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Miscellany: Super-Sleuthing ~ Calling A Lost Classmate
Super-Sleuthing ~ Calling A Lost Classmate
This page provides the specific instructions for calling a lost Classmate, a procedure invoked in the process of what we call Super-Sleuthing: the finding of our lost Classmates & Friends.
This Page Is Not Available To Everyone:
This page contains the instructions for our Super-Sleuths on how to call our lost Classmates. While this page is a part of the NQHS-1965.org website, there is no direct link to this page from any other unrelated page on the website. The usual way you can get here is to use the link in the email that was sent to you.
You might find it easier to read this if you print it out. If you do print it, be aware that this page may be updated from time to time and you may need to reprint it when the date on what you have on paper is older that what is below. To print this page:
 With Internet Explorer [IE], press the <Ctrl>+<P> keys, then click on the Options tab, then select All Frames Individually, then click Print.
 With Firefox, press the <Ctrl>+<P> keys, then select Each Frame Separately, then click OK.
This page was last updated July 16, 2010.
Links To Other Super-Sleuthing Pages:
These are the other pages that are related to the Super-Sleuthing process:
 Search Process "B" - [this procedure will be written later and inserted then].
Calling A Lost Classmate
Use these instructions when you receive an email with a batch of Classmates [and some Friends] to be contacted.
For clarification, Friends are people that did not graduate with the Class of 1965, but perhaps went on to the Vo-Tech school or maybe attended NQHS from 1962-1965 and then moved away, etc. Most of these are designated as such because the have attended a prior reunion.
The email will contain the following:
 A PDF attachment named Caller List For your name. This contains a Caller's Worksheet for each person you are to call with the details about that person. This is a worksheet that you can write on while making calls .
 A PDF attachment named Offline Add Form. This would be used should you contact an Offline person [no Internet access]. You can write on this while making calls. You'll enter these into NQHS-1965.org when you are through with the calls.
 A PDF attachment named Classmate Clue Form. This would be used should you get clues about other missing Classmates. Again, you can write on this while making calls. You'll also enter these into NQHS-1965.org when you are through with the calls.
 A link to the mini-Directory for the people you are to call. You'll update this when you are through making calls.
Objectives In Contacting Lost Classmates & Friends
The obvious primary objective at this writing is to have them attend the 45th Reunion on September 11, 2010. We hope that through these efforts of finding and calling these folks, that you, the caller, will now be able to convince them to attend [more on that later].
The secondary objectives are to create a relationship with these people so that we can:
 Obtain [and maintain over time] their contact information [email & mailing addresses, phone, etc] so that we can communicate with them about future events.
 Get them to frequent the NQHS-1965.org website for basic Class of 1965 information.
 Get them to join our Facebook Group, which is an ideal place for networking, discussions and other information sharing. We plan to greatly expand our Group when time allows after the 45th Reunion.
So, and very importantly: even if someone can't attend, or shows little interest in attending the reunion, we want to make an all out effort to get this contact information, the reasons being:
 We have expended hundreds and hundreds of hours of effort to get to the point of making these phone calls - and we don't want to let these folks slip through our fingers and have to do it all over again for our next event.
 Even if someone shows little interest in attending the 45th Reunion when they are called, that could change as they follow the activity about the Reunion on our website, like who else is attending, etc.
 We'll prod them again with an email [or mailing if Offline] and perhaps make another phone call by one or more people who are attending that know them well.
Things To Remember When Calling
We're not providing a detailed script for your call, but you should follow this general sequence:
 The telephone number may be the wrong person: So start with something like "I'm looking for the Bill Jones that attended North Quincy High School in the early 1960's - do I have the right number?"
 Identify yourself: "I'm Linda Johnson calling from the Class of 1965 45th Reunion Committee."
 If the Classmate isn't available, DO NOT cede control of the process: ask how to reach them, when is the best time to call back, etc. Don't leave a voice mail or a phone number to call. Unless you're friends with the person it most likely won't be returned.
 When you reach the Classmate:
 Talk up the Reunion, date, location, how may people are coming. Tell them how much fun they'll have that night seeing all their old friends from NQHS, etc.
 There will be some talking points in the email you receive about counts, etc.
 You should perhaps have the Directory ready to view on your PC so you could answer a Classmate's questions about who is coming, etc.
 Remember that [as of this writing] only 5 people have specifically said they are not coming - everyone else "in the works."
 We'll keep the Directory as current as we can during the Calling phase of this project so we have the best information about this - all the more reason for you to get info back to us about your calling results on a timely basis.
 Tell them we'd like them to attend, and try to gauge their interest level.
 Even if they say they can't or aren't interested in the Reunion, try to get them to register at NQHS-1965.org anyway.
 You'll have to figure out if the are an Online or Offline person, maybe best broached by asking "Do you have access to the Internet?"
 Determine what to do for a disposition: have them register at our website, fill out the form for an Offline person, etc. [explained in the detailed steps, below].
 Ask if they have any questions about lodging, details etc [all of this is on the website, the Online folks can just be directed there]. If they are Offline, write their questions you can't answer in the comments box on the Offline Person Add Form and we'll respond from this end.
 If they should talk about other Classmates they know, jot down phone numbers, emails, etc. on the Classmate Clue Form and enter those clues into this website [explained later].
Detailed Steps For Calling Lost Classmates
Follow these instructions to contact lost Classmates:
 The email you receive will contain everything you need [along with these instructions].
 Print the attachment Caller List For your name there will be a page for each person you are to call.
 Print a couple of copies of the Offline Person Add Form so you have them should you need them.
 Print a couple of copies the Classmate Clue Form so you have them should you need them as well.
 You can look at the mini-Directory at the link provided to see what's there but you won't update that until after your calls.
 Now, follow Steps 1 thru 3 for each person that you have printed a Caller's Worksheet for:
Step 1: The top half of the Caller's Worksheet has the information from our database for the Classmate:
Serial: a control number to help you match the Caller's Worksheet to the entries in the mini-Directory [when you get to that Step].
First Name: as in school.
Last Name: as in school.
Last Name: as last known. Remember that this could be dated and might not be their current last name.
This Will Be Call Number: On the first call made to this Classmate, this will be 1. Should people not respond the first time we contact them, or provide a 'maybe' about attending, we will call them again.
Telephone #'s 1-5: Up to 5 telephone numbers that we have found for this person in the Locate phase of this project. They are listed in the most likely to be the correct number sequence. But none of them may be the right number! If we strike out on a person and none of the numbers are right, we'll try to find that person again, using another approach.
Step 2: Call each number in the list and hopefully find who we're looking for:
 For each number you call, indicate on the Caller's Worksheet if the telephone number was either Good or Bad by circling one of those choices.
 Remember that you if can't reach someone at a number [no answer, for example] that you can just hold that Caller Worksheet aside and make several attempts over a few days while you're calling others.
That is, don't go to the next telephone number on the list until you have determined that the one you are trying is no good. The Caller Worksheets can be processed in any sequence and some retained for follow-up even when you update all the others.
 If none of the telephone numbers are correct:
 Complete the Disposition Date field on the Caller's Worksheet.
 Circle NO in the Reached Classmate field on the Caller's Worksheet
 Go to the next Classmate.
Step 3: During the conversation with the Classmate, complete the bottom of the Caller's Worksheet:
Disposition Date: Enter the date you completed the bottom half of the Caller's Worksheet [in mm/dd format].
Reached Classmate: Circle Yes, if you spoke with the Classmate or No if all telephone numbers were wrong or you couldn't get a response after trying to reach the Classmate several times. If you circle Yes, complete the rest of the bottom of the form. If No, don't complete the remainder of the form and go to the next Classmate.
Attending 45th?: Circle Yes, No or Maybe.
Will register @ NQHS-1965.org: If the Classmate has Internet access [is Online], ask them to go there to register. Circle Yes or No. Tell them we'll confirm their registration within a couple of days or contact them if we don't hear from them in case they are having any difficulties.
E-Mail Address: For Online Classmates, we want to always get their email address regardless of whether they plan to register at the website, they are or are not planning to attend the Reunion - whatever. It is IMPORTANT that we always get this or we'll be calling them again if there's any problems. Read it back to the Classmate to be sure you have it right!
For an Offline Person: If the Classmate is Offline, complete the "Offline Person Add Form" while on the phone. Again, we want to obtain this contact information even if they are not interested in attending the Reunion.
Doesn't want any future contact: If the Classmate is specific about not wanting to ever be contacted again Circle this and tell them that we won't contact them again. But, don't do this unless they request it!
Comments: This is for your own use/notes.
When You're Done With The Calls...
When you've made all [or most] of your calls, you'll need to update the mini-Directory and perhaps process any forms that you completed for Offline Classmates and Clues via this website.
If you've reached most of the people but are chasing one or two, you can [and should] update the mini-Directory with those that are complete. We need to get responses into the system as soon as possible and not wait until you've reached every last person. There is a Status column on the mini-Directory to keep track of this [explained below].
Updating the mini-Directory:
 Click on the link in the email you received for the mini-Directory. In it you'll see most of the fields that are on the Caller's Worksheets that you completed, plus a Status column.
For each Classmate that you reached [or perhaps could not reach] complete Steps 1 through 9, below.
Step 1: Adjust the Status column as follows:
 For the Classmates you have completed, change the Status to Done.
 For the Classmates you are still chasing, leave the Status as Open.
 When we process someone on this end the Status will be changed from Done to Processed. Don't later change anyone with a Status of Processed as the information will not get updated. If you made an omission or mistake, send us an email with the details.
Step 2: In the 5 fields for Tel-1 through Tel-5 columns that are blank:
 Key either Good or Bad for each of the numbers that you called.
 If you didn't call a number, leave it blank.
Step 3: In the Date column, key the Disposition Date.
Step 4: In the Reach column, key Yes or No from the Reached Classmate field.
Step 5: In the Attend column, key Yes, No or Maybe from the Attending 45th field.
Step 6: In the Register column, key Yes, No from the Will Register @ NQHS-1965.org field.
Step 7: If this is an Online Classmate, enter their Email address. Double check that you have keyed it right!
Step 8: If this is an Offline Classmate, key Yes into the Offline column [else leave blank] and follow these steps to add this person via this website:
 Click here to get the form to Add Information About An Offline Person.
 Complete that form with the information you wrote on the "Offline Person Add Form".
 Supply your First Name, Last Name and Email address at the bottom of that form.
 Indicate that you'll be the Cyber-Buddy for this person [which means you would call them once or twice with reminders of the Reunion - that's all].
 Enter the Captcha code into the box and click on Send email.
 These forms will be processed outside of the mini-Directory and be added to the central database.
Step 9: In the Contact column, key Don't if the Classmate so requested [else leave blank].
 If you created any Classmate Clue Forms, send those clues to us as follows:
 Click here to get the form to Provide Clues About Missing Classmates.
 Complete that form with the information you wrote on the "Classmate Clue Form".
 If you got an email address, put that in the Comments field.
 Supply your First Name, Last Name and Email address at the bottom of that form.
 Enter the Captcha code into the box and click on Send email.
 These forms will be processed outside of the mini-Directory and we'll use this information to try to reach these folks.
 Tell us when you're done [even if you are chasing a couple of people] by responding to the email we sent you and just say "Updates Made". Then anytime later when you have additional updates, just do the same thing and we'll process any entries that have a Status of Done. You can do this repeatedly.
 Whenever you send us an email saying "Updates Made" we'll do the following on this end:
 For those that have a Status of Done, we'll extract the information you provided and update our central database with that. We'll change the Status field from Done to Processed. These will remain in the mini-Directory for your future reference, but they will not be re-processed. Don't change Classmates marked Processed as it won't get reflected in the central database.
 For those that have a Status of Open, we won't disturb these at all, basically ignoring them.
 If you ask for additional people to call, we'll add them to the bottom of the mini-Directory and they will have an Open status. We'll send another email to let you know you have additional people to call.
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© 2010-2011 ~ North Quincy High School ~ Class of 1965 ~ All Rights Reserved
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