Who takes Pay Pal besides Sierra Nevada unit? Any others? Not Washington? Have you renewed your membership? Tomorrow is the deadline. I am looking to sign up pronto.
__________________ -Carol
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I went back and signed up as a MAL and all is A OK! Thanks Slowolf. Now wouldn't it be nice if everything in life had an "easy" button?
Good job, Carol.
Now wouldn't it be nice if we could just register at WBCCI.org for whatever unit or MAL membership we wanted using Paypal or credit card, and all would be taken care of through a centralized membership database that our units could tap into and use too? See this thread at WBCCI forums.
Thanks Jamie and Michelle that is just the ticket!
Quote:
"What to make a Unit Membership Chairperson happy? Oh, and let's not forget a Unit Assistant Treasurer (my husband).
I would like the WBCCI to look into providing access for Unit Officers to a centralized member database via a web Portal (website). Instead of Units maintaining their own DBs (many which I'd guess are just spreadsheets - maybe even just paper). A centralized db would allow us to make real time updates to member information which would reduce turnaround time for changes.
In fact I would like more than just a centralized db. I want to see a Customer Relationship Management application as the front end of member data warehouse. With a CRM system that Units can access from the internet we'd be able to enter prospects, track member activity (what rallies have been attended, etc), create renewal reminder letters or emails, send rally sign up sheets electronically, add notes to a members record to track issues or requests and just provide a better experience for members in regards to International and Unit comminucations. At the same time the WBCCI would have a much better understanding of our membership through real time reporting and charts."
Now that's a great innovative and practical idea.! Yes there are some without internet but wouldn't it lessen the load and free up time for only those to have to be sorted out and entered by another in the unit? It also seems to me that once more WBCCI business is conducted online with databases the possibilities are endless and it will put an end to the snail's pace of change in the future. Once they grab on it will take off.
__________________ -Carol
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Last edited by Pahaska; 11-01-2006 at 07:31 AM.
Reason: Better to use the "quote" button than to use colors for quotes
Thanks Jamie and Michelle that is just the ticket!
Now that's a great innovative and practical idea.! Yes there are some without internet but wouldn't it lessen the load and free up time for only those to have to be sorted out and entered by another in the unit? It also seems to me that once more WBCCI business is conducted online with databases the possibilities are endless and it will put an end to the snail's pace of change in the future. Once they grab on it will take off.
All great ideas! I'm in the process of "rebuilding" the NEU database in MS Access to bring it into the 21st century but a central WBCCI db would be one step up from that! If the WBCCI would like to sub-contract the work to me, I would be happy to build it for them!
All great ideas! I'm in the process of "rebuilding" the NEU database in MS Access to bring it into the 21st century but a central WBCCI db would be one step up from that! If the WBCCI would like to sub-contract the work to me, I would be happy to build it for them!
Just for a general idea if the WBCCI would take a volunteer up on that offer, what would the procedure have to be? Is there a single person that could approve it? Would there have to be a motion, second and vote? Would that be at the upper level of WBCCI or all units' decision? How soon in reality could something like that be implimented?
It all gets hazy on me when I try to understand why things don't appear to move.
__________________ -Carol
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Just for a general idea if the WBCCI would take a volunteer up on that offer, what would the procedure have to be? Is there a single person that could approve it? Would there have to be a motion, second and vote? Would that be at the upper level of WBCCI or all units' decision? How soon in reality could something like that be implimented?
It all gets hazy on me when I try to understand why things don't appear to move.
To roll something like this out in an expeditous fashion would probably involve almost a full-time job. Here is an idea of the steps involved:
*Each step is big but Requirements is a big first step in the process as input would be needed from all units to understand what everyone is currently doing and input on what their *wish* list is.
I shudder when I hear MS Access as a tool for this task. I have seen so many associations find out what yukionna is talking about after they have invested a lot of resources into learning why IT is such a big field in business requiring high paid specialists.
It is like at the I'Rally leadership seminars when folks got to arguing about software for Unit bookkeeping. Proper understanding of modern accounting principles and methods, simplified records, records retention, reporting, and other critical issues were just assumed as if everyone was an accounting specialist. In my experience, even many CPA's don't really understand the power or Pacioli's paradigm.
Getting something going on PayPal isn't much of a problem. Making that a part of a proper membership fulfilment system tightly coupled to an organization's financial systems is another matter. That requires care and is best done with full realization of one's limitations and a proper respect for those who make such things a profession.
There is a lot we can do in our local units and there is a lot that HQ can do, too. It is an area ripe for innovation and improvement. What we need to do, though, is to be aware of the resource needs and the implications. Could HQ offer services for Units and, if so, could HQ bill Units? How will the overhead costs be considered? Who will define the policies and procedures and how will the knee jerk anarchists be answered? What should happen if people insist on learning the hard way at the expense of all?
Dreams are great but turning them into a vision and then into a mission to objectives to plans and tasks and tactics is not an easy process. The PayPal idea is a bottom up approach. Perhaps a top down effort is also needed to meet it somewhere in the middle?
To roll something like this out in an expeditous fashion would probably involve almost a full-time job.
*Each step is big but Requirements is a big first step in the process as input would be needed from all units to understand what everyone is currently doing and input on what their *wish* list is.
You seem to have a realistic grasp of what is needed for this effort. The groundwork would have to be done carefully and thoroughly as you suggest in order for the end product to be effective. It would take time but boy would it be worth it in the end.
The database we use for our Unit does a lot of things suggested in this thread. Amongst other data, we track rally attendance - local, regional, and international. We track dues payments and other monetary contributions, Whether they were made online, snail mail, etc. This helps us assess the effectiveness of various payment methods. We track Airstream info- type, serial # etc of each Airstream owned. We track personal data including mutiple addresses, phone numbers, and other communications avenues, kids, birthdays, anniversaries. We track committee participation and elected positions, and recruitment info. We log when people leave the Unit and why. This has provided insight that has helped us determine the effectiveness of our goals and activities and provided a better understanding of our members. We can log comments and suggestions from members. We log every contact to the Unit and how they found out about us. This has been valuable in assisting the Unit to assess the effectiveness of various recruitment efforts and to follow up. I can provide statistical reports over the period of several years that show how many people found out about the Unit through the website, WBCCI referrals, newpaper PSA's, member referrals and of those people, how many joined the Unit. I can provide historical info on any member past and present - what committees they served on, rallies attended etc. This helped us to be sure and include past members in celebrations of the Unit's 30th Anniversary. I can create reports on rally attendance over the past several years. This gives us some indication of date and site preferences which help in planning the next years rally schedule. Then of course there are the merge possibilities for personalized letters, certificates, directories, etc. I could go on and on.
A well designed database IMO is one of the most valuable assets of any association. I have often fantasized about the possibilities in regards to WBCCI. What a resource that would be. Also be nice to incorporate some of Streamer23's stats in that database. That would be a full time job in itself.
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