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jjudd

jjudd
Member since : Oct-30-2008 (Verified)
4 Ideas, 9 Comments, 208 Votes

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Ideas Posted

35
There are a number of people making suggestions for things they would like to see added to the unit roster list. I on the other hand find that many times I wish it had less.

With Youth Protection concerns and Identity Theft becoming such prevalent issues today, our Council has had to set up guidlines on when a unit roster can be given. This has been a challenge since mush of the data it contains isn't sensitive at all, and is needed in so many ways. To resolve this issue, it would be very helpful if we had a selection screen to tag what data we do or don't want included on a Unit Roster based on what it is needed for (with the default set to produce the roster as it is now). Examples include:

Omitting addresses, phone numbers, and/or birthdates.
Including email addresses and/or trainings.
Selecting only Tiger Cubs in a Cub Pack, or Life Scouts in a Troop.
And many, many more...

One size rarely fits all, and with many other reports permitting us to pick and choose what they contain, it would be very useful if the Unit Roster could be tailored to offer a similar custom fit.
Moderator Comments
8/12/09
From: Tom Hulcy, Information Systems Group Director

Thank you for making your suggestion. We have reviewed it and have decided not to add this feature to the system.
This was mentioned in the comments of an earlier idea, but I felt it needed its own entry to be considered independently.

The Online Advancement System has a feature that allows units to print out "temporary" membership cards. Let's alter this system and enable it to be the primary method of membership card distribution. For units, the ability to print (or reprint) cards at will would provide them with a fantastic resource, and another reason to go online and start using them. For Councils, it would be one less administrative process, freeing up staff time as well as a savings in production and postage costs. For National, it would help encourage more units to use the Online Advancement system, and increase the amount and accuracy of any advancement data it processes.

Another logical step would be to allow anyone who uses MyScouting the ability to print their own membership card. This would be especially beneficial to Youth and Adult Leaders who are not registered in a traditional unit.

People like to be independent and do things themselves. We just need to give them the tools.
Moderator Comments
7/30/09

From: Marty Walsh, Department Manager, Membership Impact Department

Manager’s response: yes
With Pixar's new movie "Up" being released in two months and it's advertizing prominently displaying a "Wilderness Explorer" as one of the main characters, I have to wonder why he couldn't be a Boy Scout instead? What a media opportunity this could be! Here we have a big budget movie targeting the very youth market our programs are designed for, and portraying a "scout" character.

Maybe he still can be?

Product placement works, as any advertizing agency will tell you. We need to get our brand out there using the advertising mediums that kids these days are exposed to. Golden opportunities like this are rare, and we can't afford not to take advantage of them.

Granted, any product placement involving Scouting would need to be tightly controlled to conform to our standards. Many of these controls already exist at National so this shouldn't be a big hurdle, and the potential benefits are astronomical.

Maybe there's still time to work with Pixar and capitalize on this?
Why do we require that Professional Staff Members have college degrees? While I don't deny that a degree has its place, couldn't we accept Non-Professional Staff Member experience as an equivalent?

Many Non-Professional employees have dedicated years of their life working for Scouting. Their knowledge and experiences are valuable resources that could be put to use in Professional Staff positions. Instead, we risk losing those skills because this requirement prevents many of them from “moving up the corporate ladder”.

Perhaps it’s time to consider re-evaluating our hiring strategies to make it possible to recognize and profit from our own “homegrown” talent?
Moderator Comments
11/14/08
From: Carol Barnes, Employment & Retention Manager

Great question and one that Talent Management and HR Administration has been reviewing due to the changing job market and to help ensure the right person is placed in the right position at the right time. As a matter of fact, we have recently developed a program that allows for life and job experience to be considered in place of a college degree. Councils are able to request a wavier for the college degree – several have been granted at this writing. We feel this will help BSA continue to be the best youth serving organization. Information provided would be applicable to the National office as well as local Councils
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Comments Posted

jjudd 2 months ago
I think the very grade mistake (9th vs. 8th) Peter used in his post is a perfect example of the reason why he is suggesting the need for a change.

The suggestion here is to re-word the youth requirements so they use the same descriptor format used in Tiger Cubs (age 7 or in 1st grade). If venturing was written the same way (age 15 or in 9th Grade) instead of how it is currently (age 14 and completed 8th Grade, or age 15) there would be a LOT less confusion.

If done, this small change would stop the advertizing that "all" 14 year olds can be members. Granted some can, but the truncation of the membership requirement to "14" verses "14 and icompleted 8th Grade" in our advertizing materials and other materials creates confusion over who truly is eligible.

I wish this only affected me once a year. I see venturing youth apps I can't approve because of a misunderstanding of this requirement multiple times a month; particularly in Sea Scouting or LDS Wards who don't sponsor a Team.
jjudd 4 months ago
Based on my experience (and some digging) I have learned the following.

Boys Life Codes:
N=No Subscription
I=Individual Subscription-The subscription is mailed to the person directly.
B=Bulk Subscription-These subscriptions are mailed to a single person in the unit for later hand distribution.

Stat(Status) Codes
N=New Registration
R=Renewed/Rechartered Registration
S=Separated/Returned Registration
T=Transfer Registration
M=Multiple Registration

I may not be using 100% correct terminology here, and could even have missed a code or two, but this should go a long way in helping to understand the data those two columns contain.
jjudd 5 months ago
I think the issue here is actually myBSA timing out, not ScoutNET. Many a time I'll be in ScoutNET for an hour or more with no problems, but as soon as I shift gears and go to the print repository or somewhere else in MyBSA, that is when I need to log in again.
jjudd 10 months ago
What method are you using to enter Advancement? When we enter them in ScoutNET, we do it by unit, and if the youth isn't registered in the unit, he won't show up to be selected for any advancements. It doesn't give us the extra bells and whistles your proposal suggests for resolving the problem, but it does tell us they aren't registered.
jjudd 10 months ago
While making the recharter process easier all around is a noble cause, I'm noticing a disconnect in your recommendation.

You mention that we have obtained all the information to register someone from the unit's recharter and that the system should be able to create an application using that data. While that may be true, where did the unit get that data to enter in the first place? If it didn’t come from an application, then where did they get the data and how accurate is it?

In my humble opinion the real obstacle to overcome is in making it much easier for a unit to maintain their membership year-round. I also concur that online applications and electronic signatures will likely need to be parts of that solution.
jjudd 11 months ago
I would go one step further and suggest that we get out of printing membership cards for units entirely. The online advancement system gives units the ability to print their own membership cards, albeit temporary ones. Why not adjust that system and make it the primary method for distributing membership cards to units?
jjudd 1 year ago
Our Council has actually made and uses something like this. It's a double sided card that folds in half making it the same size as a business card. It lists the most common trainings a person might take (its size prohibits it from being too comprehensive) and has a line for the date each training was taken, and a space for the trainer to sign it off.

Practical use of it hasn't been stellar however. One of the biggest challenges is that individuals don't keep them or lose them between trainings. Another challenge is when the volunteer already has a card but doesn't bring it to the next training. This results in them still receiving multiple cards for every training they take.

If we are looking for the combination of having one central source for recording trainings combined with a chance to advertise others, we may want to look at an actual passport for an example of a good size. It's small and compact to fit in a pocket or purse, but big enough to prevent it from getting easily lost. Even better, this size would permit a space to list every training, and even including a brief description of what the training is. The only negatives I can see to this route is what the cost of such a book would entail to produce, and how do you update it when a training is added, removed, or altered.
jjudd 1 year ago
While I'm glad to here that "Life Experiences" are now considered for qualifying for a Professional Staff Position, I have never heard about such a program until your reply. Where can I find out more about this exciting change?
jjudd 1 year ago
There is a 6-8 grade Scouting Program. It's called Varsity Scouts. We just don't promote it very well (except to the LDS church).