What is Les?
Les is the name for the new electronic system that will be used at the 217th General Assembly in Birmingham, Alabama, in June. It is the primary way that
commissioners and advisory delegates will access assembly business.
It will also be the means by which all others (staff, observers,
press, etc.) will follow assembly business. [Login to Les]
Why this move to Les?
In addition to being better stewards of our natural resources,
finances, and information, the benefits of this move are many:
easy online access to information for the assembly; more time
available to spend on critical issues and less on shuffling
papers; the tracking of all motions, amendments, as well as
approvals and disapprovals done in real time; and more.
How will Les be used?
Essentially, everyone at the assembly who either does or follows
the assembly business will do so electronically.
Commissioners and advisory delegates, corresponding
members, middle governing body staff, and the press will have
power outlets and necessary connections for their laptops. Others
in attendance will have the option of following the business
either from large screens or their own laptops. Power outlets
will be extremely limited beyond the tables on the plenary floor.
The content available on Les in the convention
center will be available on the Internet at the same time for
those who wish to follow the proceedings from home.
In a nutshell:
Before the assembly: Assembly business
(overtures, reports, supporting resources, and so forth) as
it becomes ready this spring will be available for reading
or downloading through Les.
During the assembly: In committees,
a recorder will work from a laptop to record the committee's
action on each business item while commissioners, advisory
delegates, and others follow along either on their own laptop
or via a large screen that will display the committee recorder's
work as it is being done. In plenary sessions, each commissioner
and advisory delegate will work from a laptop to access business
items.
After the assembly: The history
of each assembly action, from the original overture or motion
to the final action taken by the assembly, will be available
through Les.
Download and print the Les
Quick Reference Guide
to help you get started.
How will Les be accessed?
Users will create their own
username and password to access the material in Les. From
there, they will be able to find business items in a number
of ways, including by the assembly committee to which items
are assigned. [Login to Les]
What are some of the features
of Les?
My Notes will enable users to write notes to themselves
that will serve as a reminder about, for example, a particular
item they want to track, a resource document they want to review,
or a person with whom they want to speak.
My Items will enable users to mark
particular business items to which they want quick access (similar
to Favorites for Web sites visited frequently).
How do I know if my laptop
is compatible with Les?
Here are the minimum specifications required to use the system:
For Windows laptops:
Minimum: Pentium III processor with 256 MB RAM, Windows 2000,
Internet Explorer version 5.5, wired network interface card
(NIC), and wi-fi accessibility (wireless using 802.11b standard)
For Macintosh laptops:
Minimum: G3 processor with 256 MB RAM, OS9.1 (operating system),
Firefox browser (note: Safari does NOT work), wired network interface card (NIC), and
wi-fi accessibility (wireless using 802.11b standard)
What about
those who have never used a laptop?
While many people will be comfortable with this new format,
others will probably use a laptop computer for the first time.
Multiple training opportunities will be offered this spring,
using a number of different approaches — print, online tutorial,
orientation CD, and face-to-face sessions.
Working
in partnership with presbyteries and synods, it is the commitment
of the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) to do everything
possible to help commissioners and advisory delegates be up
to speed with Les in time to do their work at the assembly.
What about those who do
not have a laptop?
If a commissioner or advisory delegate cannot obtain access
to a laptop (with the minimum specifications listed above) from
their congregation, presbytery, neighbor, or friend, the OGA
will provide one for them for use during the assembly. As we
work to be good stewards of the church's resources, we hope
to limit the number of laptops that the OGA will have to provide.
Most of the laptops will be rented at the OGA's expense, at
a cost of approximately $135 per laptop for the week of the
assembly.
The ID number I was given to register for the assembly isn’t getting me into Les.
What’s wrong?
Do not use the ID number you were given as part of the registration process for the assembly. You will need to create an account for Les that has its own
username and password.
Do I have to create an account to get into Les?
No, you do not need to create an account to access the business material in Les. However, if you DO create an
account, you will be able to use features on Les like “My Items” and “My Notes,” which
are designed to provide you with tools for accessing particular business items quickly and
reminding yourself about questions or comments that you have about items.
What does “security question” and “security answer” mean when I create an
account?
If you lose or
forget your password this is one way we can help you. The security question is something that is fairly unique about you
to which only you or a few others close to you knows the answer. Examples: Mother’s
maiden name? Child’s birthday? Favorite flavor of ice cream? The “security answer” is
the answer to the question you’ve just asked.
I use a Mac and I cannot access Les.
If you are using a Mac, you need to use Firefox as your Web browser. (Safari will not work.) Download Firefox for free here: www.getfirefox.com.
I am having trouble logging on. Help!
When you create an account for Les do NOT use the ID number you received to register for the assembly as your username for Les. Create a new account. We suggest that you use your email address as your username. Your password needs to be at least five characters in length, either all letters or a combination of letters and numbers.
I’ve logged in but I can’t read anything.
You may need to reset your computer to allow Les in as a "trusted site." To know if you need to adjust your settings, look at the bottom of your screen when you have Les up. If you see a small red circle with a white bar in it (similar to a "do not enter" sign), then you need to adjust your settings.
Scripting is an integral part of the tree that allows you to select items of business to view and must be allowed both in your browser as well as through any firewall product you may be running (Norton, McAfee, ZoneAlarm, along with other commercially available products). The Trusted Site and Scripting Tutorial will walk you through the process of allowing these scripts in Internet Explorer, however, there is no way to produce a similar document for all available firewall products.
Please look for a way to allow "Exceptions" or "Trusted Sites" and use those areas to allow traffic from both www.les-pcusa.org and http://72.54.6.218. If there is no such "Exception" or "Trusted Site" area in your software configuration and you continue to experience problems viewing items of business, please try disabling the firewall software to see if that solves the problem.
Can I print from Les?
Les now has a new print feature! Click on the Business tab from the home page. Find "Item," located near the top of the screen and just to the right of the committee directory (next to "My Items" and "My Notes"). Move your cursor over "Item" and you'll see "Printer Friendly." Click on "Printer Friendly" then follow the steps you normally take to print an item from your browser (e.g., go to "File," then "Print"....).
How do I find committee agendas?
When you click on your committee from the directory on the left side of the Business page, you will find a draft of the proposed agenda for your committee. The proposed agendas were developed recently by the leadership teams (moderator, vice-moderator, committee assistant and parliamentarian) of each committee.
Les seems slow.
You may have discovered that Les is a bit slow after you've clicked on an item before you see it on the screen. Please be patient and wait a few seconds. Do your best to keep from clicking multiple times, which results in backing up things in Les.
When I’m in Birmingham, will I need to take my laptop with me every time I leave
my committee room or the plenary hall?
This is a frequently asked question, for sure! We are very aware of the need to provide
adequate security so that you will be able to leave your laptop at your seat for breaks and
meals. You will want to take your laptop with you when you leave at the end of the day
so that you can access Les back in your hotel room. If you are bringing a laptop from
home, it would help very much for you to bring a computer lock with you. If you are
renting a laptop, you will be supplied with a lock.
What if I need help with Les when I’m at the assembly?
It will truly be a miracle if we go through the week in Birmingham without one of the
several hundred laptops at the assembly encountering a problem. While that would be
wonderful, we will have plenty of folks on hand and on call to assist you with glitches
that will occur.
How is the best way to get assistance with Les between now and Birmingham?
We have established a help line for you. Don’t hesitate to be in touch with us anytime. We will do our best to back in touch with
you within 24 hours. |
