Planning Your Time Capsule Event in Uncertain Times

How do you choose an event date when the future event's timing is uncertain? These days sometimes the date of the current event is uncertain. Indeed, how do you plan or even choose wording that will be correct and not wrong for something as permanent as a plaque? Well, it just has to work.

There are several ways to approach what you need to do. First, think in general dates rather than specifics. It's normal to set an exact date for a dedication event, and normal to set a more general date for opening the time capsule or an event far into the future.

Even before the COVID-19 days, one needed to consider the possible schedules of one's future community. For instance, what day of the week is October 2, 2120? It is easy to do an internet search for the information or use a site such as Day of the Week Calculator (spoiler alert: it's a Wednesday). If you are a church, you might want to specify a special Sunday in the future.

Then again, what is wrong with specifying a simple suggested year of opening the time capsule? Suggest an opening date "During our 150th Birthday Celebration in 2120". This is not as mundane as "Open in 2120" because it gives a suggested opening time period and addition to a future event (the Anniversary) yet does not limit the future planners to a specific day in the future.

Sometimes, too, time capsules are opened not only once but every 20 years, for instance. Your plaque could indicate such an opening year suggestion.

Whatever you choose to do, placing details of the time capsule dedication on a plaque that marks or tells where the time capsule is located is helpful to future planners.