How to Schedule & Manage Lodge Stays

How to Schedule & Manage Lodge Stays

Lodge administrators learn how to add, clone, edit, and manage lodge stays. Also learn how to schedule and manage activities, courses, clinics, seminars, and events for your lodge.

If you want to stay at one of our lodges, or want to bring your group to one of them, please visit the lodge page to learn more.

  • Baker Lodge - at the end of SR-542 at the Mount Baker Ski Area
  • Meany Lodge - off of I-90 ~10 miles east of Snoqualmie Pass
  • Stevens Lodge - off of US-2 at the Stevens Pass Mountain Resort

Table of Contents

Adding a Lodge Stay

  1. Log into your account and go to your lodge's web page: Baker Lodge, Meany Lodge, or Stevens Lodge.
  2. In the left side, blue navigation section, click "Calendar". You can also scroll down the page to find a grey "Calendar" box on the right hand side. 
  3. In the yellow admin bar at the top, click on  "Add new…" and select "Lodge Stay."

NOTEs

  • It's usually much better to clone an existing lodge stay than to create one from scratch. Only create one from scratch if you need completely different details than what is already in place.
  • You can create folders in your "Calendar" folder to group lodge stays (e.g. Winter 2016-17, Summer 2017). Contact our Member Services Team, info@mountaineers.org if you need help.

Cloning a Lodge Stay

  1. Log into your account and go to your lodge's webpage: Baker Lodge, Meany Lodge, or Stevens Lodge.
  2. Click on a lodge stay in the "Calendar" box on the right. Choose an existing item that will have the best info for making the clones (e.g. a Friday night lodge stay if you're adding a bunch of Friday night lodge stays).
  3. Choose "Clone" from the "Actions" menu in the admin panel.

NOTES

  • You can create folders in your "Calendar" folder to group lodge stays (e.g. Winter 2016-17, Summer 2017). Contact our Member Services Team if you need any help doing so.

Visual Learner? 

Watch our helpful video that walks through adding and cloning a lodge stay

Embedly Powered
via YouTube

 

important notes about lodge stay fields


default: title

For consistency, simplicity, to minimize confusion, and for search engines, please use this format:
[Lodge Name] [Day of Week] Night - [optional info] - [Date (m/d/yy)]
Example: Stevens Lodge Saturday Night - Block Party - 1/28/18.

default: Summary

A good summary contains 2-3 sentences that describe the lodge stay. Include anything special about that particular lodge stay like "It's Block Party weekend."

default: description

This is a 'rich text field', meaning you can add text formatting, images, and video. Use this space to describe the lodge stay in as much detail as possible.

default:  Notes

This is a 'rich text field', meaning you can add text formatting, images, and video. This is where to tell guests what to expect and what to bring for their stay - the routine information that will likely be the same for all lodge stays.

default: Driving Directions

Add the URL to your lodge's driving directions. This should be:

reservations: total capacity + host & volunteer capacity

If you need to reserve space for your volunteers, specify that capacity in the "Host & Volunteer Capacity" field. Note that the "Total Capacity" field is the maximum capacity of your lodge, and the Host & Volunteer Capacity is part of that total.

Example: Your lodge's maximum capacity is 65, and you want to reserve space for 15 volunteers. Set the "Total Capacity" to 65 and the "Host & Volunteer Capacity" to 15. That leaves space for 50 participants to reserve and pay.

Reservations: Reservation Restriction

This is a "Leader's Permission" style feature. If specified, this message will be shown to guests making reservations as an explanation of who reservations are restricted to, and they will be asked to check a box indicating that they have permission.

Reservations: Bundled Lodge Stays

This feature allows us to bundle lodge stays that must be purchased together. For example, we can set up a Friday night stay so that the Saturday night stay that goes with it will automatically be added to the person’s lodge stays when they are making a reservation. Lodge attendees will be able to remove the Friday night to have Saturday only, but if Saturday is removed, it will also remove Friday. To set up the lodge stays as a bundle, edit the Friday night stay and add the Saturday night stay to its "Bundled Lodge Stays" field.

Reservations: Enable Lodge stay notification list

This feature enables users who are interested in staying at a fully booked lodge to join an email notification list. If space becomes available, a notification is sent to everyone on the list after a 10-minute delay, and they are then removed from the list. Since lodge stays are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, users can check availability again, and if the lodge is full, they can re-sign up to receive notifications for the next available spot. Users do not have to log-in to add themselves to the notification list.

categorization: tags

When adding anything for your lodge, always open the “Categorization” section on the edit form and add your lodge’s tag (e.g. Baker Lodge, Meany Lodge or Stevens Lodge). Tags and tag search are case sensitive! You may add any other tags that are appropriate.

Adding a question to ask guests when they make a reservation

When guests make a reservation, you can ask a question for them to answer for themselves and all of the guests they add.

To add the question:

  1. Log into your account and go to your lodge's web page: Baker Lodge, Meany Lodge, or Stevens Lodge. Note that this is also your lodge's committee page.
  2. In the yellow admin bar, click 'Edit' and add the question or information request to the "Instructions for Outdoor Center Reservation Notes" field. For example, you could ask for their preferred Snowcat departure time  or their vehicle's license plate number. This question will be asked for all lodge stays when people make a reservation.
  3. Click the "Save" button.

Promo (Discount) Codes

If you want to offer discounts for lodge stays, . We can help you create the promo codes you need.

Canceling a Lodge Stay

If you need to cancel an entire lodge stay, choose that lodge stay by clicking on its title in the calendar. Then change its state to "Canceled."

Important! Please send an email to all registered guests and let them know that the lodge stay was canceled and that refunds will be processed in the next few business days.

Note: If you are closing the lodge for an entire weekend, you need to cancel lodge stays for each individual night (e.g. Friday AND Saturday nights).

Refunds: Canceling a lodge stay automatically sends an email to our Member Services Team. They will confirm the cancellation with you and then process refunds for all of your guests.

Lodge Stay Rosters

Viewing a set of lodge stay rosters

  1. Log into your account and go to your lodge's web page: Baker Lodge, Meany Lodge, or Stevens Lodge.
  2. Click on the “View Lodge Stay Rosters” button at the right.
  3. Choose the dates you want to review by clicking the "+"or "i" buttons on the calendar.
  4. Click the “Show Rosters” button below the calendar.

Downloading a Set of Lodge Stay Rosters

  1. Choose a set of lodge stay rosters using the “Viewing a set of lodge stay rosters” item above.
  2. Check the boxes for an entire grouping or individuals as desired or do nothing for "everyone."
  3. Click the “Download All” or "Download Selected" button at the bottom of the rosters.

Printing the Sign-in Sheet for a Set of Lodge Stay Rosters

  1. Choose a set of lodge stay rosters using the “View a set of lodge stay rosters” test item above.
  2. Check the boxes for an entire grouping or individuals as desired or do nothing for "everyone." Hint: Most, if not all, the time you'll want to choose only the "Registered" group.
  3. Add a title for an optional column if needed.
  4. Click the “Print All” or "Print Selected" button at the bottom of the rosters.
  5. Print the result (the print dialog for your computer should open with your default printer and its settings).

Emailing guests

  1. Choose a set of lodge stay rosters using the “View a set of lodge stay rosters” test item above.
  2. Check the boxes for an entire grouping or individuals as needed.
  3. Click the “Send Email" button to send an email to the selected individuals using the website's email dialog -OR- click the "Copy Email Addresses" button to obtain the email addresses for the selected individuals for use with your own email application.

Adding volunteers or guests to the team roster

  1. ​Choose the roster(s) using the steps in Viewing a Set of Lodge Stay Rosters.
  2. Click on the the title of the lodge stay roster to the right of the calendar chooser. Note: right-click and choose "open in new..." if you need to add people to more than one roster.
  3. Click on the "+ Add Person to Roster" button at the top left of the roster.
  4. Look up the person you are adding using first and last name or email address.
  5. Click on the person's name in the list displayed.
  6. Make sure all the details about the person's stay are correct (e.g. role, notes, etc.).
  7. Click the "Save" button.

Adding Volunteer Hours to Lodge Stay Hosts, Cooks and Other Volunteers

There are typically only a few hosts, cooks, or other volunteers for each lodge stay, so volunteers hours need to be added one lodge stay and one volunteer at a time. Because lodge volunteers have roster admin permissions, you can update your own volunteer hours on the lodge stay rosters.

  1. ​Choose the roster(s) using the steps in Viewing a Set of Lodge Stay Rosters.
  2. Click on the the title of the lodge stay roster to the right of the calendar chooser. Note: right-click and choose "open in new..." if you need to add people to more than one roster.
  3. Click on the "Edit" link next to the person's name on the roster for whom you are adding volunteer hours.
  4. Add the number of hours to the "Volunteer Hours" field.
  5. Click the "Save" button.

Learn more about recording volunteer hours.

volunteers Making a reservation for themselves and their guests

  1. Log into your account and make a reservation for your lodge: Baker Lodge Reservations, Meany Lodge Reservations, or Stevens Lodge Reservations.
  2. Your Role defaults to "Volunteer." If you need to pay for yourself, please change it to "Participant." If you are serving in a different role, choose the one needed.
  3. Use the green "Add Guest" button as many times as needed to add family and friends. The Role defaults to "Participant" which requires payment, so please change this if your family's stay is free.
  4. Click the blue "Make Reservation" button. If you need to pay for any of your lodge stays, you'll be directed to the shopping cart to pay. If all of your lodge stays are free, you'll be redirected to the My Lodge Stays page.

Processing Walk-in Reservations

  1. Log into your account and go to your lodge's web page: Baker Lodge, Meany Lodge, or Stevens Lodge.
  2. Click on the "Make a Reservation" button at the right.
  3. Choose the date(s) of the walk-in reservation you are processing from the calendar.
  4. Look up the person who is the primary guest in the "Alternate Contact" box. Note that you may need to have this person first create a guest account or join The Mountaineers. Be sure to choose the "Participant" radio button for them.
  5. Add guests in addition to the primary guest id applicable.
  6. Click the "Make Reservation" button.
  7. In the "Alternate Payer" box, search for and select the person who is paying (you can search by first name & last name or email address). It will default to the person you chose as the primary guest when you come directly from the "Make a Reservation" button. You can change this if needed. You must look up a person if this is empty.
  8. Click the "Proceed to Checkout" button on the shopping cart page.
  9. Enter the Billing Address and Payment Information and click the "Complete Purchase" button.

Selling merchandise

  1. Log into your account and go to your lodge's web page: Baker Lodge, Meany Lodge or Stevens Lodge.
  2. Click on the "Merchandise" link in the left navigation side bar.
  3. Click the title of the item the guest wishes to purchase.
  4. Make a required size/color selection and then click the "Add to cart" button.
  5. Repeat Steps 2-4 as needed for all merchandise the guest wishes to purchase.
  6. Click on the shopping cart icon in the header and then the "Checkout" button.
  7. In the "Alternate Payer" box, search for and select the person who is paying (you can search by first name & last name or email address).
  8. Click the “Proceed to Checkout” button on the shopping cart page.
  9. Enter the Billing Address and Payment Information and click the “Complete Purchase” button.

Managing Groups

For working with groups, there are three things we need to manage:

1. Tracking payment. We can and should have all group invoicing and payments handled through our Program Center accounting team. For the 2017-18 season Tess, , will help Baker Lodge and Meany Lodge, and Jeff, , will help Stevens Lodge. Please contact them with any questions.

2. Registering the group. Add the group's contact person (who will be at the lodge) for each lodge stay using the Adding Volunteers or Guests to the Team Roster section above. In the "Group Name & Notes" field add the group's name and size (e.g. Boy Scout Troop #546 - 12 youth, 5 adults) and any dietary info for the group to the "Dietary Notes" field (e.g. 2 are allergic to peanuts). Note that you may need to ask the group's contact to create a guest account if they are not already a  member or guest.

3. Managing the capacity. For a lodge stays with a group and individuals attending, the capacity of each lodge stay by one less than the group's size. Example: For a lodge stay with a capacity of 40 and a group bringing 20, we'd reduce the lodge stay capacity to 21 (in Step 2 we registered one person from the group so the group is listed in the roster).

Adding Activities, Courses and Events to your calendar

Any activity, course, clinic, seminar or event with your Outdoor Center tag (e.g. "Baker Lodge") will appear on your calendar. Learn more about the differences between activities, courses and events. Here are the how tos for adding these items to our website:

Here are some examples applicable to lodges:

Activities

  • Consider scheduling work parties as activities so that participants can get stewardship credit.
  • Snowshoe and ski trips that your lodge leads (e.g. Meany's Snowshoe Trek + Lunch).
  • Day use at your lodge, especially if a fee is required and preregistration is desired.
  • Snowshoe and ski trips other committees lead that may stop by your lodge for day use.
  • Activities led by groups using your lodge for weekend and week-long stays (e.g. Photography, Snowshoeing, Hiking, Retired Rovers).

Courses, Clinics and Seminars

  • Staff training so that you can automatically assign the Outdoor Center Host badge.
  • Skiing courses and lessons series sponsored and led by your lodge.
  • Courses that use your lodge (e.g. Everett's AIARE Avalanche Course, Seattle's Intense Scramble Course).

Events

  • In-town fundraising events.
  • In-town info sessions like Meet The Mountaineers.
  • Committee meetings so that you can assign volunteers hours for all who attend.