Guide/FAQ Calendar 2.6

Discussions about the Calendar Tool at lds.org. Questions about the calendar on the classic site should be posted in the LUWS forum.
jeffevannelson
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Guide/FAQ Calendar 2.6

#1

Post by jeffevannelson »

Hello,
I get many questions about calendar that are very common. Most of them stem around people not setting up calendar correctly in their stake then we commonly get many problems from members. So I wrote this little guide to help people. You can browse down to your specific calling for help.
So Let’s Start

Stake Clerk:
General Responsibility: Rooms and Locations maintaining, Stake Calendar Approval and Assigning Buildings Schedulers. Sometimes this job is done by Assistant Clerk, Stake Executive Secretary or Stake Presidency (depending on unit size).

The main thing to maintain is Buildings. (Wards assigned to them and building schedulers)

Before anyone can use buildings the Stake Clerk must set up the buildings.
If you go to Rooms/Locations as a stake clerk they should see all the buildings that there stake owns. If there is a building missing then contact their facility manager to fix the FMAT data.

Make sure to assign each ward in your stake to its appropriate building.

If you are using a building from another stake for a ward in your stake then you will need to contact that stake and have them add that ward to that building. Once the proper wards are listed in that building you will need to click the check box on the edit screen of that building that says: "This location can be scheduled by Wards and Stakes". At that point that Wards can begin to use the building.

If you have a church property that is used by multiple stakes the owner stake will need to add the other wards/stakes to that location.

Do not add locations (buildings) to the list if they are missing. Instead they need to be assigned to your stake and then they will populate. If there is a building missing then contact their facility manager to fix the FMAT data. Creating a second building causes problems later on when members have the same building twice or one schedules something in the building but it’s actually the fake one you created.

The main purpose behind adding a location is for non-chapel properties.

You will have to add rooms to buildings that are populated for you.

Make sure to assign Building schedulers on the edit location screen as even if they have the calling of building scheduler in MLS they won’t have access to any specific location until you make it so in calendar.

Last thing you will need to maintain is stake calendars. *See ward clerk for details.

Ward Clerks:
General Responsibility: Approving Ward Calendars and sometimes Assigning Editors.
The main piece you maintain is going to be Calendars.

Anyone in the ward can create a calendar but you have to approve it.

When a calendar is created make sure to remove everyone on it "by name" and add them "by calling" as view/edit. This will create fewer problems each time a new person is called.

You'll have to go "by name" if it's a custom position.

Adding someone by name is a problem mainly because that person will move out of your stake and then will be unable to remove themselves from that calendar and will end up calling you.
Adding by name is only good on creation so that the creator of that calendar has access. It is best to remove that person and add them by their calling.

Building Schedulers:
There has been some confusion in the past about what a Reservation is and what is a Restriction.

Reservations are made on calendar events. Anyone who is a editor for a calendar, when they make a event can reserve rooms/buildings their ward has access too.

Restrictions are done by the Building schedulers. They are blocks of time were you can make a building schedulable by certain wards. So for example
Ward 1 can use the building on Thursdays.
Ward 2 can use the building on Tuesdays.
This would be done using Restrictions. When that is in place calendar editors in ward 1 if they try to reserve the building on Tuesday will get a message saying they cannot became of Restriction ####.

Building Schedulers cannot make Reservations without first being added as a editor for a calendar in there ward.
Most likely the calendar that will be created for the building scheduler to use will be "Ward Activites Calendar". The Building Scheduler Can edit any calendar tied to a specific building. So for example if he needs to change the young men calendar, he can Remove or edit those events (note he should contact the persons calendar he is editing aka Young men's Leader).

Calendar Editors:
General Responsibility: Creating events and Assigning Editors to your calendars.

So you just got called to do the calendar for ------- right. You have no Idea what do you do.
Well first off make sure that your Leaders have added you as a editor to a calendar. At this point just make events and make sure to add the building when you do so if you do this you are "reserving the building". Just make sure your aware that "Restricting the building" and "Reserving the building" are too different things. Reserving the building is what most people think of which is I reserve this room for my use during this time. Restricting the building is something completely different that if your a building scheduler you might care about.

FAQ
What Calendars should I create?:
It is usually best to think about who wants to view what. If you create one stake calendar for example and add all stake leadership meetings the Members of your stake who are not leaders will hate your stake calendar because everything shows up. So you might want a Stake Leadership, Stake Interviews (private), Stake General Calendars.
Also think of the needs of your stake or ward. A Example one member found useful was to merge their Stake young mens and Stake young womens calendars mostly because all their activities at the stake level were combine. This might not be the case for your stake.
Possible Calendar List:

Who should be added as a Admin?:
Most everyone should be added as a Editor of a specific calendar. Admins Might be nessessary if you have called a specific calling to help organize your calendar but under 99% of the cases this is not the case.
My stake started using calendar chaos happened what went wrong?
You might need some training in your stake. Also remember that Just because your the leader of your stake does not mean you don't need to work with your build Scheduler. That is why you called him to help you. If you think just because your a leader you dont need to do proper schedule, the crowd all planning on using the building might be angry with you. Its a First come first Serve therefore If someone has schedule before you then you need to work it out with them. This might mean you tell them you get the room but at least then everyone was informed. Also make sure you and your building scheduler understands the difference between Reserving something and Restricting the building. See above.
I am the building scheduler how can I see all events in my building.
Use the week view. You will see all the buildings in your stake under locations bottom left. Just uncheck all of them but your building. In week view you can see all events in that building even ones not in your ward. Some events you cant read the details because they are private or in other wards than your own.
I am a stake clerk and I do not see a building that a ward in my stake uses.
Buildings all have parent stakes. Only the parent stake can allow wards to schedule inside there building. You will need to work with that parent stake to allow the ward to use that building on their calendar. If a building does not show up and you are the parent stake contact your FMAT/Building Manager it will usually take around 2 weeks for it to appear in calendar.
I want to create a building Calendar that 2 wards can see How can I?
Calendars can only be seen at the stake level or ward level. This idea of creating a calendar mostly happens when 2 wards want to share a building and want to put all events on 1 calendar. This is not needed with the Calendar. On the week view members can see all events using the building their ward is assigned to. It also will not allow them to schedule over each other. Both wards can schedule their own events without problems. If a conflict arises in using the building that is what the building scheduler can help. He can remove or edit events in the building. REMEMBER Building schedulers will need to CONTACT the person who originally had the building.
Two People can Schedule the building at the same time It is causing issues in our Stake! What is wrong?
This happens when you have a building that as been duplicated. How this usually happens is when a stake clerk Logs in he does not see a building so instead of properly asking his building manager about the building He creates a location with the same name as the building. That building then shows up twice. Suddenly members in the ward have 2 buildings and they both schedule the fake and real building. This then causes problems. Make to remove any Fake buildings. The Custom Locations are used for other things then meeting houses except rare occasions when the meetinghouse is not managed by the church.
russellhltn
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#2

Post by russellhltn »

Good work, but I think it needs some editing:
jeffevannelson wrote:Make sure to assign Building schedulers on the edit location screen as even if they have the calling of building scheduler in your ward they won’t have access to any specific location until you make it so in calendar.
Instead of "in your ward" I'd change that to "in MLS". As it stands, it might imply that each ward should have a Building Scheduler.
jeffevannelson wrote:Last thing you will need to maintain is stake calendars see ward clerk as they are the same.
I'd change "as they are the same" to "for details". The calendars are not the same, but the functions are. It should also be broken into two sentences.
jeffevannelson wrote:Adding by name is only good on creation so that the creator of that calendar has access. It is best to remove that person and add them by their calling.
I agree, but that only works for standard callings. You'll have to go "by name" if it's a custom position.
jeffevannelson wrote:Reservations are made on calendar events anyone who has access to that calendar can reserve, buildings there ward has access too.
Really awkward sentence. And I don't it's helping the "Reservation" issue. I'd say "The building is scheduled when an event is created using that location. Anyone with access to a calendar can schedule a building."
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
jeffevannelson
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#3

Post by jeffevannelson »

Thanks for the edits If you find anything I should add for those callings let me know I will add it to the post I want to sticky this so Hopefully people can find the general help here. If they happen to look.
russellhltn
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#4

Post by russellhltn »

The biggest problem I see is units trying to follow the old model of where all building scheduling/reservations/calendering is done though a single person. It was done that way because the technology of the time made it the only practical way of having a single calendar with multiple access. That can still work in the new system as long as that person only handles their own ward. But it falls apart in multi-unit buildings.

The whole concept of distributed scheduling where the calendar editors can schedule things without approval and where the Building Scheduler is now only a referee seems to be the hardest thing for them to grasp.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

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russellhltn
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#5

Post by russellhltn »

One sub-role for the stake clerk: setting up rooms for each building.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

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drepouille
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#6

Post by drepouille »

russellhltn wrote:The biggest problem I see is units trying to follow the old model of where all building scheduling/reservations/calendering is done though a single person.
Our stake center scheduler recently moved out of the stake. A new one has not yet been called by the agent bishop, so I (the stake clerk) have been handling building requests from outside the stake. It's been pretty smooth so far. The previous scheduler tended to micromanage the scheduling, but I think things are going well without that level of management.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
jcanddc
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#7

Post by jcanddc »

Thank you....should we be scheduling events, only with the +icon, or should we just click on the day of the event and reserve, which is best or does it matter?

dcarroll
russellhltn
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#8

Post by russellhltn »

As long as you are creating an event, it doesn't matter. The point is not to use Restrictions (formerly called Reservations) to block off rooms/building for a specific event.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

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smvpegb
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#9

Post by smvpegb »

Where can i find the fully guide for using the calendar ??
mevans
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Re: Guide to Using Calendar

#10

Post by mevans »

smvpegb wrote:Where can i find the fully guide for using the calendar ??
https://ue.ldschurch.org/ldsapphelp/calendar/

Note that the above documentation is a little outdated (unless it was recently updated).
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