Targeting who an event is for
How the Audience picker aims an event at a den, a patrol, a mailing list, or the whole troop — and what that changes.
By default events are troop-wide. The Audience picker lets you aim an event at one den (Cub Scouts), one patrol (Scouts BSA), or one mailing list — for example a leaders' meeting aimed at your leaders list.
The picker
In the event form, Audience is a dropdown:
- Troop-wide (default) — the event is for everyone.
- Dens (Cub Scouts only) — Lion Den, Tiger Den, Wolf Den, Bear Den, Webelos Den, AOL Den.
- Patrols (Scouts BSA only) — every patrol you've created in Admin > Patrols.
- Mailing lists — any of your troop's mailing lists, including custom lists and lists built from other lists.
You pick one audience. For a "two dens" event, make it troop-wide, create two events, or create a mailing list that includes both dens and aim the event at that.
Who is in a mailing list audience
Exactly the people the list's email reaches. It's worked out when someone looks, not when you save the event: someone added to the list next week will see the event next week.
What changes when you target an audience
- Calendar default view.
- A den event shows by default to families with a Scout in that den. Anyone can switch the den filter to All to see it.
- A mailing list event shows by default only to people on the list. Anyone else can turn on Show events for lists I'm not on.
- Calendar feeds (subscriptions) leave out mailing list events for lists the subscriber isn't on.
- Digest emails. The digest only lists a den, patrol or mailing list event to the people in its audience. Everyone gets troop-wide events.
Targeting doesn't hide an event. Any member can still open it from a link or by changing the calendar filters. If an event must stay private, don't put the details in it.
Leaders aren't exempt. A leader with no Scout in the Bear den doesn't get Bear events in their digest. To keep leaders in the loop, aim the event at a mailing list that includes both the den and your leaders.
If a targeted list is deleted
The event goes back to being troop-wide, so nobody loses it. When you next edit it, the Audience picker shows A deleted list. Choose a new audience, or leave it as it is.
Related articles
Creating an event — end to end
A walkthrough of every section in the event form so you know what's optional, what triggers what, and what happens when you save.
Calendar views and filters
How the four view modes differ, and how den/patrol/category filters interact.
Mailing lists — auto and custom
How auto-managed and custom mailing lists work, and who can post to which.
Email digest — schedule and look-ahead
How to configure the recurring "what's coming up" email to your families.