Email in Trail Life Connect

This guide will cover basic use of the Email tool within Trail Life Connect. Sending emails is available to any adult role with the permission to email members. Views shown throughout the guide will be from the perspective of the Troop Ministry Liaison.

21 steps

Traillifeconnect

Sending Emails

To start the process of sending an email, expand "Communication" on the left menu, then click "Email Members"

Within the top section of the resulting 'Email Members' page, select to which members you wish to send the email. Available options include: - User groups (covered in a separate guide [HERE](https://scribehow.com/viewer/Creating_and_Using_User_Groups__pKgi_yAwTLSR6ygZ9BA60w?referrer=workspace)) - Specific role(s) - Specific levels or patrols - Specific members

In the example below, 'Registered Adults' were chosen within the "Specific role" field. As a result, the section for "Selected recipients" displays all members who are Registered Adults and who will receive the email when sent.

For the "Email content" section, you can use an Email template (covered in the next section of this guide) or type in a subject and Email body. Basic formatting tools are available for the message body text. To better understand image or file "attachments," please see the "attachments" section of the guide for Troop Documents [HERE](https://scribehow.com/o/FTab3vnKTvi-6z-Opl5PEw/viewer/Troop_Documents__42M_NCCkTKaZoN6RYGemNw?scrollToActionId=ce69e4f0).

Using Email Templates

Email templates can be helpful if you have standardized messages that are frequently sent to Troop members, prospective Troop members, or other leaders. To access email templates, expand "Troop Settings" on the left menu and click "Update Email Templates"

On the 'Email Templates' page, existing email templates will appear in the list. If needed, sorting, searching, and/or filtering the list can be accomplished using the options below each column header. To view or edit an existing template, click the corresponding icon to the right of the listed template.

To create a new template, click the **+ Add New Email Template** button.

Note: Email Templates are not personal for each individual member, but are visible and available to all Troop members with the ability to send emails and utilize email templates.

The 'Create Email Template' page is similar to sending an email, with the ability to specify a title and message body. Additional fields allow for selecting a Category, selecting or adding Tags, and providing a Description of the template if needed. The "Title" for the template will become the subject line of the email when the template is used. (This can be edited prior to sending, if needed, but selecting a good "Title" for frequent use is helpful.)

Some usage of html codes can be invoked when creating a template, or when sending a standard email. A brief description of some common codes can be found below the message body of the template or email. Example: Utilization of a code such as \[FirstName\] can allow you to send an email to a large group of members, knowing that each recipient will see the email addressing them by their first name. Note that some codes will apply to the sender and some to the recipient. An expanded chart of code options can be found on the TLC Help Documentation page or by clicking [HERE](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AQHmIx1IJ3iwez-7rCd_ZmQrIdtwK49hUY83X4oDLI0/edit?usp=sharing).

When sending an email, select an available template from the drop-down menu in the "Email template" field.

Profile Email Settings

The 'Account Security' section of a member Profile is only accessible to the individual adult member, or any adult in the same Household. This section is where email items are configured for each account.

The example below shows the 'Account Security' section of a youth Trailman (Tim Tentpeg.) It is accessible to William Tentpeg as an adult in the Household. Note: for youth accounts, the field for the main account ID is specified as either "Youth Email or Username." If the Trailman has his own, unique email address it can be specified here. If not, the option to use a Username is available.\ \*It is not necessary, or recommended, to list a parent email address in this field for a youth Trailman.

Within member Profile settings is the option to opt in or out of certain email messages. To change preferences, click the **Update opt-in preferences** button to the right of the Email (or Username) field.

On the resulting page for updating opt-in preferences, review the information, make any available adjustments, and then click the button to **Update opt-in preferences**.

A required field within youth Trailman profiles is the "Adult Cc Email" field. An adult in the Household should list their TLC email address here. If/when emails are sent by Troop leaders that might include youth accounts (either by level, patrol, or named specifically) the email will be sent to this adult email address. (If the Trailman has his own email address configured in the "Youth Email or Username" field, he will also receive a copy.) \*In some older youth accounts, if this field is blank, then the system defaults to sending the email to the TML. This is to ensure that a responsible adult is always included in any emails sent from TLC to a youth Trailman. If the TML wishes to stop receiving these extra emails, make sure an adult/parent email address is listed in this "Adult Cc Email" field within the youth Trailman's Profile settings.

Email History

To view a list of all Trail Life Connect sent/received emails, expand "Communication" on the left menu and click "Email History"

The resulting page will show a list of all emails sent to you from within TLC, as well as emails you have sent from within TLC. The list can be searched, sorted, and/or filtered using options under the column headers to locate any past email in the history.

Click the view icon to the right of any message to view that message.

Text from the message body will match the email as it was originally sent, and can be highlighted and copied/pasted if needed.

Region/Area Leader Notes

Note 1: Since "Levels and Patrols" only exist at the Troop level, when sending an email from the Region or Area level this field/option is not displayed for Region or Area leaders.

Note 2: Additional fields for Region and Area leaders will be: - **Region Leaders** - the ability to specify which Areas and/or Troops to include - **Area Leaders** - the ability to specify which Troops to include

Note 3: Location always matters within Trail Life Connect. Since Region and Area leaders have the ability to switch locations and move between a variety of Troops and/or Areas, they will need to be aware of where they are currently located when sending messages or using certain features. - If an ***email*** is sent while switched into a Troop, the email will only reach members within that Troop - If an email ***template*** is created while switched into a Troop, the template will be added to that Troop's email templates and will not appear at the Region or Area level (to create a template that is available to all Area leaders, create the template while switched to that Area) - If an image or file is "attached" to an email, the source file will be uploaded into the document library of the current TLC location. If the ***"attachment"*** is added while in a Troop, the file will only be available to members of that Troop