An electronic calendaring method for use in a data processing system that comprises a plurality of interactive type work stations (terminals or personal computers) connected directly or indirectly to a host processor. A method assists a calendar owner who receives a notice at his work station requesting his involvement in a future event that is being calendared by another calendar owner on the system, to manually or automatically designate in the reply a temporary replacement to attend the meeting being calendared or a permanant replacement to attend all future meetings without affecting his status in the system as a receipient of the meeting notice.