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I've been using Doubleknot Inc. services for my unit, our districts and our Council web site for the past two years. http://www.doubleknot.com At a unit level its a low cost option that is software independent and allows multiple users to make updates to specific features or all of them. At a District / Council level - I've made the sites independent of software and one person. We now have an online store, accept online event registrations with / without e-payments, unlimited e-lists, Council MB Counselor list online (and restricted). Soon to launch online camping reservation database with them as well. Service support has been great too. http://www.maywood-bsatroop12.org http://www.nnjbsa.org

Doubleknot Inc. has one of the most comprehensive web calendars and a slue of other features units, districts and councils need. http://www.doubleknot.com

Our elections have traditionally been January - May. This year we started in December. We are anticipating a growth in assisting with lodge elections this year by actively promoting that we need help to run elections and to provide transportation. Our biggest concern is getting through to troops that have SM's that refuse to hold an election for fear the OA takes away scouts from their program.

NLATS is an incredible training course! I took NLATS last year to prepare myself as an incoming lodge adviser. I got more out of the NLATS course than I did taking Wood Badge this Fall. NLATS is predominately run by youth members of from all four regions of the OA. Its a very impressive to see the NW Region Chief attending a NE Region sponsored NLATS course. Adult advisers from all regions and National are there as well. Seeing first hand how well national, regional and sectional officers worked together to provide a solid program helped me believe I can achieve membership retention and a solid lodge program at home. All aspects of the OA program and Lodge management are covered. Very useful information and sharing of ideas / programs from other lodges too. I highly recommend NLS / NLATS to everyone. Our lodge now pays for NLS / NLATS registration fees of E-Board members to encourage them to attend.

If your lodge trading post as extra inventory, why not purchase a new one? What's the big deal? We sell new sashes all the time.

On again off again (couldnt remember past id/password too). Eagle scout (silver palm), troop committee chair, district communication chair, currently volutneer webmaster for Northern NJ Council and lodge adviser for Lenapehoking Lodge (IX).

Has anyone notice a change in the card stock on OA Membership cards? Card stock is blank and the first card on each page is a sample and unuseable. Well, I contacted Clyde (OA) at National regarding membership cards. Turns out the current order is the standard now. National tried to appease everyone as some were calling that couldn't line their data with the printed line cards thru a printer. After explaining the deliemma of losing a record/card per sheet, after much discussion, Clyde is going to see about removing the "Sample" wording from the 1st card so that its useable. Unfortunately, National is not going to replace the current card stock till its been sold out. For our needs, we'll simply modify the MS Access DB report. We should be able to modify the report so that data is only printing on cards 3-10 (remember the first card is the sample on everypage, we'll have the second card blank for manual entry.