Questions for the previous bishop of a new move in?

[Recapdrake]

Howdy everyone, just got called as ward clerk a little bit ago and my bishop is asking me to email the previous bishops of new move ins on his behalf and ask them some questions about the moving in member.

We’re a YSA ward outside of the Zion curtain so we’ve had an issue of some wards around us using us as a dumping ground for ysa aged inactives who they don’t know in order to get them off their roles and onto ours. Asking the previous bishop questions is supposed to be our way of figuring out whether that’s what they’re trying to pull or if it’s a real move in and if they are a real move in then this will help us get a sense for the person.

Makes sense, great idea, full 110% support. One problem: “hey bishop what exactly should I ask them?”
“Oh there’s a template on our computer.”
“We moved buildings, we don’t have that computer now.”
“Oh well there’s some example questions in the handbook under membership records.”

I just went through all of 33.6 and didn’t find what he was talking about.
Does anybody know what section these questions might be located in? Does anyone maybe have a set of questions they use for similar purposes?
Thanks!

[rmrichesjr]

Maybe ask your bishop what the document that was on the old computer said. 1/2

[russellhltn]

The only time I'm aware of that the General Handbook indicates the need to contact a prior bishop is if they're issuing a temple recommend, or recommended for the Melchizedek priesthood and haven't been in the ward for a year (26.5.4 and 33.6).

It might be worth reviewing 37.2.1. Wards should not be sending inactive YSA to you unless the Stake President has approved it. They also should be living in your boundaries and not have any children at home.

As for the questions, I'd suggest seeing if you can get access to that old computer.

[Recapdrake]

The only time I'm aware of that the General Handbook indicates the need to contact a prior bishop is if they're issuing a temple recommend, or recommended for the Melchizedek priesthood and haven't been in the ward for a year (26.5.4 and 33.6).

It might be worth reviewing 37.2.1. Wards should not be sending inactive YSA to you unless the Stake President has approved it. They also should be living in your boundaries and not have any children at home.

As for the questions, I'd suggest seeing if you can get access to that old computer.

Oh of course they shouldn’t. But unfortunately that doesn’t always stop them, before we started pushing back on it and undoing those illegitimate transfers our rolls has gotten up to over 700 with a weekly sacrament attendance of 50-70.

Thanks I’ll bring that to his attention. Maybe we’ll just sit down as a bishopric and draft a new email template for this.

[garystroble]

This is what we use in our ward for all move-ins:

Dear Bishop xxxxx:

I am xxxx xxxxxxx, the Ward Clerk in the xxx xxxxx Ward of the xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxx Stake.

We recently received the membership of xxxxx xxxxx, who we show was previously in your Ward.

If there is any information about this member you feel would be helpful to us, please contact our Bishop, xxxx xxxxxxx, either at his email address xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx or via his cell phone xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Thanks so much!

cc: Bishop xxxxxxx

[BrianEdwards]

Wards should not be sending inactive YSA to you unless the Stake President has approved it.

The rub with many/most YSA's, is what exactly defines active vs less-active, and whether an active YSA will continue to be active once they transfer their records to the YSA unit. Since the Handbook allows for active YSA's to choose to be members of a YSA unit, it's often not until some time has passed as members of that YSA unit, that inactivity (or "less-activity") becomes apparent.

GHB 37.2 and 37.2.1 reference Stake Presidents quite often. I'd suggest having your YSA Ward Bishop meet with your Stake President and discuss this situation, and request he address it at his level. If it's a multi-Stake YSA unit, then he is likely the Stake President responsible for that unit, and he can counsel with the other Stake Presidents and determine a plan. I suspect you'll have much more success if the Stake President is leading the effort to better organize your YSA Ward, than if your Bishop is doing it 'alone'. And the Stake President can indicate what he'd like the communication process to be when a YSA record is transferred.

It may be that well-intentioned Bishops are not aligned with the purpose of the YSA unit. And if indeed there are Bishops using your unit as a dumping ground, Stake President involvement is appropriate.

[russellhltn]

If your unit is being used as a dumping ground, there's a strong chance that some of those YSA are "undocumented marrieds" who married a non-member. Finding a few of those would help your case when the bishop goes to the stake president.

[Recapdrake]

This is what we use in our ward for all move-ins:

Dear Bishop xxxxx:

I am xxxx xxxxxxx, the Ward Clerk in the xxx xxxxx Ward of the xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxx Stake.

We recently received the membership of xxxxx xxxxx, who we show was previously in your Ward.

If there is any information about this member you feel would be helpful to us, please contact our Bishop, xxxx xxxxxxx, either at his email address xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx or via his cell phone xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Thanks so much!

cc: Bishop xxxxxxx

You are a scholar and a saint