$reporter = My::Latest::Module::Reports->new(\%defaults);

my $result = $reporter->send_report({ type => 'nightly_summary' });

print STDERR Dumper($result);

##</code><code>##

sub _nightly_summary {
  my $self = shift;
  my $tmpl_dir = $self->{'cfg'}->param("templates.template_dir");
  my $tmpl = $self->{'cfg'}->param("rpt_tmpl.nightly_summary");
  my $sql = "SELECT substr(NOW(),1,10);";
  my $sth = $self->{'dbh_pb'}->prepare($sql);
  $sth->execute();
  my ($date) = $sth->fetchrow_array();
  $date = '2008-12-05';  # for testing after midnight
  my $my_template = "$tmpl_dir/$tmpl";
  my $output;
  # my $output = '/home/hesco/nightly_summary.txt';
  print STDERR "The template is: $my_template \nThe output file is: $output \n";

  my $stats = $self->_compute_rpt_stats($date);
  my $template = Template->new();
  # $template->process($my_template,$stats);
  $template->process($my_template,$stats,$output);
  print STDERR Dumper($output);
  # return $stats;
}

sub _compute_rpt_stats {
  my $self = shift;
  my $date = shift;
  my ($stats,$sql,$sth,$sth1,$result,@loop_data);

  my $dbh = $self->{'dbh_pb'};
  my $sql_stats = $self->{'cfg'}->get_block("stats");
  my $sql_stats_today = $self->{'cfg'}->get_block("stats_today");
  # print STDERR Dumper(\$sql_stats);

  my @statistics = qw/shifts dialed spoken messages supporters new_subscribers yard_signs call_backs contributions pledges/;
  foreach my $statistic (@statistics){
    # print "The next statistic is: $statistic.\n";
    $sql = $sql_stats->{'sql_stats_' . $statistic};
    if(length($sql) > 3){
      # print STDERR $sql,"\n";
      $sth1 = $dbh->prepare($sql);
      $sth1->execute();
      ($stats->{'team'}->{$statistic}) = $sth1->fetchrow_array() || 'unknown';
    } else {
      $stats->{'team'}->{$statistic} = 'unknown';
    }
    $sql = $sql_stats_today->{'sql_stats_today_' . $statistic};
    if(length($sql) > 3){
      $sth1 = $dbh->prepare($sql);
      $sth1->execute($date);
      ($stats->{'team_today'}->{$statistic}) = $sth1->fetchrow_array() || 'unknown';
    } else {
      $stats->{'team_today'}->{$statistic} = 'unknown';
    }
  }

  $sql = $self->{'cfg'}->param("sql_rpt.sql_rpt_vols_worked_today");
  $sth = $self->{'dbh_pb'}->prepare($sql);

  my @loop_data_worked_today = ();
  $sth->execute($date) or die "Unable to execute $sql.";
  while (my $row_hashref = $sth->fetchrow_hashref()){
    my %row_data = ();
    $row_data{'NAME'} = $row_hashref->{'name'};
    $row_data{'LOG_IN_DATE'} = $row_hashref->{'log_in_date'};
    $row_data{'NUMS_ASSIGNED'} = $row_hashref->{'nums_assigned'};
    push (@loop_data_worked_today, \%row_data);
  }
  $stats->{'loop'}->{'VOLS_WORKED_TODAY'} = \@loop_data_worked_today;

  # etc., etc., etc.

  # print Dumper(\$stats);
  return $stats;
}

##</code><code>##

The template is: /etc/canvas/tmpl/rpt/nightly_summary.tmpl
The output file is:
$VAR1 = undef;
$VAR1 = 1;

##</code><code>##

The current Message of the Day reads:

<tmpl_var name=MOD>

Overall our phone canvass team has worked <tmpl_var
name=TEAM_SHIFTS> phone bank shifts, dialed <tmpl_var
name=TEAM_DIALED> phone numbers, spoken with <tmpl_var
name=TEAM_SPOKEN> voters, left messages with <tmpl_var
name=TEAM_MSGS> households, identified <tmpl_var
name=TEAM_SUPPORTERS> supporters, added <tmpl_var
name=TEAM_SUBSCRIBERS> subscribers to our campaign lists,
placed <tmpl_var name=TEAM_YARD_SIGNS> yard signs, scheduled
<tmpl_var name=TEAM_CALL_BACKS> call backs, raised $<tmpl_var
name=TEAM_CONTRIBUTIONS> in contributions plus $<tmpl_var
name=TEAM_PLEDGES> in pledges.

The following Phone Bank Volunteers Worked today:

<tmpl_loop name="VOLS_WORKED_TODAY">
<tmpl_var name=CALLER_NAME> <tmpl_var name=NUMS_ASSIGNED_TODAY>
</tmpl_loop>

Volunteers Identified today:

<tmpl_loop name="VOLUNTEERS_ID_TODAY">
<tmpl_var name=VOTER_NAME>; <tmpl_var name=VOTER_ADDRESS>
<tmpl_var name=VOTER_PHONE>; <tmpl_var name=VOTER_EMAIL>
Voter Registration Number: <tmpl_var name=VOTER_ID>; VoterID Code: <tmpl_var name=VOTER_ID_CODE>; Yardsign: <tmpl_var name=YARDSIGN>; Call again?: <tmpl_var
 name=FOLLWUP_CALL> \n
Comments: <tmpl_var name=COMMENTS> \n
</tmpl_loop>