ham_solo

The old internet advancement system had a API that other people could use to do automated data, import/export syncs with. The new Scoutbook system has no such API and all 3rd party interfaces with BSA no longer exist. It is pretty obvious at this point that BSA wants Scoutbook to remain 100% proprietary, and take away any options of interfacing advancement data with and 3rd party tools or websites. To the BSA, you should be using Scoutbook or nothing, even though Scoutbook pales in comparison to many other systems such as Troopmaster, Trooptrack etc.

Notice how national in all the press photos lately is now having everyone tie their neckers at the bottom like the rest of the world scouting does instead of using a slide, and they are all wearing the longer traditional style neckers. eg: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2020/03/05/on-the-100th-year-since-the-19th-amendment-lets-look-how-scouts-stood-with-suffragists/ I am all for it, I like larger necker sizes, and it really makes US Scouts more in line with the rest of the scouts in the world. But it does seem interesting that national seems to have made that uniform decision to set that as a new standard and not even communicated it to anyone(like usual).

You can't help think this could have been avoided if the other adults would have paid attention. THAT is the real purpose of YPT.

Since, the BSA went back on their promise to provide an import/export method for 3rd party programs like the one we use for our records which we HAD and worked great with the old internet advancement system, I am just going back to paper and will just turn paper forms into the council from now on and not deal with scoutbook at all.

Holy cow. This also now means it is only safe to go camping or another outing with FOUR instead of 3 minimum. With 3 we had enough of someone got hurt and we had to take them back to camp for a twisted ankle or god forbid a hospital or rangers office or something more serious. Two could go with the scout and maintain two deep, the 3rd adult could stay with the youth and continue the hike etc. Now you need 4 to handle those situations. This is killer for small troops And I guess if you read this strict the SPL is not allowed to take control of his troop on a hike or even on a walk to the state park playground or something without at least 2 adults along as well.

>Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including meetings. Hmm, that will be a problem for me as SM when the PLC has their meetings once a month an hour before one of the regular Troop meetings. Since no other adult leaders are really invited to the PLC meeting, usually I show up and open the door to the church for them to have their PLC meeting, and sit over in the corner of the room while they have their meeting, unless I am asked a question, or feel the need to ask a question, and then I say a few things at the end. This all happens before any of the rest of the troop shows up and no parents or other adult leaders show up until about the time their PLC meeting is wrapping up. In a Troop with only a SM, 2 ASMs and a CC this will be a challenge to get another registered leader to show up as well. I have always followed the old YPT rules and no one-on-one contact, always have at least multiple youth present at all times etc. But sometimes there are just not other adults present. Heck, I can even think of a few meetings where for a little while I was the only adult in the building while the only parent there had to run out or something. We have so many adults that just drop and go these days. There are times at summer camp where all the other adults are away and I will wander back to our campsite and be the only adult present when some group of boys is there playing cards or something. Do the adults now need a buddy system at summer camp to make sure there will never be just one of us anywhere there are scouts in addition to making sure there are multiple youth? This creates more questions such as: Do I need to start telling the boys they can't have their PLC meeting if no other adults will attend? Do I tell them to call their parents to pick them up if the CC is working 2nd shift and one ASM is sick and the other is out of town?

How do you make a copy of this and use it on the desktop version?

Scouts USA should be the eventual name to match Scouts UK, Scouts Canada etc

I believe it is all about scholarships. People are desperate to be able to afford the price of college these days and I hear people talk about scholarships 100x more than anyone ever did when I was young. Pretty much the same reason that is having a bad impact and cheapening the Eagle award.

Depends on the project. I have had some scouts do project where they needed a couple people who were very detail oriented for say painting very detailed and complicated patterns on a floor and they only invited a few older scouts to help and that was a very legitimate decision I thought by the scout. Most other projects where there is lots of heavy lifting, digging, sawing/hammering, or slapping a solid color of paint onto some picnic benches or something then I would suggest pretty much anyone can help with so the whole troop gets invited. I even had a scout who did his whole project with him and his friends from NYLT and did use anyone from the Troop, all the guys in that group all helped each other do their eagle projects. As a SM, I just talk to the scout and guide him to see what he thinks is best.

A rare creature that some of us have actually seen. Unlike of course the mysterious Unit Executive which is a mythical creature which has only been rumored to have been seen by some scouters that say they caught rare glimpses of one, but it was always a foggy nite and if you ask me their tales are often a little far fetched.

What I don't get is why are they still talking about releasing the Scoutbook Lite version as well later this year, which was supposed to originally be the free replacement for Internet Advancement, but you would still have to pay for the full Scoutbook. Now that the full Scoutbook will be free for all, why in the world is BSA still going to waste money on "Scoutbook Lite" version also, and have to maintain a totally separate software product, with a "different user interface" from now until forever that will only be used by a small percentage of units? That sort of thinking is just wasting resources to me and just someone not willing to admit their project is not needed anymore. The only reason for Scoutbook Lite to exist in the first place, was because of the original scheme that the regular Scoutbook was going to continue to be a paid product, and they needed something free to replace internet advancement, because they could not force everyone to pay for the full version. But, now that the full scoutbook is going to be free, what in the world are they thinking? /Still plan to continue to use TroopTrack for our troop because it has every feature that people have been asking for years in their forums to be added to Scoutbook(and little if any progress has been made apparently over the years).

Scoutbook Subscriptions will be free starting January 1, 2019 In an effort to drive program consistency and deeper engagement with our youth and leaders, Boy Scouts of America is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2019, Scoutbook subscriptions will be free to all BSA units. Scoutbook (https://www.scoutbook.com ) is an online unit management tool that ensures that you never miss a Scouting moment—from tracking advancements to milestone achievements along the Scouting adventure. When units with a current Scoutbook account need to renew their subscription this fall, they will not pay any renewal fees effective September 1, 2018. When councils with Scoutbook accounts for their units need to renew these unit subscriptions this fall, they will not pay any renewal fees effective September 1, 2018. Essentially, units (or councils paying for their units) can renew Scoutbook subscriptions in September, October, November, or December 2018 at no cost. For units currently without a Scoutbook account, they can begin their free Scoutbook unit subscription on January 1, 2019.

I bet $100 he gets it if he appeals to National. I denied one recently for similar circumstances as SM, for a scout who had not been camping since 2014, had not correctly finished 5 eagle merit badges, never served in a position as Life, etc.. but the parents submitted what looked more like a legal brief to Council/National than a request, and in their letter made it sound like all of us leaders were incompetent, etc. And eventually after even the Council Eagle Committee who performed their investigation and reviewed it did not give their approval, still when they sent it with their non-recommendation to National, the Troop was still overruled by National, and so the Council gave him a board and approved his eagle anyway. None of us in the Troop were involved in the board, we refused. I got the feeling National and Council just wanted them to go away and gave them whatever they wanted so they would not go to court. That is the way it is these days.

Ok, I am totally confused about the current Eagle Plam's requirements of the month. Is the 3-month active after eagle requirement gone? I believe it is still published in the guide to advancement, but I have read in a few places it is gone. The requirements for scoutmasters conference and board are gone as well I believe. I have a young man who just earned his eagle but I am not sure if I can award him palms right away for the merit badges that qualify or not. Is there even an official 'form' anymore to submit? Everything I can find has the old requirements on them. Or do I just award them and submit them via regular advancement form stuff? I gotta say, that this scoutmaster is confused.