tracking software

[redfeather60]

Looking for feedback about some of the tracking software available.  The three most interested in hearing about are TroopWebHost, Scoutbook, and TroopMaster.  If there are others that are used please pass on any information.  The troop that I serve is currently using TroopMaster.

 

Thank you in advance for all the input and suggestions

 

yis

redfeather

[Sentinel947]

My Troop uses Troopmaster. What questions do you have about specific programs? What issues do you have with Troopmaster that is prompting you to look at other options.

[redfeather60]

Thanks

 

No issues that I am aware of with TroopMaster,  I was requested to review Scoutbook and Webhost and other than the advertising websites there is little information that I am smart enough to find.  Any leads will also be appreciated.

 

 

The troop is transitioning to a new Advancement Chair and that may have something to do with it.

 

yis

redfeather

[Krampus]

@@redfeather60 I think there's a thread where this was discussed pretty well. If you search on the keywords like TroopMaster or Scoutbook you should find them. We spent days discussing the pros and cons. That thread should help.

[fred johnson]

It really depends "WHAT" you want to track.  If it is roster, contact info, scheduling, etc with nice spreadsheets and automated weekly newsletters, SOAR is the best solution I've seen by far.  If it's advancement, it's then troopmaster or ScoutBook or a few others.  
 
It really depends what you want. 
 
I also like the post from another thread ...  I fully agree with BLW2.  A lot of this TroopMaster stuff is "MAKE WORK" and perverts the scouting experience.  
 

How about selling you on dropping the software all together?
 
I spent a lot of time looking into various options out there, over a couple years.
I also spent considerable effort in trying to manually track my son's dens progress when I was Assistant Den leader the 1st time around.  I was using a spreadsheet template 
http://trax.boy-scouts.net/cubtrax.htm
and I tried using the poster that they sold at the scout shop, thinking that a visual aid during the den meetings would be useful to trigger interest and energy.
I tried checking books during meetings
I tried emailing parents asking them for their updates
I tried asking the boys.
 
The fact of the matter was taht none of them (boys or parents) were the least bit interested in tracking it.
 
And I eventually came to realize that tracking it for Cubs really just does not matter.
Aside from making the award chair's job easier being able to see which awards are due or almost complete, there really is no benefit.
I think these tracking software options really are only a benefit for troop level stuff, and even then I'm doubtful.
They just make work to do.
 
My suggestion, let the boys, parents, den leaders do the signoffs in the book
When the earn something outside of a den meeting, it's up to them to let the DL know.
Use a group email &/or SMS service for communication. (such as emaildodo)
and set up a online syncable calendar such as a google calendar.

The best software is the pen in the back of the scout's handbook.

Edited December 14, 2015 by fred johnson

[Krampus]

@@fred johnson for the sake of argument I will disagree on pen and handbook.

 

A system like TM gives you a back up of all records (rank, MB, awards, medical, training, camping, etc.). It makes tracking and reporting easier ("how many kids need x requirement?").

 

I agree it depends on needs. I agree TM + SOAR make a great tool for getting, managing and communicating information. I've done things with pen/paper and phone. I've done the custom website and email. TM + SOAR are by far the best, least time-consuming of the lot...but we have a huge unit. Smaller units with less tracking and reporting might be better off with something else.

 

At very least, TM gives you back up of our unit's records and a history...and that's big when you need it.

[blw2]

ah, but scouting happens at the patrol level, right?

Big unit or not, the patrol is approx 6-8 boys... nothing more.

Not so hard for the PL to track his patrol and communicate needs and progress as necessary to SM

And taking it a step further, seems like the scout should be responsible for his own stuff anyway...easier still to track one

 

edit:  oh, sorry, I forgot we were talking cubs.

so, the scout being responsible for his own falls apart just a little.... I do think they should have more responsibility, but that's a point for another thread I suppose....

but if you think of a den like a patrol, it's kinda the same, right?  So I still fall back that it doesn't matter if its a big unit or not.

Edited December 14, 2015 by blw2

[Krampus]

ah, but scouting happens at the patrol level, right?

Big unit or not, the patrol is approx 6-8 boys... nothing more.

Not so hard for the PL to track his patrol and communicate needs and progress as necessary to SM

And taking it a step further, seems like the scout should be responsible for his own stuff anyway...easier still to track one

 

edit:  oh, sorry, I forgot we were talking cubs.

so, the scout being responsible for his own falls apart just a little.... I do think they should have more responsibility, but that's a point for another thread I suppose....

but if you think of a den like a patrol, it's kinda the same, right?  So I still fall back that it doesn't matter if its a big unit or not.

 

I'd buy that if:

• Units didn't have to track and report rank advancements/MBs.
• Units didn't have to track and report service hours.
• Units didn't have to track and report training.
• Units didn't have to track and manage health forms, medical conditions, etc.

I've tried managing all the things *required* by district/council/national on paper. Too time consuming. Tried spreadsheets. Too cumbersome and still too time consuming. Online tools -- that are backed up in case something happens -- works just fine and has reduced my time for administration so I can spend MORE time making sure stuff is boy-led, PM-based.

 

Remember, even back when *we* were Scouts, parents and adults were using pen and paper to track these things. You think THEY would go for quill and parchment if they had the option of TM+SOAR+smartphone?

 

How many of you Luddites carry pagers instead of smartphones?

Edited December 14, 2015 by Krampus

[fred johnson]

Units have to rank advancements/MBs.  They don't have to track it.  BSA tracks it just fine.  Just have a basic system to record newly earned MBs.  Our guy has a box.  All new merit badge cards go in the box.  All earned ranks and other special items get written on a paper sheet in the box.  Periodicaly, he signs into BSA's online advancement and enters it and prints the BSA shopping form.

 

Units didn't have to track and report service hours.  Best estimate is fine.  Had 10 guys there for two hours.  That's 20 hours.  Scouting for food 20 hours.  No need to record names and credit individuals.  No need to cross check at BORs.  

 

Units didn't have to track and report training.  District and council tracks advancement.  Multiple sources can print official training reports from BSA / council records

 

Units didn't have to track and manage health forms, medical conditions, etc. ... Got a three ring binder for that.  It sits in a plastic tote.  

[Krampus]

Units have to rank advancements/MBs.  They don't have to track it.  BSA tracks it just fine.  Just have a basic system to record newly earned MBs.  Our guy has a box.  All new merit badge cards go in the box.  All earned ranks and other special items get written on a paper sheet in the box.  Periodicaly, he signs into BSA's online advancement and enters it and prints the BSA shopping form.

The manual system takes more time than the online system. Much more time. I can enter in blue cards at camp. Done. I don't have to wait until I get back home. If my house burns down my records are not destroyed, they are backed up online.

 

Units didn't have to track and report service hours.  Best estimate is fine.  Had 10 guys there for two hours.  That's 20 hours.  Scouting for food 20 hours.  No need to record names and credit individuals.  No need to cross check at BORs.

In my district they want more. Our unit does so much service that the boys run out of space in their book. We track it in TM so that we can credit automatically for rank and the boys can see online. With the new requirements increasing service hours, this feature will be more important. Again, it is FAR less time consuming than the manual method and allows for back up of the data.

 

Units didn't have to track and report training.  District and council tracks advancement.  Multiple sources can print official training reports from BSA / council records

This assumes BSA records are accurate. Would bet that they are? I don't know anyone who thinks BSA's online system accurately reflects their training. Heck, this past summer they lost over 20,000 training records and accounts. *Poof* Gone! Mine was one of them. 12 years of training, gone! Thankfully I was able to get full credit in one day by sending them *MY* back ups from TM. All training that we do that does not go directly in to BSA (RSO, WRFA, CPR, etc.) is tracked in TM. Again, takes FAR less time and we have back ups. 

 

Units didn't have to track and manage health forms, medical conditions, etc. ... Got a three ring binder for that.  It sits in a plastic tote.

Good for you. House burns down and take the tote with it you are screwed. I press "print" and get everything back without having to bug 83 families for their forms again. Did I mention it is faster and I have back ups?

 

No one is saying you can't do it the old fashioned way. But there is no argument that doing it online 1) saves considerable time, 2) reduces paper use, 3) provides for back up in case of emergency, 4) allows for swift reporting or providing updates, 4) integrates with other systems (SOAR) to increase communication and information sharing.

 

As for your phone, you still use a pager? Flip phone? Or do you have one of the new HTC or iPhones? Then ask yourself why you have that fancy phone. Save times? Allows you to do more? Same with online scout systems.

[fred johnson]

Krampus ... If it works for you, good.  Our troop doesn't think it's necessary.  We used to keep a lot more data in TroopMaster but then we realized ... no one ever looked it.  So, why keep it.  Scouts are just as well off with printouts of BSA's ScoutNet records.  

 

As for scout advancement tracking in 3rd party systems, my frustration is with investing energy keeping detailed scout advancement records in systems that just don't matter.  And worse, push extra work or annoyance back onto the scout.  

[Krampus]

Krampus ... If it works for you, good.  Our troop doesn't think it's necessary.  We used to keep a lot more data in TroopMaster but then we realized ... no one ever looked it.  So, why keep it.  Scouts are just as well off with printouts of BSA's ScoutNet records.

I don't disagree that there can be data tracked that is not necessary. If you have good information management skills you can fix that fast. In my area 3/4 of the parents work for IT companies so we were able to cut out the useless stuff pretty fast.

 

I will say that we have had to use our back ups several times over the years and it resulted in at least 5-6 scouts staying in scouting and 2-3 guys making Eagle when they might not have.

 

As for scout advancement tracking in 3rd party systems, my frustration is with investing energy keeping detailed scout advancement records in systems that just don't matter.  And worse, push extra work or annoyance back onto the scout.

If done incorrectly, this can very well be the case.

 

But our unit has found that the money spent on such systems saves us LOADS of time; time which we now have to spend actually interacting with the scouts (instead of manually doing paperwork) and fulfilling our adult association role.

 

There can be overkill with any process/system. They key for us was reduced time spent doing work, back ups in case something went wrong and better communication with our members.