stake Center is the new design. We have 3 wards and a stake using it. The cultural hall is not large enough to have our single Ward Christmas party, our active count in Sac meeting is about 280.... IT IS SMALL --> And I believe designed with webcasting as a central component. I just wish someone would come out and say it.

I heard they built at least a couple of that new style. Yes, fitting the whole ward into the cultural hall for an activity is a problem even with the current ward buildings. "Luckily" we don't have good attendance at activities. I figured they'd start building them larger again if only for basketball, but it would be nice to have each building at least large enough for a ward activity (somewhere between regulation half court and full court size). But that's another subject.

[lajackson]

They were considering building ward-sized stake centers because of webcasting, but I hear they dropped that plan.

I do not believe they have dropped the plan. Our ward-sized stake center is being built as we speak. The chapel is only big enough for the largest ward that will meet in the building, based on actual attendance, and the cultural hall is not full-sized (the top of the basketball keys will be just a few feet apart).

That means the instant we bring a second large ward into the building, we cannot get them all in, because the cultural hall is smaller than the chapel.

[lajackson]

Thank you for your very clear and reasoned reply. I believe I understand your position.

With the exception of what I find on here on this site I do not know what funds are suppose to be used to purchase equipment for webcasting. I'm not privy to that information, nor do I know where to go to get that information. I do however know that LUBF are not to be used to purchase computers no matter how noble the cause is.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no funds from any source identified by the Church to be used to purchase equipment for webcasting at this time.

There is not a stake in the church that cannot hold a stake conference without webcasting. Stake Conferences were held for decades without webcasting. However, webcasting has enabled the lifting of the burden of travel expenses for members of a stake who may live long distances from the stake building. That is what webcasting is intended to do and use of the LUBF are there to help lift this burden as well, the funds just can't be used for the purchasing of computers.

Yes, we can meet outside if the weather is acceptable, and we have rented large halls in the past so that everyone in the stake may meet together. But webcasting is intended for more than just saving long distance travel. It also compensates for stake centers that are not large enough to contain all who wish to attend a stake conference.

I don't know what resources are out there for the purchasing webcasting equipment. My best guess would be to start by requesting the information from CHQ. You may just be surprised what you find.

Again, if you have found out anything different than that there is no Church budget, please share. That has always been our answer from CHQ. No Church budget. No FM budget. You correctly point out that the handbook says local budget funds should not be used. And we have specific instructions that members are not allowed to donate computers.

And so I still have reached the conclusion that there is currently an administrative quandary here that does not allow funding of webcasting. That, of course, does not keep us from doing it. We are not about to leave two-thirds of our stake out of stake conference on Sunday morning. So our stake president has counseled with his area seventy and we are proceeding per his direction.

With the continued encouragement from Church headquarters to webcast, and the continued building of meetinghouses that are not large enough to gather all the members of the stake, we have sought ways to meet the needs of our members while still complying with guidance we receive. We are still in a "you can't get there from here" situation, as far as the administrative rules are concerned.

Fortunately, there are methods of dealing with that situation even in the Church today.

But again, if anyone comes up with something that is allowed by policy and procedure, we are all ears.

[craiggsmith]

I do not believe they have dropped the plan. Our ward-sized stake center is being built as we speak. The chapel is only big enough for the largest ward that will meet in the building, based on actual attendance, and the cultural hall is not full-sized (the top of the basketball keys will be just a few feet apart).

Interesting. I was told by someone at the Church that they had dropped that idea, but either they were misinformed or perhaps they are just building a certain number while they come up with a new plan. It sounds like that one is about the size of or maybe a little smaller than the building I grew up in, which had a "full" court but a small center circle not far from the tops of the keys. It was was oriented sideways to the chapel. This building functioned as a stake center when our stake was split off (with just 6 wards) until the new one was built, and we had to have two sessions of stake conference. It was bigger than our current building but still not big enough for our entire ward to have a dinner.

[drepouille]

I think three points are important:
- We need counsel from our area authority Seventy.
- Since we are not allowed to purchase Microsoft Office for clerk and FHC computers, the same policy should apply to A/V laptops. If Apache OpenOffice (a free product) can't present your PowerPoint slideshow, then you are out of luck.
- The stake technology specialist must have unrestricted access to all computers in the stake, including these A/V laptops. He must perform inventory checks as well as updating and monitoring the installed software. He needs to know where all the computers are, and he must have the door keys to get to them.

A related concern would be the purchase of external speakers for the A/V laptop.

[craiggsmith]

Since we are not allowed to purchase Microsoft Office for clerk and FHC computers, the same policy should apply to A/V laptops. If Apache OpenOffice (a free product) can't present your PowerPoint slideshow, then you are out of luck.

Forgot about this. There is a free PowerPoint viewer from Microsoft though.

The stake technology specialist must have unrestricted access to all computers in the stake, including these A/V laptops. He must perform inventory checks as well as updating and monitoring the installed software. He needs to know where all the computers are, and he must have the door keys to get to them.

It took me a long time to get all the keys! But life sure is easier now that I have them.

A related concern would be the purchase of external speakers for the A/V laptop.

My stake presidency just requested this last weekend, so they could show a training video in the high council room. Need to look into these.