advancement chair?

[Pack378]

is it the advancement chair's duty to keep track of the boys ranks and accomplishments or is it the den leaders duty? We are have a slight disagreement with this and any input would be very helpful. Also if there is any in writing on this it would help also.....

[mtm25653]

Den leaders submit advancement info to the Advancement person (chair). Advancement person fills out and submits paperwork (or computer records) to council, picks up awards, and has the awards in order for the cubmaster to present them at the pack meeting.

[John-in-KC]

By the way Cubbing does business, the DL has to be the first line of advancement, obtaining info for the Pack committee person.

 

The Pack person consolidates the info into a single Advancement Report for the Program Officer's (Cubmasters) signature. From my experience base, Council Registrars I've met won't accept an Advancement Report over the Den Leaders signature.

 

Anyone know differently?

[scottteng]

The scout in questions book is the definitive record in all levels of scouting. Therefore the scout is responsible for his own record. Other records are all secondary to what is recorded in the book. The den leaders responsibility is to sign off in the book and when a certain advancement is achieved inform the advancement person so that the advancement may be obtained and presented. Council will keep record of actual ranks awarded Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, AOL. Keeping track of the boys rank is easy in cub scouts as it corresponds to their school grade whether the work on the previous rank was completed or not. For example my son has his Tiger, bear, Webelos, AOL but never completed his wolf rank as we were in the process of moving that year.

[insanescouter]

My answer is Yes all the above ...

 

1) The Scout / Parent keeps track through the handbook

 

2) The Den leader should have their own records

 

3) The advancement chair should have complete records for the pack... at this level a program like packmaster or one of the online ones may be helpful

 

Hope my 2 cents is useful

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

[Oak Tree]

All the advice sounds right to me.

 

So what is the nature of the disagreement? How could an advancement person keep track of it, unless it has been submitted to him by the den leader? Our pack uses Packmaster, and all the data does get entered and tracked at that level. So for belt loops, for example, the den leaders don't keep their own list of what each boy has earned.

 

But I'm just trying to imagine what this disagreement is actually disputing. Of all the things that people can disagree on, this one seems like it should most easily be resolved. What data is under discussion?

 

Oak Tree

 

P.S. John-in-KC, I don't know differently for sure, but I strongly suspect my council would accept an advancement form with the signature of Scruffy the Wonder Dog. I've never seen them check.

[Joni4TA]

When I was a Den Leader, I kept an advancement chart on the wall at the Den meeting place so our boys could see how their progress was coming along. And I provided updates to the Pack Advancements Chair so she could order the badges, belt-loops, etc.

 

When I was a Pack Advancements Chair, I used PackMaster (unit management software), had Den Leader's keep their information for the den on their own computer and provide me den updates (on disc) a week before Pack meetings, so I could get the new awards in time to present to the boys come Pack meeting night.

 

Now I do Troop Advancements, and I use TroopMaster software. There are far less patches, doo-dads and what nots for Boy Scouts, so it's easier. At this level I am pretty much the lone record keeper for all boy's advancements.

[kenk]

I agree completely with what's been said. When I was a den leader I tracked advancement of my den, and then reported completion of ranks or awards on to the advancement coordinator for purchase and distribution.

 

If you have internet-savy parents in your pack using ScoutTrack on-line software can be a huge help to the parents, the den leaders. and the advancement coordinator. This software allows parents and den leaders to enter advancement on-line. This info is then used by the advancement coordinator to generate reports and the apporopriate documents for council.

 

My experience has been that the advantage of the on-line software fades with Boy Scouts as tracking advancement becomes more centralized more so than with Cub Scouts.

 

On the other hand, obviously MANY packs track advancement using paper and get along just fine.

[Scouting Mom]

Speaking as my pack's advancement chair...

 

What everyone has said so far is dead on.

 

Some issues that might come up, though...

 

I try to keep den leaders, especially new ones informed about available awards that they may not be aware of... that reminds me, must send out reminder to DLs to check if their boys qualified for Summertime Award...

 

I also try to be aware of awards with prerequisites and point out discrepancies... ie. If a DL tells me a boy got his Tiger/wolf/etc. rank and I know that that boy never got his Bobcat ('cause I would've submitted the paperwork) then I point that out. Then maybe the DL comes back and says he happened to be at the Scout Shop and picked up a Bobcat badge (our shop will let you purchase badges w/o paperwork) for that boy and gave it to him at a den meeting because he couldn't make it to the pack meeting... then I have to start smacking DLs around... oops, um, no, um, sorry, never happened... actually it almost happened that way, but I found out about it before the DL awarded anything and we got it all straightened out first.

 

Actually the harder thing is keeping track of prerequisites for Webelos activity badges. You know those beltloops they are supposed to earn before they get the badges...the WDLs are so focused on the activity badges, they forget that a belt loop was earned along the way too, so I try to keep track of that.

 

The other problem that crops up is when the parents know that you are the advancement chair and they want to tell you directly. Trust me, you've gotta follow the chain of command. I learned that the hard way. Anything else is chaos.

 

I also keep track of all the things ever earned because the pack only awards things like belt loops once, no matter how many times it is earned. So, I have to know that. And if DLs change, someone should know that those boys already earned certain awards.

 

NOW, I will grant you that full and efficient use of PackMaster or similar software may prevent some of these issues because the software will give the error message, but gaps can still occur that need human oversight.

[Scouting Mom]

You wanted it in writing...

 

From the "Cub Scout Leader Book":

 

Den Leader...

http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/dl.html

 

"Maintain a friendly relationship with Cub Scouts; encourage them to earn advancement awards. Keep accurate advancement records and see that boys receive recognition for their achievements."

 

Advancement Chair... http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/pc.html#Pack%20Advancement

 

"Have a working knowledge of the Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, and Webelos Scout advancement plans.

Help plan and conduct induction and advancement recognition ceremonies."

 

"Collect den advancement reports at pack leaders' meetings for use when ordering badges and insignia from the local council service center."

 

Although it doesn't specifically say that the Advancement chair needs to keep a running record of anything, it is common sense that if they are going to promote advancement opportunities and plan recognition ceremonies it is only wise to keep track of what has happened. And why would the Adv Ch. need to have a working knowledge of advancement plans if not to help keep other leaders informed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pack378]

should the advancement chair keep track of betloops, summertime activity awards, beads that go on the totem, emergency preparness, etc. ?

[Pack378]

bump

[John-in-KC]

Pack 378,

 

Heavens yes, because with a bit more effort, a Cub goes from a belt loop for one of the Sports and Academics activities to an Activity Pin.

 

A Scout, no matter which program, should get every bit of recognition he (or Venturing she) properly deserves!!!

[ScoutNut]

As has been mentioned here a few times, the Den Leader AND the Advacnement Chair should BOTH be "keeping track" of the awards a Cub earns.

 

Weather or not the AC (or the Den Leader) keeps some sort of permanent record is up to the Pack and the person involved.

 

The Totem beads are a bit different because they are ment to be IMMEDIATE recognitions given out by the Den Leader in a Den meeting, or where ever, as soon as they are earned. Many Packs give them out at Pack meetings with the rest of the awards. In that case you are back to BOTH DL AND AC "keeping track" of the beads as well as all of the other awards.

 

Would you like to clue us in now as to what this "slight" disagreement is that does not sound so very slight?

[Pack378]

it''s not that big of a deal. In the past our den leaders kept track of the awards and just gave a list to the

AC to pick up the awards for the pack meeting. Well, one boy transfered and we didn''t have records of his achievements and it started a whole stink. We are now trying to everything by the book and I find the AC description is kind of open to interpretation. Like I said no big deal, just needed clarification.