Elf Training #21 – Photo Reports

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Sometimes it is necessary to send a picture to North Pole Flight Command to show what you’re trying to say.

Sometimes your elf supervisor might ask you to send a photo. Sometimes you might just want to submit a photo on your own.

We have a report for that. It is called a Photo Submission Report — click here to see it.

For example, let’s say there’s a roof or a chimney you think might be a problem for Santa. Why not take a quick picture of it with your phone? That link above is how you turn that photo in.

We get thousands and thousands of images every Christmas from trackers around the world. They are very helpful. Some times they show weather issues or traffic issues. Sometimes we get pictures of obstacles or changes in the local landscape. Many trackers use photos to show Santa how things in their area might have changed since the last time he was there.

All of these are great ideas.

If you want to practice sending a photo by using this report, just take a quick picture of your Christmas tree — or, better yet, take a SELFIE in front of your Christmas tree and send it in.

More Info About the Tracker Elf Conference

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Since posting about the Tracker Elf Conference for December 13th we have received many questions. I hope this post will answer them. Here are the basics:

Who: All Tracker Elves
What: Tracker Elf Conference (a virtual meeting of all trackers worldwide)
When: Sunday, December 13th, 2020 3pm-6pm EST
Where: The North Pole Chat Room at SantaUpdate.com
More Information: As posted at NorthPoleFlightCommand.com –

The decision was made to hold the conference based on many factors:

  1. Questions Santa is receiving from concerned children all over the world.
  2. Questions North Pole Flight Command is receiving from new tracker elves
  3. Concerns about how Santa will deliver during the pandemic
  4. Questions about how the North Pole works
  5. Concerns about receiving news and direction from Santa

There is a lot of confusion out there about “who” exactly speaks for Santa when he flies around the world. The tracker elf conference will sort all this out and answer those questions.

This is the agenda:

3:00 pm EST – Elf Crash Murphy – The World’s Foremost Santa Tracker (and eye-in-the-sky reporter for North Pole Radio News) will discuss the very basics of tracking Santa for Santa.

3:30 pm EST – Elf Ed Zachary – Famed Santa Defender and Columnist for the North Pole Gazette will talk about Elf on the Shelf and who the really are

4:00 pm EST – Elf Max the Miracle Worker – Lead Tracker Elf Training at SantaTrackers.net will discuss the right Santa tracker to use and other tools for those who Track Santa 4 Santa

4:30 pm EST – Elf Frank Myrrh – News Anchor for North Pole Radio News discusses using radio in Santa tracking efforts

5:00 pm EST – Elf Roger Star – International Director of Santa Trackers will discuss Santa’s flight plan and how sectors work

5:30 pm EST – Our closing speaker is a surprise mystery guest.

Do I need to register for this Conference?

You don’t have to register but it would be most helpful if you could through this form below. We want to get an idea of how many to expect:

[caldera_form id=”CF5fd06e988d55a”]

 

 

Tracker Elf Ticket Support System to Be Suspended Soon

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Tracker Elf BulletinOn Friday, December 11th, the Tracker Elf Ticket Support system will be suspended for the season. This is a normal operation.

The ticket support system is implemented during the early pre-season months to facilitate communication on special needs of tracker elves. However, with about two weeks to go now to launch our tracker elf support needs to shift from individual to broad-based support.

Tracker elves will be asked to address questions and concerns via comments on posted news and instruction from this point forward.

As a reminder, the Tracker Elf Conference scheduled for this weekend will be an excellent forum to ask questions.

Thank you.

Tracker Elf Meetings Called This Week

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Tracker Elf Chat Conference

Tracker elves worldwide are invited to a chat conference to be held this Sunday, December 13th at the North Pole Chat Room at SantaUpdate.com.

A series of presentations and chats will be held to instruct Santa tracker elves and to update on the latest news of Santa’s flight.

So far, Elf Roger Star is the only elf on the chat calendar page, however  other elves (such as ME) are receiving assignments and their scheduled presentations will be posted later today or tomorrow. The chat conference is expected to be about 3 hours long.

Each chat will be recorded and those presentations will be filed here at SantaTrackers.net for those elves who cannot be in attendance at the scheduled times.

Please stand by for more news.

Chats with Elves in Flight Command

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Hey Trackers!

If you follow SantaUpdate.com you know that the chat calendar is always very full in December. In fact, I’ll be doing another chat next week. I hope you can join us.

But a number of us were sitting around and talking last night about chat. We’re wondering if we should do a chat ONLY for Santa Tracker Elves? What do you think? Please comment below.

Also, we want to know if there are particular elves you want to chat with.

I know that the chat Elf Roger Star did was pretty popular. Do you want to chat again with him?

Please give us your ideas in the comments below. Also, please tell us what TIME would be best to schedule these chats.

Thanks!

Elf Training #20 – Chimney Inspections

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Elf TrainingGreetings, Trackers!

Let’s talk today about Chimney Inspections. Without a doubt one of the most common questions we get is this: what if a home does not have a chimney? What about apartments or duplexes or other types of houses that most of the time do not have a fireplace and thus no chimney?

It is a good question and one with a simple answer: Santa just goes through the door.

That answer, however, brings up other questions: How does Santa get past a locked door? If Santa doesn’t or can’t park the sleigh on the roof, where does he park?

We understand the questions and try to give you simple answers. The truth of the matter is that Santa is more concerned about moving quickly and efficiently so that he can get to everyone. Whether he gets into a home by way of a door, a window or a chimney really does not matter to him. He just wants to get in and get out as fast as he can.

It is important that you know this. Our job, as elves, is to help Santa to do his job.

With all that in mind, you need to report to the North Pole what YOU think is the fastest way for Santa to do his job. Take a look at your house. Take a look at the houses in your neighborhood. Tell North Pole Flight Command about what you see.

If you think, for example, that the Smith home would be easier to get into on Christmas Eve by going through the backdoor, just report that.

How does Santa get through a locked door? Well, that’s a secret they haven’t told me yet. I personally think that Santa is a master locksmith, but don’t quote me on that.

Santa is more likely to use a door than he will a chimney these days.

But, Santa is not opposed to using a chimney if a house has one. But if he does use a chimney he sure wants to know what you think if it.

That’s where chimney inspections come in. You do a great service to Santa and to North Pole Flight Command if you share what you think.

You can submit a chimney inspection report by going to this link. You’ll notice that like the other report forms we use this one is very simple. Because you have to log in to the website we don’t have to know much about YOU. From your login we know where you are and what general area you are reporting from. That information is automatically recorded and sent with every report you file as a tracker elf.

A chimney inspection is very important for Santa. The closer you can do it to December 23rd, the better. If you find a chimney looks suspect to you we encourage you to take a photo with your phone and just send it in as a photo submission report.

This is the real stuff of tracker elf work. Your eyes and your report are USED by Santa. They help him to move faster and to stay safer. Thank you for your efforts to help Santa.

Sector 2 Receives a New Tracking Center

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We are pleased to announce that the new Regional Tracking Center for Sector 2 will be located on Rudolph Island Russia.

Sector 2 covers a diverse area of the world in Asia and the Middle East. It spans several time zones and areas from Siberia and the Orient in the East to Israel and Jordan in the Middle East. There are both millions of believers and Santa trackers who live in this expansive area.

Rudolph Island is a remote, northern location up near the Arctic Circle. It is an excellent location from which to receive reports from trackers in Sector 2 and it also has the advantage of being the closest regional tracking center actually to the North Pole.

Our Elf Supervisor for this sector continues to be Elf Clifford Moyer, an elf with many years now of service in this part of the world. Clif speaks 14 languages and is an expert on all the varied cultures within Sector 2.

Voicing the news for North Pole Radio News and stationed as well at Rudolph Island is veteran journalist, Elf Roz, who has reported on Christmas Eve many times over the years. New studios for her reporting will also be constructed as part of the new Tracking Center.

This location will have built a special temporary unit. It will be removed after Christmas, and no one will know that the facility was ever there. Due to its remote nature, everything needed for work and life on Rudolph Island will need to shipped in by sleigh.

This is one of the larger and more ambitious new Tracking Center projects the North Pole is working on. It should be complete and operational around December 16th.

 

Thanksgiving is Recruiting Season

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Tracker UpdateGreetings, friends! Thanksgiving is upon us and that’s an important time for Santa trackers. It is a time to recruit.

As you meet with family and friends over the coming couple of days we remind you that we still need more elves. It’s going well, we now have more than 36 million elves tracking Santa for Santa this year. That’s better than last year but still short of our goal of 40 million.

Thanksgiving is naturally a good time to talk to people, young and old, about becoming elves.

This Thanksgiving is a little unusual because many are meeting “virtually” instead of in person. That’s actually a better opportunity for recruiting elves. Because there are not as many people getting together than means more people will be spending time online and if they’re online they might as well come here and sign-up, right?

Don’t be afraid to talk. Santa needs help in EVERY neighborhood.

I’m pretty sure we are on track to reach our goal before Christmas. There is always a surge of elves who sign on at the last minute. But if we can recruit a bunch this weekend we have time to get them trained before Christmas.

So do what you can!

PS – you might want to check in now and then this weekend. I heard a rumor they will be making some big announcements.

 

Elf Training #18 – Holidays

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Elf TrainingYou thought I forgot about Elf Training #18, right?

I did not forget! I had to get it approved before I could post it. Can you believe that?

The reason is because our topic today is holidays. And it is a very serious one for all elves. Holidays are a serious big deal at the North Pole and, as elves, we need to treat them seriously.

For example, do you know what Santa’s favorite holiday is? It’s Thanksgiving.

Did you know that? I didn’t know that before I became an elf. It is very important information to know. You’d think Christmas would be Santa’s favorite holiday and he loves it. But it’s not at the top of the list.

Well, if he is the Head Elf and he likes Thanksgiving then I think the rest of us elves who are trying to be the best elves we can be should try to understand that — and all holidays.

Celebrating holidays is important. We need to look at the special days on the calendar to not only learn new things but also to connect and re-connect with people we love. Holidays in a way teach us to have purpose in our lives.

Christmas, of course, is what we focus on. As elves, we do it to serve other people and Santa. That’s a good thing.

Every holiday has good things behind it.

You’ll be reading at SantaUpdate.com this week a lot of news about Thanksgiving and how elves there are celebrating. Use your reading to learn and to think about the holidays you experience.

Does that mean you should celebrate Thanksgiving if you live in a country where Thanksgiving isn’t observed?

Well, here’s the deal with that: you do not have to eat turkey or march in an Elf Parade to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s not about stuff like that. But it is about being grateful and showing gratitude in all you do on that day.

That is why Thanksgiving is, after all, Santa’s favorite. It is what Thanksgiving is all about that is most important. You might want to look for ways to do that.

Holidays are also different days. We don’t work on holidays. Santa calls play time as important as work time, especially for elves. Holidays are play time. Make sure you take time off on holidays.

Being with your family is also important on these days. It does not matter what you do or what you eat on those days — but just be with your families while you are doing it.

36 million elves now!!! It is an exciting week for those of us in the elf business. Stay tuned for more news this week.

Elf Training #19 – A Landing Zone for Santa

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Elf TrainingHi ho, Trackers!

Today’s topic in Elf Training is a fun one. It’s something that comes up every year – building a landing zone for Santa.

Kids do this all over the world. Some are good at it and some need more practice.

But tracker elves usually pay attention to this because they have to think about Santa as part of their job as an elf. You’ll be sending in weather reports and roof reports and doing chimney inspections and other stuff that will cause you to really, really think about how Santa lands at YOUR house, and how much space he needs, and what the reindeer might experience and how a big sleigh like that fits or doesn’t fit on your house.

It’s only natural for a professional tracker elf like you to worry about this stuff.

For many, the need to actually mark out a spot for Santa to land and park so he can deliver to your house or to the houses around you is something to think about. Some see it as a helpful project to work on in the days before Christmas.

First of all, you should know that Santa really appreciates it. He does. He can and most often lands without any kind of marking on a house or a lot because he’s been doing it for years and has the best equipment in the world to do it. But when someone goes to the trouble to actually mark out a place for him to park the sleigh, well, he really appreciates it.

So, if you’re going to do this, Santa just wants you to follow some simple rules:

  1. Ask your parents or whoever own the property before you do anything.
  2. Be safe. Don’t climb ladders, dig holes or engage in other dangerous stuff to do this.
  3. If you want to place lights and stuff, that’s fine, but be mindful of the neighbors. Bright lights could disturb them.
  4. The sleigh is bigger than you think. And with 9 reindeer pulling it, the whole thing is about three times as long as a typical school bus. Landing something that big takes a LOT of space.
  5. Leaving food and water out for the reindeer is more important than marking a spot for Santa to park.
  6. It’s okay if your landing zone gets covered in snow.
  7. No need to put up signs. Santa can figure it out.
  8. Never go into a chimney. In fact, Santa only uses a chimney as a last resort. But he also has certification and special tools to do it. Don’t ever try it yourself.
  9. Don’t put a landing zone on the roof.
  10. If you’re going to do this, get someone to help. It’ll be more fun that way.

And remember, Santa does NOT require a landing zone at all. He’s been to your house before without one and can do it again. But if you follow all the rules above, Santa doesn’t mind that you do it.

You are an elf. And he trusts you.

 

Tracker Elf Recruiting On Track

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Tracker Elf UpdateAs the tally of tracker elves on record approaches 35 million the team at North Pole Flight Command and SantaTrackers.net remain focused on keeping up.

“We’re just starting to see the numbers really increase,” said Elf Roger Star, International Director of Santa Trackers at Flight Command. “We expected to do well in October but we didn’t think we would hit 35 million before Thanksgiving. That’s going to happen, leaving us just 5 million short of the goal with more than a month to go.”

Last year, more than 3 million trackers joined the cause in the last 2 days before Christmas. This came after weeks of intense recruiting in December.

While it is always nice to see a big burst in the numbers at the end the crew at SantaTrackers.net would rather see elves sign up now. This gives them time to get trained and organized before Santa takes flight.

Training has been ongoing in the form of posts at SantaTrackers.net. Elves on staff report that more of those training posts are on the way and will eventually be organized in an easy-to-search archive.

Many are looking forward to the new Tracking Santa app that will be out soon. But officials at Flight Command warn that the app, while useful for anyone in tracking Santa, will not be a training tool for new elves.

“An app for elves and elves alone is being developed,” said Elf Winslow, the special projects manager at the North Pole heading up the apps projects. “But it will have to be much more than the Tracking Santa app that will be released soon.”

The North Pole hopes to see another million elves join the tracker ranks between now and the 1st of December.

 

 

Elf Training #17 – Stocking Mail

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Elf TrainingHello trackers!

The subject of today’s training is Stocking Mail. Have you heard of it or used it yet?

Stocking Mail is usually activated by the North Pole in the last couple of days before Christmas. It is an emergency courier service between your Christmas stocking and the North Pole Post Office.

Regular mail service in many countries can get bogged down around Christmas. If there needs to be communication between someone and the North Pole, stocking mail is activated to keep messages flowing.

Thanks to electronic mail and text messaging, stocking mail is not used as much as in Christmases past. But it is still used and tracker elves should be aware of it.

How does it work? If you write a note and put it in your stocking after stocking mail has been activated the North Pole Post Office can retrieve it.  How do they do that? Well, that I can’t share with you (I’m not sure I understand it anyway). It’s very high tech. All I know is that it works.

But it only works after it is activated.

If it works so well, why isn’t it used all the time?

I’ll be honest with you. If it were used all the time people would abuse it. They would try to put more in their stocking than stocking mail is intended for. Stocking mail is for messages and messages that are only written on paper. If other things were put into the stocking while activated some not-so-good things would happen.

Stocking mail was invented long before my time by the Research and Development Department. The stories of testing the technology are legendary. They get talked about all the time, far more than other technology the North Pole has developed. The testing process for mail was not controlled. Elves kind of got carried away with putting things into stockings that were activated just to see what would happen.

They sent all kinds of stuff without looking into the stuff when it went through stocking mail. At first it was small stuff, like cookies or sunglasses. But then they got carried away and tried putting in things like Christmas trees or large toys. It seemed at first like the technology was flawless and that it might even revolution the idea of Christmas Santa deliveries. I mean, why would Santa need to load his sleigh, drag out his reindeer and travel all around the world in a rush on Christmas Eve if anything could be sent by stocking mail, right?

But then they started to notice weird things. The cookies sent by stocking mail didn’t taste right. The sunglasses kind of fell apart. One time they sent a baseball bat by stocking mail and it turned into a pile of toothpicks. Then, one day – real tragedy. They put an elf into stocking mail.

It wasn’t pretty, let me tell you.

Santa decided it was dangerous technology and he vowed never to let the world have it. It was shelved for many years. Then a brilliant elf named Darwin invented a new kind of filter that controlled stocking mail better. The filter, which has some sort of weird name that I cannot remember, causes stockings to only accept paper-based things for transmissions. So if someone put a doll into an activated stocking nothing would happen.

They tested it for years and finally, after a Christmas of tough weather where a lot of last minute messages could not get through to Santa, he finally allowed for stocking mail to be used.

For years now we have used stocking mail at the last minute. So far it has only been used for just normal folks. Tracker Elves have never really had a need or a reason to use it.

So why do we include it in the training?

Well, what IF something happened and you could not communicate with the North Pole? What if you, as a tracker elf, needed to get something through that would help Santa?

That’s why you know about it. Stocking mail FOR YOU is automatically activated in you hang your stocking in your home tracking center on December 23rd. Don’t use it unless we instruct you to. But we want it ready, as a back up. You never know what could happen.