6/14/09
From: Wayne Brock, Assistant Chief Scout Executive/ COO

We have received numerous inquiries about the BSA policy on accepting faxes, emails and other electronic methods of obtaining signatures on registration forms. Councils should make every effort to comply with standard membership policies. This includes obtaining documents with original signatures. However, if reasonable attempts to obtain an original signature are not successful, the BSA will accept signatures on BSA applications via electronic methods (faxes, e-mails, or scanned e-mail attachments). This practice should be the exception—not the rule.

If your council is not reasonably able to obtain a signature on a BSA or Exploring application or a charter, your staff may:
1. Electronically scan or fax the form with the missing signature to the person who needs to sign it.
2. This person may sign where needed and return it to your office electronically or by fax.
3. In addition, e-mails from the appropriate person will be accepted in lieu of a signature, as long as a copy of the e-mail is attached to the BSA form and kept in the appropriate unit file. These attached documents will follow the same retention policy as applications (current year plus the past two years).
4. In those rare situations (e.g., camp, remote locations, or institutional programs) where it is absolutely not possible or practical to receive a parental signature—upon approval by the unit leader—an e-mail, scan, or fax from the parent authorizing their child to be registered with the BSA is acceptable. A copy of the e-mail, scan, or fax should be attached to the application.
5. A phone call authorization should only be accepted as an absolute last resort, and should include a note indicating the date of the call and the names of both parties to the call. It must also be signed by the council representative who made or received the call and their supervisor.

Additionally, there is a team at the national office studying the feasibility of online registrations. We think there is a way to allow online registrations and not shortcut the parent/youth meeting the leaders & the unit granting approval before the application can be accepted in ScoutNet. Assuming a positive outcome of the study, roll out of this functionality will be for the fall of 2010.

1/7/09
From: Wayne Brock, COO, Assistant Chief Scout Executive

The process of the National Council closing membership locks councils out of ScoutNET for a period of time. For this reason, it is best to close membership at 11:59:59 p.m. Central time on a Friday night. This way the lockout will occur over a weekend. So that councils will not be faced with having to close membership during the holidays, the membership close date for 2008 has been set for 11:59:59 p.m. Central time on Friday, January 9, 2009.

1/6/09
From: Gary Butler, Council Solutions Group Director

This is an initiative of the new BSA. The Program Impact team in Council Solutions will be examining the whole concept of "retention" as it appears that there are several formulas being used to measure it. Expect to see a determination on this issue by the Fall of 2009.