Building scheduler role

[russellhltn]

Since the Stake Clerks are responsible for building scheduling the Stake Exec Sec should not be involved at all. JMO

I've got no problem if a stake want to run their operation this way, but the thread did start with the idea of updating the documentation. As such, I wouldn't be comfortable assigning roles beyond what's in the Handbook or defined by the software.

[aebrown]

That is a question that came up during our stake council calendaring meeting back in November. Whom should rank-and-file members of the stake contact to schedule personal events?

The solution I think is best is for each ward to have their own private event calendar and the clerks, exec Sec, or ward calendar coordinator schedules private events.

We certainly like keeping as much scheduling as possible at the ward level. So I agree with this approach in general.

The biggest challenge we have with this is that the Calendar draws too much attention to the building scheduler by making his or her name and contact info accessible via the dropdown by the Location name. That gives people the false impression that they should contact the buildings scheduler to schedule the building (and yes, the misleading title "building scheduler" for that role doesn't help, either).

They could even do this for people outside of the stake boundaries.

Although that's certainly possible if your stake chooses to operate that way, for these rare occasions our stake leaders like someone at the stake level (usually me) to be aware that someone from outside our stake is using our buildings. It may be required to get a Hold Harmless Agreement signed, or the stake president may deny the use.

[drepouille]

Since the Stake Clerks are responsible for building scheduling the Stake Exec Sec should not be involved at all. JMO

About a year ago, I switched from Exec Sec to Stake Clerk. When I was Exec Sec, I managed the calendar and all other stake web sites. I have been trying to establish the rule in our stake that the Exec Sec is concerned with scheduling and planning for future events, while the Clerk is concerned with recording current and past events. I have tried extremely hard to offload the calendar to the new Exec Sec. It ain't working well.

[russellhltn]

One nice thing about making a member of the stake presidency a building scheduler - they automatically have admin rights to all calendars at the stake level. No additional permissions needed.

That allows them to create calendars as needed for private event functions, etc.

[russellhltn]

As part of this assignment I am over a team of church service missionaries asked to update the calendar help and also come with training for members on how to use calendar.

The most immediate need is to go though and replace "Reservation" with "Restriction". The software changed terminology, but the help file was never updated. That's the most glaring problem with the exiting file. The reason for the change was to help leaders understand the function.

If you're going to do a re-write, I'd like to put in a plug for teaching the members how to get the events on their personal calendar and in LDS Tools. I think this is a aspect that's largely ignored. It's a system that works even if the member has to work on Sundays or otherwise miss church. It gets events placed on a youth's calendar before competing events get scheduled. It also provides a solid reason for activities to be scheduled as events, not restrictions. (And in the process takes care of the building scheduling issue.)

[jdlessley]

The current help states that building schedulers cannot schedule events. This is totally false. The only reason Building schedulers cannot schedule events is because no one has added them as editors to a calendar.

I know others have addressed this in this thread but I want to take another approach to add another perspective and hopefully add some clarity. Since this thread is about updating the Calendar Help, then those writing the documentation need to fully and completely understand the roles in the application and the calling/assignment as a building scheduler.

The current help documentation is totally correct about the role of building scheduler in the application. Just like many other people dealing with the transition from the OLD traditional paper method of building scheduling, the quote above is confusing the calling/assignment an individual may have with the role in the application. The confusion is clear in the quote above because one Calendar role, building scheduler, is added to another Calendar role, editor, to create the building scheduler calling/assignment for an individual. Even the role as editor does not apply across calendars, except for the administrator role, without an individual or calling being given that role in each calendar. We need to make sure we differentiate the role in the Calendar application and the calling/assignment a member may be given.

The building scheduler role could be, and is in some stakes, combined with the administrator role to gain the greatest flexibility in managing unique situations. This is possible because the administrator role has by default the editor role permissions for all public calendars.

Others have quite adequately addressed the other points of confusion so I will stop here for now.

[kisaac]

As part of this assignment I am over a team of church service missionaries asked to update the calendar help and also come with training for members on how to use calendar.

The most immediate need is to go though and replace "Reservation" with "Restriction". The software changed terminology, but the help file was never updated. That's the most glaring problem with the exiting file. The reason for the change was to help leaders understand the function.

I agree 100%. Lets not take another year to write and re-write the ultimate help document, lets go in tomorrow and remove and/or re-write those parts of the help that are inaccurate due to software changes RIGHT NOW!

As evidenced from the thread, terminology and BEST PRACTICES seem to be a moving target as you move from stake to stake. I think we all love seeing how others do things, so we can adopt and modify as fast as we are comfortable, rather than being told how wrong we are doing them.

Added afterthought: Threads like this are very helpful to me, as I can see what will work in my ward and my stake, and what I know won't: I'm not "forced" to promote something I know won't fly with my leaders here. I would hope new training gives options and ideas...

[russellhltn]

I want to take another approach to add another perspective and hopefully add some clarity. Since this thread is about updating the Calendar Help, then those writing the documentation need to fully and completely understand the roles in the application and the calling/assignment as a building scheduler.

I understand what you're trying to say, but I'm not sure as "role" is the best terminology. As we have observed, simply granting someone building scheduler rights in the application does not automatically give them rights they need to schedule events. And depending on what tasks they are expected to do, they will need additional rights to carry out their calling.

And since it's not possible to grant admin (or edit) access to the calendars of multiple wards, that forces a major re-think in the traditional assignments for a "building scheduler".

I'd also stay far away from calling anything a "building calendar". That tends to reinforce the mistaken belief that there should be a separate calendar for blocking off the use of the building. (Yet another hold-over from paper calendars.) The building schedule is the sum of all events taking place at a given location. It's calculated automatically and isn't something that is edited separately.

Another stumbling block is that "week view" is so different than "month view". "Week view" activates the ability to see the building schedule. Most people don't switch to week view because the don't expect to see anything they can't already see in month view.

[russellhltn]

Just for fun, I had a look at the Handbook. The phrase "Building scheduler" does not return anything. The best I could find is Handbook 2: 13.2.7

Church activities should be planned as far in advance as reasonable. They should be included on the stake or ward calendar. Leaders should keep parents informed of activities for children and youth.

If an activity will be held at a meetinghouse or another Church facility, planners reserve the facility in advance to avoid conflicts with other activities or meetings. Each meetinghouse has an agent bishop assigned by the stake presidency. He oversees the scheduling of the meetinghouse facilities, though he usually appoints another person to do the actual scheduling.

That's as close I can I find to a "building scheduler". However, I maintain that since the Handbook was written, the church servers have taken on much of the active day-to-day role. "Building schedulers" have mostly become mostly referees for conflicts and for scheduling family events.

[Gary_Miller]

Since the Stake Clerks are responsible for building scheduling the Stake Exec Sec should not be involved at all. JMO

I've got no problem if a stake want to run their operation this way, but the thread did start with the idea of updating the documentation. As such, I wouldn't be comfortable assigning roles beyond what's in the Handbook or defined by the software.

I think what I stated is in line with the Handbook and the software. If not please let me know where I may have gone wrong.