Compiling Data for Next Year's Calendar

[sdepuydt]

I have been assigned to create next year's Stake Calendar: Collect scheduled dates, and eventually apply or upload the data. It seems to me that there would be some kind of data compiler or blank "template" for next year's calendar, so that it's ready to be uploaded ..... as opposed to a generic spreadsheet. As I ask the clerks at the Stake level, no one seems to know what the process is. Can someone please advise me so that I am not "re-inventing the wheel". I don't have much time to complete this project. I have 4 weeks from this posting to have it finished. Thanks.

[russellhltn]

What little I've seen just tends to be just a simple written list of events. Just a date and event name. Maybe a start time. Nothing elaborate enough to merit a form. The who tends to be implied by the sender.

And keep in mind there's limitations to uploading. You can't enter the locations that way. It's best to enter the "draft" into the calendar itself and then update/correct it as you go along.

Some stakes give calendar control to the individual groups. Each group enters their own information.

[sbradshaw]

If you don't already have separate calendars for the general stake and for stake leadership, I would recommend setting up two calendars. Keeping your leadership calendar separate allows regular stake members to subscribe only to the calendar items that apply to them (in the general stake calendar).

On the general stake calendar, here are some things you might include:
– Stake Conference.
– Firesides, priesthood meetings, etc. that you know of in advance.
– Fast Sundays (especially around General Conference – will your stake have them before, or after?).
– Temple dedications that may be scheduled on a Sunday, replacing church.
– Stake Institute, if you have one.
– Is your stake doing anything for Easter? Christmas? Thanksgiving?

On the stake leadership calendar, here are some things you might include:
– Regular presidency, PEC, and stake council meetings.
– Leadership meetings that you know of in advance.
– Stake interview times, if they are regular.
– Due dates for audits and reports.

[russellhltn]

If you don't already have separate calendars for the general stake and for stake leadership, I would recommend setting up two calendars. Keeping your leadership calendar separate allows regular stake members to subscribe only to the calendar items that apply to them (in the general stake calendar).

I'd take that a bit further and set up calendars for the YSA, Youth, scouts and others that have activities that do not involve the whole stake. The more stuff that gets put on a calendar that doesn't apply to a specific member, the less likely that member is to link the church calendar to their personal calendar. While you may not hit it perfectly, you should be able to get close enough to make the "noise" tolerable for most members.

[sbradshaw]

In our stake, we also have a private calendar just for the stake presidency, where we put things like when members of the stake presidency are traveling, ward conferences, start and end dates for the main local schools/universities, the temple schedule, and holidays – to help us plan.

[russellhltn]

The last few items I'd make a public calendar - just separate from church events. Members and leaders can decide if they want them or not.