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Videos on managing scout accounts and leader-to-parent communications


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Hi everyone,

 

  I am new to Scouter.com, so I hope this message is alright to post and enjoyed by everyone.  As part of my Woodbadge Ticket, I am creating a series of videos on advanced techniques for Scout Leaders.

 

  Please consider taking a look and provide feedback.

 

The first video is tips for successful leader-to-parent communications.  It focuses on my philosophy that every email going to a parent, in addition to the topic, should include a full calendar and full contact information for key scout leaders.  The video shows how I accomplish this, including a few advanced tricks for Google Groups.

 

 

The second video is a tutorial on how to use a custom excel spreadsheet that we created just for Scout Accounts.  You can download and use the spreadsheet for free (the link is in the video description).  

 

 

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

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@@ScoutmasterDanny,  welcome to scouter.com.

 

Our troop shied away from Google groups as parents were concerned about privacy,. Announcements at closing work best for us, but different strokes for different folks.

 

Your second video regarding Scout accounts is frequently discussed/argued here.

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I can't view the videos on this computer --- I will later, but I can make some initial comments.

 

One thing I think you should be very cognizant of is making sure that any tip or trick you give follows every BSA guideline, like those found in YPT, the Guide to Safe Scouting, and the Guide to Advancement.  Equally important is that you be sure not to perpetuate any urban legends, myths, etc. that may be floating around your own unit, council, or district.  The reason it's important that you be so careful and cognizant is that materials like yours tend to become the reference that other folks use rather than original source material.

 

In just the examples you give, for instance, if your emails are truly only between leaders and parents than there are no YPT considerations, but as soon as you or anyone includes a scout than there are YPT guidelines that should be considered.  As a second example, there is a very recent thread on here about someone asking if it's OK to counsel their own son for a merit badge; the information she had received from another, supposedly knowledgeable, fellow volunteer scouter, was either incorrect on its face, or at least incomplete.

 

Remember Schiff refers to scout accounts as being a frequently discussed topic here, that's an understatement, but it is probably worth taking into account that there is a wide variety of opinion as to whether scout accounts are appropriate, or even legal, and the guidance from BSA is at best muddled.  You can do with that what you want, but I would hope that you would at least make mention of the question when you are designing a program that someone else may look to as "expert" advice.

 

Good luck,

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Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.  I plan to make a bunch of these videos, so all the advice is very much appreciated.

 

Danny

 

Before you start, you might want to check out scoutmastercg.com. He's been doing podcasts on various subjects for years and might have already addressed the topic.

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Welcome to the forum!

 

Your spreadsheets are bulky awkward and easily corrupted by the user.  If they can mess it up, they will.

 

For a small troop, this might be fairly easy task to maintain, but with 5 columns per scout, that means a troop of 50 boys would require 250 columns all "numbered" by letters.  Even then where's Little Johnny information? 

 

Need a new scout?  Copy/paste from existing scout, then delete the information...but try to remember from which account?  :)

 

Unless one is ready to do a huge amount of customer service, give it away as "AS IS", or such, I wouldn't get it out there under my phone number for love or money.

 

It is obvious the designer has a background in Conditional formatting, formula development based on date functions, but woefully lacking knowledge into the usage of  screen design, hyperlinking, data storage and protection, referencing, macros, form controls and ease of use.

 

YPT issues would keep me from using commercial "groups".  I would simply have an email group and send out information in email format only.  One click to select the recipients, type in the Subject line, add body of the message, attach a small protected file that is kept up by the scouts. and hit send.  "One" email, everyone gets the same info.  If one wishes to have in the body unique information, Excel can create email formats 

 

It's a start, but I wouldn't ever suggest it to my treasurer to maintain records unless it were able to be linked into the whole troop budget process.

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I wish you luck and I always look forward to good instructional videos. But a word of caution, the guidance, instruction or advice I gave after I finished my ticket in many cases would have changed a lot after three years experience. Not to mention a career of years. I'm not saying don't do it because I think many folks will find value in your videos, including me. But don't be surprised if you find yourself adding correctional text to them as you gain experience down the road.

 

Unfortunately for us humans, experience is the hardest teacher, it gives the test first, then the lesson. LOL

 

Barry

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Before you post it to the web, have someone with absolutely no clue about these issues watch them. If they can articulate back to you what you wanted the viewer to take away, you've done your job. If not, you need to revise your script.

 

The hardest part of doing instructional videos is getting your point across. As author, you may THINK you are getting your point across, but you're not. ;)

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