Brethren Family Camp registration

I started a little poll this morning on the Family Camp page asking for registration method preference. At first it was a form that sent the results via email, but I decided it would be better to have it so people could see the ongoing tally and any comments people had. Dale Seese made the following comment before I changed the format:

If I must pick only one of the 4 choices, I would have to stay with the current. I would not want to eliminate phone or snail-mail. The best would be an online submittal option for those who can do it conveniently, with the current method also readily available. I expect that online would soon become the majority method.

I would resist online payment. I have many years of experience in the registrar role. There are too many variables, misunderstandings, last minute changes, miscalculations, etc. for online payment to make things any easier for the registrar. We would likely be issuing partial refunds to many folks, or request additional payment when they arrive.

I did not intend for the poll to suggest that online registration would eliminate the current method. My interest is in assessing the level of interest in online registration. One of the biggest obstacles to creating an online payment transaction would be to develop the algorithms needed to calculate the payment required. The current method involves some pretty complex calculations, what with various discounts, maximums, scholarships, and so forth. These calculations have quite a long tradition with Family Camp, and they will likely defy any attempt to enable a machine to perform them!

Creating an online form to do what the present form does in terms of just gathering information, however, is far more doable, now that we have all the database capabilities of the new site.