TroopMaster or Other advancment software.

[Beavah]

For large troops, it takes a lot of time to maintain all the data...especially for active troops. There are weeks where she would log 40 or more hours.

 

Holy Smoke!

 

I know folks are goin' to yell at me for keepin' up my current theme, but really? Is this the best way to use a full-time volunteer in your program?

 

Seems like da tail is waggin' the dog. Or that the system used to make things easier really isn't.

 

B

 

[perdidochas]

Beavah,

 

IMHO, 40 hrs a week means that the volunteer isn't being efficient. Our troop is about half the size I remember E61 saying his scout's troop is (we're about 20 active, 15 barely there, IIRC he said about 40 or 50). I enter data during troop meetings, and work a few more hours sorting out Summer camp and each Court of Honor. Nowhere near 40 hrs a week ever. Then again, I've never had to enter all the data for a big bunch of new scouts. Our feeder pack uses Packmaster, so I can just transfer records in.

[eisely]

Forty hours per week does not sound right to me either. Several years back when we went from a manual paper system to troop master, there was a lot of work to set up the data and enter everything in initially for a large troop, but the effort has paid off in a more complete and transparent system. Weekly maintenance does not take any where near that amount of time.

[Twocubdad]

One advantage of TM is it is easy to divide responsibilities for data entry. Our MB coordinator enters MB data, another mom keeps track of T-2-1 advancement. The membership chairman handles directory information, troop scribe does attendance and nights camping, I enter S-L-E advancement (since we tend to sign-off all requirements during the SM conference and I fill in a lot of the small details, like leadership positions, OA and youth training that the other folks don't really know about.

 

Together, I doubt we spend 40 hours a year.

[dkurtenbach]

My opinion, having been a Troopmaster user and also spending lots of time looking at other options, mostly web-based: If you don't have Troopmaster now, wait. Master BSA's Internet Advancement system and BSA's online Service Hours Reporting system (needed for Journey to Excellence) first, then figure out what those systems do not have that you need (for example, some way to track nights camping and other activity attendance).

 

Dan Kurtenbach

Fairfax, VA