Blue Ribbon Help Sheets
Adding a New Member/Parent
When you have a new member or leader enroll in 4-H, you must create a record for that person, as well as a parent record and link.
- Go to the Member/Leader screen. Click Add.
- Enter the data about the member, similar to what is shown in this image. When you have completed this information, click on the Save button at the right side of the screen.
- Click on the Parent File button of the screen.
If the member's parents are NOT in the system - don't have an older child, ect.
- Click the Get button (it does not "get" an existing record, it "gets" data from the member's record).
- Fill in the rest of the parent screen with information, similar to that shown in this image, for the member's parents. Click Save when finished.
- Click Link to link this parent record to the child's record. Notice that the member's name now pops up in the Children/Family portion of the screen.
- Exit. Notice on the Member/Leader screen that there are now parents listed on this screen.
If the new member's parents are already in the system.
- After Save on the Member/Leader screen, click Parent File. Click Find. Find the record for the parents by using the name tab. Click Link. Notice that the new member should now be listed on the Children/Family portion, and when you Exit the Parent screen, the member screen has the parents listed.
If the new member has two parent units to be linked:
- First, in order for there to be a need for two parent units, we need to be clear what that means: it means that there are two adult units living in different addresses who would be considered "parents" for purposes of receiving newsletters, parental notification, ect. It does not mean that the member has two parents who live at the same address.
- Add one parent as described above, using the correct method for whether the parents are in the system or not.
- Do NOT Exit from the parent screen when you've linked the first one. Instead, choose one of the following:
- Get - if the second parent lives at the same address as the child, and is not in the system.
- Find - if the second parent is in the system.
- Add - if the second parent is not in the system, and does not live at the same address as the child.
- Enter the information for the second parent, then click Save, then click Link. When you Exit back to the Member/Leader screen, both parents should be listed.
Helpful Hints about Parent Files:
Most errors are caused by not entering the Parent screen through the correct Member/Leader screen. Choose the member first, then enter the Parent file through that "door".
Each member AND leader needs a Parent file. For the leader, their Parent record would be the same as their Member/Leader record. If they don't have a "parent", they won't get a label printed when you ask for "one per family"
.If two children have different addresses, even though they are linked to the same parent, that parent will receive two "one per family" mailings. The computer uses the Member's "Street Address" field to match up families. Sometimes they're only different by an extra space, or by "Ave." instead of Avenue, but the member's addresses have to match each other exactly.
If the parents insist on having their mail addressed to "Mary Smith and John Jones", you have to get a little creative on the Parent screen. Enter "Jones" into the last name field, "Mary Smith & John" into Parent1 first name. "One per family" labels print Parent 1 First Name on the name line. This method won't work for Elizabeth Steffensmeier and Jeremiah Christopherson, because it's too many letters. They'd either have to compromise, or get two letters (two parent records).
You can use the "comment", "disability", and "relationship" fields on the screens any way you wish. They don't print on enrollment forms, and are not bound by any legal definitions.
