Email communications

[fleetfootedfox]

We actually had an e-mail war in our troop that ended with two families leaving the troop.

 

Generally, I really like e-mail, but have seen the following problems:

* people who don't read their e-mails

* people who send e-mails to an old e-mail address even though they've been repeatedly told of the change

* people putting stuff in e-mails that should be related face-to-face

* people being embarrassed by their personal e-mails being forwarded to everybody in the world

* people accidentally replying when they meant to forward with negative comments added

* chain e-mails, junk e-mail and spam (fortunately google filters most of the spam)

* people clicking on links in e-mails from malicious spammers resulting in computer viruses or worse

 

I could go on if I thought about it long enough. E-mail is great, but you have to be careful not to rely on it too much and realize the trouble it can cause.

 

 

[kb6jra]

Our troop has a free group site on Yahoo. it's a great and easy way to do mass emailing and communications. We can store troop documents online and access it anywhere. We can share pictures and files, it also has a great calendar and reminder system built in.

 

I do know that mostly the adults use this to communciate on a unit level. For more personal communcations, it's best to use the medium that your audience uses. For instance. Most of my adults are very user friendly with the email system on yahoo and sending and receiving individual emails. They are not active on any social media sites and usually don't text on their phones.

 

Most of my boys however are very active on social media sites (Facebook, Myspace, Youtube) and also do most of thier routine messaging via text and cell phones. If I need to contact them directly (with parents permission) I use this avenue and get a better response. One boy would only react to me if I sent him a tell in a popular online game, then of course he'd proceede to pummel my character into submission to show me who's boss.

 

IMO if you want them to communicate with you, you'd better be prepared to use the medium they log onto every day. My boys know they can reach me on my cell phone, or via text, or via email, or via my Facebook page...and yes, sometimes via online gaming. They think it's cool that I do the same things they like to do.

[jtswestark]

Agreed with most already stated, we use email for announcements only to the parents. I try and keep it infrequent, only use when very necessary. Tough to keep appropriate, someone always sends on spam politcal, religious, naked cheerleaders pics, had email flame wars pop up between adult leaders and that is no good at all...

 

I don't talk to youth through email, they can either call me or talk at a meeting. It's amazing how often a youth's email is actually from M or D and the kid knows nothing about it....

 

Being OCD type I am, I manage the website with all the weekly announcements going there. I have an ASM that helps when Im too busy to keep up with it, but he knows how particular I am! (www.Troop935.com)

 

I get multi emails per week, sometimes multi emails per day from my daughters HIGH SCHOOL soccer parents club and it drives me bananas, especially when they say virtually nothing of substance. Need to be considerate of others time.

 

Dealing with Scouts is to be through the SPL and PLs, so if I need to get anything to them en mass, I have those guys handle it either through phone chain or at a meeting.

 

Jack

[BoatDaddy]

I run a website service for Packs and Troops. We have hundreds of customers. One of our most popular features is the EBlast - a weekly automatic personalized email to all unit members.

 

The idea is that all leaders have to do is post their content to the website - 1 action. Then once a week the website automatically pulls all this information together into a single email. Based on den/patrol, leadership status, etc the content of an individual EBlast will vary but it provides each unit member exactly what they need to see and avoids items they don't.

 

The format is two column

- The first column contains items (Announcements, Events, Files, etc..) that have been added/updated in the last 7 days

- THe second column contains details for events in the next 7 days and summary info for events in the next 30 days.

 

This concept simplifies information distribution. For more details go to www.mytroop.us.

 

As was stated above, it does not solve the "feedback" issue with email. From my experience only unit leaders will respond quickly to email. For the rest, they take what they need, and then "file" it appropriately (i.e. the delete button!).

 

Mike Kabot

President - SOAR

[Knot Head]

We use yahoo groups for the calendar and weekly informational mass emails. We email once each week with a list of important dates for upcoming events as well as other important news. Each calendar entry has a specific contact person and their phone # if more information is needed. People are warned NOT to hit reply toa Yahoo email because then everyone gets another email with their reply. People still mess up and hit reply but not often.

 

The Yahoo groups "files" section has a flyer for each campout ith all the information. If they have a question they call the trip sponsor.

 

For really important announcements we use email plus a calling post phone call with a blurb and an alert to check email. Yahoo groups is free and calling post costs money so we limit our calling post use.

 

Troop scouts and adults know that we use the Yahoo groups to email and for the calendar. All mass emails are archived at Yahoo groups. We provide the information and stress to all new members that this is how we communicate. If they are not informed it's their fault for not tapping into the system. If they are not getting a weekly informational email they are not in the yahoo group and need to contact the troops' yahoo groups moderator.

 

We still make announcements at meetings and hand out flyers but the Yahoo gropus and mass weekly email is how we make information readily available. Those that want to seek it out can easily find it.(This message has been edited by knot head)