Internet Advancement Training Prepared by: National Capital Area Council Advancement and Recognition Committee

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1 Internet Advancement Training Prepared by: National Capital Area Council Advancement and Recognition Committee 1

2 Overview Purpose: Internet Advancement is provided to assist units with recording ranks, merit badges, and awards, and reporting to the council This process has been available since 2006 Incorporated into the new Guide to Advancement, #33088 It s the NCAC s preferred way of recording unit advancement After April 1st, 2012 you must submit advancement reports generated only by Internet Advancement Eagle Scouts are the only exception Rank advancement and merit badge purchases at the Scout Shop must include an Internet Advancement report The website is easy to navigate, especially if you use the on-line help package 2

3 Internet Advancement Improves Reporting You become more responsible for approving your youth member advancements Units set their own schedule for submitting advancement reports The information is synchronized with ScoutNET No one has to decipher another person s handwriting You can make corrections to the data anytime before submitting, and The BSA rank advancement rules are enforced 3

4 Internet Advancement Features Simple and intuitive interface - designed to accommodate the widest variety of users No need for specific training Users should have a basic knowledge of BSA terminology Works from any Internet-connected PC with Internet Explorer 9.0 or below If using IE10 or IE11, change browser settings to Compatibility Mode Additional instructions are on the opening page! BSA routinely updates menus with the latest rank, merit badge, and award options Units will: Have one unit advancement processor register to use Internet Advancement Access is made with a unit ID that does not change annually Enter ranks and awards appropriate to their unit type 4

5 Unit Advancement Processor Unit designates adult member as Unit Advancement Processor Gathers all the information needed for recording advancements Navigates to Internet Advancement via the NCAC or MyScouting website Registers as Processor and logs into Internet Advancement If the unit appoints a new unit processor, just contact NCAC ( ) to reset the profile New unit advancement processor registers as a first time user NCAC can reset the profile if the current processor wants to change information such as address or telephone Any advancement entry in progress is retained 5

6 Tips About Registering and Logging In You must register as a new user for each separate unit Includes cases where you are the unit advancement processor for more than one unit Create a password that is easy to remember and do not keep it with the unit ID number You can begin updating advancements in Internet Advancement and stop before finishing - when you return, log in as a returning user The unit ID number does not change So long as the unit remains an active, registered NCAC unit NCAC can reset data in Internet Advancement, which means that all updates are deleted The roster returns to the roster downloaded from ScoutNET 6

7 Submitting Reports BSA recommends submitting a report every month, but many units do updates in conjunction with award events (e.g., Court of Honor, Blue and Gold) Each December a final report with anything not already recorded for the year should be submitted before month end 7

8 Unit and Council Benefits To Scouting Units Unit enters its own advancement records Unit prints a final advancement report for Scout Shop purchases Unit can correct existing ranks and awards, should the earned date displayed be incorrect according to the unit s records If you log out before you submit a report, your data will be saved Internet Advancement will dynamically return you to the Stage you were in when you left To the Council Youth member records are updated Advancement statistics are current - supports Journey to Excellence program Record keeping is simplified for all units 8

9 Limitations Nominated awards, such as meritorious action awards, cannot be entered Eagle Scout rank cannot be entered with Internet Advancement and must be completed through the NCAC Program office Ranks must be added in sequence based on unit type and program 9

10 Internet Advancement Website Two ways to get to Internet Advancement 10

11 Welcome Page 11

12 New and Returning Users If you are a new user: At the Internet Advancement home page, click the First Time User button At the registration page, enter your information into the following fields: Unit ID (the Unit ID number is provided by the District Advancement or council Program Office personnel) Unit Type (choose one from the drop-down list) Unit Number Click Continue Read the confidentiality statement - Click I Agree At the contact information page, enter your information - all fields are required Click Register If you are a returning user: At the Internet Advancement home page, click the Returning User button At the Log In screen, enter the Unit ID and the password Click Log In 12

13 The First Time 13

14 Confidentiality Statement You are about to view information confidential to your unit and Boy Scouts of America. You accept the responsibility of maintaining the confidentiality of this information. You agree you will share this information only with individuals in your unit or the Boy Scouts of America on a need to know basis. You agree this information will not be distributed or shared outside the Boy Scouts of America I agree. I disagree. 14

15 Your Registration Complete all fields with your information First Name Last Name Password Re-enter Password Re-enter Phone Number and Phone Number are used to contact you for password resets or help tickets 15

16 Returning User Log In 16

17 Stage 1 - Load Roster 17

18 Loading Your Unit s Roster You must click Load Roster each time you log in after submitting a report to obtain your unit s current roster information Load Roster is required after each submittal but it may also be done to obtain a current unit roster or advancement records If you are using unit-management software, you can upload advancement information generated from the application, instead of entering it manually It may take more than a few minutes to load your roster, depending upon the size of your unit 18

19 Handling Error Messages If you receive an error message when loading data, contact the NCAC Program office and provide the following information: The information in the message Copy and paste the error message into an Unit type (Pack, Troop, Crew, etc.) Unit number NCAC Program Office

20 Loaded Unit Roster Review Unit Roster Unit Advancement Summary Member Summary Review Advancement Report View Previous Advancement Reports Print Membership Cards Multiple Person Entry 20

21 Unit Roster Menu Options - 1 Review Unit Roster Provides a PDF file of your unit roster like you receive before or after rechartering Alphabetically lists adults, then youth, with registration information Adult list also includes YPT date Unit Advancement Summary Provides a PDF file of your unit, alphabetically organized, with each Scout s advancements (rank, merit badge, award, etc) listed and the date each was earned This summary only shows those items that are currently in the member records for this unit Advancements that have not been submitted to NCAC will not appear 21

22 Unit Roster Menu Options - 2 Member Summary Allows you to select individual members for inclusion in a Unit Advancement Summary report The report comes as a PDF file Each selected Scout is printed on a separate page(s) Review Advancement Report Creates an html view of an Advancement Report currently in progress View Previous Advancement Reports Generates a selectable list of previous Advancement Reports for you to select, review, save, and reprint 22

23 Unit Roster Menu Options - 3 Print Membership Cards Generates a PDF file of replacement membership cards for each adult and youth member whose memberships have been paid Multiple Entries Allows you to enter Awards and Merit Badges for multiple members in the unit Processor selects which merit badge(s), the date earned, and the Scout(s) earning the badge Be careful this can do a lot of damage to your unit s records if done carelessly 23

24 Starting Over!!! When All Else Fails, Reset Your Data To The Last Submission To NCAC! 24

25 Notes on Updating Youth Records Once you have loaded the roster, you can select members for advancement You will see a list of all the youth members of your unit. Click Ranks, Merit Badges, or Awards to the left of the name for which you wish to record an advancement If a rank, merit badge, or award has a date recorded but was not earned, you must contact NCAC to have this corrected If you remove a date from an existing rank, you will receive an error message when you click on another field or click Save - click OK and the removed date will return You cannot enter the same item twice For example, a Scout earns an Award multiple times, such as the Mile Swim, only the NCAC may enter each date After you have recorded all advancements, click Next 25

26 Reviewing / Editing Youth Ranks You can change the dates You can add dates to empty rank fields But you cannot completely delete dates! Software Follows Advancement Rules 26

27 Notes on Youth Ranks In the text boxes, enter the date the youth earned rank, then click Save Note: Click Reset to return the screen to the original information Guidelines for Youth Ranks Enter dates in mm/dd/yyyy format (acceptable forms of entry will be 06/01/2006 or 6/1/2006) The date earned must always be in the current month or a prior month and year Do not date ranks for a future month Youth members must be currently registered in the unit to receive a rank If your unit is a lapsed unit (past its unit expiration date), you may only submit ranks with a date earlier than the unit expiration date If there is a rank that you wish to record that is not on the pick list, submit the rank to the council on an Advancement Report (No B) Ranks can be awarded based on the program level of the youth member: Tiger Cub: Bobcat and Tiger Cub Rank Cub Scout: Bobcat, Wolf and Bear Webelos Scout: Bobcat, Webelos, and Arrow of Light Boy Scout, Varsity, Venture, and Sea Scout: Units may award ranks based on the unit type of the registered member Explorer: No ranks to be awarded 27

28 Recording Youth Awards Available Scout awards are: BSA Lifeguard Boardsailing BSA Den Chief Service Award Emergency Preparedness 50-Miler Firem n Chit Historic Trails Interpreter Strip Kayaking BSA Leave No Trace Mile Swim National Outdoor Achievement SCUBA BSA Snorkeling BSA Totin Chip World Conservation Award 28

29 Notes on Youth Awards In the text boxes, enter the date the youth earned the award, then click Save Note: Click Reset to return screen to the original information Guidelines for Youth Awards Enter dates in mm/dd/yyyy format (acceptable forms of entry will be 06/01/2006 or 6/1/2006). The date earned must always be in the current month or a prior month and year. You may not date awards for a future month Youth members must be currently registered in the unit to receive awards If your unit is a lapsed unit (past its unit expiration date) you may only submit awards with a date earlier than the unit expiration date Youth awards may be awarded to eligible members of packs, troops, teams, crews, ships, and posts You cannot award in Internet Advancement any nominated awards, such as the meritorious action awards, and awards controlled by other organizations, even if permitted for uniform wear Each unit award pick list is based on the unit program 29

30 Recording Youth Merit Badges Merit Badges can be viewed in alphabetically groups or just those required for Eagle Make sure you Save after entering the last merit badge for a Scout! 30

31 Notes on Youth Merit Badges In the text boxes, enter the date the youth earned the merit badge, click Save Note: Click Reset to return screen to the original information Click Eagle to see a list of the merit badges available for the rank of Eagle Scout Guidelines for Youth Merit Badges Enter dates in mm/dd/yyyy format (acceptable forms of entry will be 06/01/2006 or 6/1/2006) The date earned must always be in the current month or a prior month and year. You may not date merit badges for a future month Youth members must be currently registered in unit to receive merit badges If your unit is a lapsed unit (past its unit expiration date) you may only submit merit badges with a date earlier than the unit expiration date Merit badges may only be awarded to eligible members of troops, teams, crews, and ships 31

32 Submitting Updates To Council Once all ranks, merit badges, and awards have been entered then select Next You will have the option to review your advancement report, which we strongly encourage, or submit it directly to council 32

33 Uploading An Advancement File Let s Start With TroopMaster or PackMaster! 33

34 Generating TroopMaster Advancement File To get to this screen in TroopMaster, go to Reports, Awards/Advancement, Court of Honor/4403 Select Unit Advancement Report, make sure ScoutNET report is selected, and enter appropriate dates 34

35 TroopMaster Advancement Report Double check this report to make sure everything looks right If not, cancel out, fix the problem, and start again Save this report using the Disk icon at the top and selecting the ScoutNET (*.csv) option 35

36 Saving The ScoutNET Transfer File Warning! Do not open or rename the ScoutNET Transfer File!! TroopMaster will ask you where you want to save the file Use the Explore icon to navigate there Make it easy, like your Desktop! Click OK 36

37 Uploading The ScoutNET Transfer File to Internet Advancement Browse to the file location where you saved the ScoutNET Transfer File Click Upload File once and then wait! Watch the green progress bar at the bottom of the screen!) 37

38 Uploading Instructions - 1 At the Upload Advancement File page, click Browse In the dialog box, locate and select the correct file on your computer, and click Open Then click Upload File Internet Advancement verifies the data file is an approved version and data format Depending on file size, unit size, and time of day, the data upload can take some time - just be patient! Note: If there is an error at file uploading, please note the error message you receive It might be necessary to create a new advancement file Be careful to follow the instructions provided by the unit-management software (UMS) vendor on how to do this If difficulty continues, contact the user support for the UMS vendor who sells and maintains your software and ask for assistance A properly named advancement file is ADVxxxxx.csv where xxxxx represents the unit type and four-digit unit number 38

39 Load Roster Confirmation Check The List To Make Sure Each Scout Was Loaded For Unmatched Members You Will Be Able to Manual Enter The Advancement Information 39

40 Uploading Instructions - 2 Once started you may Cancel Upload if you do not wish to continue Upload stops and data will revert to the last roster from NCAC Start Over can be done to return the user to Load Roster stage After processing, you will receive a Load Roster confirmation page Check the list to make sure each scout was loaded For unmatched members you will be able to manual enter the advancement information Click OK, the Update Member stage will open at the roster for Select Members for Advancement If the advancement file was not an approved version and data format, an error message displayed and processing did not occur View the error message and take the appropriate steps to correct the error 40

41 Review Advancement Report At Select Members for Advancement (Slide 19), click on Review Advancement Report and view the results of the file processing Compare the results of the processing to the advancement that was selected for upload Any member who was not updated may be entered manually If records in the file were not recorded there are several possible reasons The exact first name and last name match with council information did not occur, The exact date of birth match did not occur, or A member in the file is not currently on the unit roster Contact the NCAC Registrar to make corrections If a specific badge was not recorded, it may not be in the pick list to be recorded Complete all advancement entries and click Next to continue with report submittal 41

42 Submitting The Report To Council Pay Attention to the Warning! This is Your Last Opportunity to Make Corrections! 42

43 Notes on Submitting the Report Once all advancements have been entered, you can submit the advancement report to the council To submit the advancement report Click Submit Report Click Print the Advancement Report The advancement report will appear in a separate window as a PDF file You must have Acrobat Reader in order to view the file You must print the report or save the report before you log out Obtain the appropriate signatures, and deliver the signed advancement report package to the NCAC or Scout Shop Warning: Once you submit to NCAC, you can only make date changes through Internet Advancement 43

44 Congratulations, Print, and Save! 44

45 Help! Frequently Asked Questions Link appears on banner at top right of each page in Internet Advancement and displays the current FAQ for unit users Internet Advancement Help The Help link on the Welcome page or Help link on the right of all other pages reaches Internet Advancement Help Help contains an contents, index, and search functions 45

46 Change Password You can the change the password in either Stage 1: Load Roster or Stage 3: Submit Report To change the password: Click the Change Password link In the fields provided, type in the old password Type in the new password and repeat it exactly Click OK Result: The password is changed - at your next log in, enter the new password 46

47 Forgotten Password To reset the password: Click Password on any page where it appears At the Password page, enter the following information: Unit ID (unit ID provided by the council) ( address provided during registration) Click Reset Result: A new password is sent to the address IMPORTANT: The unit advancement processor must enter the address provided during registration For security reasons, Internet Advancement requires the unit ID and the address that the unit advancement processor initially registered If you forget the password and do not know the unit ID, contact the NCAC for assistance 47

48 Changing Your Address You can change the address in either Stage 1: Load Roster or Stage 3: Submit Report To change the address: Click the link In the fields provided, type in the old address Type in the new address and repeat it exactly Click OK Result: The address is changed If you later use the Forgot Password link, the new password will go to the new address 48

49 What Next? Appoint the unit advancement processor The unit advancement processor will then: Obtain the Unit ID from NCAC, District Executive, or District Advancement Chair Go to the council website or log-in to the BSA website and enter Internet Advancement NCAC: Home Page Popular Links, Internet Advancement BSA: Log-in to MyScouting, My Tools Review instructions, Help, and FAQ Register as a new user Review current Unit Advancement Summary Gather youth advancement records and begin entry 49

50 THAT S ALL!!! QUESTIONS?? 50