I lost Blue Cards!

[violamom3]

I can't believe I did this. I am the Adv Chair, and have been for almost 12 years. I lost blue cards!. 3 were already input on iadv, so I printed out the boys summary. However, there are 4 other missing cards, and I don't even know who they were from and they weren't put into iadv yet! I am totally freaking out. 

Will council accept the boy's summary without the council portion of the blue card? What about the part that goes to the scout? I am positive he has no recollection of who he did the badge with. 

Any suggestions?

 

[John-in-KC]

The ADVANCEMENT REPORT and your upload to internet advancement is the official record of advancement.  The only thing required by BSA from the unit, other than inputs of data, is signatures for a rank advancement BOR.

 

Relax.  All is well.  If needed, have a friendly cup of coffee and talk with your District Advancement Chair at Roundtable.

[fred johnson]

Also just let your troop and scouts know and ask who the cards were from.  Be friendly and humble and re-create the records.  It happens.  

[qwazse]

@@violamom3, welcome to the forums, and thanks for your service to the boys!

 

I can believe you did this. Happens all the time. That's why there are three parts to the MB application: the one that stays with the boy all the time, the one that goes to the counselor, and the one that is turned into the unit. The unit and the boy's copies have the counselor's signature. So they are of equal value when ordering MBs.

 

Let the boy know you made a mistake and ask if you can make a copy of his sections of cards for the MBs he completed. If he doesn't have his copy, ask him again who his counselor was, and if he doesn't remember that, where he earned it. If he remembers earning his badge at camp or at a weekend event. Camp staff might have those cards on file.

[Ankylus]

The blue card also includes segments for the boys and the counselors. Either of those should be acceptable. Or, if the counselor has independent records or is otherwise willing to sign a new blue card, your golden.

[Deaf Scouter]

It happens.  Let your troop know and suggest to scouts to make copies for the future while you set up a system to prevent this from happening again.

I run a merit badge day event and had an advancement chair approach me for this info.  I tracked down theirs through my records and gave them new copies.

[Ankylus]

Btw, we remind scouts once or twice a year that the blue card has three parts and that one of those parts is for them and their records. We spend a bit of time on scouts' independent record keeping and slow trailing the troop's records to make sure they are accurate and up to date. Does them a bit of good in life to understand that things can go wrong in record keeping.

[qwazse]

Btw, we remind scouts once or twice a year that the blue card has three parts and that one of those parts is for them and their records. We spend a bit of time on scouts' independent record keeping and slow trailing the troop's records to make sure they are accurate and up to date. Does them a bit of good in life to understand that things can go wrong in record keeping.

The boys in my crew are interested in developing a "how to earn a merit badge" skit. If anything comes of it, I'll let you know.

[SSScout]

RT last night:   Discussion point meandered from "Does the Scout need to keep the Merit Badge Worksheets after he is awarded the badge? "  (no, not necessary. Not even necessary to earn a MB.)  to   "Who should keep the Blue Card, because the MB is ALWAYS entered into the Council Advancement Record, right?"

 

Choices testified to:

1)  Blue card is the final record of last resort. one piece stays with  Merit Badge Counselor. Second  piece stays with Troop records   (Troop Advancement Chair enters electronically to Council) and third part stays with Scout.  He can do with it as he wants. Shoebox, special book, desk drawer, whatever, not our problem.   He also gets a special card with the patch at the CoH.

2)  Blue card has three parts.  One stays with MBCounselor,  second  part stays in Troop records until  the Adv Chair enters it in the Council electronic records, and then this card is MAILED to Council. ("we've always mailed them to Council") ,  third part is put in a record book (baseball card pocket page) that the Troop keeps(!!)  until the Scout leaves the Troop.  Each Scout has a book the Troop Adv. Chair keeps in a cabinet at the Meeting site.  Scout DOES NOT keep a piece of the Blue Card himself.

3)  Blue Card has three parts.  One part stays with MBCounselor,  one part stays with Troop in a special file , which is cleaned out periodically (?), third part is STAPLED to the special card the Scout gets with the MBPatch at the CoH.  Scout receives a Advancement Record every year, listing his ranks, MBs (with counselor listed), PoRs, and dates associated with each.  

 

Such a choice , some I never would have thought of.   But then, I'm not  a Scoutmaster. 

[qwazse]

@@SSScout, did the proponents of choice #1 open with, "On the card. Read the instructions. Do what they say."

[SSScout]

Q:  No, not really.   We just spoke about what "our" Troop did.  I do not remember anyone mentioning the "instructions".  

 

((read the instructions?  What a concept....))

 

As the RTC, I did not think it my place in this instance to mention that,,,  the instructions on the card.   I did ask leading questions, and was surprised at the various choices  we heard. 

 

The SM who mentioned #2 is one of our prime movers.  Very much a "boy led ", high adventure  Troop, known  by example and reputation.   And they keep the cards as a service to the Scout? 

 

I still have my cards in that shoe box in the back/bottom of my closet.  Small box, but still....

[scoutldr]

I was going to post a rant about "when did it become the Adv Chair's responsibility to maintain the boys' records FOR them" and "back in my day (1960s), it was MY job to maintain my blue cards and make sure I had my $$$$ together when it got time to fill out my Eagle paperwork", and "got to stop spoonfeeding them."  But I won't bother...got to learn to let it go.  Sorry. I think Ankylus and I are on the same page.  

[gumbymaster]

Don't put too much stock in the Council records - especially for Summer Camp earned MBs.

 

I still have a large box in my basement with three years worth of summer camp Blue Cards (the Counselor's copy).

I kept them because (1) The Council at the time (early 90s) had no where to put them or record them; and (2) Many of our Summer Camp Counselors were transient (College Students, Military , etc) and most Scouts would not remember who the counselor was anyway*, just that they were earned at Summer Camp.  As the Program director, I felt obliged to protect them; at least Council usually knew how to track me down if it was an issue, and as a hoarder, I still haven't gotten rid of them.

 

* some long-time scouters who were counselors for the same merit badges outside of summer camp did get to keep their copies.