This post is applicable in the Cloud database's Windows App as well as in the Legacy database.
Here is an overview of the "Dues-related" functionality:
How do I set up the Dues amounts?
1. Under Admin > Options > Fees & Dues > Main: ensure the "Dues ARE collected for one or more clubs" checkbox is checked.
2. Under Admin > Club Setup > Club Names, Logos, Dues and Points: set the desired Annual Dues and Weekly Dues amounts for each club.
Tip: Generally, the Annual Dues amount is the weekly dues amount times the number of club weeks. Thus, 50 cents a week for 30 weeks would be $15. However, the Annual Dues can be any amount. It should be exclusively for DUES, not handbook or uniform fees. Separate fees can be created for handbooks and uniforms. Click the "Info" button in the toolbar for more information.
When is the Fee for Dues created?
1. When a clubber's Registration is set to current, the person's status is set to "Active", and a Fee record is created for the Annual Dues. Set a clubber's registration to current one of these ways:
a) right click a name in the main Clubber List grid and select Register and Post Payment from the popup menu.
b) in the Legacy database, open the person's Member Record and click the Registration current checkbox on the Misc tab. In the Windows App, open the person's Role record to access the Registration checkbox.
c) use the 'Begin Registration Process' button from the Clubbers grid or Check-in Grid toolbar to open the Registration Window dialog.
2. If the Dues Pd checkbox on the Check-in List grid is marked and there is not a Fee record for the Annual Dues, a pop-up message will ask to create a Dues Fee record. Answer "yes" to create the Fee record and post the weekly payment amount. Note: This does NOT cause the Registration to be set as "current".
Important: use of the Dues Pd checkbox on the Check-in List grid implies the clubber is paying WEEKLY. If there is no Fee record yet, the system calculates the Amount Due as the weekly amount times the number of weeks, which may be different than the Annual Dues amount. (Tip: the amount of a Fee can be changed later if needed.)
How do I record a payment for Dues?
1. For a SINGLE WEEKLY PAYMENT AMOUNT (such as $0.50), click the Dues Pd checkbox on the Check-in List grid. The default Amount Paid will be the weekly dues amount from Club Setup. If the payment was different than the default, say $1.00, type over the Amount Paid. Any amount entered like this in the Check-in List grid is always considered to be exclusively for dues for the selected clubber. An applicable payment is created in the Household Ledger.
2. For a payment that is for MORE THAN JUST DUES or for MORE THAN ONE CLUBBER... do NOT click the Dues Pd checkbox in the Check-in List grid. Instead, open the Household Ledger to apply the payment. The Household Ledger can be opened from a number of toolbars using the button labeled "Household Ledger" or "Ledger" (green dollar sign icon) or from various right-click popup menus.
In the Legacy database, posting a payment in the Household ledger against Fees related to Dues will check the Dues Pd checkboxes for the appropriate number of weeks and for all affected clubbers.
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If dues are not collected on a weekly basis, hide the Dues band on the Check-in List grid and save the grid layout.
I recommend not manually creating fees for Uniforms and Books until they are actually needed because when a book or uniform is assigned, the Fee can be created by the database.
Payments may be entered in a family's Household Ledger even if there are no fees yet. When using 'register and post payment', payments are posted as 'unapplied' in the Household Ledger. Or, directly in the Household Ledger, in the "Apply this payment" drop down list, select "to NONE of the fees, just post the payment". Later, when there are fees, 'apply' the existing payment that has been held as "Unapplied".
How to set up a sliding-scale price for multiple children in same family
The best way to handle this is to apply a Discount to any Dues-related Fee that should be lower. Here is an example:
Annual dues fee for the first clubber is $15, the second child is $10, and the third child is $5. Let AWdb create the normal Fee records of $15 for each clubber. Then, open the family's Household Ledger and enter a "Discount" Payment Type for $5 (discount on second child's dues). For the "Apply this payment" choice, use "ONLY the fee(s) selected below" and select the checkbox next to the second child's Dues record in the grid. Click "Post the Payment". The balance becomes $10. Repeat this for the third child, but this time enter a $10 Discount payment that results in a $5 balance for that fee.
If there is a fourth child that won't be charged for dues, either apply a $15 Discount payment (for consistency) or select a "Waived" payment type.
There is also an option to apply a payment: "EVENLY distributed to the fees selected below". This is a good option to reduce each clubber's dues amount the same instead of sliding the fee. [For instance, if the clubbers are paying the balance, one clubber shouldn't have to pay more than the siblings. Instead, choose a Discount payment of $15 and apply it EVENLY, choosing the 3 fees for dues to apply it to; thus, $5 for each clubber.]
Note: Discount payments are recommended at the start of the club year instead of Waived because it implies a pro-active, intentional reduction. A "Waived" payment would be reserved for uncollected payments later in the year. Either way, by examining records on the main Ledger Fee List grouped by Payment Type will show how much the club had to "absorb" in either discounted or waived fees.
What if we want to have a single Fee that combines Dues and Uniforms and Books?
Short answer: Don't do it. We don't recommend lumping together charges for multiple things. Allow AWdb to create separate fees for Dues, Books and Uniforms. It will help track inventory more accurately and provide more accurate and detailed data for planning. Combining items might create struggles against the way the database is designed to work.
