{"id":"6662539e7e3aa3201154f917","title":"Member Privileges","path":"how-to/committee/member-admin/member-privileges","contentMarkdown":"# Member Privileges\n\nUse this guide to assign the right privileges to members and understand what each checkbox changes in NGX‑Ramblers.\n\n## Overview\n\nMember privileges control access to different areas of the system and determine what actions members can perform. Privileges are assigned through the **Member Admin** interface under the **Privileges** tab.\n## Accessing the Privileges Screen\n\n1. Navigate to **Admin → Member Admin**\n2. Select a member to edit\n3. Click on the **Privileges** tab\n4. Select or deselect privileges using the checkboxes\n5. Click **Save** to apply changes\n\n\n\n![](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/api/aws/s3/site-content/8fd42046-02eb-40c2-a64a-bb628e7ad24e.jpeg)\n\n## Privilege Descriptions\n### Core Membership\n\n\n\n#### Approved Social Member\n**Field:** `socialMember`\n\n**Purpose:** Allows members to view detailed social event information\n\n**Effect:**\n- Enables Social detail views for logged‑in members\n- Social events may have restricted visibility for non-social members\n- Used for email audience selection when targeting social members\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to members who participate in social events\n- Typically assigned to most active members alongside \"Approved Group Member\"\n\n\n\n\n#### Approved Group Member\n**Field:** `groupMember`\n\n**Purpose:** Marks the person as an active group member and enables login access\n\n**Effect:**\n- **Required** for members to log in to the system\n- Without this privilege, login attempts will be blocked with the message: \"Logins for member [username] have been disabled\"\n- Included in member lists and email segments that target the full group\n- Required for Committee Member and Social Member lists\n- This is the foundational privilege that must be set for any active member\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to all active, paid-up members who should have access to the system\n- Remove from members who should be denied access (e.g., lapsed membership, suspended accounts)\n\n\n\n\n\n#### Revoked Member\n**Field:** `revoked`\n\n**Purpose:** Historical/legacy field for marking revoked members\n\n**Effect:**\n- Currently **not actively enforced** in the current system\n- Excludes this person from automated updates and bulk changes (CSV updates skip revoked)\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Not recommended for active use\n- Use \"Approved Group Member\" (unchecked) instead to disable member access\n- Use when someone leaves the group or should no longer receive communications\n\n\n\n\n---\n\n\n#### Content Admin\n**Field:** `contentAdmin`\n\n**Purpose:** Controls ability to edit website content and pages\n\n**Effect:**\n- Can edit website content (Markdown pages, fragments, site edit modes)\n- Enables editing of page content, shared fragments, and site text\n- Allows management of carousels, images, and content metadata\n- Controls visibility of content editing tools throughout the site\n- Grants access to:\n - Page editing interface\n - Shared fragment management\n - Carousel editor\n - Image management tools\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to committee members or volunteers responsible for maintaining website content\n- Typically assigned to Webmaster, Communications Officer, or similar roles\n- Does not grant access to member data or system settings\n\n\n\n\n#### Walk Admin\n**Field:** `walkAdmin`\n\n**Purpose:** Controls ability to create and edit group walks\n\n**Effect:**\n- Can create and manage Walks (group walks, updates)\n- Grants access to walk editing features\n- Enables creation, modification, and deletion of walks\n- Allows uploading of walks to Ramblers Walks Manager\n- Provides access to:\n - Walk creation/editing interface\n - Walk leader assignment\n - Walk upload to Ramblers\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to Walk Coordinators and Walk Leaders\n- Typically assigned to committee members responsible for walk programme management\n- Consider assigning to active walk leaders who need to edit their own walks\n\n\n\n### Administrative Privileges\n\n#### Member Admin\n**Field:** `memberAdmin`\n\n**Purpose:** Controls access to member administration features\n\n**Effect:**\n- Grants access to the **Admin** section of the site\n- Enables viewing and editing member records\n- Can manage members and privileges via Member Admin screens\n- Allows access to:\n - Member Admin page (`/admin/member-admin`)\n - Member Login Audit page (`/admin/member-login-audit`)\n - Member Bulk Load page (`/admin/member-bulk-load`)\n - Mailing Preferences page (`/admin/mailing-preferences`)\n - System Settings page (`/admin/system-settings`)\n - Mailchimp Settings, Mail Settings, Committee Settings, Migration Settings\n - Page Content Navigator and Fragment Index\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to committee members responsible for managing memberships\n- Typically assigned to Membership Secretary or similar roles\n- Exercise caution as this gives broad administrative access\n\n\n\n\n---\n\n\n#### Social Admin\n**Field:** `socialAdmin`\n\n**Purpose:** Controls ability to create and edit social events\n\n**Effect:**\n- Can create and manage Social events\n- Grants access to social event editing features\n- Enables creation, modification, and deletion of social events\n- Provides access to:\n - Social event creation/editing interface\n - Social event attendance management\n - Social event notifications\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to Social Secretary or Social Coordinators\n- Typically assigned to committee members responsible for organizing social events\n- Assign to volunteers who help organize social activities\n\n\n\n\n\n#### Walk Change Notifications\n**Field:** `walkChangeNotifications`\n\n**Purpose:** Determines who receives email notifications when walks are modified\n\n**Effect:**\n- Receives coordinator emails for walk create/update/cancel events\n- Members with this privilege receive automated email notifications when:\n - Walks are created, updated, or cancelled\n - Walk details are changed (date, time, meeting point, etc.)\n - Walk leaders are changed\n- Notifications are sent to help coordinators track walk programme changes\n- **Note:** This is a notification privilege only—it does not grant editing rights\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to Walk Coordinators who need to be informed of all walk changes\n- Typically assigned to 1-3 key walk coordinators\n- Can be assigned independently of Walk Admin privilege\n\n\n\n\n\n### Financial Privileges\n\n#### Finance Admin\n**Field:** `financeAdmin`\n\n**Purpose:** Controls ability to approve expense claims\n\n**Effect:**\n- Receives approval emails for expense claims\n- Grants access to expense claim approval features\n- Enables viewing and approving/rejecting expense claims submitted by members\n- Members with this privilege receive automated email notifications when:\n - New expense claims are submitted\n - Expense claims require approval\n- Works in conjunction with Treasury Admin for complete expense workflow\n- Provides access to expense claim management interface\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to Treasurer or committee members authorized to approve expenses\n- Typically assigned to 1-2 committee members\n- Assign to those with budgetary oversight responsibility\n\n\n\n\n---\n\n\n#### Committee Member\n **Field:** `committee`\n\n **Purpose:** Grants access to committee-only areas, documents, and most admin tools\n\n **Effect:**\n - Shows the person in committee listings\n - Used for committee visibility and access\n - Enables access to committee pages and private committee files\n - Allows viewing of documents marked as \"Committee Only\"\n - Unlocks committee-specific sections of the website\n - Grants access to most Admin tools:\n - Admin dashboard (`/admin`)\n - System Settings, Mail Settings, Mailchimp Settings, Committee Settings, Migration Settings\n - Backup & Restore, Page Content Navigator, Fragment Index, Member Login Audit, Member Bulk Load, Mailing Preferences, AGM Statistics\n - **Does not** grant access to:\n - Member Admin page (`/admin/member-admin`)\n - Editing member privileges\n\n **When to assign:**\n - Assign to all elected committee members\n - Assign to co‑opted committee members\n - May be assigned to other volunteers who need access to committee materials and admin tools, but not member administration\n\n\n\n#### Treasury Admin\n**Field:** `treasuryAdmin`\n\n**Purpose:** Controls ability to process approved expense payments\n\n**Effect:**\n- Receives payment emails for expense claims (post‑approval)\n- Grants access to payment processing for approved expense claims\n- Enables marking expenses as paid and recording payment details\n- Members with this privilege receive automated email notifications when:\n - Expense claims have been approved and are ready for payment\n- Works alongside Finance Admin in the expense approval workflow\n- Provides access to payment processing interface\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to Treasurer or authorized payment processors\n- Typically assigned to 1-2 committee members\n- Should only be assigned to those with access to group bank account\n- Often assigned to the same person as Finance Admin, but can be separate\n\n\n\n\n\n#### File Admin\n**Field:** `fileAdmin`\n\n**Purpose:** Controls ability to upload and manage committee files and member resources\n\n**Effect:**\n- Can upload and manage Committee files (documents, minutes, assets)\n- Grants ability to add, edit, and delete committee files (minutes, agendas, policies, etc.)\n- Enables management of member resources (guides, forms, how-to documents)\n- Allows sending of committee file notifications\n- Controls file type configuration\n- Provides access to:\n - Committee file upload/management\n - Member resource management\n - File visibility settings\n\n**When to assign:**\n- Assign to Secretary or Webmaster\n- Assign to committee members responsible for maintaining documents\n- Typically assigned to 1-3 committee members\n- Often combined with Committee Member privilege\n\n\n\n\n---\n\n\n## How Permissions Are Applied\n\n### Logged‑in checks\n The app reads a logged‑in member profile and gates features accordingly:\n - Content Admin → content editing\n - Walk Admin → walk editing\n - Social Admin → social editing\n - Member Admin → member admin edits (Member Admin page and member privileges)\n - Finance Admin / Treasury Admin → expense notifications\n - File Admin / Committee → committee files and visibility\n - Committee Member → admin dashboard and most admin tools (excluding Member Admin page)\n - Social Member → view social details\n\n### Email notifications\n- Walk changes → members with Walk Change Notifications\n- Expense approvals → Finance Admin\n- Expense payments → Treasury Admin\n\n### Lists and filters\n- Committee lists → Approved Group Member + Committee Member\n- Social lists → Approved Group Member + Approved Social Member\n\n---\n\n\n\n## Common Privilege Combinations\n\n### Standard Member\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n\n**Purpose:** Regular member with full access to public features\n\n---\n\n### Walk Leader\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n- Walk Admin\n\n**Purpose:** Member who can create and edit walks\n\n---\n\n### Walk Coordinator\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n- Walk Admin\n- Walk Change Notifications\n\n**Purpose:** Coordinates walk programme and receives notifications of all walk changes\n\n---\n\n### Social Secretary\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n- Social Admin\n- Committee Member\n\n**Purpose:** Manages social events and has access to committee materials\n\n---\n\n### Membership Secretary\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n- Member Admin\n- Committee Member\n\n**Purpose:** Manages member records and has access to admin features\n\n---\n\n### Treasurer\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n- Finance Admin\n- Treasury Admin\n- Committee Member\n\n**Purpose:** Manages expense claims (approval and payment)\n\n---\n\n### Secretary\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n- File Admin\n- Committee Member\n\n**Purpose:** Manages committee documents and minutes\n\n---\n\n### Webmaster / Chairman (Full Access)\n- Approved Group Member\n- Approved Social Member\n- Content Admin\n- Walk Admin\n- Walk Change Notifications\n- Social Admin\n- Member Admin\n- Finance Admin\n- Treasury Admin\n- File Admin\n- Committee Member\n\n**Purpose:** Full administrative access to all system features\n\n---\n\n\n\n## Recommended Patterns\n\n### Core membership\nGrant Approved Group Member to active members; add Approved Social Member for social communications.\n\n### Committee\nAdd Committee Member; layer File Admin for document maintenance.\n\n### Walks\nUse Walk Admin for editors; add Walk Change Notifications for coordinators.\n\n### Offboarding\nSet Revoked Member when a person leaves; remove other privileges if access must be removed. Better still, uncheck \"Approved Group Member\" to disable login access.\n\n---\n\n## Security Best Practices\n\n### Principle of Least Privilege\n- Only assign privileges that are necessary for the member's role\n- Regularly review member privileges and remove unnecessary access\n- When members leave committee roles, update their privileges accordingly\n\n### Audit Trail\n- All member login activity is recorded in the Member Login Audit\n- Member Admin users can view this audit at `/admin/member-login-audit`\n- Changes to member records are tracked with timestamps and user identification\n\n### Multiple Administrators\n- Assign Member Admin to at least 2 people to avoid single points of failure\n- Ensure Walk Admin is assigned to multiple walk coordinators\n- Consider having backup administrators for critical roles\n\n### Regular Reviews\n- Review member privileges quarterly or when committee roles change\n- Remove \"Approved Group Member\" from lapsed or resigned members\n- Update privileges immediately when committee elections occur\n\n---\n\n\n\n## Troubleshooting\n\n### Member Cannot Log In\n**Check:** Is \"Approved Group Member\" selected?\n- If unchecked, the member will be denied login access\n- This is the most common cause of login issues\n\n### Member Cannot See Admin Menu\n**Check:** Does the member have at least one admin privilege?\n- Member Admin, Content Admin, Walk Admin, Social Admin, or File Admin\n\n### Member Not Receiving Walk Notifications\n**Check:** Is \"Walk Change Notifications\" selected?\n- This must be explicitly enabled to receive walk change emails\n- Walk Admin alone does not trigger notifications\n\n### Member Cannot Approve Expenses\n**Check:** Is \"Finance Admin\" selected?\n- This privilege is required to approve expense claims\n- Treasury Admin is for payment processing, not approval\n\n### Member Cannot Access Committee Files\n**Check:** Is \"Committee Member\" selected?\n- Files marked as \"Committee Only\" require this privilege\n- File Admin allows editing but requires Committee Member to view restricted files\n\n---\n\n\n\n## Quick Reference\n\n- View social details: Approved Social Member\n- Edit content: Content Admin\n- Edit walks: Walk Admin\n- Edit social events: Social Admin\n- Manage members: Member Admin\n- Receive walk change emails: Walk Change Notifications\n- Expense approvals: Finance Admin\n- Expense payments: Treasury Admin\n- Manage committee files: File Admin\n- Show in committee listings: Committee Member\n- Suppress updates: Revoked Member\n","contentHtml":"

Member Privileges

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Use this guide to assign the right privileges to members and understand what each checkbox changes in NGX‑Ramblers.

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Overview

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Member privileges control access to different areas of the system and determine what actions members can perform. Privileges are assigned through the Member Admin interface under the Privileges tab.

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Accessing the Privileges Screen

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  1. Navigate to Admin → Member Admin
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  2. Select a member to edit
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  3. Click on the Privileges tab
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  4. Select or deselect privileges using the checkboxes
    5. \n
  5. Click Save to apply changes
    6. \n
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Privilege Descriptions

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Core Membership

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Approved Social Member

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Field: socialMember

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Purpose: Allows members to view detailed social event information

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Approved Group Member

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Field: groupMember

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Purpose: Marks the person as an active group member and enables login access

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Revoked Member

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Field: revoked

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Purpose: Historical/legacy field for marking revoked members

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Content Admin

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Field: contentAdmin

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Purpose: Controls ability to edit website content and pages

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Walk Admin

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Field: walkAdmin

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Purpose: Controls ability to create and edit group walks

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Administrative Privileges

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Member Admin

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Field: memberAdmin

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Purpose: Controls access to member administration features

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Social Admin

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Field: socialAdmin

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Purpose: Controls ability to create and edit social events

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Walk Change Notifications

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Field: walkChangeNotifications

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Purpose: Determines who receives email notifications when walks are modified

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Financial Privileges

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Finance Admin

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Field: financeAdmin

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Purpose: Controls ability to approve expense claims

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Committee Member

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Field: committee

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Purpose: Grants access to committee-only areas, documents, and most admin tools

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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Treasury Admin

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Field: treasuryAdmin

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Purpose: Controls ability to process approved expense payments

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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File Admin

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Field: fileAdmin

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Purpose: Controls ability to upload and manage committee files and member resources

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Effect:

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When to assign:

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How Permissions Are Applied

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Logged‑in checks

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The app reads a logged‑in member profile and gates features accordingly:

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Email notifications

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Lists and filters

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Common Privilege Combinations

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Standard Member

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Purpose: Regular member with full access to public features

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Walk Leader

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Purpose: Member who can create and edit walks

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Walk Coordinator

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Purpose: Coordinates walk programme and receives notifications of all walk changes

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Social Secretary

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Purpose: Manages social events and has access to committee materials

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Membership Secretary

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Purpose: Manages member records and has access to admin features

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Treasurer

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Purpose: Manages expense claims (approval and payment)

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Secretary

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Purpose: Manages committee documents and minutes

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Webmaster / Chairman (Full Access)

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Purpose: Full administrative access to all system features

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Recommended Patterns

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Core membership

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Grant Approved Group Member to active members; add Approved Social Member for social communications.

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Committee

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Add Committee Member; layer File Admin for document maintenance.

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Walks

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Use Walk Admin for editors; add Walk Change Notifications for coordinators.

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Offboarding

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Set Revoked Member when a person leaves; remove other privileges if access must be removed. Better still, uncheck "Approved Group Member" to disable login access.

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Security Best Practices

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Principle of Least Privilege

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Audit Trail

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Multiple Administrators

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Regular Reviews

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Troubleshooting

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Member Cannot Log In

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Check: Is "Approved Group Member" selected?

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Member Cannot See Admin Menu

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Check: Does the member have at least one admin privilege?

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Member Not Receiving Walk Notifications

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Check: Is "Walk Change Notifications" selected?

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Member Cannot Approve Expenses

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Check: Is "Finance Admin" selected?

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Member Cannot Access Committee Files

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Check: Is "Committee Member" selected?

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Quick Reference

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