Tech Forum

This is an e-mail I just sent to my Stake Council concerning an issue with ward bulletin announcements.

Brethren and Sisters,
I have received feedback from a few ward bulletin editors concerning the number, size, and complexity of announcements from the stake. If you walk a mile or two in their moccasins, you can feel their pain.

1. Too many: The large number of announcements cannot fit in the typical two-sided, single-page bulletin format. Some bulletin editors try to squeeze them in by using smaller fonts, while others have changed to a multi-page format, and stand around the copier for twice as long.

2. Too long: Lengthy announcements with a lot of flowery words are also difficult to squeeze into a bulletin. The announcements should contain all necessary details, but no sugary coating.

3. Too colorful: Please remember that the Church does not provide color printers or copiers, so your beautiful color posters won't look very good when printed in grey-scale. If you want color posters placed on bulletin boards, print them yourself and mail them to each ward, then get reimbursed from the stake out of your budget funds for the cost of color copies.

Here are some suggestions, which you are welcome to use or ignore as you wish:

1. Create all your events for the coming year on your Stake Calendar as early as possible. Calendar events should contain as many details as possible so anyone looking at the calendar knows everything they need to know. Remember to reserve all the rooms you need with the building scheduler, especially for multi-unit facilities (stake center, Bellevue meetinghouse, and the Glenwood pavillion).

2. Post your complete announcement on the Stake Newsletter https://www.lds.org/member-news?lang=eng
On the Stake Newsletter, you can include all the details and flowery words you like, and you can upload colorful and detailed attachments. Tip: Attachments should be PDF files or other common file types, since not everyone can read Word, PowerPoint, or Photoshop files.

3. When you send announcements to ward bulletin editors, please keep them as short as possible. You can include a link to your Stake Newsletter article for those who want to see more details.

4. Always send announcements to ward bulletin editors with plenty of lead time. Don't wait until a day or two before the event, because they will just ignore you. Remember the old adage, "Your failure to plan ahead does not constitute an emergency on my part."

drepouille wrote:Remember to reserve all the rooms you need with the building scheduler, especially for multi-unit facilities (stake center, Bellevue meetinghouse, and the Glenwood pavillion).

Um, why? Your stake is free to do that, but it seems like "make-work" and "holding on to traditions".

russellhltn wrote:

drepouille wrote:Remember to reserve all the rooms you need with the building scheduler, especially for multi-unit facilities (stake center, Bellevue meetinghouse, and the Glenwood pavillion).

Um, why? Your stake is free to do that, but it seems like "make-work" and "holding on to traditions".

My thought exactly. Why call a building scheduler when you can just give the stake leader access to edit their own calendars which will reserve the needed rooms at the same time.

Gary_Miller wrote:Why call a building scheduler when you can just give the stake leader access to edit their own calendars which will reserve the needed rooms at the same time.

I prefer the term "book" the room, since the calendar system uses "reservation" for something else. But otherwise, yes. The calendar system does the job of scheduling the rooms. A stake Building Scheduler is really only needed to referee conflicts and set scheduling restrictions.

If desired, you can use one central scheduling authority for a unit, but given the way the calendar system operates, it's impractical to have a central authority for multiple units (such as using a stake scheduler for ward events).

Russell,
I agree with you, but I have failed to convince our two building schedulers. They have their hands full with people not in our stake wanting to reserve our buildings for their events.

drepouille wrote:Russell,
I agree with you, but I have failed to convince our two building schedulers. They have their hands full with people not in our stake wanting to reserve our buildings for their events.

Which is acceptable as long as it does not interfere with the ward in your stake. And it need not be a building scheduler duty it can be anyone who has edit rights. I would suggest that the agent bishop have someone called who would be responsible for booking out of stake building requests "ONLY", this could be a building scheduler as long as they are given calendar editor rights. They should also make a calendar layer that is for out of stake events in which to book the events. Everyone else should book their own events.

Until recently, we had several units that did not meet in the stake center, but had to use the baptismal font in the stake center because they had none. I believe that has been corrected, but old habits die hard.

The stake center is used for several Scouting events, as well as wedding receptions, and funerals. It's a really hopping place at times. For some reason, our stake auxiliary presidents insist on scheduling stake events during times "reserved" for the three wards that meet in the stake center.

drepouille wrote:Until recently, we had several units that did not meet in the stake center, but had to use the baptismal font in the stake center because they had none. I believe that has been corrected, but old habits die hard.

The stake center is used for several Scouting events, as well as wedding receptions, and funerals. It's a really hopping place at times.

Individuals from wards in your stake can book/schedule events in the stake center on their wards calendars even though they don't meet in the stake center. No need to have someone do it for them.

drepouille wrote: For some reason, our stake auxiliary presidents insist on scheduling stake events during times "reserved" for the three wards that meet in the stake center.

This is an easy fix just make a restriction/reservation during the times the wards are suppose to have the building. A reservation will ensure no other ward or stake auxiliary can book an event.

I think a good review of the calendar helps by the building schedulers would be a good idea, so that they understand the different roles.

drepouille wrote:1. Create all your events for the coming year on your Stake Calendar....
2. Post your complete announcement on the Stake Newsletter....
3. ...You can include a link to your Stake Newsletter article....

Since the topic was the Ward bulletins, shouldn't these above references to the Calendar and Newsletter refer to the Ward and not the Stake?

I think it's important to reinforce that wards control their own calendar and their own newsletter.

Alan,
This was my message to the stake council. I encouraged them to use the stake calendar and the stake newsletter, but I think they are scared of them.

My ward has very few events on its ward calendars, nothing on its Newsletter, and nothing on its Lesson schedule.

While I have been able to get the stake council to create some events on the stake calendars, I have not yet been able to convince them to use the Stake Newsletter.