How to deal with a deceased member in the BowlsLink membership database is a common support question. Losing a member is solemn time for a club however it is unfortunately something that will happen occasionally. As a Club Administrator it is important to follow the process outlined here in updating the club members list.
These are the three recommended steps for managing the loss of a member in BowlsLink.
1. Immediately repalce any contact information from the member profile. It is important to update the mobile phone and email address attached to the members account – this information can be placeholder data not linked to a person, however, it is still mandatory to include a mobile and email address. For example ‘noreply@club.com’ may be used.
BowlsLink is a tiered database and they may be signed up to receive correspondence from other bodies such as their District or Region, State or National body or system correspondence around certifications such as expiring coaches, umpires or working with children cards. Doing this will avoid any possibility of an email being sent in BowlsLink which could cause distress to the family should they receive something addressed to a deceased relative.
2. Enter the deceased date in the member profile. This field can be accessed by clicking on the members name to bring up the Member Dashboard and the field is available under Personal Information.
3. Archive the member account. This can be done via clicking on the members name and then clicking Archive in the the top right of the screen or alternatively using Edit Spanner and selecting Archive.
Please note member accounts cannot be deleted by a Club Administrator. As accounts are linked to Competition results, along with membership and officials data any deletion will impact these areas of BowlsLink. Often this information can also be useful for posthumously recognising the persons contribution to the sport or their club.
For more help on this subject or other BowlsLink queries contact bowlslink@bowls.com.au