Recording rank progress in Troopmaster

[jethro]

Having just taken over as Advancement Chair for our troop, I've been poking around Troopmaster and looking at its reporting capabilities. One that looks intriguing is seeing where boys stand in their progress toward ranks, especially through First Class. It seems like a good way for the troop leaders (boys and adults) to see where they may want to focus the program in the coming months.

 

I'm not sure, though, how the Advancement Chair or any other adult gets access to that information. In our troop, all advancement for those ranks is handled by the Patrol Leader until it's time for the boy to get his Scoutmaster conference. The adults don't see the books in progress until that time. We could ask, but I'd rather not meddle in the PL's affairs. It's a boy-led program, after all.

 

Do any of you track rank advancement item by item? If so, what role do the adults play in the advancement process through First Class? More importantly, what are best practices for the PLC to make sure the boys are advancing on a regular basis?

[Buffalo Skipper]

Jethro,

Our troop is in the process of working out exactly those things you brought up. I really like the "Reports" options in TM, and as SM, I use it regularly to view things like "Target First Class" and "Individual Progress."

 

When a new scouts joins, we encourage them through the process of the Tenderfoot rank, but give only a few occasional reminders beyond that. By First Class, we expect a scout to be self motivated to pursue his own rank advancement. I work throught the PLC and PLs to encourage rank advancement. For us, it is (at least in part) the PLs responsiblity to promote the advancement of scouts within his patrol. Sounds like what you are doing, so far.

 

So the question is: "How do you get it in TM?" Once a month or so, we remind the scouts to "see" the Advancement Coordinator to record their advancment in TM. Generally after a few months in the troop, the scouts begin to take the initiative to see the AdvC on their own. So far, this has worked out fairly well for us.

 

I certainly use TM to keep up with who has and has not advanced, though I have a pretty good idea where everyone stands. TM just gives me the specifics of dates and other info which I may use, especially if we have a non-advancing scout with whom I may arrange a Scoutmaster's Conference.

 

Kudo's to you for seeing that this is getting done. The real trick is to oversee the record keeping without interfering with a scout's progress or motivation.

[Eagle69]

I don't know if you want to get the level of trying to keep track of T-Foot - 1st Class. If you do then you would have to start by getting the PL to bring each boy's book to you so you could input the information related to the current rank in progress then after that each time something was signed off on a boy by his PL the PL would need to give you or the SPL a list of who was signed off for what so you could update Troopmaster.

 

When I was SM we didn't get to that level and even now as an ASM with a 26 boy troop we don't really try too hard to keep up. It's a lot of work.

[perdidochas]

I'm a new advancement chair as well.

 

I think the best thing would be to ask the scouts to report whatever advancement they want recorded to you. In my case, our troop has a laptop, and I record whatever advancement the scouts report to me. I also occasionally run reports for the Scouts or leadership.

[Eagle92]

the only time Inknwo the adutls got involved in advancement for record purposes was at BORs and awardingh MBs. then theyused sopies of the advancmeent reports.

[jethro]

Good ideas. I'll talk with the PLC and SM about occasionally (maybe quarterly, if that often) asking the boys to stop by my table with their books before or after a troop meeting so I can input information. It may also be a good opportunity to cajole if a boy is only missing one or two requirements for the next rank.