We do not SELL our system, The system SELLS itself.
We SERVICE our Users! And, thank you for that opportunity.
(from D-7670, September 2009)
September 21, 2009
Mike,
The DaCdb is fantastic and so much more user friendly than the RI Club Administrator software we used before DaCdb. I’ve been using your Software now for several months AND LOVE IT! (You will also notice that we have not been late this year in submitting my Monthly Attendance to the district (ha)! Keep up the good work!
Glenda Sansosti
Brevard Rotary Club Secretary
Email: sansosti(at)cityofbrevard(dot)com
(from D-7670, August 2007)
"Hi Mike, the more I use the database (DaCdb), the more I like it! I just ran labels – with great ease!
Thanks for all your work in making it happen."
Margaret Gomley-Chapman, District Executive Secretary D-7670
(from D-6150, May 2009)
May 27, 2009
Mike and Mark,
You'll appreciate this - I'm doing one-on-one training webinars with several PEs in my district, and without exception each one after seeing the committee system and learning how to use PMail, is so appreciative of the tools and the DaCdb system. We also continue to hear from club secretaries that say, without DaCdb, they wouldn't have signed on to be secretary of their club.
Keep up the good work!
Sam Hummelstein
DCO-District Communications Officer for D-6150
Email: sam(at)hummelstein(dot)net
(from D-6150, December 2008)
30 Dec 2008
Ya’ll are awesome!
Thanks for everything you do for the clubs and Rotary!
Brad Crawley
Vice President – Network Administrator
Technology Services -
Liberty Bank of Arkansas
Email: bcrawley(at)mylibertybank(dot)com
(from D-5230, April 2009)
April 18, 2009
Hey, you guys are fantastic. I am so impressed with, and so glad to see, your willingness to work with the clubs to make this a better tool for us. It is light years better than what we had before.
So THANKS!! I really appreciate the work you did to allow us to generate the new membership directory, and to think that all I had to do was mentioned my “want” to Laurie and you guys made it happen.
Paul Nibur
Club Secretary
Rotary Club of Clovis, CA
Email: paulandnoella(at)gmail(dot)com
(from D-7570, February 2009)
February 3, 2009
I do like using your web based system (DaCdb) better than Clubmate---not only is it easier, but when my computer crashes, I have not lost everything. I am on my 13th year as club secretary.
Jim Johnson
Club Secretary
Rotary Club of Blacksburg, VA
Email: jfjohnso(at)ntelos(dot)net
(from D-6110, January 2009)
January 25, 2009
...I call your quick response real service. And, I love working with DaCdb.
Nick Nail
District Trainer for DaCdb - D6110
Email: nanail(at)cox(dot)net
(from D-7600, January 2009)
January 21, 2009
You guys are about the most customer service oriented folks I have ever run into.
I noticed that you already have the new theme logo uploaded and that I can print it on the Name badges, by District.
Walter "Cap" Neilson
Multi-District Chesapeake PETS Coordinator
Email: wcn(at)LandmarkAppraisals(dot)com
(from D-7600, May 2006)
"Deciding to implement the District and Club database (DaCdb) in our district was one of the best decisions that I made during my year as governor. And, it certainly was the best money I spent! And, it will continue to pay dividends from now on, as we more fully embrace the technology it offers in our district."
Bob Preston , District 7600, Governor 2005-2006
(from D-7730, October 2008)
October 30, 2008
I belong to the Wilmington Rotary Club in District 7730 and the chairman of the attendance committee. For the past several years we used Clubmate (RI-CAS) to maintain our attendance records. Recently I was advised that Clubmate will no longer be supported by RI. The new program is called DaCdb (District and Club data base). Not being the most proficient with computers I was rather awed by this new system.
Fortunately there are two dedicated men who were extremely helpful to me in getting this set up. They are Mike Thacker and Mark Landmann who were terrific in answering all my questions.
I would highly recommend that all Clubs switch to DaCdb as it has a great deal of software that will enable one to not only take the attendance but maintain a data base with all the bells and whistles along with being able to send out hundreds of e-mails to all members of your Club with individual names in the salutation.
If you have any questions concerning the new software please contact me for a personal endorsement.
Yours in Rotary,
Bernie Malman
Chairman Attendance Committee
Email: bmalman(at)ec.rr(dot)com
(from D-7620, June 2008)
17 Jun 2008
Greetings Mike,
The thanks go to you, my friend, for creating and managing a truly terrific product: DaCdb.
I may have mentioned to you that I will be retiring, after ten years, as Exec Sec for D7620. This becomes effective on 30 June (just in time for the "year-end roll-over"). My successor is Denise Patterson, who has become quite adept with the program already. Come 1 July, however, she will hit the ground running.
We still have a few clubs using "ClubMate" (or whatever RI called it after acquiring it), but, with RI closing out its support for that useless program, that should work to our advantage in getting clubs to adopt DaCdb (in other districts, as well among our clubs.) Don't hesitate to offer my address as a reference, Mike.
Again, Mike, many thanks for all of your assistance, and best wishes to you for growth and expanded use of DaCdb.
Best regards,
Ed Underriner, District Executive Secretary D-7620
http://www.rotary7620.org,
Email: edunderriner(at)comcast(dot)net
(from D-7610, April 2008)
April 17, 2008
Mike,
Thanks. That is great info (District Statistics and Dashboard). It tells me, intuitively, that there is a great acceptance of the database and its usefulness. That is a great tribute to your efforts in developing something that has been badly needed. I don't think there will be any doubt that our money is well spent.
Thanks for yur terrific support,
John Bohm, DCO-District 7610
February 2010
"Just in case nobody's mentioned it lately, this DaCdb platform is really coming into its own for our District (and especially the Event Registration module functions). We're right now on the front end of a District Conference Registration process -- a complex event, lots of options, TWO different "nested" events -- a Golf Tournament (completely different questions), plus a Polio Plus helicopter golf ball drop, including public registration to buy an chance.
Today, we've watched about a dozen registrations flow through, paid by CreditCard, registered in the backroom, untouched by human hands. An AMAZING amount of volunteer hours saved by a machine doing something humans generally foul up. Thanks!
Terry Weaver (District 7750 IT Support)
June 2006
"Mike, I designed my first computer system in 1962 and having been doing so or managing the function ever since. DaCdb has to be one of the most thorough systems (and smoothest operating) I have ever seen. When you consider it is still pretty much a teenager, I can only imagine what it will do when full grown."
Steve Sokol, District 7750
(from D-7680, May 2006)
To: Terry Edwards, District Communications Officer (DCO in D-7680)
I will be continuing as secretary and look forward to an even better year. This past year was our first using the District and Club software and there have been a few bumps along the way but overall the software has improved the club's record keeping a million times over. Thanks for encouraging me in the first couple months of using the DaCdb. You were a tremendous help.
Sue Newton, Club Secretary (for Wadesboro R/C with 72 members)
(from D-7610)
"...your system (DaCdb) did in 5 minutes (and better),
what I spent 5 months doing the old way..."
Jerry Evans, District 7610, Governor 2004-05
(from D-7710)
" … and the on-line registration module (RegisterME) for district and club events, alone is worth the cost of the system … "
Glenn Hood , District 7710, Governor 2005-06
(from D-7720)
"I was the District Communications Officer (DCO) last year and this year I am District Governor for 7720. I cannot say enough good things about the District and Club Database (DaCdb) from Simply the Best, Inc. It has made my work so much easier, as I prepared for my year as governor. And we always have new ideas, information, updates, upgrades, etc. It continues to get better. Mike Thacker is very responsive to our requests and continues to provide feedback and teach us."
Brenda Tinkham, District 7720, Governor 2005-06
(from D-7730)
"Simply put the District and Club Database (DaCdb) software from Simply the Best, Inc., is without competition for database management especially in Rotary. Once you are accustom to the basics (which will not take long) you can do about anything. I use D7730's DaCdb software from Simply the Best, Inc., for all the options offered and then for options not usual. I.e.. I have phantom clubs such as Alumni of the Foundation so we can keep track and contact with them. Then use it for populating many key pages of our web site www.rotary7730.org such as Calendar, Meeting places, Committee chairs and more. When there is a change I only make the change once in the database, and it is automatically changed on the district web site. To my knowledge this is the only database that Rotary International allows the information to be sent to them eliminating the need for paper notices. This does not include the Semi-Annual Report (which comes from RI), but makes reconciliation much easier..
Service is of course the most important thing we need as users. PDG Mike is very accessible and not only sincerely cares but wants contact with the field users. He continually improves what is already an outstanding program. You bring him an idea, not a dream but a real workable idea and he will make the change as soon as he can.
Do not overlook the fact that the program (web site) is Username/password protected. With the privacy issues and the misuse of individual data we have a legal and moral responsibility to protect each Rotarian's information. Club and District Database software from Simply the Best, Inc., has various levels of security access based on the level needed. Each Rotarian can manage their own data, the club Secretary and President have a level, Assistant Governors have a level, the Database manage has a level etc. I feel the Club and District Database software from Simply the Best, Inc., is as well protected as can be expected.
I recommend District and Club Database software from Simply the Best, Inc., and if your district is not happy you will be the first I have heard of. Governor Barbara will be happy and proud for this level of data management to be brought in on her watch."
Phil Crawford, District 7730, Governor 2005-2006
(from D-6920)
"I concur with Lan's comments (see D-6990 below) and would add that club secretaries can eliminate a lot of paperwork by adding, changing, and deleting members via DaCdb. RI is automatically notified by e-mail. One other feature just added, is a report that can be filled out on-line, then printed and sent to RI, along with a check, by those clubs that collect Foundation funds on a regular basis (this saves a lot of writing, transcribing, etc. for the club secretary, and thus eliminating a lot of errors!)"
PDG Bruce Montgomery, DCO, District 6920
(from D-6990)
"I started to work with DaCdb starting June 2005 and got our district (6990) new web and database up and running on July 1st without any major problems. The database is very easy to use and the responsiveness from Simply the Best, Inc. is outstanding.
One thing that is crucially important is that the DaCdb has been designed and tuned with clearly a deep understanding of how Rotary districts operate. There is close integration between clubs’ of the district’s database records so clubs’ data updates (and clubs’ events) are instantly available to the entire district. Data is automatically transferred to RI and synchronization is also performed twice yearly. Attendance reporting is also available. It is very easy to set up committees for all clubs and district, which is a great help. Finally, every member can update his/her own data records and clubs’ presidents/secretaries and their assigned AGs can maintain records for their clubs.
With the use of DaCdb, there is no more excuse for obsolete data for entire Rotary districts, and the burden of keeping the database fresh is on every member, which is “Fair to all concerned.”
I highly recommend its use to keep Rotary district database and thus communication fresh and useful.
You can take a look at how DaCdb in integrated into our 6990 district here: http://www.rotary6990.org"
Lan Nghiem-Phu, DCO/Webmaster District 6990