LDS Tools and Attendance

[dfurch0430]

I am a Sunday school President. I see where LDS tools attendance records could be a real benefit to leaders, teachers, ministering brethren and sisters, etc., but I can't find any direction on the use of it.
1. Who has access? Can individual class teachers input their class attendance? Currently our teachers don't have access and have to send their weekly attendance to a clerk or member of the presidency to be entered.
2. I have found limited direction on whether attendance should be entered for Sunday school classes as well as other auxiliaries, how to handle it if someone watches/attends virtually, is involved in another calling and isn't attending classes, etc. No one in our ward seems to know.

[jdlessley]

1. Who has access? Can individual class teachers input their class attendance? Currently our teachers don't have access and have to send their weekly attendance to a clerk or member of the presidency to be entered.

Only the bishopric, clerks, and organization presidencies (includes secretaries) have access and edit permissions. This excludes youth presidencies.

2. I have found limited direction on whether attendance should be entered for Sunday school classes as well as other auxiliaries, how to handle it if someone watches/attends virtually, is involved in another calling and isn't attending classes, etc. No one in our ward seems to know.

The class and quorum attendance report provides the data to complete the quarterly report. It requires all organizations to complete the attendance since the attendance for a member answers the question as to whether they have attended any meetings during the month. The answer to someone with callings that take them away from their regular meetings is in the quarterly report help text for the attendance. For example, the help text for Melchizedek Priesthood holders attendance states: "Using Class and Quorum Attendance in LCR or Member tools, record the number of Melchizedek Priesthood holders who attended at least one priesthood, Sunday School, or Primary meeting during the last month of the quarter either as a class member or while serving in a calling."(bold emphasis added) Attendance for meetings other than sacrament meeting is dependent on the area your unit is within. Our area instructions are that all 2nd hour meetings are to be in person and there should be no virtual meeting attendance.

Speak with your ward clerk as to how your unit is going to handle recording meeting attendance for those with callings that take them away from their Sunday school meetings. In our ward the ward clerk marks those in this situation as attending since he has access to calling information while the Sunday school presidency does not.

[davesudweeks]

Speak with your ward clerk as to how your unit is going to handle recording meeting attendance for those with callings that take them away from their Sunday school meetings. In our ward the ward clerk marks those in this situation as attending since he has access to calling information while the Sunday school presidency does not.

I believe the SS Presidency has access to view all callings. I do as EQP and make sure those attending other assignments are recorded as attending (i.e. full time missionaries serving from the ward, Elders in YM meetings as leaders/advisors, Elders serving in stake assignments out of the ward, etc.). Just a thought - I make sure we handle it for our weeks rather than dump that task on the clerk.

[russellhltn]

Our area instructions are that all 2nd hour meetings are to be in person and there should be no virtual meeting attendance.

That would be at odds with General Handbook 29.7:

For some meetings, the bishop or stake president may authorize members who cannot attend in person to participate virtually. These meetings may include:
- Leadership meetings, such as presidency or council meetings.
- Quorum, Relief Society, and Young Women meetings.
- Sunday School classes.
- Primary classes and singing time.

However, this would be limited to shut-ins and others who are prevented from attending in person, not for those who prefer not to.