MyTroop Web Sites from SOAR are the BOMB!

[BrentAllen]

I stumbled on this company when I saw one of our OA chapters was using them for their web site. We did a little exploring and were just blown away with this company's product. In less than 45 minutes, we had our new Troop web site up and running (http://dunwoody494.mytroop.us/)

 

For $99/year, we get a fully functional web site, with super easy sync with Troopmaster. To see what I mean, go to the company's web site and go to the Demo site. http://www.mytroop.us/

When you log into the Demo page, hit Troop Roster. You will see the Troop broken down into Leaders, Patrols, Scouts, etc. The web site sets all this up automatically when you import the data from Troopmaster. You don't have to type anything in!

 

Now, click on Scouts. You will see all the Scouts in the Troop. Click on their name for all contact info - again, all this is uploaded automatically from TM - no typing.

 

Now, for the really cool part! Click on the rank next to the Scout's name. It shows ranks completed with the dates, MBs completed with dates, achievements completed for the next rank with dates, and finally the requirements needed to be completed for the next rank. Again, all this is uploaded automatically from TM. Scouts and parents can see what they need to do for the next rank any time they log on. If you click on Patrols, you will see all this information for each Scout there, as well.

 

Now, any time I make changes to TM, I just export from TM (they have SOAR on the drop-down Export menu in TM) and then Import to the web site. It literally takes me less than 10 seconds to do this. Troopmaster is our master file, and MYTroop is the web interface for the Troop.

 

Add to this full email capability with easy to set up groups (Patrols and Leaders set up automatically, again directly from TM). Click on the Send Email tab in the User box, top left. Others are super easy to set up. We also have EBlast, which automatically sends out a weekly email with all the announcements and upcoming events on the Home page. The page is also password protected, and it automatically sends out user names and passwords to all members when you set it up. Again, no typing on my part.

 

Other features include the Photo Album, Calendar and even Online Payments using PayPal, if you want to set it up. We can also set up our own custome pages for things like Eagle Scouts, Merit Badge info, etc. These people really know Scouting, and have set up a system that is stupid easy to use. And all for $99/year! If you use Troopmaster, this is the site for you! They even provide the url, or you can use one you already have.

 

We used Yahoo Groups in the past, but not any more. This blows Yahoo away! (No, I'm not getting paid to promote the company. Just a very satisfied customer.) Check them out.

[Mike F]

Sounds very interesting! Any other users out there with comments?

[BrentAllen]

Mike F,

After not getting any replies, I decided to do a search for "mytroop.us" and came up with good number of Troops using the company. You might try that and see if there are any near you. The members in our Troop are very pleased with it.

[CubPack28]

We use it for our Cub Pack and for the same reasons. It is so easy to use, we can send out one update a week if we choose to, select who it goes to by Den or Pack or Committee, and don't have to do anything with it. It also now has the capability of allowing Scouts to sign up and pay for an event they want to attend, without having to wait until the next meeting....really good when deadlines are fast approaching..

It's well worth the expense.

Pack 28 CC

[BrentAllen]

CubPack28,

Is your Pack using PayPal to receive payments? If so, did you have to use the Business type of PayPal account (where you have to pay a % to PayPal) or are you able to use a Personal Account? This is something we are very interested in doing.

[Eagle732]

Does soliciting funds online (or any other way) comply with the BSA fundraising policy? Our troop considered doing this but we weren't sure it was OK to do.

[BrentAllen]

Eagle,

I don't think this is a direct answer to your question, but it might shed some light on the prospect of doing it through PayPal. From the SOAR web instructions for setting up PayPal for online payments:

 

PayPal Account Setup

When setting up a PayPal account:

 

Select Business account not Personal or Premier

Select Website Payments Standard not Website Payments Pro

Select Sole Proprietorship for Business Type not Non Profit Organization

Select Sports and Outdoors for Category not Non-Profit

Select Camping and Outdoors for Subcategory

PayPal has a specific account type for non profit organizations that caters to online collection of donations at a reduced transaction fee. To qualify for this account type the majority of your online payments need to be of the donation type and you need to provide PayPal with a lot of paperwork to prove non profit status. Packs and Troops will not qualify for this so you want to avoid it.

 

To avoid PayPals non-profit account type you need to select something other than Non Profit during the account signup process. If you select Non Profit, PayPal will automatically switch your account type which you do not want.

 

If you have already setup a PayPal account for your unit and selected a Business Type of Non Profit you may want to call PayPal Customer Service and have your account type changed to avoid any future issues.

 

 

[artjrk]

Thanks for the referral to this site. I plan to present it as an option to the Committee soon. Being a designer I have created our own site which another leader hosts on his company's server. What i like about this is the ability to work with the data from Troopmaster (which we use) and the interactive nature of the site. Event signups and payments. I like how we ccould even allow multiple users to add content thus not putting all the maintenance duties on just one person.

[bbender]

Totally Agree with Brent on the great utility of the Soar Product.

We've used it for our Pack since 2007 (see http://atlanta631.mypack.us/), and then the Troop (with Pack Graduates) fired one up for the Troop (see http://atlanta631.mytroop.us/). Having the "same format" has been a big help "crossing over" those Webelos Parents.

The other great thing about this site is how much it has evolved from a great product in 2007 to an even more terrific product now.

Two key elements that have been rolled out in the last year:

 

The weekly "eBlast" that serves as a digest (but formatted) of new and upcoming events (cutting down on the ping-ping-ping of random emails zipping hither and yon).

The new Event Register (where a cool feature is seeing the totals rise as people sign up for events).

And having Paypal for the random events that have minor costs is terrific -- beats chasing down those who forgot to pay!

[kenk]

I just stumbled upon the SOAR site yesterday (5/7/09) and have to say that I'm impressed. My son's troop is currently using a combination of TroopMaster for advancement and ScoutTrack mostly for its calendar (w/ e-mail reminders) and address book. ScoutTrack seems to have fading support lately as it still doesn't support imports from TroopMaster 2008 (its stuck at TM ME).

 

We use TroopMaster DotNet. I wish the SOAR site had a way to automatically stay in sync with TroopMaster, rather than requiring ongoing importing of data. Still, it is nice that it can import that data.

 

The formatting of the home page messages seems archaic - I'm not HTML savy, but I assume it is using HTML. In other parts of the web site creation they provide rich text-like input. It just seems odd.

 

Our troop wants to create a web site. The problems I see is that whatever is created is usually "owned" by a particular person, and as many of us know roles change in a troop. That is one of the things I liked about ScoutTrack - it was centralized and not owned by a particular person. I'll have to show the SOAR site to the Troop Committee and SM.

 

I actually suggested use of PayPal to the SM, but he said that the problem was that it has to be connected to a particular individual - that it can't be a general troop account just associated with the troop's bank account, AND that it is not really transferable to another individual as roles in the troop change. Any details and advice on use of PayPal by a troop would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!

[kenk]

Oh, one more silly questions ...

 

Do troop members need to re-enter their passwords everytime they log into the website? or does it provide the ability for the PC to remember the password?

 

Also, the EBlast feature - does that automatically send out e-mail reminders for selected e-mail events?

 

Does the SOAR calendar have any linkage to the TroopMaster calendar? (not a big deal ... TM's calendar is kind of archaic)

 

Also (sorry), for the activity registration, if for whatever a family (scout or leader) can't use the on-line site, can a leader (or administrator) add them to the list?

 

OK, so I'm full of questions ... As I said, I'm a little confused about maintaining the home page items. Can any adult leader add/edit those? Or is that only an administrator task?

 

Also, do Scouts and Parents get different accounts? Or is it per family? Per e-mail address?

 

Again, sorry for lots of questions, but its a nice product and I'm really interested in its possibilities for my son's troop (I'm an ASM and the advancement coordinator).

[bbender]

Hello Kent, let me give my insights on some of your comments:

 

"I wish the SOAR site had a way to automatically stay in sync with TroopMaster, rather than requiring ongoing importing of data." ===> While not automatic (that is, you have to do something), it is fast. The export from TM is instant, and the upload into the SOAR Website takes a few seconds.

 

"The formatting of the home page messages seems archaic . . . assume it is using HTML. In other parts . . . they provide rich text-like input . . . seems odd." ===> Not knowing what is in the "stock" items that come with the format, for the "entries" (announcements, calendar, etc.), the site allows one to choose between "a Text Editor that allows minimal HTML tags to be used" and "a Rich Text Editor". Our Pack Website (http://atlanta631.mypack.us) stayed with the "Text Editor", but I think the Troop Website (http://atlanta631.mytroop.us) went with Rich Text Editor (perhaps after starting with Text Editor, which is why it is different in some areas). The Soar people advise you to stick with one, and keep it.

 

"website . . . created [and] "owned" by a particular person, and as many of us know roles change" ===> Soar is easily transferred, and can have multiple people "editing" to facilitate transfer. Plus, "stock" information and announcements use "email alias" features so that when the Chair or Treasurer or whoever changes, you change one "email alias" and all messages are routed to the right person.

 

As to PayPal and "the problem . . . that it has to be connected to a particular individual - that it can't be a general troop account just associated with the troop's bank account, AND that it is not really transferable to another individual as roles in the troop change . . . " ===> Technically, it is a hassle to change signatories on a Bank Account too as Treasurer jobs transfer. From my view using PayPal for the last 5 months, the "Business Name" of our account is "Pack 631", and the Account Contact can be set up to be the "treasurer@mypack.___" alias. Now, a treasurer or other person with access could move funds in a bad way, just like a treasurer or another person with access to checks could move funds in a bad way.

 

"Do members need to re-enter their passwords every time they log into the website? or does it provide the ability for the PC to remember the password?" ===> I think it depends on how your PC is set up. Mine doesn't "prompt" me, but at the computer lab next to our meeting sites, those computers do "prompt" me with the "do you want us to remember your username/password".

 

"eBlast - does that automatically send out e-mail reminders for selected e-mail events" ===> No, and yes. It isn't a "specific to event" reminder, but a "here's what's new in the last week", including a section top right about "events in the next 7 days".

-- Downside: doesn't focus on just one thing that needs attention.

-- Upside: focuses in one email on everything new that needs attention, rather than all getting multiple emails.

 

"Does the SOAR calendar have any linkage to the TroopMaster calendar?" ===> Not that I am aware of.

 

"for the activity registration, if [someone] can't use the on-line site, can a leader (or administrator) add them to the list?" ===> Yes. And "edit" the entry when things change.

 

"Can any adult leader add/edit [website items]? Or is that only an administrator task?" ===> To edit, you just need the right username/password.

-- Members" can only "edit" by making a "comment", or by "signing up".

-- Leaders" with the right password can create/edit calendar entries, announcements, files, links, etc. (sadly, also "delete" entries . . . so training is needed!)

-- "Admins" with the right password can do all of that, plus do the TM downloads and other "overall" maintenance.

 

"do Scouts and Parents get different accounts? Or is it per family? Per e-mail address?" ===> Depends. We've used a single "Username/Password" for "members". But you can have the website give you more security by having each "website member" have their own personal "Username/Password".

-- Then, when they forget the "Username/Password", when they try to login and fail, they can click a button to have that "Username/Password" sent to their registered email address.

 

"I'm an ASM and the advancement coordinator" ===> So note that if you keep TM updated, and uploaded on SOAR, Scouts and Parents don't have to ask "what does Jimmy need to complete First Class?", because it will be linked right by Jimmy's name in the Roster . . .