Missionary Dinner Calendar

[jds580s]

I think missionarydinnercalendar.com is a userful app but is missing some functionality like alerting full-time missionaries who signed up for dinner. I created an app that sends a daily text reminder to full-time missionaries so they don't need to visit the website and check the website so often. You can sign up the daily text service here.

http://1000texts.ddns.net/missionary

Very interesting, I'll have to take a look at it. I had all but ruled out text message notifications as a viable option due to the fees online SMS gateways charge and wanting to keep missionarydinnercalendar.com a free service.

I've been in touch with the church global services department to get some guidance on approval for allowing websites access on mission devices. Unfortunately I cannot make the request directly, as it needs to go through mission presidents, and even then could still be denied.

[Cmanrogers]

I've been in touch with the church global services department to get some guidance on approval for allowing websites access on mission devices. Unfortunately I cannot make the request directly, as it needs to go through mission presidents, and even then could still be denied.

As far as I know. Only one mission president would have to request the website to be added for it to be added in every mission, as websites aren't mission specific like apps are.

[jds580s]

As far as I know. Only one mission president would have to request the website to be added for it to be added in every mission, as websites aren't mission specific like apps are.

That’s great news. My stake president forwarded my request to the mission president so hopefully there is progress in that front in the near future.

[LukeDylan]

I agree that a feature like this is long overdue. I would want to keep the interface as simple as possible, and have a few admin options. For example, I would take this calendar and instead of elders and sisters, I would do lunch or dinner for the one set of sisters we have. This could appear as it is with the triangles, but all default to gray until filled, then turn dark blue, for example.

I would appreciate a small note field where the members could add the time of the appt. when they sign up. This would not have to appear on the calendar, but perhaps a simple report that is generated?

I agree that an easy "trigger" for this is to send out the link via email or text. I think it is always a good idea to send it put to the less-active households a week before sending it to the full ward.

[jds580s]

I agree that a feature like this is long overdue. I would want to keep the interface as simple as possible, and have a few admin options. For example, I would take this calendar and instead of elders and sisters, I would do lunch or dinner for the one set of sisters we have. This could appear as it is with the triangles, but all default to gray until filled, then turn dark blue, for example.

I would appreciate a small note field where the members could add the time of the appt. when they sign up. This would not have to appear on the calendar, but perhaps a simple report that is generated?

I agree that an easy "trigger" for this is to send out the link via email or text. I think it is always a good idea to send it put to the less-active households a week before sending it to the full ward.

Just wanted to mention that most of that is already possible.

• The names "Elders" and "Sisters" are just the default and can easily be changed to "Lunch" and "Dinner" for use in the way you described.
• The colors are also configurable under the advanced settings, so you can change from the default red/blue to anything else. The available colors can also be changed from the default gray.
• When a member signs up for an appointment, the "Name" field can contain more than just their name. Many wards ask that members add a time or a phone number to confirm the appointment in that field, so the signup might look like "Joe Smith 6pm 555-555-5555". The calendar administrator can use the "Display note with calendar" to provide instructions specific to their ward if members should include any of that additional information.

Thanks!

[michaeljeffreyjones]

Many of our Ward Members are elderly and do not have electronic items,so would have do have paper,which then be downloaded on to an iPad by the meals Co-ordinator

[davesudweeks]

Many of our Ward Members are elderly and do not have electronic items,so would have do have paper,which then be downloaded on to an iPad by the meals Co-ordinator

And there are others of us who do have electronic items but have chosen to NOT do "all things digital," especially when it is 3rd party software and we are asked to provide personal information.

[jds580s]

Many of our Ward Members are elderly and do not have electronic items,so would have do have paper,which then be downloaded on to an iPad by the meals Co-ordinator

And there are others of us who do have electronic items but have chosen to NOT do "all things digital," especially when it is 3rd party software and we are asked to provide personal information.

I very much appreciate that as I am also a highly privacy conscious individual.

The calendar fully supports paper signups for any who are not tech inclined. In fact some use it exclusively for the paper calendar printing functionality. Before writing this tool when I was a WML I can't tell you how much time I wasted preparing paper calendars.

And privacy is specifically why I designed the calendar to not require member accounts/logins or ask for email address or other personal details when signing up to feed the missionaries.
If someone wants to sign up for an appointment using just their initials, or by communicating with the missionaries that any time it says "Quack" that means dinner is at my house, or with a name "The brother with red hair who sits on the 3rd pew", I welcome it!