I call this concept having a primary and a set of derivative templates.

I keep the needed vba code in my primary template and create the derivative
templates by opening the primary and using Save As to same the derivative
template. The way I do it, the primary and each derivative template has a
document variable which contains the name of the primary template.

When a new document is created based upon a derivative template, the autonew
macro checks to see whether the attached template's name matches the primary
template name in the document variable. If it does not, it attaches the new
document to the primary template and updates the styles. (It also brings in
content from the header and footer of the primary template.) All other
content and any unique styles in the derivative template remain in the new
document. (The content which is transferred is bookmarked.)

To do this, a key is to standardize on the storage location for the primary
template. (The derivative templates can be kept anywhere.) This is a
particular folder in the workgroup templates folder. The macro checks for
the setting for the workgroup templates folder when it starts and sets this
as a part of the path to attach the template to the new document. This way
even if the workgroup templates folder location differs between computers or
is changed at a later time, the macro continues to find the template.

To have multiple sets of primary/derivative templates all that is needed is
to change the document variable in the new primary template to the name of
that new primary template.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
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"Jonathan Parminter" wrote in message
...
Hi, can you please confirm my thoughts on the following.

We have several agenda item templates. The layout is
different from template to template. However, formatting
is the same. For example, Heading 1 has the same
formatting for all these templates.

My thought is to set up a global agenda template that has
all the styles used by all standard agenda templates. The
reason is to avoid duplication of styles and the resulting
problem of updating/maintenance. Another problem this is
to help resolve, is that we have more than one contributor
to agenda documents. An outcome we want is that we can
combine documents into a single document (using Insert
File) without having to reformat.

So, we will have a style named, 'Agenda' in each standard
template and in the global template.

When the format of the Agenda style is changed/updated in
the global template, will this change update each of the
standard templates' Agenda style?

Any ideas or suggestions for a better method
appreciated. :-)

Cheers
Jonathan