View source for Classes

'''Classes''' are subsets of organizations, generally grouped by age, gender, priesthood office, or special topics. In [[MLS]], member lists and attendance rolls can be printed for classes.

== Class overview ==
Most organizations in MLS have built-in classes. For most of these organizations, the class rules are set by MLS and cannot be changed. For example, the Beehive class will consist of females ages 12-13; it is impossible to change that to be males ages 14-15, for example. However, even though the rules cannot be changed, members can be added and removed manually.

The Primary and Sunday School organizations can have multiple classes, and classes can be renamed, added, removed, or split. When classes are added it is essential that care be taken to set up the [[#Rules|rules]] properly.

=== Resetting classes ===
The classes can be reset for an organization or for an individual.

To reset the classes for an individual, go to the member's [[Membership Records|individual record]]. On the first screen of the record, you will see a blue link labeled ''Reset Organizations For Member''. Click this link to reset membership in all classes to match the rules of those classes. For example, a prospective elder is assigned by rule to the High Priests organization, but for specific reasons may have been assigned to the Elders Quorum organization. Resetting his organizations will place him back in the High Priests organization.

For the Primary and Sunday School organizations, there is an option to reset classes for the entire organization. This option is located at the bottom of the Classes section of the first screen for the organization (you will usually have to scroll down to see it). Although this can be a very useful option, it should not be done casually, for it has drastic, irreversible effects. After using this option:
* The organization will only have the default classes built into MLS with their default rules.
* The membership of all the classes in the organization will be reset according to those rules.
* All split classes in the organization are removed.
* All specialty classes and any other classes that have been added to the organization are removed.

=== Renaming a class ===
You can easily change the class name or location.
# In MLS, go to the appropriate organization on the Organizations page
# Scroll down to the Classes section (or use the '''Show''' selector in the upper right corner to select "Classes")
# Click on the underlined Class name
# Type in the new class name (and/or location)

== Class leadership ==
For Primary and Sunday School, members given callings in the Other Callings area can be associated with a specific class. Typically these callings would be ''Sunday School Instructor'' or ''Primary Worker''.

== Class membership ==
The initial class membership is determined by the class rules, but members can be added or removed manually.

Note that nonmembers can be manually added to Sunday School classes, and to the HP/EQ/RS/SA organizations, but no others (not YSA, YM, YW, or Primary).

=== Rules ===
Rules determine which members are automatically added to a class. Criteria used in rules include:
* Sex (Male, Female, or either)
* Minimum Age During Year
* Maximum Age at Year End
* Minimum Priesthood Office (Unordained, Deacon, Teacher, Priest, Elder, Seventy, High Priest)
* Maximum Priesthood Office
* Is Married (Yes, No, or either)

Members are added automatically according to the class rules when:
* A member moves into the ward
* A class is created
* The classes are reset for an organization
* The organizations are reset for an individual

==== Viewing class rules ====
To see the rules for an existing class:
# In MLS, under Organizations, select the Sunday School or Primary organization
# In the Classes section, find the name of the desired class
# Click on the blue name

==== Changing class rules ====
Class rules must be set as the class is created; they cannot be changed later. This is particularly challenging if the rules were set up incorrectly (or not specified at all) and so incorrect members have been added to the class (perhaps because they moved into the ward and happened to fit the rules for that class). To create a class with the correct rules:
# [[#Renaming a class|Rename]] the class to have a different name (the exact name doesn't matter, as this class will eventually be deleted).
# If any students have been incorrectly added to the class, they have to be removed individually (by going to the Class Members list and clicking on each individual's '''Remove''' link). Note that although MLS will prompt you to select a class to move them to, you can leave that blank, click '''Save''', and they will simply be removed.
# Create a new class with the correct name.
# Make sure the new class has the correct rules (age, gender, marital status).
# Remove the old class. MLS will ask you to redirect the students to another class.
# Select the class with the correct name.

This will move all members of the old class into the new class, regardless of the rules of the new class. As new members move into the ward or existing members advance classes at the end of the year, the new rules will apply.

==== Specialty classes ====
Especially in [http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,4699-1,00.html Sunday School], it is common to have specialty classes such as [http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,7103-1,00.html Family History], [http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,7102-1,00.html Gospel Principles], [http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,7105-1,00.html Marriage and Family Relations], or [http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,7101-1,00.html Teaching the Gospel]. Such classes do not have membership rules based on age or gender.

For such classes, consider setting the rules such that no one will fit the rules (for example, set the minimum age to 200). That way no one will be added to the class automatically when they move into the ward, but you can still add members to the class manually.

=== Splitting classes ===
You can split a Primary or Sunday School class by going to the list of classes for the organization and clicking on the appropriate ''Split Class'' link. You will have the opportunity to name the new class and specify its location. You will also be presented with a list of the members of the original class so that you can select which of them are to be moved to the new split class. After you have created the split class (e.g., "Valiant 9B") you may want to [[#Renaming a class|rename]] the original class (e.g., from "Valiant 9" to "Valiant 9A").

Note that the same rules will apply to both split classes. So if a new member moves in that matches the rules, or if you reset the organizations for the individual, they will be added to both classes, and you will need to manually remove the person from one of the classes.

=== Moving members to a new class ===
You can manually move a person to a new class, or even a new organization in some cases. Sometimes this can be done by adding a member to a class directly, and other times this can only be done by removing a person from an existing class or organization, and then specifying the new destination class or organization.

The following are some specific cases to illustrate the procedure.

==== Moving an 18-year-old female from RS to YW ====
When a young woman turns 18, she is automatically moved from the Laurel class to the Relief Society organization. In some cases, particularly if she has not yet graduated from high school (in the US), leaders may decide that it is best for her to remain in Young Women for a few months. However, in MLS if you attempt to add her to the Laurel class, she will not be on the list of members available to be added. Instead, you need to do the following:<ref>{{TechForum|title=18-year-old Young Women|post=9232}}</ref>
# Go to the Relief Society organization (Organizations > Relief Society)
# In the Members section, find the 18-year-old
# Click the '''Remove''' link to the right of her name to remove her from Relief Society
# In the dialog that appears, there is an option for the '''Destination''' organization. Select the Laurel class.

==== Combining young women classes ====
In a ward or branch with very few young women, it may be desirable to combine classes. For instance, the Laurel and Mia Maid classes may be combined, with the class president being a Laurel and the counselors being Mia Maids.<ref>{{TechForum|title=Combining YW classes|post=39467}}</ref>

In this case, the Mia Maids can be moved into the Laurel class as follows:
# Go to the Mia Maid class (Organizations > Young Women > Mia Maids)
# In the Members list, click on the '''Remove''' link by each member in turn
# In the dialog that appears, select the Laurel class as the destination organization
# Once the Mia Maids are in the Laurel class, the appropriate young women can be selected to fill leadership positions.

In this case, the age guidelines will control how girls are moved into classes automatically, but you can move them manually into other classes. So when a girl turns 14, she'll move automatically into Mia Maids; you'll then need to manually move her into Laurels. The same thing would happen if a 14-15 year old girl moved into the ward. But those events should be rare, and so are easily handled manually.

=== Children 12 years old ===
Children who turn 12 during the year may continue to attend their Primary class (Valiant 12) during Sunday School until the following January or may begin attending the Sunday School class for 12 and 13 year olds if leaders (Bishop and presidents of the Primary, Young Women, Young Men, and Sunday School) believe the child would benefit more from attending the Sunday School Class. During Primary sharing time they begin attending their Aaronic Priesthood quorum meeting or Young Women class.<ref>''Handbook 2: Administering the Church'' [2010], [http://lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/primary/11.4.3 11.4.3]; or [http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,4811-1,00.html Primary Classes and Nursery] on lds.org.</ref>  MLS should automatically move children into the correct class after their twelfth birthday; if not, the classes may need to be [[Classes#Resetting classes|reset]].

== Attendance rolls and class lists ==
Attendance rolls and class lists can be printed in a variety of ways. At the top of the Class Member list on the organization, there is a blue Print link. Also, on the Organizations panel as well as the Organizations menu, there is an option Print Rolls and Lists; this option lets you print rolls or lists for multiple classes at one time.

== References ==
<references />

[[Category: MLS]]
[[Category: Membership]]