The purpose of this unit is to present some of the considerations of using a computer to assist in the administration of a lodge or chapter, and to share successes and innovations from those who presently use computers to process lodge and chapter data.

At the end of this session, each participant should be able to:
- List and discuss the considerations for computer selection, choice of location, and choice of youth or adult as primary operator.
- Identify preferable types of computer language to use.
- Compile a list of areas in which a computer could assist in the management and administration of the lodge.

For this session, you will need the following:
- Chalkboard, chalk, and erasers
- Easel, easel pad, and markers
- Masking tape
- Order of the Arrow Handbook (1990)
- Guide for Officers and Advisers (1990)
- Copies of the data handout for each participant (see enclosure 1)
- If resources are available to the instructor before the training event, provide a display of computer generated information, forms, covers, programs, etc.

PREPARATION

Prior to the arrival of the participants, print on the chalkboard:
* Your name, initials, and nickname preferred (if any)
* Your lodge name, Council name, and Council location
* The title of the session
* Print on either the chalkboard or easel pad the learning objectives for the session and also the references you will be using
* Print the following on the chalkboard for use during the opening/discovery phase:

COMPUTERIZED? _______YES _______NO
WHOSE COMPUTER? Council Serv. Cen.___ Someone's Office ____ Youth's Personal____ Adult's Personal_____
PRIMARY OPERATOR? Youth _____________________ Adult ______________________

OPENING (4 min - Total 4)

Begin on time. Introduce yourself with name, lodge, council, city and state. Ask each participant to, in turn, give the same information plus the information necessary to fill in the survey questions on the chalkboard (See "PREPARATION"). Briefly state the learning objectives for this session and cite your references, if any.

DISCOVERY (5 min - Total 9)

Total the numbers and briefly summarize the information gained during the opening. Ask for a show of hands of anyone who has computerized his lodge or chapter and are "glad they did". Next do the same and ask for those you are "sad they did". First, comment on the ratio of glads to sads and ask each "sad" (if any) to comment on his reasons for dissatisfaction being sure to ask for a "glad" to respond between each "sad" (if any). Summarize briefly and shift to next phase with statement to the effect of "Let's look at some of the reasons that led them to feel the way they do."

TEACHING-LEARNING (30 min - Total 39)

1) Whose computer to use?
a) Council's?
i) Objection to non-staff use breach of security
ii) Limited access to building/limited times
iii) Program can check for BSA registration
b) Youth member's?
i) Who will be running the system next year?
ii) Will the youth even be a member?
c) Adult member's computer
i) Longer tenure in the program
ii) Better continuity
iii) Impact on "Youth-run organization"?
d) What system to select?
i) Don't pick an off brand.
ii) Pick an MS-DOS/PC-DOS or UNIX compatible system.
e) Who will be maintaining the data base?
i) In order to maintain the integrity of the database, one person should be responsible.
ii) For a lodge of 1,000 of fewer members, this is not too much of a burden on one person. For lodges with 1,500 or more, you may need to look at optical scanning for updating the database.

2) WHAT LANGUAGE TO USE?
a) Do not use a language that is unique to a particular brand of computer. It complicates changing to a new computer if reasonable member moves/drops out/dies/etc.
b) Pick a de-facto standard, such as FORTRAN, BASIC, COBAL, dBASE, etc.

3) WHAT DOES THE LODGE WANT OUT OF THE SYSTEM?
a) Labels. Ask the participants to help you develop a list of the types of labels that could be generated. Write the key words on the chalkboard to aid in note taking. The list should include:
i) All member mailings
ii) All youth.
iii) All adults
iv) Vigil Honor mailings
v) Executive Committee mailings
vi) Brotherhood eligible mailings
vii) Ordeal candidates.
viii) Chapter/Clan mailings
ix) Past Chief/Past Adviser mailings
x) Section Chief/Staff
xi) Special mailings:
b) Chiefs of other lodges in the section
c) Section Council of Chiefs
d) National Chief/Vice Chief
e) Lodge Key 3/Past Chiefs/Advisers
f) Own Council Key Officers
g) Rosters. State that rosters differ only in format from mailing lists, and ask if there are any additional types of rosters we could add to the above list. Suggest, if not included:
i) Vigils by date received
ii) Ordeal by date received
iii) Founders Award Recipients
iv) Unit Elections completed/remaining
v) Candidates not yet inducted
h) Types of sorts. Some of the major types of useful sorts are:
i) Member name (alphabetical)
ii) Zip code
iii) Chapter/troop/name
iv) Chapter/troop/name/brotherhood eligible
v) Chapter/name/Vigil eligible
vi) List of members who have not paid dues
vii) Event registration lists
viii) Computer printed membership cards
ix) Record of event registration for each member. This can make a hugh increase in the file size. For systems without a hard disk, this will not work easily.
x) Birth date

4) DESIGN YOUR DATABASE.
a) Determine what information is needed to accomplish your desires listed above and what is needed on the charter application.
b) For each data item in the record, determine the number of characters needed.
c) [Distribute the handout (encl. 1)] and advise participants that this is one lodge's solution and will give some ideas for those just starting into the program.

5) ADDITIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS.
a) As you can see, many decisions have to be made just to get to this point. What you hope to achieve from the computer determines what you need to put into the database and how you label it. What you get out of the computer depends on what you have put into the computer. The process goes in a circle.
b) To get started fast, you could eliminate some of the functions. Maybe limit to name and address only. Even if you decide this, you will be better off designing the database for the end result, but just don't load all other information at the beginning or program all the functions. If you design your data base around the initial minimum requirements, you will spend more time revising the structure of your database than if you did it right the first time.
c) Unless the lodge is relatively small, the real time will not be spent developing the system, but in the initial loading of the database. This could even be true if the Council has automated records for mailings only, because even if you get a machine readable copy, there are frequently many errors and omissions.

6) WHERE CAN WE GET HELP?
a) Contact other lodges
i) Find out if their program fits your needs
ii) Find out if their program can be implemented by your lodge with or without modification.
b) Have an information exchange session on this topic, NOT A TRAINING SESSION, at your next section conclave, and/or next Council of Chiefs.
c) Talk to people at this NOAC. Attend one of the workshops on computerization of the lodge. Get the addresses of some advisers who have operating systems.
d) Ask participants for ideas on help.
e) Invite the participants attention to handout 2 on the back of handout 1 with explanation that it is not a recommendation but a sample of what one lodge uses.

During time remaining, hold open forum, striving to gain successes and innovative applications to enhance lodge administration/operations.

SUMMARY (2 min - Total 41)

One operational, a well designed program is a valuable asset to any lodge or chapter. Like other projects - PROPER PRIOR PLANNING PREVENTS PITIFULLY POOR PERFORMANCE or in computer language, GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT! INFORMATION EXCHANGE Invite those lodges wishing to share information on their computer records operation to give you a name and address. Inform your session that these names will be posted at the computerization workshop for those who wish to make contact with computer knowledgeable members of other lodges.

(4 min - Total 45) Have participants evaluate your session following NOAC Adult Personal Development Committee procedures.

The Number of Characters Needed for Typical Standard Items
1) Member Name-32 characters. If your label program has a name reversal feature, i.e., changes from last name first to last name last, an additional sort field is not needed.
a) Address:
i) Street address-32 characters. the real limit for this is your level size.
ii) City-about 12 characters.
iii) State-2 characters. The Post Office prefers the 2-letter abbreviation. If you insist 12 characters will handle most states.
iv) Zip Code-10 characters (23452-1338)
b) Date of:
i) Birth-Needed to determine if youth or adult. This is to resolve confusion between being an adult at 18 in the troop and not being classified as an adult in the OA until 21.
ii) Ordeal-Month and year only.
iii) Brotherhood-Month and year only.
iv) Vigil-Month and year only.
v) Use full year (1992) for all dates to avoid trouble in the year 2000.
c) Unit Number and Type:
i) T275-Troop.
ii) P429-Pack. Adults who were boy members or previous adult members can register in the OA, but can not be ELECTED from a pack.
iii) E035-Explorer Unit.
iv) V007-Varsity Team.
d) District-District Scouter.
e) Staff-District Executive, Field Directors, etc.
f) Membership (Honor) code-1 character O - B - V
g) Last year of registration-4 characters (1992)
h) Boy Rank of adult position-2 characters
i) Chapter Number-2 characters
j) Phone Number(s)-12 characters, include area code. Many councils cover areas in more than one area code or members can be out of state at college.
k) Lodge and Chapter offices held-2 characters each.
l) Active/Inactive flag-1 character. To maintain historic information but drop from mailings. Primarily for members who die during membership year.
m) Event Registration-This can get very large. as you can see, the basic member information is a record of about 160 characters. Event registration information could add from a minimum of 15 characters (flags for each event) to over 100 if keeping track of what member did at each event.

3) It will run on any IBM or IBM compatible PC or AT.

5) Some types of listings provided: