Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Hello.

I am thinking of creating an applet to be used on my website, and potentially available for others to download for their own sites.

The app would:
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Record member information and allow for searching on dojo members.

Allow dojo members to track their hours.

Report on hours logged since a certain date.

Report on hours logged since last test date.

Give estimate for number of weeks until minimum testing hours/time have been completed
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Would anyone be interested in something like this for their dojo's website?

Any other requirements you might want this kind of tool to perform?

Your feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,

Garrett Fuller
http://aikidosuimei.com

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Garrett,

As administrator assisting in record keeping and such for my dojo, I think it's a pain in the butt to deal with a purely paper system. Your idea sounds terrific.

I would also like to see your program with additional parts for:
- when students pay their dues (what date of the month their dues are due),
-what dues system they are on (we have different payment scales),
-how much was their last payment, and
-when is the next payment due.

I've created Excel worksheets on these but, as we are hopefully soon to have a website, a program like yours would be infinitely better.

Regards,
NMO'L

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Thanks for the input Niamh. BTW...my father lives down in St. Thomas although I have not been to visit him in 15 years or so... I will have to make a trip to visit your dojo...and oh...to visit my dad too!

-Garrett

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Since I am the computer equivalent to a chimp that's discovered fire I have no idea what an Applet is. However, the features you describe sound great. I would definitely be interested.

Bronson

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Ditto.

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

An applet is a Java application capable of being run within a browser... an applet is attractive because it could easily be bundled and reused and run from another dojo's website. Just change the back end database connection and username/password properties and pretty much it is ready to roll. I could provide sql scripts to set up the database tables, or I could have the app save data to the file system in xml format: or both.

-Garrett

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

This is what you say.

This is what I hear in my brain.

An applet is a Java application capable of being run within a browser... an applet is attraBLAHBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAHBLAHBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAHBLAHBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAHBLAHBLAHBLIGGED YBLAHBLAHBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAHmonkeysarecoolandweirdBLAHBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAHBLAHBLAHBLIGG EDYBLAHheyIcanfitapennyinmynoseBLAHBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAH :D :D

I'll take your word on all that stuff as it makes my innards twitch just thinking about it.

Bronson

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Yeah...it makes my stomach turn sometimes too... :)

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Ok in other words an applet is a webpage that does stuff!

thats pretty much all the end user (uhm thats you) need to know about it :)

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Garret,

Koodos (sp?) to you for sharing with others in need...like myself and Niamh.
After some informal polling of our members, they said they would appreciate an email reminding them of how much they owe, and even a bi-weekly "Your last payment of X-dollars was received on Y-date. Remember, your next payment is due by Z."
Good luck!

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

Hey Garrett sounds like your little applet is slowly becoming a full application (if you implement all the suggestions). At one point I was thinking about doing something similar for my dojo(s) but never got the motive to do it... after all I'm doing that type stuff at work :)... Good luck man!

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

YBLAHmonkeysarecoolandweirdBLAHBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAHBLA HBLAHBLIGGEDYBLAHheyIcanfitapennyinmynoseBLAHBLAHB

penny in your nose? look out sinuses, incoming copper!

lol
e ya later
Jill.

Re: Free Applet for Gathering Attendance
 

I like the idea, it sounds like a bit of work though! So good luck and thanks for the offer of sharing it with others, very generous of you.

For those of you still in the dark ages of physically collecting checks and (gasp) cash from your members ;) , I have a suggestion for you. Our dojo uses a company called AAC (Affiliated Acceptance Corp) that collects our monthly dues for us. The fees are very reasonable, and even a small dojo can make use of it. Our dojo is only about 40 members right now, 25 adults and 15 children, and we have been using this system since shortly after we started. When a member joins they fill out a form for AAC automated payment. The payment is either drafted directly from their checking account, credit card, or they are sent a monthly bill which they must then pay directly to AAC. There are varying fees for each payment type: checking draft being the cheapest -a few cents; then credit card -a small percentage of the dues amount collected; then the billing option -about $2.50 per month ( as incentive to use a checking draft or credit card, we charge our members a $5 service fee for using the billing option, since the other two options are cheaper for the dojo, and there is no danger of them forgetting to send in a payment). Once a month, the money is then deposited directly into the Dojo's bank account. Our entire account with AAC is available and accessible online, and we can adjust, change, and stop member payments at any time with the click of the mouse. This system has worked wonders for our administrative folks and members alike: we don't have to worry about late dues (and thus not making our rent), we don't have to hassle members about whether they have payed their monthly dues, the members don't have to worry about remembering to pay, accounting is very easy, and no more taking checks and cash from the dojo and running to the bank to deposit them constantly. I highly recommend checking into this, it makes your life sooo much easier regarding the financial upkeep of the dojo (I know, I was treasure at a dojo for 6 years, and am very familiar with all of the hassles and headaches of collecting and keeping up with the money). AAC is not the only company doing automated payment systems, it is just the one we happen to use. I'm sure just doing a web search will turn up quite a few more to compare.

I hope that helps some folks out there...particularly you volunteer treasurers.

Mike