Calendar Events

U.S.G.L. normally publishes a calendar of events on the public website (currently not active due the COVID-19 pandemic, but likely to return soon). As this is backed by a Google calendar, it can also be overlaid on individuals' personal calendars. The events listed are limited to those of regional or national interest. So, for example, an ordinary local body class would not qualify, but a special guest lecture by a significant scholar would qualify.

Listings on the calendar of events are kept very terse. The information supplied consists of:

  • The title of the event

  • The date(s) of the event (we do not list times to avoid time zone confusion)

  • The location (city and state)

  • Optionally, a very brief description if this is not obvious from the title (avoid if possible)

  • A URL to visit for further information

The URL is especially important. The page linked should be specific to the event, and should provide all the detailed information required by a potential attendee. This should include:

  • The title of the event

  • The date(s) and time(s) of the event

  • The location, as a specific address (or provide instructions on how to obtain the address)

  • A full description of the nature of the event, including expectations of attendees

  • The cost of the event

  • Instructions on how to register and pay for the event, if needed

Note that it's okay to have some "to be determined" items on the page at the time of publication. For example, you might want to announce a major event a year ahead of time, but open registration a few months out. In that case, make sure the page provides explicit explanations of when missing information will become available.

Once you have everything ready, send a request for an event listing to webmaster@oto-usa.org. Be sure to include all the items in the first list above. We do not guarantee that all requests will be granted, but we do err on the side of approval.

Entering calendar events

If you part of the team responsible for entering or modifying events on the USGL calendar, please follow these conventions.

  1. The event title should consist of the major city nearest the event followed by the two-letter capitalized state abbreviation, with no comma in between; in turn followed by a colon, and the briefest reasonable form of the event title. For example: "Los Angeles CA: Spring Electoral College meeting" (even though the meeting is actually in a suburb of Los Angeles). Use mixed case, with capitals reserved for the initial letter and for proper nouns, so e.g. "meeting" rather than "Meeting" in the example. Omit final punctuation.

  2. All events should be marked as all-day events, covering the appropriate span of dates. This avoids timezone confusion.

  3. Include only the main dates for the event. For example, if an all-weekend event also has an informal "meet and greet" session on Friday evening, omit Friday's date. People assessing their ability to attend an event need to know at a glance when they will have to be there.

  4. Leave the location field blank. It is expected that potential attendees will visit the event webpage, and possibly contact the event organizer, to get this information.

  5. The event description should ideally consist of the word "Details" ("D" capitalized) linked to a page specific to the event which meets the requirements discussed above. If absolutely necessary, a very brief description may be provided. Punctuate the text normally if more than than the word "Details" is used. If no link is yet available, use the plain text "Details TBD".

  6. Make sure that you select the "USGL OTO Events" calendar for the event, rather than your personal calendar.

If you are unsure how to apply these rules to a particular event, or want to bend or break them for some reason, please contact the webmaster (webmaster@oto-usa.org) first to discuss options.