Printing report for our Deacon's dinner

[John Dykema]

We have a Deacon's dinner each year for widows/widowers and certain single people. As I see it there could be two ways to do this.
1. I could either use a "Code" field in Personal Profiles, and name it Deacon Dinner and then update all those on the list. Then print a report from the Personal Profile reports.
2. Or I could create an Activity code, say 9300 and code all those that should be on the list, then use the reports in Activities/Skills to print them out.
One caveat, currently the secrty has a spread sheet and prints a one line per person on the report. If she's really hung up on a spread sheet format, I will have to build a custom report and output to Excel. This would happen if I use either Pers Profiles or the Activities/Skills method.

In your eyes, what would be the most efficient way, most convenient, or best way of getting this report done?

[NeilZ]

We have a Deacon's dinner each year for widows/widowers and certain single people. As I see it there could be two ways to do this.
1. I could either use a "Code" field in Personal Profiles, and name it Deacon Dinner and then update all those on the list. Then print a report from the Personal Profile reports.
2. Or I could create an Activity code, say 9300 and code all those that should be on the list, then use the reports in Activities/Skills to print them out.
One caveat, currently the secrty has a spread sheet and prints a one line per person on the report. If she's really hung up on a spread sheet format, I will have to build a custom report and output to Excel. This would happen if I use either Pers Profiles or the Activities/Skills method.

In your eyes, what would be the most efficient way, most convenient, or best way of getting this report done?

Save the Personal Profile code for something that is applicable congregation wide, and go with an Activity code. These are designed for use to select out groups, and you can create as many as you need without using precious personal profile code locations.

[John Dykema]

Thanks, Neil, I was kind of leaning in that direction as well.

[John Dykema]

Neil, I have done this now by creating code 9301 for those that would typically attend the dinner, and have created a real nice custom report for the sectry. Now she needs to designate who is attending and who needs a ride?
She'd want to code this so when all is said and done, a report can be printed and distributed to each deacon team (sorted by the 'Visit Area" field).
An illustration. Sectry wants to print a report showing:
Name, address, Attending?, Need ride?
Mary Doe 123 St Yes No

Any advice as to how to utilize Activity codes in a custom report for this instead of using the pre-set Code fields?

[NeilZ]

Neil, I have done this now by creating code 9301 for those that would typically attend the dinner, and have created a real nice custom report for the sectry. Now she needs to designate who is attending and who needs a ride?
She'd want to code this so when all is said and done, a report can be printed and distributed to each deacon team (sorted by the 'Visit Area" field).
An illustration. Sectry wants to print a report showing:
Name, address, Attending?, Need ride?
Mary Doe 123 St Yes No

Any advice as to how to utilize Activity codes in a custom report for this instead of using the pre-set Code fields?

FWIW ... who's going to enter this data, then delete it year after year ?? This is the type of data that does not need to be kept in Powerchurch as it has no meaning after this years dinner is over. You'd have to delete the activity numbers each year to reset the data. This is unacceptable, as I fully assume that someone other than the secretary will be doing this update.

There are a few ways I'd look at this:

1. Create a new report, sorted and designed just like the old one but with a YES and NO next to each name. Then whoever tracks the people who say they will attend, can circle the YES or NO.

2. Just use the built in single attendance report, and they can then check off who will be attending.

3. Another way, just not sortable by visit area, is to use a the contribution report if the dinner requires a payment. The 'fund' would have a number that is greater than the normal deductable range of funds, and would post to the appropriate area in Funds Accounting. Then you could run the report to see who had paid for their dinner.

IMHO I wouldn't maintain who's attending or who's not data in Powerchurch, other than the weekly or monthly activities normally tracked (Worship, Sunday School, Small Groups, etc).

That said ... I actually think (and I think this has been brought up in the Event's forum) that adding an Attenders option to the events module for each event would be a good idea for such tracking.