Something better than the Blue card

[Basementdweller 608]

So what would make the merit badge system more efficent and meaningful to the scouts and scouters????/

 

All I know is the blue card.

[Eagle92 110]

Here are some things I've seen done/ have done

 

1) Having the MBC sign off in the book, i.e. under Star, Life and Eagle, and in my day First Aid in First Class advancement records, have the MBC write in the MB earned and signed/initialed.

 

2) Signed off in the MBP. Problem with that was the MBP couldn't be reused. Some folks would photo copy the requirements section of the book

 

3) Sign off in the Requirements Book that listed all the requirements for all recognitions.

 

4) Sign off the online workbooks.

[bnelon44 17]

The situation is that we are awarding the merit badges as soon as we can get them recorded at council. So actually four entities need to have the record:

 

1) The Merit badge counselor needs a record that he signed off a merit badge (in case of questions later.) (that is the counselor's record of the 3 part blue card.)

 

2) The Scout needs a record that he handed in a completed merit badge form (that is the Applicant's record of the 3 part card)

 

3) The unit needs a record that the Scout has completed the badge (that is the unit record of the 3 part blue card.)

 

4) The council needs to track it was completed (that is the advancement form, either on paper or using Internet Advancement)

 

 

The eventual solution will be to somehow securely get all of this online.(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

[Beavah 205]

Nah, bnelon44, don't make stuff so complimicated.

 

All that's needed is a secure and reliable way for a MBC to know the SM approved the lad for the MB work, and for da MBC to transmit completion back to the unit.

 

That can be as easy as an email.

 

There's no need to generate all kinds of forms and bureaucracy because we like pretendin' we're the IRS.

 

B

 

[bnelon44 17]

>There's no need to generate all kinds of forms and bureaucracy because we like pretendin' we're the IRS

 

Until the Scout goes for Eagle and the person at the troop who was suppose to get the email and didn't report it is long gone.

 

But I agree with electronic communications something could be worked out, such as an email to all parties involved by the MBC. Although that would lead to the Scout not meeting up with the SM again for a final conference on the MB. There are a number of ways of creating a multi part form/notification. As I said before, the simple blue card helps to facilitate the process.(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

[Basementdweller 608]

So far nothing is sounding any better.....

 

So now my boys have to go buy merit badge books to get them signed off....

 

Or

 

Print the worksheet off merit badge.com

 

or

 

Something electronic

 

 

All paperwork stinks, I hate doing it at work.....

 

 

So what if the MBC doe not have internet or a computer???????

[emb021 16]

Well, here is how things are done in another organization, Toastmasters.

 

Believe it or not, in Toastmasters we have an educational program with awards that need to be signed off on.

 

Except for one award, all of them can (and we highly encourage) that they be submitted on-line. (alternate is to send in by either mail or fax, the signed award application, which includes info on the projects completed).

 

Toastmasters has an on-line system which club officers can access. Here the officers submit applications for new members, pay dues, and submit awards. Officers can't submit awards for themselves.

 

Doing so is fairly easy, and its more reliable then mail or fax. The member gets an email stating the award has been submitted, and they can always check their on-line profile for all their awards earned.

 

The system is also supposed to check to ensure everything has been completed, in cases of prerequisites. (for instance, if you can't get award X until you've done Y, it checks to make sure you've done Y).

 

Be nice if the BSA has something like this, at least to handle most ranks and merit badges.

 

[Beavah 205]

So what if the MBC doe not have internet or a computer???????

 

He or she uses a phone.

 

Now, if we actually believed national's IT folks could find a cowpie in a field of Guernseys without da help of a 6-year-old, a nice digital solution would give each MBC a login, and they could just log da completion of the badge directly. Scout's profile updates instantly, troop SM/AC get notified with an opportunity to rescind. Yeh could even tie it into a unit custodial account and have da badge shipped automatically.

 

No reason to wait for national, either. Any troop could do this with online tools, includin' a few commercial products that are currently available. Everything automatically backed up, too.

 

Honestly, though, a phone call or email works just fine. "Hi, Nancy, this is Steve. I'm with Tommy and Freddy, and they both just finished Citizenship in the Community."

 

Amazin' what yeh can do without a multi-part form.

 

Beavah

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[Eagle92 110]

until the Scout goes for Eagle and the person at the troop who was suppose to get the email and didn't report it is long gone.

 

That's why you have the MBC sign in the BSHB since that is the offical advancement record that troops, and in turn the council, uses.

 

I've had 2 experiences where the council's records were messed up. After my EBOR, when the p/w was being reviewed by council, the registrar at the time entered the date she recorded the info into their records and not the date the award was actually earned. this led to 2 problems A) some of the MBs for whatever reason were being recorded by council as being earned AFTER the rank BOR ( don't ask how that happened) and B) some of the time requirements were not being met according to the dates entered by the registrar.

 

I had to turn in a copy of my BSHB with everything signed off to correct the council's records.

 

Another incident was when a friend was having his records reviewed after his EBOR, despite several attempts to get the council records corrected, they still had him listed as a First Class Scout. Again copies of the BSHB, as well as unit's copy of the advancement reports, were submitted to correct the records.

 

[Beavah 205]

I had to turn in a copy of my BSHB with everything signed off to correct the council's records.

 

Yah, at da risk of continuin' to be considered a heathen by the multipart form crowd...

 

Is there really any reason why council/national/ScoutNet should bother loggin' rank advancement in the first place?

 

As close as I can tell, da error rate is somethin' like 10 to 20%. So there's no reason to log it in order to improve unit or scout record-keepin'. Council and national records are usually worse.

 

Da cost in personnel time pretty much eats up one or two staff positions and a bunch of volunteers. For what? None of that time actually improves program for the boys. Think of what else yeh could do each year with that volunteer time. Think about what else yeh might do with those salary and benefit dollars. Is loggin' advancement paperwork and keypunching really worth not givin' 100 kids camperships for camp?

 

Just wonderin'.

 

Beavah

 

[Basementdweller 608]

Our council touts camperships, says they give camperships, But yet to know of anyone to get one first hand. We have families apply....never hear anything then end up passing the hat to get them to go....

 

 

But your point is valid about logging Advancement at the national level.....

 

Why???

 

Which means logged at the unit level?(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[Oak Tree 15]

Anything electronic is less likely to get lost.

 

For the most part, we log into TroopMaster and record all the partial merit badge work there.

 

We do still use blue cards, too, which makes it easier for the Scouts to see.

 

As near as I can tell, if you don't have internet, you aren't allowed to live within 50 miles of us. I don't think I've run into someone like that in our troop history. Ever. Your demographics may vary.

[frankpalazzi 62]

The only reason I like blue cards is because of their redundancy. 3-parts: Scout, Troop, and Counselor. When (not "if") council is missing a scout's MB, you not only have 3 different people with the sections of the card for proof (should council require you to produce it), but it's also in our Troopmaster. File another advancement report, and done! Yes, the extra paperwork is a PITA, but a necessary evil when it's time to file that Eagle Application! I just don't trust internet advancement and Scoutnet. I've always been able to produce an initialed-by-someone-at-council pink copy of the advancement report though! Every time! Stick 'em in a ring binder, and forget 'em until you need 'em.(This message has been edited by FrankScout)

[JMHawkins 15]

That can be as easy as an email.

 

My first thought when I read this was "what about Summer Camp and Merit Badge Weekends?"

 

Then I remembered I dislike most MB classes.

 

And it's not like the cards help that much. Last year we went to a MB weekend and it rained hard overnight. Most of the blue cards scouts were holding on to (in the thigh pockets of their scout pants) got soaked and turned into little piles of blue pulp. We ended up needing to recreate a whole bunch of those.

 

OTOH, a Scout needed to shepherd his blue card from SM to MBC and back is a lesson in responsiblity.

[NJCubScouter 1389]

I have a really wild idea.

 

How about if the geniuses at National, with some help from actual unit-level Scouts, sat down and came up with ONE WAY to record events and approvals and process paperwork, whether it requires paper or just electrons or whatever, and then implement it throughout the entire country?

 

I don't even care what the actual method is. I suspect that in this information age where almost everybody has or has access to a computer, the best method wouldn't involve little pieces of heavyweight paper. I'm fully prepared to accept that the method that was the best in 1972 or 1952 is not the best method in 2012. But like I said, I don't even care. Figure out a way, and do it, one way. Is it that difficult?

 

I know that's just crazy talk.