Blue cards-why is there not a better way?

[Khaliela]

The REASON that Council can even lose things is the primitive paper process. We turn all paper to council in electronically via PDF and keep a copy on our system. I see zero reason to be storing carbonless paper for BSA. An online system would be even better. They can have an offsite backup. We could archive a PDF of everyone in the Unit annually.

 

Paper to sit on someone's desk at Council for months on end it stupid.

Council even manages to loose electronic copies. I had to re-send an email with the Honey Sale attachments 4 times because someone at council kept "loosing" it.

[dlearyous]

Three or four years ago I found a printable card online when I was a MB Counselor for Family Life. My husband tried to throw a fit because they weren't blue and 'official'. I looked it up and there was no requirement to be blue, to use the BSA cards, or I even believe to use a merit badge application card. Not sure if it's changed since then. And of course my computer has crashed since then so I don't believe I have it any more but will post it if I find it.

[Brewmeister]

Who'dve thought that so many scouters were enamored of scouting traditions in paperwork!

[frankpalazzi]

Three or four years ago I found a printable card online when I was a MB Counselor for Family Life. My husband tried to throw a fit because they weren't blue and 'official'. I looked it up and there was no requirement to be blue, to use the BSA cards, or I even believe to use a merit badge application card. Not sure if it's changed since then. And of course my computer has crashed since then so I don't believe I have it any more but will post it if I find it.

Reminds me of a story. Years ago one of the dads who worked in a print shop had 500 blue cards made up for us. This, after he heard me complaining about our council charging .05 each for them! (Yes, really, for an APPLICATION!). We got quite a few years out of the supply. Then, one year at summer camp, a staff member noticed that our cards weren't perforated. He was yelling "Counterfeit" all over the place, and found it his duty to spread it all over camp, and to the Camp Director, who just laughed. That staff member quickly became a "persona non grata" with our unit, as well as others. It should have been no surprise to anyone that we stopped sending scouts to his area.

 

Seriously, don't people have bigger things to worry about?