To avoid conflicts between community organizations and help them plan events, the McLean Community Center (MCC) has established a community calendar available at its web site, www.mcleancenter.org/calendar.
The idea grew from a conversation between MCC Board of Governors vice chairman Caroline Pickens and Jan Auerbach, president of the Safe Community Coalition and also a member of the MCC board.
“Caroline went to the front desk and asked when the craft show was scheduled,” Auerbach said. “But the people at the front desk just have the program guide for the next season.”
Both Pickens, a former president of the McLean Citizens Association, and Auerbach, former president of the Safe Community Coalition, know that when scheduling an event in McLean, “If you want a large audience you don’t schedule something on back-to-school night.”
So they discussed the idea of establishing a calendar that would be readily available at the center’s web site.
Not only would it help organizations to avoid conflicts, it would help individuals planning their vacations and nights at the theater, Auerbach said. For others, it would help “just knowing what’s going on.”
Now, the calendar is up and running, with Auerbach serving informally as webmaster of the calendar portion.
The center’s deputy director, Peter Gray, arranged for web access with a contractor, LaserNet Internet Services, and the page was set up with Auerbach approving calendar items that are submitted.
“I have the role of approval,” she said. “I figure out what to post.”
She also seeks out listings for events that she knows are coming up.
“It’s got to be a McLean event,” she said.
That includes school plays, community meetings, sports events, and church-sponsored programs other than worship.
The name, sponsor, date, time and place of the event should be submitted. After the date, the event is eliminated from the calendar listing.
Auerbach said she wants community organizations to appoint a person to keep their calendar listings updates.
“I want [the site] to be as robust as possible,” she said.
The calendar is listed on the MCC’s home page.
“We are hoping that featuring it on our home page will draw interest,” said Gray.