Replacing a Reservation/restriction with a scheduled event

[1968leocomeeatabite]

Question: will this "Private event" show on the week view? So if a group was looking to schedule an event during one of these "private events". Could they go to the week view and see that the carpet cleaning is taking place all day and they will not be able to have in that day?

Yes, private events, restrictions, and events on other calendars scheduled for a location will all show up in week view when that location's checkbox is checked. So calendar editors can use that technique to see what is coming. Or they can just go ahead and try to schedule the event, and see what conflicts are shown -- that approach can be simpler because it checks the exact rooms for conflicts, whereas the approach of looking in week view only shows that the building is in use, and you have to click into each event or restriction to see which rooms are booked. But either way can work.

Thank you for this clarification, it is an important point to be made for us in our ward and Stake!

As a side note, our stake puts the major cleaning days for our buildings right on a public calendar. It only happens twice a year, and we like having it more visible than if it is on a private calendar. But that's just our local preference.

I think that I agree, I will make it a point to do this or at least ask or leadership how they want it done.

Does the building scheduler have any other choices than these?

No, at least not because of their building scheduler role. As has been mentioned, a person with the building scheduler role can also be made a calendar editor, in which case he or she would have additional options. But those options come because of the calendar editor role, not the building scheduler role.

Another option (which is actually the best choice in cases where an event is connected to a particular ward) is for the building scheduler to contact the ward calendar coordinator and suggest that an event should be placed on that ward's calendar.

So in your example I am visualizing that a Stake Clerk or Stake website administrator, is also assigned as a building scheduler, having this person responsible for the Stake Calendar and the restrictions. Is this how you are doing it in your Stake? Is this person also the building scheduler for the other buildings in the Stake? The amount of needed restrictions seems to be at the end of the year in preparing for the coming year. So it seems that they could be the same person? does it work for all the buildings for the entire stake?

[aebrown]

So in your example I am visualizing that a Stake Clerk or Stake website administrator, is also assigned as a building scheduler, having this person responsible for the Stake Calendar and the restrictions. Is this how you are doing it in your Stake? Is this person also the building scheduler for the other buildings in the Stake? The amount of needed restrictions seems to be at the end of the year in preparing for the coming year. So it seems that they could be the same person? does it work for all the buildings for the entire stake?

There's very little for a building scheduler to do, since our restrictions are repeating restrictions that simply enforce the agreements for our buildings. Ward A gets the building on Tuesday evenings. Wards B and C split it on Wednesdays, so Ward B gets the RS room on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays while Ward C gets the Cultural Hall and multipurpose room; on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays they swap.

I've been tempted to just handle the building scheduler role myself for all the buildings, but since the Calendar makes that person sort of visible, and I already get more calls and emails than I'd prefer, our stake lets the agent ward for each building designate someone to handle this role. The building scheduler:

• extends the repeating restrictions (they can only be made for 2 years, so we need to extend them each year)
• Works out scheduling conflicts, including agreed-upon overrides of restrictions
• Takes calls as needed and directs the caller to contact the ward's calendar coordinator (99% of the time, these calls are from someone who saw the building scheduler's contact info on the Calendar location info, and really needs to just schedule a ward event)

[1968leocomeeatabite]

• extends the repeating restrictions (they can only be made for 2 years, so we need to extend them each year)

This is great. So once it has been decided which repeating restrictions are needed, once a year those are simply extended. Making very little to be done for the building scheduler. I suppose some rotations would occur. But maybe by a simple edit of the weeks for the coming year would do it.

[*]Takes calls as needed and directs the caller to contact the ward's calendar coordinator (99% of the time, these calls are from someone who saw the building scheduler's contact info on the Calendar location info, and really needs to just schedule a ward event)[/list]

You use the term "ward's calendar coordinator". I assume that this is referring to a calling within the ward leadership referred to as "Ward Administrator". (being a Bishopric member, Exec. Secretary, clerk, any of the assistant clerks, or Ward website Administrator)(did I miss any?) I assume that you use this "ward calendar coordinator" to designate that this person in this ward (which has one of the above "Ward Administrative" callings is responsible for:
1. Coordinates all calendar events within the ward.
2. Making sure that the calendar is being used as intended on lds.org.
3. Takes direction from the Stake Calendar Coordinator.
Then could we say similar things about this "Stake Calendar Coordinator"? Such as being one of the "Stake Administrators". We might add to that list a "Building Specialist"?

I think that I have read in the forum about a "Stake Calendar coordinating council"? I suspect that would have to do with making policy and or training down through the ranks in promoting good calendar use through out the stake?

So some of the issues might be:

• Does the agent bishop oversee the building scheduler or does the Stake Calendar Coordinator do all the "Building scheduler" duties?

• If the bishop oversees the building scheduler who trains the bishop?

• How does the "Stake Calendar Coordinator" effectively make it know that the only way to schedule the building is to do it on lds.org

[aebrown]

You use the term "ward's calendar coordinator". I assume that this is referring to a calling within the ward leadership referred to as "Ward Administrator". (being a Bishopric member, Exec. Secretary, clerk, any of the assistant clerks, or Ward website Administrator)(did I miss any?) I assume that you use this "ward calendar coordinator" to designate that this person in this ward (which has one of the above "Ward Administrative" callings is responsible for:
1. Coordinates all calendar events within the ward.
2. Making sure that the calendar is being used as intended on lds.org.
3. Takes direction from the Stake Calendar Coordinator.
Then could we say similar things about this "Stake Calendar Coordinator"? Such as being one of the "Stake Administrators". We might add to that list a "Building Specialist"?

In our stake we require each ward to designate one of their calendar administrators (and yes, you got the list right) to function as the "calendar coordinator." That whole list of people will have administrative permissions in the system, but the coordinator is a specific assignment. They don't necessarily have to coordinate all calendar events within the ward; the calendar editors can just use the system to do that. But they are responsible for training the calendar editors on how to use the system. They also take the lead (under the bishop's direction) on determining how calendars are subdivided in the ward (e.g., some wards will have one YM calendar; others will choose to have a combined YM calendar plus a Priests, a Teachers, and a Deacons calendar).

I think that I have read in the forum about a "Stake Calendar coordinating council"? I suspect that would have to do with making policy and or training down through the ranks in promoting good calendar use through out the stake?

That's apparently worked well in some stakes. My stake doesn't do that, but it's certainly a local option.

So some of the issues might be:

• Does the agent bishop oversee the building scheduler or does the Stake Calendar Coordinator do all the "Building scheduler" duties?

• If the bishop oversees the building scheduler who trains the bishop?

• How does the "Stake Calendar Coordinator" effectively make it know that the only way to schedule the building is to do it on lds.org

In our stake, the agent bishop designates the building scheduler. The scheduler takes direction from the agent bishop regarding what restrictions need to be in place for that building, and gets counsel from the stake calendar coordinator as to overall stake policies and how to use the calendar effectively.

In our stake, the stake calendar coordinator trains each ward calendar coordinator; the ward calendar coordinator is responsible to train everyone in the ward (including the bishop) on calendar use.

The training about using the LDS.org calendar is mostly done at the ward level by the ward calendar coordinator.

[1968leocomeeatabite]

I have greatly benefited from all the contributors on this subject. Thank you for your posts!
In my mind the subject to these posts might be summarized as:

• 1. In the general process of the calendar a restriction will always be in place and will be viewable in the week view.

• 2. Caution and restraint should be used when implementing “restrictions”

.
a. Only a select few needs to understand how restrictions work.
b. Restrictions can be confusing and possibly in many cases unnecessary.
c. Many promote that getting an event scheduled is much better than establishing a restriction for the unit.

• 3. The role of the “Building Scheduler” is greatly minimized.

a. How to manage the role of the Building Scheduler is almost as confusing as a restriction.
b. Getting the proper basics and guidelines established at the stake level is a challenge.
c. The traditional use of the building scheduler is difficult to overcome.

• 4. The structure of how each stake organizes the workings of the calendar in the Stake and Ward can be vastly different.

Your reactions and comments are requested.

[1968leocomeeatabite]

Thank you to aebrown for sharing the way his Stake has Organized the calendar. I wish to request any and all to share how they have organized, implemented, & experienced this in there Wards and especially there Stake. Specifically if eblood66, Gary_Miller, and russellhltn, would care to comment. I also might request jdlessley, Kisacc, and LisaAn to share if they so desired.

[Gary_Miller]

I wish to request any and all to share how they have organized, implemented, & experienced this in there Wards and especially there Stake.

In my current ward (Boundary change) the calendar is not being utilized as it could be there are a few organizations using the calendar but not many. What I see is we are on a slippery slope since our building is the stake center nether ward in the building seems to want to use the calendar so there is going to become a time where there will be conflict.

In my previous ward were I was a Assistant Ward Clerk I was responsible setting up the Calendar. We had 21 different calendar layers, we went right down to the YM/YW quorums and classes having their own calendar layer. For privet events we had a private calendar layer and ward members contacted me to have private events added to the calendar.

At the stake level the STS is in charge of the calendar. He makes sure that buildings re blocked for FM issues by placing blocks on the stake calendar for those buildings. We have several different calendar layers so that people who want to sync with their own calendar can choose what layers they want and weed out any trash. The stake organizations are responsible for adding their own activities to their calendar layer. While we do use some restrictions we mostly prefer to use events since events is what ensure the building and rooms are reserved on the calendar.

That said we are working to get all units on board but its been a slow process and very frustrating at times.

Currently I'm very frustrated with how my new ward utilizes the calendar. Last night at a Court of Honor and parents meeting for the YM yearly calendars were handed out for the Deacons and Teachers quorums listing their activities. Very well thought out paper calendars. Not one of the events are on the on line calendar.

[russellhltn]

I wish to request any and all to share how they have organized, implemented, & experienced this in there Wards and especially there Stake.

In our stake, the Stake Executive Secretary is the "building scheduler" for the stake center. He also has the role that might be described as the "stake calendar coordinator". As Stake Executive Secretary, he automatically has admin rights to all stake calendars. The only restrictions we have in place is to block off the weekday nights that are the "ward nights" for the three wards that meet in the stake center. I think at a stake level things work well, but from what I see, the wards do not appear to be using the calendar all that well. Perhaps it's because we haven't entered all the smaller rooms into the system, so youth events are difficult to set for a location.

The Stake Executive Secretary also handles the calendaring the private events on a private calendar to reserve the stake center for family events.

Missionary events (zone meeting, transfers, etc.) are handled by the high councilor who has been given edit access to that calendar layer.

We do have one other building with 3 wards that meet in it. No one has building scheduler rights - so no restrictions. They just schedule events. So far I've heard no complaints.

[1968leocomeeatabite]

This attachment shows one way that the calendar could be implemented in the Stake

ORGANIZING A STRUCTURE TO IMPLEMENT AND MAINTAIN THE CORRECT USE OF THE LDS.docx

Model show one way to implement calendar

(36.71 KiB) Downloaded 122 times

it also suggest one way in-which the responsibilities of the building scheduler can be assigned.

This attachment shows a way that the leadership could be helped to understand how one would choose to implement the calendar.

Establishing aStake Calendar Coordinator.docx

(68.78 KiB) Downloaded 245 times

This is of my own making, I do not claim it to be perfect. But if it is helpful you are welcome to use it. I would encourage your comments and discussion please. Thank you