Troop Master Question from the Polecat thread

[ThunderingWind]

Does Troopmaster send the name of the Merit Badge Counselor in some electronic fashion that it can get matched against the names of the registered Merit Badge Counselors in Scoutnet (nationwide check as some MB are legally eanred out of Council).

[Nuts4Scouts]

BSA does not ask for the name of the Merit Badge Counselor the badge was earned with on any form that I am aware of.

So how/why would Scoutnet (or Troopmaster) be set up to do any kind of comparison search?

Not to mention the fact that MBC records are not kept up very well in most councils.

[ThunderingWind]

BSA does not ask for the name of the Merit Badge Counselor the badge was earned with on any form that I am aware of.

So how does TroopMaster, Unit, District and Council verify that the MBC signing whatever document is being submitted as a "Certificate of Completion" is actually a registered MBC?

Just because they are on a list does not mean the registration is still active.

A simple check using the powers of the electronic age is a simple function.

Anyway, I was just wondering how to hlep limit the fraud as noted in teh "PoleCat" thread.

[FrankJ]

So how does TroopMaster, Unit, District and Council verify that the MBC signing whatever document is being submitted as a "Certificate of Completion" is actually a registered MBC?

They do not

The advancement chair for the unit, Scoutmaster, crew adviser (or who ever is recording advancement) needs to have the current council list of MBCs & check it. If your council does not keep the list & distribute it regularly the job is just about impossible. You should at least know in your unit how has been registered for what. Council will have no idea what MBC has counseled which scout since it is not recorded on the advancement form or scoutnet.

Another possibility is to require the scouts to bring a notarized form from the Council Scout Executive say the scout used a registered MBC. But then that would be adding to the requirements

[Mrw]

I made a point of emphasizing to our kids and parents that only registered MBC's can sign off one a card AND that I reserve the right to call and confirm the counselor is registerd if there is any question and I do not have them on my district list.

Not adding to any requirements and adds a level of checks to keep our over-involved and hard to eduacate parents in line. I have never actually done this, but they do not need to know that.

[ThunderingWind]

In this day and age of "data" and the use of good software packages like Troop Master, I am just very surprised that this is not being added to the overall system. It makes the Council and District do thier jobs of making sure the MBC are regisitered and only "certifying" completion of the MBs for which they are approved to be MBCs.

Troop Master should be able to reach out and "touch" the Council, Regional or National Database to do this simple verification. The whole point of Scoutnet and Troop Master (and the others) is to make the process easier, help insure data is not lost or mis-typed.

The same goes for making transfers from unit to unit across Coucnil for both youth and adults. I as an adult should not have to ask my "losing" Council to rpint a 309 report so I can give it to the "gaining" Council when the Army moves me again. Should be able to visit the service center, give them my current dues/membership card and they should be able to get my records, take my $1.00 transfer fee and I go find a new unit to join.

[smtroop168]

Doubleknot has a MB counselor module but I'm not sure how robust it is.

[FrankJ]

Troopmaster is a commercial piece of software that has no official connection with the BSA.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to put registered merit badge councilors in scoutnet with which merit badges they are registered for.

You are in scoutnet. The new council can look in there & see you if they want to. Probably will stop them from wanting a adult leader app though.

MRW: you are a good example how most advancement issues can be solved by putting a caring individual who understands the program in the advancement chair position.

[Mrw]

MRW: you are a good example how most advancement issues can be solved by putting a caring individual who understands the program in the advancement chair position.

I was off looking for a blushing smiley, but cannot find the one I want just now. Thanks!

[Cowboy]

Our council sends out a letter every year listing what MBs you are registered for, and if you still want to be registered for them. Doesn't really mean much though unless someone is actually comparing the names when they (MBs) are filed. I have seen many times where the boy shows up with a card that was "completed" 3 or 4 years ago, signature illegible, no clue who the Counselor was, but want credit. Unless BSA is going to micro manage and assume that every boy is lying, there is no real way to stop the couple of bad apples from cheating. Just one of the reasons that I believe that Blue Cards SHOULD be required, SM signature before the MB is started and upon completion, and no changing of MB Counselor without prior SM approval.

[FrankJ]

If you cannot identify the merit badge counselor it is perfectly reasonable to tell the scout the MBC is not registered. The blue has a space in it that the MBC is supposed to fill out. The contact information being illegible is a red flag in itself. You send him off to a registered MBC to review what as been done.

[Cowboy]

That is what our new AC's have begun doing. Raised a lot of heck the first 6 months. Several Blue Cards thrown in the garbage because they were partial and had no name (just some initials) other than the Scouts. One of our (Eagle material?) scouts even threw his book across the room and yelled: "I have done that thing twice already and I am not doing it again." He did shop around and ended up getting someone from another Troop to sign it off. No clue how since he did not know who he had done it twice with, but it was done (Personal Mngt.) a month later. My hope is that the SM & EBOR bring him to task, not just run him through.

[wagionvigil]

When I do Blue Cards at the Cave I have started Stamping Completed Laurel Caverns across each section.