Online Rechartering, A Bunch of Questions

[Eagle92]

Ok, I admit I have not done online rechartering so I have no idea how it works. So I am going to ask a bunch of questions directly and indirectly realted to the topic so please bear with me.

 

I am asking because these questions because my council has stated that paper charters will only be issued by request this year, and next year will be 100% online. Since I'm the RT commish, I need to get this info out, and be prepared for questions.

 

1) What do you do for those units either without internet access, or dialup?

 

Yes I'm out in the boonies and we have folks who do not have internet, or if they do it's dial up. Best example is the 4 hours it took to download the online YPT via dial up.

 

If people do use the internet, it's usually at the library. Being that those are public computers, and internet stuff do leave trails (remember I'm a librarian and you'd be surprised at what I find on my computers: homework, TurboTax Documents, etc.)

 

2) How exactly does the process work?

 

3) How fast does it take to upload the changes onto SCOUTNET?

 

4) How easy is it to change people's leadership codes, i.e. a Committee Member to Cubmaster? That's a biggie for some units in my area as we have people who are listed in the wrong positions.

 

5) Can the council registrar overrule the changes to the online charter? Another biggie as one pack stated they did the online recharter and changes they made were not showing when they reviewed the charter during the summer. The pack removed scouts who were no longer active, submitted copies of applications of scouts and leaders that somehow were not put on the charter, and updated information on the scouts and leaders. They took it on faith that the changes were made, but when they reviewed the charter durring the summer, those changes were not made.

 

So folks leaders are not on the charter and scouts who have earned advancement are not showing up.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Basementdweller]

1) What do you do for those units either without internet access, or dialup?

 

They bring a mobile hotspot to roundtable and they have DC's there to help them do it on Laptops.....generally the DC's do it while the folks watch, much faster. a CM from a neighboring pack came over and we did hers in about an hour.

 

Do it early in the process.......Mid december the system slows to a snails pace and super frustrating to deal with.

 

2) How exactly does the process work?

 

We get a charter packet at our October round table, it has a unit code and password on it. The council gives us access November 1st.

 

3) How fast does it take to upload the changes onto SCOUTNET?

 

Immediately because we do it directly in scout net.....It depend how often you council syncs it database as to how long it takes for them to get the updates.

 

4) How easy is it to change people's leadership codes, i.e. a Committee Member to Cubmaster?

 

It is no big deal to actually do it in scoutnet, just requires you to edit the person, Remember they need to submit a new application with the change.

 

 

 

5) Can the council registrar overrule the changes to the online charter?

 

Yes if the adult changes do not have a paper app with them and the paper training cards.

 

Seen that happen...our council tells us that they lock the charters from Nov 1st thru the rest of the year and cannot make changes....This is a complete lie of course. The DE was short on boys for november, I had completed my recharter before thanksgiving, he took my new boys from the charter and added them to the previous years charter, took money from our uda account to pay for it. So when I went to turn it in the boys appeared twice on the charter......

 

 

 

 

If you are helping another Unit.....Before you met with them

 

1. Make sure they have a complete and current roster of everyone....address's phone numbers and such.....

 

2. Have a printer available....we do it electronically but are still forced to turn in signed copies to the council. We generally print two....

 

3. Patience....the system doesn't work how you think.....just hang with it....the first time was hard and I made a ton of mistakes.....

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Eagle,

 

 

 

[Basementdweller]

good catch seattle....

 

Internet Explorer only

[Eagle92]

In regards to leader apps to change positions, do they have to be originals, or can copies work? Ditto on new members and new leaders who are not listed.

 

So what I am hearing is the following:

 

1) Bring all copies of completed applications, both youth and adult.

 

2) Bring copy of the pack's actual, vs. council provided, rooster to compare differences.

 

3) Bring Hotspot is possible.

 

QUESTION: how many wireless computers can access a Hotspot, and does the more you computers you use use slower the download and upload times?

 

3) PRINT MULTIPLE COPIES OF REVISED CHARTER ( caps for MAJOR emphasis )

 

4) IE only, no Mozilla.

 

Thanks all.

[Basementdweller]

I would try to get the units a copy of the 2011-2012 charter early so they can compare it with their roster before the event so the can reconcile the two.

 

They don't need apps and such till it is actually turned in to the registrar.

 

Hot spot.....depends on the hot spot and the quality of the connection....some hot spots are good for 1 device or can have 8 hooked up....3g coverage vs 4g......

 

You could even hold your recharter help night at a local mcdonalds most of them have free wifi or other restaurant....

 

 

[Basementdweller]

The 2011-2012 charter should be printed after the local school recruiting nights are over.....

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

If an adult leader is registered, their position can be changed during the rechartering. A new adult leader application isn't changed.

 

Names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and other information can be changed during rechartering for youth and adult leaders. It's the easiest time to update or correct that information.

 

Also, you can save a copy of your recharter top your hard drive and then e-mail the file to people as needed if desired.

I find that having the file on my hard drive is very convenient for easy reference.

 

 

[Basementdweller]

My councils registrar requires a paper application if an adult changes position during the recharter process or any time a position is changed........along with the training cards

 

 

 

So Eagle.....I would recommend asking your registrar what they want....

 

 

[kari_cardi]

I'll pass along the hint given to me by a former DE. If you live in the Eastern time zone as I do and I see you do, Eagle92, try to do your ScoutNet work before noon, before Utah wakes up and logs in. And by golly if it doesn't make a difference!

[5yearscouter]

on this page scroll down and look at the power point to see if it's helpful to you.

http://www.grandcanyonbsa.org/forms-resources/internet-unit-services/internet-charter-renewal/5788

 

you can click on the tutorial as well.

 

To help people who have never done it before, try to get with the unit leaders more than once if you really want to have the internet available for them.

 

1. get everyone that doesn't have internet to come to you and log into internet advancement (get their passwords etc from council for them if necessary). From there they can see and print their roster for who is in their unit right that minute directly from scout net. print this and save it as a pdf so they can print more copies to scribble on as needed. Send them off with THAT list to verify everyone's positions, youth continuing or dropping --do not use the list that council printed for them 2 months before recharter happens and doesn't include anyone new from fall recruiting. of course you can run down to council and get everyone's roster printed for them, but usually this is done in bulk for the district and the print time will be weeks or months ago. for packs doing their fall recruiting and turning in applications, that can mean a lot of boys not showing on their roster who are actually registered.

 

2. Check all the training possible if you are dealing with a council that has a mandatory training initiative. You can do a training validation at myscouting on each leader and pull up the records of all training listed. I copy those and save them in a word document to refer to. If YPT is not complete or any other training online, set up training dates for online training. provide BSA id numbers (from the printed list you got from internet advancement) to all registered leaders and help them log into myscouting and enter their bsa id number and then update their ypt if necessary . alternatively have the most recent ypt video available and cards of completion--but that methods relies on someone at council entering those training records, so for some training records doing it online takes out the council errors. for in person training make 3 certificates one for recharter, one for applications to be turned in and one for the leader to keep.

 

3. Tell them that if someone isn't listed as a leader, they need an application and copy of YPT certificate. Make sure they know to get all appropriate signatures on the applications. our council has an email address that you can scan and send apps to. so I'd send council a copy of the app and put the newest position on that application. I would save a copy of the app with ypt to turn in with recharter with a note that says this application turned in to council on xyz date, but adult was not listed on our roster so here's another copy of the application. and keep a copy of the app for the unit (so if the app still goes missing I use that unit copy, have the adult sign a duplicate background check permission slip, add their SSN again, attach yPT again and turn it in again. Usually after complaining that this is the 3rd time of submittin the app the person appears on the roster.

 

4. then have them come back with all their lists of adults and youth and copies of ypt and applications.

at this point you can log into internet advancement and see if anyone else has been added just to see where you stand. This last year adults and youth added after rechartering started did show up on the rechartering roster even if you'd already started the process.

 

5. log into online rechartering. carefully step thru each part, fixing addresses and email addresses. click carefully on who to drop and who not to drop. then make sure you have every adult in the proper position. if at this point you have adults to add, add their information and positions. remember to check who gets boy's life and who is duplicate in other units and check that you have enough adults in all required positions.

when you are ready to submit, print at least 2 copies and save it as a pdf. attach the word document showing training dates and any new applications and ypt certificates and throw in the kitchen sink your first born and promise them flowers at the council office if they'll get your charter right.

 

I've done recharter online about um, 7 years now. so I can usually figure out how to help when people get stuck. of course I did have one year where many adults staying in the same position the internet rechartering told me I needed to include a new application for them. I attached a nice note stating this must be a computer glitch, to please call me if they did need apps and nobody called me, and the adults did show on the roster in the proper place.

 

and then I go down to the council office and find the nice ladies who processed all the recharter packets and gave them roses. They work their butts off and yes, they do make mistakes. I don't think they make mistakes on purpose (usually).

 

 

[Oak Tree]

QUESTION: how many wireless computers can access a Hotspot, and does the more you computers you use use slower the download and upload times?

 

This depends on several things, including your hotspot and the quality of the upstream internet connection.

 

For example, we did the geocaching merit badge at a camporee one year. One of the requirements is to log on to geocaching.com. I brought my phone and four of the adults brought their laptops. Those laptops didn't have any trouble operating through a weak 3G signal. There wasn't a lot of data moving back and forth.

 

Your hotspot can be a phone, a router, a laptop, or pretty much anything that can have an internet connection. Some of these have limits on how many computers can connect.

 

The number of computers will probably not overwhelm the hotspot. The limiting factor will most likely be the upstream internet connection. If you have a good ethernet connection, it probably won't be an issue. Don't download videos, though.

 

In short, my guess is that you should be fine with any reasonable hotspot and a wired upstream connection.

[eagle90]

2) Bring copy of the pack's actual, vs. council provided, rooster to compare differences.

 

All right, in 50+ years in Scouting, I have never received a council provided ROOSTER! Where is my rooster????

 

We could use one to assist the bugler in getting the scouts up and out of their tents in the morning!(This message has been edited by eagle90)

[5yearscouter]

I have 3 roosters right now,

so 2 need a new home.

Does anyone want them? I'll drop them off at council so they can be "council roosers."