Keeping track of its members will become easier later this month for the Atmore Area YMCA when the organization goes live with its new membership software.

The software, which go live on Feb. 28, is designed to keep track of records online instead of using a filing system.

Atmore Area YMCA manager Ross Terry said the new software was needed due to the old system being outdated more than 13 years ago.

“We are getting a new membership system because our old system went out of date in 1998,” he said. “Upgrading to the new system will help us so that we don’t lose our records.”

The new system will be useful in keeping the number of family members on a membership limited and also the age of those members.

Terry said the best benefit of the software is it can be used to verify the right person is using the membership.

“It will help with people that have several families using one membership,” he said. “It will help us limit who is able to use the membership. It also scans a card that brings up your picture and the employee checking the card is able to make sure the right person is using it.”

As far as security goes, the new system will be able to match up facial recognition with a nationwide database.

Terry said the system will work directly with the registry for sex offenders.

“If someone comes in and tries to apply for a membership or use a membership and they are on the sex offender registry, the system will alert us to that,” he said.

Along with making sure the proper members are utilitizing the Y, the system will also keep up with membership records.

Terry said the software will help keep track of scholarships and other needs of the Y’s members.

“It will really help us keep up with our scholarship subsidaries and also works with our young members to alert us of any allergies they may have and eventually how they will be receving transportation.”

To cover all access to the Y, there will be seperate stations set up to make sure people are unable to sneak in, according to Terry.

“We will have two stations set up with attendants manning them,” he said. “They will cover the entrances and scan people’s cards to make sure only the right people are using the Y.”

The system goes live on Feb. 28. Members with old cards must get new ones from the Y before Feb. 28.

For more information contact the staff at the YMCA at 368-9622.