Unit History

[tongak]

Is there a way when you have written a story that you can invite others to see the work you have done and add on to it? I have written a few history stories but the invite doesn't let me send it the ward council to add there input to it. Thank

[jdlessley]

The Unit History app does not have a method to send emails to designated authors to contribute to a story in draft. That would have to be done using some other communication method outside of the Unit History app. The system does allow authors to contribute to a draft story by clicking the Add Authors button in the Authors section and selecting their names.

[tongak]

Thanks. I tried to add authors to a draft but it will not save them to the draft. The only way it seems to work is if I start a new draft and add authors to it. Then it will save.

[alissagroll]

We are trying to utilize the unit history tool. I am Relief Society president and have delegated to my board to create and post stories. None of them seem to even have an add story button. I am able to add a story, but I cannot add authors. I get a message that shows that I should be able to select other individuals to add as authors, but every position shows as "not assigned" including the bishopric, elders quorum, other RS presidency members, etc. It seems strange that I should be the only one in my ward that can create a story, and I don't want to put my name as author for something I didn't write. Thoughts?

[jdlessley]

I am Relief Society president and have delegated to my board to create and post stories. None of them seem to even have an add story button.

The Relief Society callings with author permissions are the presidency members, including the secretary. Author permissions are granted to a list of standard ward callings. Authors cannot be created to be added to the system. Please refer to the Roles and Callings in the Quick Start Guide for the complete list. Please note in the Roles and Callings page it states: "The Unit History tool uses your Church calling for permissions to create and approve stories. Standard callings in the Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR) system must be used." Any member of your ward can create stories, but only a few with standard callings can post them. One of the ward Approvers or Authors, as listed in the Roles and Callings page, would have to post stories for those that do not have author permissions.

I am able to add a story, but I cannot add authors.

Once a story is created, authors from the ward list of authors can be added to contribute to the story. Adding authors gives permissions to those added as authors to add to, or edit, the story. The key is to create the story first.

I get a message that shows that I should be able to select other individuals to add as authors, but every position shows as "not assigned" including the bishopric, elders quorum, other RS presidency members, etc.

The action you were attempting is the function of sending an invite. The system only allows those with callings in the Approvers list to send invites. The RS president is not on the Approvers list of callings.

I don't want to put my name as author for something I didn't write.

I ran into that situation. Someone else wrote the story and submitted it to me to put into the system. To make it clear I did not contribute to the story I wrote a brief introduction to the story and noted the true author's name in my 'story'. I then attached the real story as a PDF file and attached the included pictures.

Make sure you become familiar with the Unit History tool by going through the Quick Start Guide and FAQ in the Help menu. I have found those two sections will answer most questions about the tool.

[blainenay]

I am the stake assistant clerk for history. I'm having no success in finding and using the "Story Manager" and the "Invites" tab. Because I can't find or use these hidden features, I can't help ward history specialists find these features. I've struggled with this for nearly a year. The Unit History functions of the Church website really needs to be user friendly.

[jdlessley]

I am the stake assistant clerk for history. I'm having no success in finding and using the "Story Manager" and the "Invites" tab.

The stake history specialist, stake clerk, and stake presidency are the only stake callings with approver permissions. Without approver permissions you will not be able to see, or have access to, the Story Manager, and the Approvals, Published, and Invites tabs in the Story Manager. The stake clerk and stake assistant clerk callings have author permissions. If your calling, as entered into LCR, is stake assistant clerk for history, then you will only be able to view published stake stories and stories of your home ward.
The proper calling to act in a stake approver and stake author role should be the standard calling, stake history specialist. (I don't know if the calling is "stake history specialist" or "history specialist" in stake LCR. The Help files mention both. In any case, it should be a standard calling.)