Ward calendars

This is just an observation, based upon the new feature that allows me to see all the ward calendar names in my stake. Since units are free to organize their calendars any way they like, this is just a philosophical post.

Some of the wards have not changed their default calendars. I suspect those units also do not even use the calendar to schedule events.

Other wards have left the default calendars intact, but unused, and then created a "Xyz Ward" calendar, which they use to create all ward events. Maybe they thought that was a simpler, less confusing solution. However, I believe that method destroys the privilege assignments given to each auxiliary and quorum. Apparently, those units want a single person to create all ward events.

Still other wards have taken this a step further, and deleted most or all of their default calendars, and create one or two generic ward calendars. Again, maybe that makes things less confusing for them, but it complicates and centralizes administration of the calendars.

I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that each ward is going to use, or to NOT use, their calendar as they see fit, and will not yield to stake guidance, or even to stake pressure. That's fine. Those bishops have that responsibility, not me.

drepouille wrote:Some of the wards have not changed their default calendars.

I'm unaware of any "default" calendar. There was a standard template if the first person setting up the system choose to use the wizard, but that's not quite the same thing.

drepouille wrote:created a "Xyz Ward" calendar, which they use to create all ward events. Maybe they thought that was a simpler, less confusing solution. However, I believe that method destroys the privilege assignments given to each auxiliary and quorum. Apparently, those units want a single person to create all ward events.

To me, the bigger issues is that make it unfriendly for the members to sync. It will contain every event with no way to filter them for the individual member's need. Members are not going to log into a web page to see the ward events on a regular basis. Members are not going to sync the ward calendar to their personal devices if they can't filter it. The wards are sabotaging their own announcement process.

I think this is left-over thinking from LUWS 1.0 where the calendar was more for the leaders than for the end-member.

drepouille wrote:I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that each ward is going to use, or to NOT use, their calendar as they see fit, and will not yield to stake guidance, or even to stake pressure.

Now that stake leaders can actually see the calendar, that may change.

russellhltn wrote:I'm unaware of any "default" calendar. There was a standard template if the first person setting up the system choose to use the wizard, but that's not quite the same thing.

I seem to recall that if you used the wizard, you wound up with a set of default calendars. We certainly used most of them. We deleted one that we did not need, and have since added a few others. But the initial setup left us with several calendars to use to begin the process.

lajackson wrote:

russellhltn wrote:I'm unaware of any "default" calendar. There was a standard template if the first person setting up the system choose to use the wizard, but that's not quite the same thing.

I seem to recall that if you used the wizard, you wound up with a set of default calendars.

Exactly. It's a "Wizard default", not a default of the system. The "system default" was a blank slate: No calendars at all. Just default admins.

So their presence or absence probably says more about "Admin zero" (the very first admin to set things up) than what the ward did.

drepouille wrote:Other wards have ... created a "Xyz Ward" calendar, which they use to create all ward events. Maybe they thought that was a simpler, less confusing solution. However, I believe that method destroys the privilege assignments given to each auxiliary and quorum. Apparently, those units want a single person to create all ward events.

As a note: a single calendar doesn't necessarily mean that a single person adds events to that calendar. An entire ward council could be added as admins to the single calendar.

russellhltn wrote:To me, the bigger issues is that make it unfriendly for the members to sync. It will contain every event with no way to filter them for the individual member's need. Members are not going to log into a web page to see the ward events on a regular basis. Members are not going to sync the ward calendar to their personal devices if they can't filter it. The wards are sabotaging their own announcement process.

I agree completely. I'm not sure if this is what you're referring to for filtering, but I wish each LDS.org calendar had a separate sync URL so individual calendars could be easily toggled on Mac/iOS Calendar or Google Calendar.

sbradshaw wrote:I'm not sure if this is what you're referring to for filtering,

What I'm referring to is a way to reduce the number of events down to a close approximation of what the member needs/wants to attend for inclusion into their own personal calendar.

Speaking for myself, I don't want to have to be looking in different places or even different apps to see what/where I should be. That needs to be condensed into a single calendar. (Sorry, some old Franklin Planner training here.) An individual should have just one calendar. If you try to spread your life across multiple calendars (work, personal, church) you'll end up with conflicts that you won't see until too late. One calendar fed by all sources is the way to go. But you (or at least I) don't want to be cluttering it up with a bunch of things that don't apply to you.

The idea is to have different calendars on the church system so that members can choose. Don't have kids? Don't subscribe to the Primary calendar. Don't have youth? Don't subscribe to the youth calendar. Married? Don't subscribe to the YSA calendar. Along the same idea, I think many organizations will want two calendars - one for the presidency and one for the members. Because most sisters are not interested in when the RS Presidency is meeting.

I really, really, like the sync feature. But it can be completely undermined if the ward/stake fails to set up and use the calendars properly. And by "properly" I mean from the rank-and-file member's point of view. And this doesn't have to come with any compromise to the ward leaders' needs.

sbradshaw wrote:

russellhltn wrote:To me, the bigger issues is that make it unfriendly for the members to sync. It will contain every event with no way to filter them for the individual member's need. Members are not going to log into a web page to see the ward events on a regular basis. Members are not going to sync the ward calendar to their personal devices if they can't filter it. The wards are sabotaging their own announcement process.

I agree completely. I'm not sure if this is what you're referring to for filtering, but I wish each LDS.org calendar had a separate sync URL so individual calendars could be easily toggled on Mac/iOS Calendar or Google Calendar.

Separate sync URL's would be so much nicer than having it all lumped into one. Especially if you want to mirror the color codes on your external calendar.