Forum access and 2011 membership renewals

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:41 pm

Jason Mauldin wrote:

Can someone collect paypal payments and turn them in for us? I volunteer Steve.

I agree.

JohnByers · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:42 pm

BretLuter · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:10 pm

Jason Mauldin wrote:

Can someone collect paypal payments and turn them in for us? I volunteer Ryan.

I know you're joking, but if that's what it takes to make it work, I'd be willing to do it.

Collect Paypal payments for a calendar month, then write a check and send it in for everyone once a month (??)

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:17 pm

BretLuter wrote:

Jason Mauldin wrote:

Can someone collect paypal payments and turn them in for us? I volunteer Ryan.

I know you're joking, but if that's what it takes to make it work, I'd be willing to do it.

Collect Paypal payments for a calendar month, then write a check and send it in for everyone once a month (??)

I would hope by now we have our PayPal account linked to our THSCC checking account, so actual in-person deposits of the Paypal money wouldn't be necessary. It should all be electronic.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:20 pm

The 'issue' is that we need the application/renewal form. This is what Ram, Carlton and I are meeting to discuss next Wednesday. If the web inputs (equivalent to the paper form.....with the juicy details like check number and driving violations) will be generated into a form that can be downloaded or instantly mailed to officers to bring to the next meeting and/or archived for renewals.

BretLuter · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:43 pm

JamesShort wrote:

The 'issue' is that we need the application/renewal form. This is what Ram, Carlton and I are meeting to discuss next Wednesday. If the web inputs (equivalent to the paper form.....with the juicy details like check number and driving violations) will be generated into a form that can be downloaded or instantly mailed to officers to bring to the next meeting and/or archived for renewals.

I understand we need and/or traditionally get more info from new members, but do we really need anything more than the $$$ for 99% of renewals??

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:59 pm

JamesShort wrote:

The 'issue' is that we need the application/renewal form. This is what Ram, Carlton and I are meeting to discuss next Wednesday. If the web inputs (equivalent to the paper form.....with the juicy details like check number and driving violations) will be generated into a form that can be downloaded or instantly mailed to officers to bring to the next meeting and/or archived for renewals.

That should only be required for new memberships, right?

JamesShort · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:08 pm

Jason Mauldin wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

The 'issue' is that we need the application/renewal form. This is what Ram, Carlton and I are meeting to discuss next Wednesday. If the web inputs (equivalent to the paper form.....with the juicy details like check number and driving violations) will be generated into a form that can be downloaded or instantly mailed to officers to bring to the next meeting and/or archived for renewals.

That should only be required for new memberships, right?

As Richards 2nd post proves, even with renewals the form itself is important. Bowie has the forms for the people who paid at the Xmas party and their money has already been cashed I'm sure, but the spreadsheet has not been updated. So the forms prove a given person is paid up for the year.

The solution that we are looking into needs some careful design so there are paper trails in the event of a failure. I'm thinking that the system can put an auto remark in the notes section of every paypal txn that has the info for the person and year and type of membership (single or family or lifetime) just incase the form generation fails or isn't archived or the emails are lost (whatever method we go with).

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:11 pm

A review of the history of the paypal account would provide the same info.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:04 pm

JamesShort wrote:

The solution that we are looking into needs some careful design so there are paper trails in the event of a failure. I'm thinking that the system can put an auto remark in the notes section of every paypal txn that has the info for the person and year and type of membership (single or family or lifetime) just incase the form generation fails or isn't archived or the emails are lost (whatever method we go with).

The biggest complication is handling the membership type. Things that can and do happen:

Getting an individual renewal from someone with a family membership (is it a mistake, or are they dropping the rest of the family members?)
Getting a family renewal from someone with an individual membership (how do you know who else is now included?)
Getting a family renewal from someone who isn't a listed member, but may have a legitimate "family" membership (if the name isn't conclusive and the address doesn't match, whose membership gets renewed?)
Getting an individual renewal from someone who isn't a listed member, but was formerly a legitimate "family" member (what does that mean? could be a mistake, or maybe a son or daughter "coming of age")

These are some of the factors (besides laziness) that have kept me from creating a membership database so far. Really, for most of these conditions the best answer is to shoot off an email or a phone call and ask the person what's up. That's why having a dedicated person handling memberships is a good idea. So far, that's been Bowie, and he's great at it. You could have another person who just handles online renewals, and that keeps a human in the equation that can work through these issues without requiring any lines of code

. They'd be doing a lot of what Bowie is already doing, but that's OK, as long as they don't step on each other in managing the database or Excel spreadsheet or whatever you're using. Ultimately it's not a computer issue, it's a people issue.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:59 pm

I'd so those scenarios are less than 5% of total renewals so I'd say if we can get 95% of them automated, then we are in a pretty good position.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 9:33 pm

Go for it dude.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:52 am

I just updated the list and removed a few errors as well as a few who told me they are renewing.

Make sure you let me know you are renewing. Saying "The check is in the mail" or "I renewed..." (with some details) is fine. Saying "I need to do this" or "I think I did renew, but am not sure" doesn't count.

Emails will be sent out today.

Richard

BretLuter · **Posted:** Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:47 am

Just to make sure it's clear, I think we're all pretty much in agreement that some sort of electronic payment system would be a good thing- the glitch seems to be in how it's implemented to work with the current system, as well as those folks who manage the current system. I do not want to create any extra work or confusion for anyone, but I think somehow integrating Paypal payments into the way we do things would actually help eliminate some of the manual record keeping requirements.

I don't think anyone is questioning the fact that this club is run by volunteers, and that their time and effort is greatly appreciated, even if at times it seems taken for granted.

I *REALLY* would like to help with this (if help is needed), if someone would let me know who to talk to or where my skillz are needed I would greatly appreciate it. PM, email, post a reply or send a carrier pigeon please...

Bret.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:57 am

Chances are we would not have this system fully implemented and tested till 2012.

So if we want to do an intermediate way of doing it (ie giving someone/Bret access to the paypal account, having people paypal the money to us with a comment of who/what/where/when/why, and email the form info to someone/Bret, someone/Bret fills out the forms for everyone and then every month mail them to Bowie etc.) then I'm fine with that.

Yes, I think everyone is in agreement that it would be nice to have an electronic new member/renewal option with paypal.

But at the same time, the system we are looking into would completely eliminate the need for *anyone* to actively manage membership except in a few corner cases that Carl outlined above.

THSCC Forums

Forum access and 2011 membership renewals

Who is online