Calendar Best Practices

[EarloftheWest-p40]

If there's an event that needs to be on multiple calendars, when it syncs to my Google calendar I'll see multiple entries for that event.
Is that an issue? Not sure.
If I have a Ward Party and list it on all of my auxiliaries calendars, I'll see 10+ entries in my Google calendar when it syncs. (I'll certainly get the point that there's a Ward party. )
From a technical perspective, I would want 1 entry showing on multiple calendars so that when it syncs, I only get one entry.
OR, I should have the ability to sync each calendar separately. Meaning, I want a custom URL for EACH of the calendar categories that are available.
I thinking of the Youth that sync their smart phones to the calendar. They may only want to see the stuff relevant to them. If they have to see everything in the calendar, they may not sync.
Really, the syncing is the most valuable piece of the calendar. I'm not interested in buzzing over to the official Ward calendar to see what's going on. I want it to come to me.
The more I think about it, the more I want a custom sync URL for EACH calendar category. This is probably the best solution.
Then, posting the same event on multiple calendars becomes a non issue. It's that you see what you want to see in the way you want to see it that's important. I don't want the stuff I don't want to see.

[aebrown]

I should have the ability to sync each calendar separately. Meaning, I want a custom URL for EACH of the calendar categories that are available.
I thinking of the Youth that sync their smart phones to the calendar. They may only want to see the stuff relevant to them. If they have to see everything in the calendar, they may not sync.

The system only syncs the calendars that you have subscribed to. If you're not interested in events on other calendars, make sure you unsubscribe from them (not just hide them by unchecking the box by the calendar in the main display). That way your smart phone (or other synced calendar) will only show the calendars you are interested in.

[scgallafent]

Managing calendar subscriptions in the new calendar puts more burden on the user to define what events he or she sees. I don't have a problem with a ward having 100 different calendars, but I can see how this might get complicated. Suppose an activity is relevant to the Beehives and Mia Maids, but not the Laurels. Another activity is relevant to the Laurels and Priests, but not the Beehives, Mia Maids, Teachers, or Deacons. Another activity is relevant to all groups. Another activity is relevant only to Deacons. Another to Teachers and Priests, but not Deacons. Another to Deacons and Beehives, but to none other.

Obviously one couldn't create a calendar to accommodate all of these possible combinations. What solution would you recommend?

It seems like the most straightforward approach at this point would be the ability to put an event on multiple calendars, which has already been suggested.

The problem is that we've got a bunch of individuals in a ward or stake who have different categories of events that they're concerned with. I'm interested in general ward and stake events. I'm also interested in Relief Society events so that I know when my wife might be participating. I'd also like to see events applicable to the Mia Maids and Deacons. I've got a primary-age child, so I need Primary and Activity Days, but our days of Cub Scouts are over. I also need to pay attention to stake leadership meetings. My oldest turns sixteen early next year, so I'll want to keep track of events that apply to the Laurels at that point, but my second will still be a Mia Maid, so I'll need to add the Laurel events. This continues ad nauseum. I could suggest that I'd also like to see some events from another ward in our stake because I'm the assigned high council representative... never mind.

Having the ability to put a single event on multiple calendars would get close to this. There could be a whole bunch of calendars (easily 15 or more!) and an event would be attached to all calendars where it applies. Combined activities would be attached to all six of the youth calendars. YW combined activities would be attached to the three YW calendars. Priest/Laurel activities.... You get the picture.

That creates an issue with calendar management. Should a user have the ability to add an event to a calendar for which they aren't an editor? Probably not. That means that if the YW secretary handles the combined event calendar, she needs the ability to add events to the three YM calendars. She would need to be an editor on those three calendars.

Now to complicate things: Our stake has combined Priest/Laurel events with an adjacent stake a couple of times a year. I'll be interested in those early next year. Ideally, I'd like to be able to pick up those events when they apply to me. Does that mean that it would make sense to create corresponding calendars at the stake level and then I would subscribe to those? I would have 30+ calendars to choose from, but it would give me the most granularity for choosing the calendar view that applies to my situation.

It seems to me that a better approach might be to tag individual events with the member categories they apply to. It's been a long time since I used the LUWS calendar, but I seem to remember that is the way that system worked. An approach similar to that would be to create calendar categories and then give callings or individual members rights at the unit level to modify events in certain categories. For example:

• The primary secretary would have rights to manage events tagged as Primary, Cub Scouts, or Activity Days.
• The cubmaster might have the ability to manage events tagged Cub Scouts.
• The young men presidency would have the ability to manage the three Aaronic Priesthood categories.
• The young women presidency would have similar rights for the young women.
• There might be a few individuals who have rights on both YM and YW calendars to handle combined activities.

If the categories are standardized, the same approach could be used at the stake level. That means that the stake young women presidency could create an event that applies to all young women (a camp fireside, for example) and that event would display for anyone who subscribed to events for one of the three young women categories. In theory, the same approach could extend to the general church level. The priesthood session of conference would be tagged with the five priesthood categories. The general young women meeting would be tagged with the three young women categories.

There would be a need for custom categories at the unit level. There would also be a need for private calendars. I've read here that there are wards where the bishop and executive secretary use a private calendar for managing interviews.

Unfortunately, what I'm suggesting here is a fundamental change to the design of the calendar, which may not be feasible at this point.

If it makes you feel any better, we use six individual Google calendars to schedule our family and Google struggles with some of these same issues.

[kisaac]

All of you who are planning your calendars for the year, how are you handling this scenario?

Our YM and YW leaders already decided they need separate calendars, and the way it is set-up now is to have 4 calendars for each Organization:

YM combined (to hold those items for all YM: Service assignments, Court of Honor, etc.)
YM - Deacons -scouts
YM - Teachers - Venture
YM - Priests - Varsity

with four more in a similar setup for the young women: combined, and beehive through laurels.

They wanted to try this because they already maintain calendars specific to each age, and they give these to parents monthly.

They are really excited about emailing the parents links to the calendar instead of handing out the paper calendars that never make it to the parents. Their calendars may contain sunday lessons with assigned instructors, weekday mutual topics, camps and service projects, presidency meeting times, BYC times, etc.

A combined YM YW activity would currently need to appear on two calendars to ensure that families with just YW or just YM would see it. To correct this, I suspect the now separate YM combined and the YW combined eventually will become one: Youth activities, and hold all those "youth" items that apply generally to families of youth- Temple baptisms, combined activities, Youth conference, etc.

Time will tell how this works.

We are unsure how to handle Cub Scouts and Activity days. Our Cubs are combined with three other wards in the stake, so this would mean a stake calendar, or entry into the stake primary calendar. The leaders don't want this, at present, due to "safety concerns" of having a whole stake membership know specifics of the whereabouts of a vulnerable age group. The Primary president in our ward also shares that concern with a ward "primary calendar" that shows when and where the girls will be meeting for activity days.

The Primary calendar may have generic "cub pack meeting" and "den meeting" and "Activity days" listed on the days they are held, without a specific place or time mentioned. I've encouraged the leaders to make a private calendar inviting only the parents of the boys or girls, but they weren't impressed. I can see that updating this continually as children "age in" and "age out" would be problematic. After all, the goal is to simplify, not complicate.

The Sunday School wanted their own calendar for lesson schedules and those "other classes" they will teach throughout the year, and their in-service.

The HP, Elders and RS have basic calendars set up, but have shown absolutely no interest, yet.

[awev]

We are a fair sized ward, and so we have some of the concerns raised by the posts above. Each major organization/auxiliary has a ward calender, so the YM and YW each have a calendar, same with HP, RS, etc. Then there is two other calendars - the bishopric (for the bishop and his councilors only) and a ward events calendar. The stake added a calendar just a week and half ago. Since YSAs are encouraged to attend the YSA ward we don't have a calendar for that, yet we have created a calendar for the SAs.

The different presidencies have been made aware that they can create private calendars, and it has been suggested that they do so for those in their organization that have related callings, such as Elders Quorum Teach/Relief Society Instructor. As an assistant ward clerk I have the power to approve new calendars, so I would see if one is being created, yet no-one has taken the opportunity to do so yet. This could be a big help for the largest auxiliary we have - primary, yet with the leaders working so closely with the those under their calling the need for a leadership meeting outside of the ward council is rare.

As to the concerns about activities being posted for our youngest members I think a bigger problem is with it appearing in a church bulletin or on a bulletin board. Anyone can come in off the street, attend service and other meetings with us, and we will try to fellowship him/her. Because of this they can get a bulletin from the usher when they enter, see any special posters erected to announce the event, even see a map if it is taking place outside of town. Non-members can NOT access the ward or stake calendar, as you need a membership record number to register for an user account before you can access the LUWS (Local Unit Web Site), where the ward and stake calendars are located.

I can understand the concern about the calendars being made public by people trying to sync them with their Google Calendar, or something similar. That is a real concern, yet if we take the time to properly educate our member, the flock we are charged with protecting and teaching, then we can stand a better chance of utilizing the new tools to the fullest.

Mike

[n.oliver]

However, the second event doesn't have to reserve the resource, so you can save it by simply specifying "Other Location".

Seems more like a workaround ("hack"?) than functionality.

The only practical solution to avoid all these problems is to make the software more complex and allow selection of multiple calendars for a single event. But that raises issues regarding editing rights, and it complicates the user interface. Is it worth the cost in development and complexity? I don't know.

Creating an even in a calender you're an editor for is already in place. Adding it to other calendars should be the same process as creating a new event in those calendars: if you're an editor it goes right in (resource check), if not then its treated as an event submission to be approved by the editor of the other calendar.

For the user interface, I'd imagine the only added complexity would be a "Specify Additional Calendars" link that would open a section with checkboxes for other calendars (perhaps a box to "select all" as well, for Unit-wide events). This would ensure a parent calendar.

If the calendar database uses event ID's like the ICAL transfer standard I would think it wouldn't require much database or programming changes, just linking. If the event was deleted from the parent calendar, its new parent could be the first calendar to accept it, or it is fully deleted.

idk, just some thoughts

[aebrown]

However, the second event doesn't have to reserve the resource, so you can save it by simply specifying "Other Location".

Seems more like a workaround ("hack"?) than functionality.

Call it what you will. I was only trying to give a suggestion as to what could be done with the calendar the way it works now. It seems to me that such a discussion is useful. The conversation about this option was clearly labeled as a means for solving a real-world problem with the calendar as it exists at this point in time.

It's also useful to have a discussion about how the software might work, but that depends on the development team implementing a solution, which could take weeks, months, or years. Until such a fix is implemented, we can only choose to neglect such issues, or find a workaround. I choose the latter.

[kisaac]

Non-members can NOT access the ward or stake calendar, as you need a membership record number to register for an user account before you can access the LUWS (Local Unit Web Site), where the ward and stake calendars are located.

It's not a "member" -"non-member" issue, as the news reports will verify...

[jdlessley]

Non-members can NOT access the ward or stake calendar, as you need a membership record number to register for an user account before you can access the LUWS (Local Unit Web Site), where the ward and stake calendars are located.

It's not a "member" -"non-member" issue, as the news reports will verify...

For the classic calendar Awev is correct -- in part. Access to both the new calendar and classic calendar is through the same credentialing. LDS Account is used to log on to both the classic calendar on the LUWS and to lds.org where the new calendar currently resides. Non-members can obtain an LDS Account. However the credentials of a non-member will not permit them currently to access either the classic LUWS calendar or the new calendar. Limited access to the newFamilySearch is the only access that I know of using non-member LDS Account credentials.

Those of us not on the inside to know the roadmap for the future of lds.org or the new LUWS do not know what is in store for non-member access. Since some non-members can obtain an LDS Account there is potential to give access to any portion of any Church website with those credentials. I doubt that access will be other than to limited general use calendars should any access be granted. My speculation is the timeline for that is years down the road since they have not yet met the needs of membership for the new calendar sufficiently to even to begin thinking about non-members.

[tomjohnson1492-p40]

Access for non-member spouses is a priority and will be implemented in an upcoming release (not sure exactly when). Think of all the non-member parents who want to know the details of their member children and member spouse events -- it's an important piece of functionality, as you point out. The project team is aware of the gap.