Most recently a Cubmaster

[cubtrails]

I've served in LDS scouting programs as Webelos Den Leader, Assistant Varsity Coach, and most recently Cubmaster.

 

For the last year, I've worked as a volunteer to create www.scoutinghub.com - adopted by the Grand Canyon Council to manage adult leader training.

 

I'm also the creator of www.cubtrails.com, an online system for tracking cub scout achievements.

 

Excited to rub shoulders with other scouters.

 

Eric

[mdlscouting]

cubtrails looks interesting... If we hadn't already setup on the Packmaster series of products, I'd probably give it a shot.

[ScoutNut]

Cubtrails looks interesting, but has a few flaws.

 

No way to edit meetings/activities after input, and the forms are rather useless. Also, no way to add Pack specific awards.

 

Good start!

 

[cubtrails]

@wahooker - I sent you a PM to try to lure you to CubTrails

 

@ScoutNut - thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. I had a few questions/comments

 

-- No way to edit activities

 

Yeah, activities are a fairly new development, and some of those basic functions are missing. Shouldn't be too hard to add, though

 

-- No way to edit den meetings

 

What would make sense to be able to change after the fact?

 

-- Forms are useless

 

I assume you're referring to the tracking of forms for the activities? What would make it better?

 

-- Pack-specific awards

 

This is the first I've heard of this. How are they typically tracked? Do they have individual requirements that need to be tracked? or just the award?

 

Again, thanks for the feedback - any other you have would be greatly welcome. I've tried to make CubTrails as simple as possible - I admit that sometimes I end up cutting out things that people deem "necessary"... But it's a work in progress and I'm really open to feedback.

[jpstodwftexas]

How Much Is Cubtrail after free trial?

 

[jpstodwftexas]

Why would It be Necessary to Change Meeting information..

 

Simple: Location Changes, Speaker Change or Cancel. event Time Changes..or Cancellation

 

 

 

 

[cubtrails]

Copied from another post:

 

We are entering into a "beta" phase of our release of CubTrails. We started this at the beginning of May and will go for 6 months (end of September). Customers that join during the beta phase will get a lower pricing (for life) because I'm hoping they'll provide feedback and help work some of the rough edges off:

 

Monthly: $6.99 ($83.88/year)

One-year subscription: $69.95/year

Three-year subscription: $54.95/year

 

----

 

I can see what you are saying with changing meetings in general (like Pack Meetings). In CubTrails currently, though, the den meetings aren't planned out, but rather are used to record what has already happened. This also will likely change (at least if my local committee chair has her way)...

[jpstodwftexas]

Facebook is free for Most of What The programs do..

[cubtrails]

"Facebook is free for Most of What The programs do..."

 

For a lot of stuff, yes. That's why I probably won't add features like pack websites, photo albums, or file storage. People can get that stuff for free or cheap elsewhere.

 

Now, tracking cub scout advancements - that's another story...

 

[jpstodwftexas]

What exactly is the selling point of a Program which you must pay yearly for?

 

Is there really that Much Change to the cub scout program that you have to have a Program updated daily weekly monthly or yearly..just to add New Boys at a huge Expense..

 

Can the Unit Advancement Chair not already Update The Records online for advancement..

 

I had an issue with Tiger Beads for My Tigers because apparently the program they used required each bead to be broken down by every elective..where as the Book said for each paw do any elective and Color the Paw when Complete get a Bead...No record had to be kept explaining detailed elective count

 

 

[cubtrails]

It's a fair question - hopefully I can answer it:

 

Web-based software has perpetual fixed costs for the provider (hosting, bandwidth, power, backups, security). When you buy packaged software with a single up-front fee, you are responsible for backups, disaster recovery, security, etc. You also pay for the convenience of being able to run the software anywhere.

 

You can use the internet advancement system (as long as you run Windows of course), or you could download the free ScoutTrax spreadsheets (the better of the "free" options, in my opinion) for free. But neither of those programs will do what a well-built internet-based tracking system can do. So, the short list of why people should pay for an online tracking system:

 

* Your data is secure, backed up, and redundant

* There is no software to install on any computer

* Everyone in your pack can access and update data, including parents

* Pack leaders are constantly in touch with the progress of each boy and each den

* It runs on any computer or device, including Windows, Mac, iPhone or iPad

* Shopping for and giving out awards requires no hand-off and is greatly simplified

* You can easily communicate with your packs, den, parents, and leaders

 

If those things aren't issues for your pack, then I definitely wouldn't shell out the money for a tracking system. In my experience, though, pack leaders and parents are already busy and stressed, and $5-$10 per month to take the hassle out of tracking awards is a no-brainer.

 

 

 

[ScoutNut]

>>"I had an issue with Tiger Beads for My Tigers because apparently the program they used required each bead to be broken down by every elective..where as the Book said for each paw do any elective and Color the Paw when Complete get a Bead...No record had to be kept explaining detailed elective count"

[jpstodwftexas]

Tiger Cub Book has 50 Electives...There is only One place in the Book to Sign off on Each one.....Each Elective Can be earned multiple Time..There is Not 100 places or more to sign off on each..So I can go Back and Tally the Count

 

Remember that One Yellow Tracking Bead is awarded for each group of TEN Electives the Tiger Cub completes.

 

Scoutnut Wrote ""What do you base the number of Elective beads/arrows your Cubs receive on?""

 

At the Back of the Book is a Page with Paws that once they complete an Elective that they color in a paw and the Book instructs them that once they color in a row of paws(10)they Tell their Leader..It does not require a detailed list of what each elective was done to color a paw to earn electives.

 

 

Scoutnut wrote ""What do you base the number of Elective beads/arrows your Cubs receive on?

Do you just arbitrarily decide this Cub will get this many Elective beads/arrows, while this other Cub gets a different amount? ""

So when a parent came to me and Said and Showed me their Scout's Tiger Cub Book with a Row Of Paws colored in that their Scout had Earned a Yellow Tracking Bead...I trusted that the Parent is also Honest and trustworthy..they earned a Yellow Track Bead and awarded 0r attempted to Award it..

 

I would assume that apparently that the Programs Track each Yellow Track Bead by Specific Electives..So Say for Example

 

Scout A

Yellow Track Bead 1= Electives(5,6,12,12,13,1,48,1,3,50 AWARDED)

Yellow Track Bead 2= Electives(5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5, AWARDED)

Yellow Track Bead 3= Electives(9,10,3,5,2,14, NOT AWARDED)

 

or Do they Just Total the Number of Electives such as

Scout A

Yellow Track Bead 1 = 10 Total electives Awarded

Yellow Track Bead 2 = 10 Total Electives Awarded

Yellow Track Bead 3 = 6 Total Electives Not Awarded

 

Do you walk up to a Tiger Scout and Ask them to tell your each 10 Electives for Each bead and If they Can not tell you how many times they did each elective they Did not earn a Tracking Bead.

 

Scenario A

Electronic Tiger Leader with Electronic Program in Hand

Tiger Cub with Book in Hand and Parent by His Side

 

Tiger: mister Leader I earned a Yellow Tracking Bead (Hands Book to Leader)

Electronic Leader: I see you colored in a Paw, did you do 10 Electives to Earn it?

Tiger: Yes Sir

Electronic Leader: Name each one?

Parent: What do you mean, Book says do an elective and Color a Paw and he earned a Yellow Tracking Bead

Electronic Leader: Well I need a Detailed List for My Program or I can not Award it..Go Back and get a List and I will in put it and then the the Advancement Chair and they Award it later.

 

Scenario B

Old Fashioned Tiger Leader with Pen and Paper

Tiger Cub with Book in Hand and parent by his side

 

Tiger: Mister Leader I earned a Yellow Tracking Bead (Hands Book to Leader)

Pen and Paper Leader: I see you colored in a Paw, did you do 10 Electives to Earn it?

Tiger: Yes Sir

Electronic Leader: Congrats you earned a Yellow Tracking Bead. I will tell the Advancement Chair and get it awarded.

[BSA24]

I give the tiger den leader the pack's bucket 'o beads. I have them award them in the den meetings immediately upon completion of their requirements. For the electives, if the boy says he did ten, we give him a bead. We don't use the advancement chair for that or otherwise try to track or document it. They just track the orange, white, and black beads for their tiger badge requirements so that we don't forget anyone's badge.

 

[jpstodwftexas]

since they Have progressed to Wolf..

 

I just want to give them what they earned as Tiger