Oh Crappy Day !

I am the 11 year old scout leader in my church.  I used to be awesome at it.  Now, I think many people will want my head.  Read on . . .


Being an 11 year old scout leader is a somewhat "misfit" calling because one is officially under the Primary umbrella but really you are under the Young Men umbrella because 11 year old scouts is a made up thing in the Mormon church.  (Turning 12 is a big change in our church and a small part of it is moving up into Young Mens and being able to do consistent, overnight scout activities under the scout master.  In scouting, boys move up after they earn their Arrow of Light, around age 11, and do regular scouting stuff under a scout master.  But, in our church, the boys wait to do overnighters until they are 12,  so 11 year old scouts was created to work with that framework.)    Anytime any info needs to be exchanged, I am to contact our committee chair, who often refers me to the Scout Master or the assistant Scout master, for dates about courts of honors, merit badge workshops, etc.  Honestly, I work with an amazing group of people but since I am in this "misfit" category, sometimes, things get lost in the exchange.  


Anyway, several months ago, the assistant scout master contacted me to tell me that several of the my 11 year boys "advancement" stuff had not been entered into the computer.  I asked if it was my job to enter it.  He didn't know.  Recently, he contacted me again and told me nothing had been updated.  I again asked if it was my job to do so.  He is a great man and finally contacted me with the information I needed to update my 11 year old scouts info in the Utah system.  (The dates are important because you have to be a 1st class for a minimum of four months before you can earn your next ranking.)  

I tried to do it.  It didn't work.  I made about 15 phone calls and finally was told that at least for the Utah system, you can't use a Mac to update info.  My husband attended a meeting and told them that we were working on updating the information and would do it this week at his office, so I knew I was cleared to update the information.  I went to my husband's office yesterday to do it.  Every boy in our troop is listed from 11 year old scouts up on up to those who still haven't gotten their Eagle.    I updated my boys (really just three dates needed to be entered)  and clicked, "Send to council" button.  The screen went blank and ALL OF the boys and their info was erased--not even just my 11 year old scouts but EVERYONE!  I didn't click on "remove names" or "start over" or anything.  I did press "next page" when the "Make suggestions to improve this web-site page" came up but that is all.  The screen just went entirely blank.  Because it was my first time putting this information into the system, I read every screen carefully.  I know I did not press any button authorizing a deletion of names or removing records.  

I tried to stay calm.  I logging out, then logging in--still all names were gone.  I did this about 10 times.  I tried various things and could not recall up the information!  I eventually  e-mailed my problem to our Scout Committee chair.  I still haven't heard from him.  I am just hoping the "council" has a recent copy or someone has a current copy of everyone's advancements.  If not, I really messed things up.   But then again, I don't think I did anything wrong.  I followed all of the prompts correctly, so I can't figure out how everything got deleted.  In talking to a few friends, they have told me sometimes the system "just does that"  but why oh why did it "just do that" on my first blasted time trying to do it!  Anyway, my day got worse.  Read on . . .

I had a stack of mail (about 20 envelopes) to mail for dentist husband's office, as well as needing to do a work bank deposit for the office as well.  I do those daily for his office and as you can imagine, they often have cash and many checks.  I dropped everything off at the post office (I had to go inside because I had a box to mail as well) and then went to the bank.  


I reached in my purse and discovered I didn't have the deposit in my purse.  I thought, "I must have left it on the counter at home."  I ran home.  I checked where I keep the deposit.  It was not there.  I dumped everything out of my purse on my front room carpet, hoping to find it but it was gone.  I then realized I had dropped the deposit envelope in with the mail!  I ran back to the post office.  The nice lady agreed to open the box and look for it.  She found it but she wouldn't give it to me, unless I showed some ID.  My wallet was on the floor in my house!  Fortunately, she did let me run to my car and find ANYTHING with my name and address on it.  Fortunately, I had the car's registration (which only had dentist husband's name on it) but the deposit slip had his name on it, so she gave it to me.  (Very reluctantly, I might add.)

So anyway, I am now awaiting the call to find out how to clear up what happened on the Scout side of things.  In talking to my sister, more than once, she has pulled up advancement records and they have been blank, even when she personally put the information in herself, so again, another story of this happening.  Please bless someone has a recent hard copy of everyone's advancements.  Oh crappy day.  


UPDATE:  I placed a call of the scout office and learned this problem happens "frequently".  They have all of the info (and the Scout committee chair called me and he has all of the current info in a hard copy form) and so not all is lost.