Best Way to use Calendar for 2 Wards in 1 Building

Discussions about the Calendar Tool at lds.org. Questions about the calendar on the classic site should be posted in the LUWS forum.
techgy
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Best Way to use Calendar for 2 Wards in 1 Building

#1

Post by techgy »

I have a request from one of two wards that both occupy the same building to create a building calendar to help the agent ward coordinate the activities in the building. I am assuming that this is best handled by creating a stake-level calendar and giving the person who will be coordinating the calendar access to it.

Any suggestions as to the best way to accomplish this? Am I on the right track?
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#2

Post by russellhltn »

That's an abuse of the system. Each ward needs to schedule their own activities. As long as they select the location, the system will not let them double-book the rooms - even though they can't see the other calendar.

If the person in charge needs to see whats happening, they can switch to week view and check off the location.

If the Scheduler wants to be more active, then they can set "restrictions" that limit which ward can schedule the building during a given time period (be it a set day of the week or alternating weekend, etc.)

The old days of one person scheduling the building for multiple units is gone. (And I say good riddance. The old way was a technical necessity until a "calendar server" was created.)
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techgy
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#3

Post by techgy »

Thanks for the information. The only problem I see is that if a ward wanted to be sure that they had a nite clear for an activity, they would have to plan well in advance and get it on their calendar.
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aebrown
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#4

Post by aebrown »

techgy wrote:Thanks for the information. The only problem I see is that if a ward wanted to be sure that they had a nite clear for an activity, they would have to plan well in advance and get it on their calendar.
First of all, isn't that the case for any conceivable scheduling system? It wouldn't matter if there is a single scheduler everything goes through, or the newer distributed scheduling model -- you have to plan ahead.

But second, you might consider using the Restrictions feature of the Calendar. Our stake uses that quite successfully in our multi-ward buildings (mostly just for the cultural hall for Mutual nights, but for a couple other things as well). The wards work out a schedule (e.g., Ward A has the cultural hall for 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, and Ward B has it on 2nd and 4th), and then the building scheduler puts that restriction in place to enforce that rule. That way Ward A can be confident that Ward B won't ever schedule anything on the 1st or 3rd Wednesday (although a particular organization in Ward A will still have to plan well in advance and get their actual event on the calendar).
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#5

Post by Gary_Miller »

techgy wrote:Thanks for the information. The only problem I see is that if a ward wanted to be sure that they had a nite clear for an activity, they would have to plan well in advance and get it on their calendar.
And that would be a bad thing because?
Gary_Miller
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#6

Post by Gary_Miller »

techgy wrote:I have a request from one of two wards that both occupy the same building to create a building calendar to help the agent ward coordinate the activities in the building.
The calendar as currently designed already coordinates the activities in the building. Its simple. Its accurate. And its automatic.
techgy wrote:Any suggestions as to the best way to accomplish this?
Training, Training, Training. Train the ward on the proper use of the calendar. Once they see how it should be working they will feel be comfortable with the system.

techgy wrote:Am I on the right track?
You are on the wrong track. But training will get you back to the main line quickly.
techgy
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#7

Post by techgy »

Thanks to all. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me :)
techgy
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#8

Post by techgy »

As the saying goes...."the best laid plans of mice and men"...

I met with the individual who had been assigned to handle the building calendar and intended on going over the process of using the "Restrictions" feature to help control a building-level calendar.

It turns out that his records are not even in our stake. He's a member of a neighboring stake and is only an "out of unit" member of the YSA ward. With his records not in our stake, he doesn't appear on the selection list of people for assignment as Building Schedulers. I confirmed this with LUS. It's also mentioned in the calendar helps.

So I'm now waiting for someone new to be called. One thing that WAS accomplished with all this, I'm now a lot more familiar with the working of the calendar :)
Gary_Miller
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#9

Post by Gary_Miller »

techgy wrote:I met with the individual who had been assigned to handle the building calendar and intended on going over the process of using the "Restrictions" feature to help control a building-level calendar.
If your looking at "Restrictions" to control the calendar you still on the "Wrong Track". Restrictions are only for blocking out periods of time where you may only want a single unit to schedule an event in the building. Restrictions are not for scheduling events in a building.
techgy wrote:One thing that WAS accomplished with all this, I'm now a lot more familiar with the working of the calendar :)
However it appears you still don't fully understand the difference between "Restrictions" and "Events".
techgy wrote:help control a building-level calendar
I'm having a hard time understanding why you feel a need for a building-level calendar?
techgy
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Re: What's The Best Way to....

#10

Post by techgy »

I am aware of the differences between Restrictions and Events. However, it's a necessity if you wish to block out times for a specific ward to use for their activities. The need for a building level calendar is that it's being requested by the agent Bishop. Trying to use the "Weekly View" to see events occuring in a specific building within the stake isn't working too well. Once the bugs are cleaned up that view will be helpful.

I'm working on his request for a "building calendar" but it's a slow process. Everyone is still thinking in regards to the old calendars we used with the previous ward web sites. My plans were to have a meeting with the individual whom the Bishop had chosen to handle the calendar and train him. That fell apart when I discovered that his records were not in the stake but that he was an "out of unit" member of the ward.
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