Greetings from Great Spirit Systems:

Over the next month or two, we will be converting each of our customer’s databases to the new addressing schema in MissionBase.  This is phase 5 of our 6 phase addressing upgrade project. The purpose of this email is to discuss what will happen and how we will proceed in making these conversions.

For a more in depth review of our addressing upgrade project, please see the June, 2008 edition of the Eagle Eye where I discussed this major upgrade of MissionBase.  The link to the Eagle Eye is http://www.greatspirit.com/Correspondence/TheEagleEye/Jun2008.htm .  Then see the “From The Bull Pen” article.

We have grouped our customers into two categories for these conversions:

1. Those customers who do NOT use MissionBase in “remote” locations such as districts, camps or other offices outside the conference office.
2. Those customers who DO use MissionBase in remote offices.

For those in the first category, the conversion will be relatively simple.  I will let each customer know when the conversion is planned for completion and anything you may need to do.

For those in the second category, the conversion will require a coordinated effort with all your locations where MissionBase is installed.  I will propose a planned conversion date and provide instructions for communicating to the field offices.  I will ask that someone in your office coordinate the conversion effort for your conference.  Because of the massive number of data changes required for customers in this category, I will attempt to schedule your conversions at a time that will minimize the impact on your normal productivity.

With any data conversion there is often a concern about of data loss. We take several measurers to guard against this potential problem, which include additional reviews and testing of our conversion program code.  We will also do the following:

• Backup your database before running the conversion.
• Backup all of your addresses prior to the conversion to a separate set of database tables.
• Provide to you, upon your request, a set of spreadsheets of all your addresses in MissionBase prior to the conversion.

In addition, it will be critical for all your users in all locations, whether in category #1 or #2, to make any known address changes, additions, and deletions prior to the conversion, and then stop making any such address modifications during the conversion.  If a user makes address changes during the conversion process, they will likely be lost.  I simply wanted to give you a preliminary “heads up” on this critical item, so that you can help us reduce the potential for data loss.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me with those questions and I’ll be happy to respond.

I will be in touch with each of you soon to get the conversion process moving forward.

The list of those who received this email are at the end.  Feel free to forward this communication to anyone in your conference who you think should have it.

Thank you for your patience as we have worked to bring the new addressing schema to fruition.

Bill Johnson
VP of Software Development
Great Spirit Systems
www.greatspirit.com

List of Email Recipients:

Arkansas:  Todd Burris, Fonda Kirkman
East Ohio:  Robin Whitacre
Illinois Great Rivers:  John Hartleroad
Kansas East:  Gary Beach
Kansas West:  Brenda Anderson, Debbie Maltbie
Lakeside Camp:  Andie Trembly
Louisiana:  Belinda Denicola
Minnesota:  Jean Edin
Missouri:  Dala Dunn, Trudy McManus, Elmer Revelle
Nebraska:  Carole Otto
New Mexico:  Cathy Anderson, Diane Lippitt
North Central New York:  Vicki Putney, Shirley Stevens
Northwest Texas:  Jan Roberts
Oregon-Idaho:  Geneva Cook, Sandra Sittser, Turella Woods
Puerto Rico:  Efrain Maldonado, Carman Villanueva
Rocky Mountain:  Nancy Cox, Donna Hite, Ben Roe
South Georgia:  Miriam Hagan
Southwest Texas:  Patty Chebultz, David Seilheimer
Tennessee:  Bill Freeman, Vicki Sharber
West Ohio:  Sheri Fritz, Beth Gibbs
Western Pennsylvania:  Thelma Castor, Ben Harsch, John Wilson
Wyoming:  Don Schmitt, Nancy Stanley
GSS:  Al Fifhause, Jacob Fifhause, Lori Smith