The Schedule Toolbox is just one part of the larger Group Scheduling framework. The administrative configuration (Set Up Group Scheduling) and the Group Scheduler cover how Group Scheduling is set up and managed internally. And remember, while many of the examples may revolve around weekend serving schedules, don’t feel limited to that. Group Scheduling extends far beyond typical weekend service coordination. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! For instance, Group Scheduling can be used to: Organize VBS staff and volunteer schedulesCoordinate summer camp volunteersSet up a rotating schedule for monthly campus potlucksKeep youth groups on track and engagedSeamlessly manage special events The Schedule Toolbox can be accessed from your public-facing website via the My Account page. Let's explore the details, starting with the person’s Current Schedule. Current Schedule The Current Schedule is exactly what it sounds like. It shows the person's currently accepted, declined and pending serving engagements. But there's more to it than just glancing at a list of dates and times. Let's break down the features in this area of the Schedule Toolbox. Add to Calendar - What’s more convenient than having your schedule on your own calendar? This button will automatically download a .ics file to your computer, which you can import into your calendar software. On mobile, this will immediately ask if you want to add it directly to your calendar. Copy Calendar Link - This will copy a link to your calendar to your clipboard. This makes it easy to paste it directly into calendar software like Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar.Schedule Unavailability - This is where you can set periods when you’ll be unavailable to serve, perhaps due to a vacation or schedule conflict.Actions - Each of these buttons will direct the volunteer to a new screen where they can manage different aspects of their schedule and schedule preferences. Each of these actions is described in the Schedule Unavailability, Update Schedule Preferences and Sign Up for Additional Times sections of this article. The list of available Actions can be modified by editing the block's settings.Confirmed - Confirmed assignments can be cancelled by clicking the three dots and selecting Cancel Confirmation. Similarly, Declined assignments can be accepted by clicking the three dots and selecting Confirmed. Note the text for both of these buttons can be controlled via block setting. Accept/Decline - Will you be able to serve in this slot? Simply click Accept or Decline for each schedule and location.Unavailable - This indicates an assignment that occurs during a period of unavailability, which the volunteer can configure for themselves (see the Schedule Unavailability section of this article). Clicking the three dots to the right will let the person remove such assignments from the list. The Add to Calendar and Copy Calendar Link buttons described above won’t be available until you have an actual, confirmed schedule. In other words, nothing will go on your calendar if you haven’t Accepted anything yet. Keep in mind you may need to download these files multiple times as your schedule changes. TipBlock SettingsBe sure to review the settings for this block because there are a lot of them. For instance, you can change the text of buttons on the page, or you can disable some of the features entirely. Cancelling a “Confirmed” assignment changes it to “Declined” automatically. A reason for declining will be required if the Group Type is configured to require a reason. Also, a Decline Note will appear if enabled in the block settings (both are off by default). You may also notice that you can switch between schedulable family members on all panels of the Schedule Toolbox. Pictured below, Noah and Alex are not listed only because they do not belong to any schedulable groups. Family members will appear in the Schedule Unavailability window (see the Schedule Unavailability section of this article), even if they’re not schedulable. Schedule Unavailability Let's look at how to set the dates for when you’re unavailable to serve. The below screen can be accessed by clicking on the Schedule Unavailability button from the main Schedule Toolbox page. Date Range - This is where volunteers can select dates indicating when they can’t serve. This will prevent the person from being scheduled to serve on those dates.Unavailability Notes - The person can optionally provide a description, indicating why they are unavailable for the selected dates.Group - A volunteer can be unavailable for serving in a single group, or across all groups.Individual - If a person is unavailable, it's often the case that others in their family are also unavailable. Here the person has the option to indicate which family member(s) are not available to serve on the selected dates. Whoever is selected on the main Schedule Toolbox window will be at the top of the Individual list and will be automatically selected. The list of available groups from the Group drop-down is based on this person. Update Schedule Preferences The screen displayed below is accessible by clicking the "Update Schedule Preferences" button on the main Schedule Toolbox page. You can switch between groups by clicking on the headers at the top of the block. In block settings, you can choose to display the group's campus in these headers. If no abbreviated name is configured, the full campus name is used. Send Reminders - Each volunteer can select how long before a scheduled serving time they want to receive a reminder that they're scheduled to serve. They can also choose to not be sent a reminder at all.Current Schedule - This is where volunteers can set the frequency of their serving. This list can be maintained under Admin Tools > Settings > Group Member Schedule Templates. Options include: No ScheduleEvery WeekEvery Other Week1st and 3rd Week2nd and 4th Week Assignment Preferences - This is where volunteers can set their preferences for when they would like to serve and where. Or, a person can choose not to select a location, indicating they don't have a location preference. Only named schedules marked as Show Publicly are listed. These preferences are used to Auto-Schedule volunteers. The person's assignment preferences can also be viewed and maintained from the Group Member Detail page. Sign Up for Additional Times The last stop on our tour of the Schedule Toolbox is the Sign-Up screen. Volunteers come here to sign up for serving opportunities that aren’t currently on their schedule. This page is easy to use; all you need to do is check the box next to the serving opportunity. You may also see an option to pick a preferred location if there are multiple locations from which to choose. NoteAvailability in this list (e.g., 2 people needed) is based on the Desired capacity. Once the Desired number is reached, the slot is considered filled, though members can still sign up as long as the Maximum isn't hit. Immediate Needs Let's take a moment to spotlight a feature called Immediate Needs. Here, you'll discover serving opportunities requiring volunteers immediately. How immediate? You decide by setting the time frame. With Immediate Needs enabled, urgent serving opportunities are prioritized at the top of the list, highlighted in blue. Sign up by checking the box next to the time and selecting a location if applicable. Immediate Needs are disabled by default but can be enabled in the block settings. There you’ll also find other related settings. Cutoff Time (Hours) - This setting affects the entire page, including Immediate Needs. It determines which serving opportunities are displayed. Those starting before the cutoff time are excluded. For instance, with a setting of "1," opportunities starting within the next hour won't appear.Enable Immediate Needs - The settings below only apply if Immediate Needs is enabled. If it’s not enabled, you won’t see the Immediate Needs area on the page regardless of these settings.Immediate Need Title - If you’d prefer to call it something besides “Immediate Needs” then you can change it here.Immediate Need Introduction - You can stick with the provided wording or craft your own if you wish.Immediate Need Window (Hours) - This is the other end of the Cutoff Time setting above. Anything that starts after this window will not be shown as an Immediate Need but will show up on the page in general as long as it’s within the Date Range.