How do you track attendance/advancement?

[KoreaScouter]

Before any of you think I'm a Neanderthal or something, our troop does use TroopMaster at the committee level, although not all the features and options it's capable of.

 

My question is to the SMs and ASMs, at meetings/outings, and during camporees and whatnot, what tool do you actually use to capture who's, there, on time, and what did they get accomplished.

 

I inherited the tried & true BSA Troop/Team Record Book from the old SM. We track family data in TM, and leadership positions, and service hours, and camping days, we don't charge dues, and the treasurer does the budget in Excel. So, the only two things I use the book for are attendance and (some) advancement documentation before it gets to the advancement chair.

 

The book works okay for attendance, although it could use more columns during busy months. It gets sloppy near the end of the year for us, since we lose so many families over the summer with military moves. And, there's only room for 40 names; I'm close to that now. If there were two more months in the year, I'd run out.

 

It's not good at all for documenting advancement, since I have a 1997 edition and some of the requirement numbers/letters are different. By the time I get done trying to make inputs fit the columns, it looks like Sanskrit.

 

I'm at the point in the year when I need to decide how I'm going to do this for '03. I'm moving in June and will hand this off to someone else. I want it to be functional, and don't think this book will be. Moreover, if I do the book again, I'll have to transfer all the current information over...not my favorite way to spend the holidays.

 

How do you SMs and ASMs out there do this? Do you use the Troop Record Book or some other method? I'm wide open to suggestions...

 

KS

[frankj]

Our troop is less than 30 boys, so the way we go about it may not work for large troops. I inherited advancement records from the previous advancement coordinator. These were computer based printouts of one page (front and back) per boy. On these pages are all the advancement items from basic Boy Scout through Eagle. All you do is fill in a date when something is completed. I keep these in a notebook and update them each time someone completes something.

 

They get out of sync with the boys' books because sometimes the advancement item gets entered in the notebook before it gets entered in the boy's book and sometimes it is the other way around, but periodically we make sure the records agree.

 

I make a separate spreadsheet for each rank TF through 1stCl, showing requirements down the side and boy's names across the top. When someone completes something, I put an X in the right cell. This spreadsheet shows at a glance where advancement is needed and helps us plan programs. Maybe the Troopmaster software does the same thing. I've never used it.

 

For attendance, activities, service projects, campouts, positions of responsibility etc., I use separate spreadsheets. I do this so if there is a question like when did Johnny serve as PL, or did he take part in Good Will Good Turn, I can go to the info quickly.

 

 

[Bob White]

We have each patrol leader give a list of who is present to the scribe. He checks it and gives it to the SPL and SM.

 

I have never tracked who was on time or late. I don't see the value.

 

We track advancement using the each scout's handbook. Once a month we update the troop records from the handbooks.

 

BW

 

 

[KoreaScouter]

Thanks; I should clarify. My SPL/ASPL did not appoint a Troop Scribe; the ASPL elected to keep track himself...umm, okay. He does it using the Troop/Team Record Book. Bob, is that what your Troop Scribe uses, too? That's what I'm trying to find out.

 

I think the punctuality is important, especially when service hours are involved. TroopMaster can deal with 15 minute increments. If the event started at noon and a Scout shows at 12:30, that's two time increments he doesn't get credit for, and helps the advancements chair when calculating Quality Unit service hours at the end of the year.

 

We also track advancement using the handbooks of course. But, when the meeting/event is over, and the Scouts disappear with their handbooks, there goes your record of what they've got complete -- unless you write it down somewhere else. That's what I'm trying to do, in a very dissatisfying manner, with the Troop/Team Record Book. Bob, I'm assuming your troop records are TroopMaster. How does your troop get from the handbooks to TroopMaster? Unless your advancements chair goes to every event with a notebook computer, there has to be an intermediate step. What is it?

 

I also use that gigantic wall chart, but that's mainly a "picture's worth a thousand words" thing, since you can't squeeze in dates, all badges, etc.

 

FrankJ, I think the sheets you're talking about are similar to the First Year Tracking Sheets. Those are okay until a Scout earns First Class, then you're right back where you started. Either way, sounds like the record book doesn't work for you guys, either.

 

KS

 

 

[KoreaScouter]

Have any of you used the TroopMaster PDA add-on that they offer from their web site, that lets you do the TM functions on your handheld, then squirt updates to the main data base in the desktop?

 

KS

[LauraT7]

Our troop uses TM - but I don't have it - our advancment coordinator does a great job of tracking the boys advancements, but attendance? well... mmmm... I guess that's become my job since I attend most of the events with the bulk of the boys.

 

the SM gave me a chart (from BSA) to use - but I had an excel spread sheet from cubs that i just adapted to our scout troop (for activities attendance only) that I keep on my palm pilot and can track who attended.

 

i did just download, and am trying, a tracking software for palm that was free under "Scouting with a PDA" from the USSSP site. So far, i like it.

 

http://usscouts.org/usscouts/scoutingwithapda.asp

 

I only have my son and a few others on it - soon i hope to get the whole troop. I had to download a shareware software ( Tealinfo Database) on a trail basis - that if I like it, i'll probably have to pay $15 or $20 for.

 

In this traking system you start with a screen for the boy with his rank and birthdate. then a list of ranks and completion dates and a tally of how much completed on the current rank ( Jon's says 2nd class 13/24) from there you link to a list of requirements he still needs on a rank, or the whole list for that rank.It gives each requirement in full - not just the number.It allows for you to enter dates of completion for each item on advancement - it also gives space to list which badges the boys have earned and you can list a badge without a completion date to show he's working on it. another link from each boy's screen give a "notes" area, and another you can list activities he participated in.

 

I haven't explored everything in this database, but for a freebie - it's pretty darn good!

 

And if I figure out the main software - it's not bad for $20!

 

the same author of this tracking system also created a file for ALL the merit badge requirements. It's not perfect, I have found a few errors - but it's great to have handy in the field instead of relying on my memory for a badge requirement.

 

 

[KoreaScouter]

Laura;

 

I used that program "Scouttrack" for a while, too, but found two problems with it. One, it tended to crash on my PDA (Palm 505). Two, it didn't interface with TM, so you have the advancements chair entering data into TM, and I'm entering data into Scouttrack.

 

I may give it another try, but if I'm going to pay anything, I'll pay the $25 and get the TM PDA version that will actually interface with your troop data base in TM...have you seen the pitch on the TM home page?

 

KS