Beacon Quick Reference for Group Leaders
For Access, select Beacon Access in Menu
(Username and password required & don't forget to select Dorchester and District u3a)
(Username and password required & don't forget to select Dorchester and District u3a)
Forgotten Password: On the Beacon sign in screen there is "Forgotten your username or password? Click here." You will need the answer to the security Question that you set up originally. If unsuccessful, contact [email protected]
Print Attendance Sheet: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Members. Click on "Select" and choose "Select all". Change the selection box next to "do with selected" to download pdf or download Excel. Click "do with selected", select membership number and click "download".
Send email to Group Members: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Members. Click on "Select" and choose "Select all" or select Members individually if appropriate. Make sure “Send E-mail” is in the box next to “Do with selected”. Select which email address the email will be sent from (personal or Office). Fill in Subject and the body of the email as required. Click “Send” (below the email).
Add or remove Group Members: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Members.
By Membership Number - Enter the membership numbers of people who need to be added to the group into the field under “Add member by membership number”. Separate each number by a comma. A table with the members' names will appear. If correct, Click “Add selected members”.
By name - Click on the field “select member” under "Add member by name", type the first character of the person's surname, and select the person required. Click “Add”.
Displaying your Group's information to Members:
The Group Directory displays information from your Group Details page as follows:
When - becomes the “Meets” field in the Groups Directory. Should say when the Group normally meets, day of the month and time.
Venue - Should show the normal venue selected for the Group.
Contact - Should have the preferred contact detail for the Group Leader.
Information - Becomes the “Details” field in the Groups Directory. This should be a concise description of the Group and its activities, including as a minimum the attendance fee.
The Beacon Calendar displays information from your Group Scheduled Events as follows:
Date and Time - Obviously must be set to show up in the calendar
Venue - Select as required. This does not need to be the usual meeting place. If meeting at a non-standard location, select “See details for Meeting Place” and put the meeting place in the details field which is free format.
Enquiries - Again, does not need to be the Group Leader. Put in the contact details for that particular meeting
Details - If appropriate, this can describe the subject of the specific meeting or the meeting location.
Add meeting to Schedule / Calendar: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Schedule.
Click here for How-To diagram.
Click on the date in “First date and time”, and set to the date and start time of the first Event of the series to be added. (the time is set using the Hour and Minute sliders). Click “Done”. Make changes to the Event Venue, Enquiries and Details as above.
Click on field showing “Weeks” to right of the "then every" box and choose between Days, Weeks, Months and (for most of our Groups) ever “Nth Day of the Month”. Assuming the first date and time has been set correctly, this will show the appropriate day of the month to be repeated. Note that if the Group needs 2 days per month, for example, the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the Month, then the process needs to be repeated from setting First date and time.
To add a specific number of events change number of events as required. To add events up to a specified date, Click on the "Not beyond date" and alter as required. Click on “Add Events”
Beacon User Guide: Available here provides detailed guidance on all aspects of Beacon.
Print Attendance Sheet: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Members. Click on "Select" and choose "Select all". Change the selection box next to "do with selected" to download pdf or download Excel. Click "do with selected", select membership number and click "download".
Send email to Group Members: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Members. Click on "Select" and choose "Select all" or select Members individually if appropriate. Make sure “Send E-mail” is in the box next to “Do with selected”. Select which email address the email will be sent from (personal or Office). Fill in Subject and the body of the email as required. Click “Send” (below the email).
Add or remove Group Members: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Members.
By Membership Number - Enter the membership numbers of people who need to be added to the group into the field under “Add member by membership number”. Separate each number by a comma. A table with the members' names will appear. If correct, Click “Add selected members”.
By name - Click on the field “select member” under "Add member by name", type the first character of the person's surname, and select the person required. Click “Add”.
Displaying your Group's information to Members:
The Group Directory displays information from your Group Details page as follows:
When - becomes the “Meets” field in the Groups Directory. Should say when the Group normally meets, day of the month and time.
Venue - Should show the normal venue selected for the Group.
Contact - Should have the preferred contact detail for the Group Leader.
Information - Becomes the “Details” field in the Groups Directory. This should be a concise description of the Group and its activities, including as a minimum the attendance fee.
The Beacon Calendar displays information from your Group Scheduled Events as follows:
Date and Time - Obviously must be set to show up in the calendar
Venue - Select as required. This does not need to be the usual meeting place. If meeting at a non-standard location, select “See details for Meeting Place” and put the meeting place in the details field which is free format.
Enquiries - Again, does not need to be the Group Leader. Put in the contact details for that particular meeting
Details - If appropriate, this can describe the subject of the specific meeting or the meeting location.
Add meeting to Schedule / Calendar: From the Home page, select Groups / your Group / Schedule.
Click here for How-To diagram.
Click on the date in “First date and time”, and set to the date and start time of the first Event of the series to be added. (the time is set using the Hour and Minute sliders). Click “Done”. Make changes to the Event Venue, Enquiries and Details as above.
Click on field showing “Weeks” to right of the "then every" box and choose between Days, Weeks, Months and (for most of our Groups) ever “Nth Day of the Month”. Assuming the first date and time has been set correctly, this will show the appropriate day of the month to be repeated. Note that if the Group needs 2 days per month, for example, the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the Month, then the process needs to be repeated from setting First date and time.
To add a specific number of events change number of events as required. To add events up to a specified date, Click on the "Not beyond date" and alter as required. Click on “Add Events”
Beacon User Guide: Available here provides detailed guidance on all aspects of Beacon.