ScoutsTracker 101

1. ScoutsTracker 101 An Introduction to the Basic Features

2. What is ScoutsTracker? • It’s a comprehensive section administration web application that helps you manage: • Youths’ progress through the Program • Canadian Path! • Event tracking and Management • Communication • Inventory • Planning • Weekly reporting • Etc.

3. Format of this Presentation • It’s not starting from the beginning! • E.g., how to create an account and initialize it • Too many people get hung up on the little details of what they are seeing • Instead, we’ll start with • Concepts behind its design and use • Introducing functionality and how to use ScoutsTracker effectively, on common tasks • Setting it up is way easier to understand, afterwards

4. Five Basic Concepts • Events and Program are Linked • Scouting youth participate in events that advance them through the Program • We help the youth organize events with specific program objectives in mind! • Everyone should have visibility • Youth AND parents AND Scouters should clearly see • their youths’ progress (and the next steps) • upcoming and past events (and the purpose/objective of each) • Security is important • Youth privacy • Two-deep communications • Your time is precious • Recordkeeping should be easy… so you can work with the youth, instead of maintaining your section records • Substantiate the Canadian Path • Youth led • Personal Journey • OAS • Plan-Do-Review

5. Concept: Events and Program are Linked • Youth plan their events with objectives in mind • Meeting to pick a route for winter hike • Camp to earn permits • Paddle night to build canoe competency • First Aid course to improve emergency skills • Shoreline cleanup to contribute to the community • Fundraising to save up for an epic summer trip • Most activities have some tie into the Program • At the very least, examples of Plan-Do-Review

6. Event “Related Requirements” • Each event can be linked to Program elements • Manually selected • E.g., Click on “Related Requirements” and filter on “menu” to find all the badge requirements that deal with menu planning • Automatically picked based on event attributes • E.g., a camp will automatically add specific “Camping Skills” OAS requirements

7. “Give Credit” for Participation • After an event, you can “Give Credit” • One button-click to credit all attending youth • Manually tweak to override • E.g., Sam missed half the camp due to a hockey tournament • The elements covered by upcoming events let you and your youth plan your year’s program

8. Demo Time! • Click on existing “Survival Camp” (Nov 3rd) • Click on “Manage” beside the attendance • Mark 5-6 Scouts as being present, click “Save” • Click on “Give Credit” • Mark various youth/requirements and complete, and then “Save” • Mark event “Finalized?” as “Yes”

9. Creating an Event • Typically done by clicking on a day on the Calendar • Clicking on an existing event drills down to it • Otherwise, creates a new event • New event defaults to pre-initialized meeting if it is the same day-of-week as last meeting • Can also duplicate existing events, or import them from other section’s schedules

10. Creating a Regular Meeting • Define Basic Details • Name (including numbering) • Time • Location • Description and/or Scouter’s notes • Visibility • Can add Program Area (for Canadian Path) • Can add “Related Requirements”

11. Demo Time! • Click on Wednesday, Nov 15thto create a new meeting • Give it a name (e.g., “Urban Night Hike”) • In “Related Requirements”, search for “lost” and select appropriate reqs

12. Creating Other Events • Advanced Event Options • Multiple labels • Multi-day events • Changing the date • Annual report • Attachments • Formatting • Signup/Payment • Visibility (e.g., everyone, scouters-only, or personal) • Auto-linked requirements

13. Demo Time! • Click on Saturday, Nov 25th to create a new one-day “other event” • Give it a name of “Coyote Rock Climbing” • Enable “signup/payment” • Enable “allow guests” • Set price to $12 for youth, $20 for guests • Set signup deadline of Tuesday, Dec 5th • Add some Signup instructions (e.g., “Need drivers”) • Signup some youth (some YES, some NO), some with guests, some paid

14. Progression and Planning • Troop Reports – Status • Pond/Jungle/CT Map events? • Who’s working on what? • Wall Chart • History • Troop Reports - Weekly • Ready-to-Award • Ready-to-Demonstrate • Signups • Amounts Owing • Troop Reports - Planning • Via Completion Report, and “Show upcoming” • Personal Journey

15. Concept: Everyone Should Have Visibility • There’s a difference between Members… • Name, role, status, signup/payment/attendance • Patrol, progression, birthday • … and Logins • Permissions • Opt-in Email preferences • Privacy • … and Communication Contacts • Logins and other email addresses

16. Flexible Access to Youth • Multiple logins per youth • The youth have their own login • Mom, Dad, Step-Dad all have logins, too AND • Multiple youth per login • Siblings within the same Troop

17. Flexible Access to Youth • A Login grants access to specific youth(s) • billysmith@example.com can access “Billy” • momsmith@example.com can access “Billy” • sallyjones@example.com can access “Sally” • stepmom@example.com can access “Billy” AND “Sally”

18. Multiple Logins using Same Email • Authentication is stored per Section • I.e., Colony vs. Pack vs. Troop • You can have multiple logins across multiple sections • Each section has their own password • You can have multiple logins within a section (e.g., Pack) • All share a common password

19. Multiple Logins across Sections • Just connect to appropriate URL • https://scoutstracker.ca/beavers • https://scoutstracker.ca/venturers • Etc. • Helpful to bookmark them in your browser for easy access • Need to provide password you’ve chosen at each section

20. Multiple Logins within Section • E.g., a Scouter helps out with both “Colony A” and “Colony B” and needs to switch between them • Has a Scouter login in both Colony accounts • Scouter is also a parent, and wants to administer account, but also let their child check their own Cub records • Has both a Scouter login AND a parent Login in same Pack • Can switch at any time between these logins by going to “Account” | “Connect via another login”

21. Ubiquitous Access • Sign in via any browser • https://scoutstracker.ca/scouts • Add to smartphone/iPad • https://scoutstracker.ca/scouts/mobile • Allows launching from home screen • Allows working even while offline (i.e., at camp) • Don’t forget to connect before going to camp to get latest data • Don’t‘ forget to connect after coming home to let queued records be uploaded

22. Ubiquitous Access • Integrate schedule with Google/Outlook Calendar • Let’s you see upcoming Troop events overlaid with other family obligations (no login) • See “Subscribe” button under calendar • Embed schedule in your Website (no login) • Include links to specific events in emails

23. Concept: Privacy is Important • Scouters can see everything, and change everything* • All youth, including badge progression • All events, including attendance, payment • All emails • All reports • Youth/Parents can see only their youth, and change almost nothing* • Only their youth’s name and progression • Only the events they are eligible to sign up for • Only their signup/payment/attendance • Only emails they were originally sent • A subset of personal reports * can be customized

24. Scouters vs. Parents/Youth Views • Parents/Youth • Can see only their records* • Can sign-up for their eligible events • Can mark requirements as “favourite” and/or “ready to demonstrate” • Can see youth-specific reports • Scouters • Can see everything and do anything* * this can be optionally overridden

25. Custom Permissions • Can enhance “Youth-Led” by granting permissions to non-Scouters • Go to “Account” | “Advanced” | “Allow Scouts to help manage the account” • Off by default for younger sections (Colony->Troop) • On by default for older sections (Company->Crew)

26. Custom Permissions • 5 distinct permissions • Can see all records • Login can see badge/event details for any youth • Required for the remaining permissions (below) • Can manage schedule • Create/modify/delete items from schedule, record signups/payment • Can update badges • Mark requirements and badges as complete • Can send emails • Can administer account • all of the above, plus roster changes, plus account settings • Custom permissions are enabled per-Login • E.g., only Troop Leader, or Company executive • Can be also be revoked

27. Custom Permissions • Scouters’ permissions can also be customized • All scouters start with full admin permissions by default • Assumption is that you’re working as part of a team • But can be revoked, per login • E.g., want only one person doing recordkeeping • Need to rein in over-enthusiastic parent scouter • Have a youth Scouter (Kim) who can test for badges, but you don’t want them mucking with the roster

28. Other Privacy Options • PIN-encryption of youth Emergency Info • BCC-only emails • Per login • Entire section • Youth logins can be removed from Contacts • Parent/Youth designator • Two-deep communications • Ultra-secure mode

29. Concept: Your Time is Precious • Quick Importing • Moving-up/Linking/Transferring Members • Updating in Bulk • Communication • Inventory • Tax Receipts • Annual Report • Finding stuff • Weekly Reports

30. Quick Importing • Adding Leaders and Youth • Manually • “Import from MyScouts” • Can be repeated each year • And duplicates can be merged • Initializing youth’s badge records • “Home” | “Other” | “All requirements” • Bulk Welcome Messages • “Account” | “Logins” | “Welcome Messages”

31. Move-Up/Linking • Youth and Scouters can be transferred to another account (e.g., swim up, switch Troops) • Records are copied to new account • Member details • Logins (for uninterrupted access) • OAS Progress • Youth can be temporarily active in two sections • Progress from both accounts can be merged

32. Updating in Bulk • Marking Badges as Complete • “Give Credit” • Automatic cascading of badge completion • Per badge “In Bulk” • Per youth • Payment • Attendance • Start/end-of-year bulk modifications to Youth

33. Demo Time! • Click on “Accounts” | “Scouts” | “Update multiple Scouts” • Show values that can be changed

34. Communication • ScoutsTracker ensures that you never omit Step-Mom from the distribution • Parents with logins can update their own email addresses • Two-deep is guaranteed • Quickly add recipients • “Everyone”, “Only Parents”, “Only Scouters” • “Quick Pick” • By patrol, signup, payment or any combo • Email is archived, and filtered by event • Personal/Troop notes for individual requirements

35. RSVP • Can send an email that includes signup buttons • Parents/youth can just click on the button in the email, and they’ll be recorded as signed up (or not) • Email contains buttons for each youth/scouter associated with that email • E.g., email sent to Mom “Bagheera” will get one email with RSVP buttons for • Herself (as “Bagheera”) • Son “Billy” • Daughter “Sally”

36. Demo Time! • Click on the new “Coyote Rock Climbing” • Click “Send Email” • Click “Quick Pick” • Show adding youth based on sign-up and payment • Click on a dot in the “YES” or “NO” column • Click “Add” • Add RSVP Link

37. Other Conveniences • Inventory • Automatically updated as badges awarded • Set threshold for badge inventory • Automatically generates shopping list • SHARED! • Tax Receipts • Tallies events youth participated in this calendar year • Adds in registration amount • Finding stuff • Searchable events and badges • Bookmarks • Related Requirements • Weekly Reports

38. Concept: Substantiate the Canadian Path

39. Give Concrete Tools • Goals of Canadian Path program are great, but lacking tools • How to empower “Youth Led”? • How to work with a youth to plan and execute a Personal Achievement Badge? • How to make cross-section OAS’s actually stay with the youth? • How to compile info for Personal Journey’s year-end review?

40. Youth Led • You can (optionally) grant specific youth the permissions to help manage their account, e.g. • Rovers/Ventures might be allowed to administer their entire account (just like a Scouter) • Troop Leader might be allowed to send out emails to the youth • Howler Council might be allowed to mark badge requirements as complete • All permissions are optional, revocable and youth-specific!

41. Outdoor Adventure Skills • Progress is migrated along with the youth • Most tally requirements (e.g., # of nights of camping) are triggered at multiple stages • This is okay • Higher levels should get credit for camps done at younger sections • You can hide irrelevant stages (e.g., Stages 4-9 at Beavers, or Stages 1-3 at Venturers) via “Account” | “Advanced”

42. Personal Progression • NOT a badge! • Yes, it’s something you give out • But shows were the youth is “at”, not what they’ve finished • … or not, SC has flip-flopped on this • Beavers & Cubs • age based • Move up as a cohort, at end of year • Scouts & Venturers • year-in-program based • Move up individually, at end of year… unless sooner • Progression is entirely dependent on the year-end review (see “Journey Cards”)

43. Journey Cards • Facilitates the year-end review • Prepopulates the two-page report with relevant info for each youth • Events and Section info (page 1) • Personal Progress and OAS (page 2) • Gives space for youth to complete remaining “reflection” fields (e.g., “my favourite adventure”) • Mark youth as working on next progression level upon handing out journey cards

44. Demo Time! • Go to “Home” | “Personal Progression” | “Journey Cards” • Select 2017-18 • Select “Muskox” Patrol • Click “Generate” • Create PQS Event on Dec 10th

45. Personal Achievement Badges • Basically, a contract between youth and leadership team • Youth can customize (using notes) any one of 16 badges • Give it a name (e.g., “Spelunking”) • Describe what the “adventures” they’ll undertake to complete the requirements • Reflect on their adventure • Scouters can “lock-down” the youth’s notes, so they can’t change it once you’ve both agreed on the plan

46. Other Elements • Top Section Award • Program Areas and Pond/Jungle Map locations are an event attribute • Reports • Other carried-forward elements • Religion-in-Life / Spirituality • Youth Leadership Training • World Scout Environment Award (Troop-only) • Language Strip

47. Back to Square 1 - Creation • Create an account, by browsing to • https://scoutstracker.ca/cubs • https://scoutstracker.ca/venturers • Etc. • Click on “Account” | “Create a New Account” • Answer some questions (i.e., “Are you a scouter or a parent”) • Enter your Section details (Council, Area, Group) • Your name/email

48. Back to Square 1 – Roster • Import your roster • “Account” | “Import from MyScouts” • Follow the instructions • Go to “Account” | “Logins” | “Welcome Messages” • Select all scouters and (optionally) all parent/youth • Send them the “welcome message”

49. Back to Square 1 – First Meeting • Create your first meeting • Click on the Calendar • Pick label “Meeting” • Name it, “#9. Winter Camp planning” • Specify location and start/stop times • Pick some related requirements • Save

50. Back to Square 1 – More Events • Create a few more meetings • Click on the calendar on the desired day • If same day of week as first meeting, a bunch of stuff is initialized for you • Create immediately-upcoming events • E.g., Camp, Hiking, Fundraiser • Just click on the calendar!