I have some parents who keep entering completion dates for requirements that their cub scout never actually completed, so ScoutBook shows the scout is 100% when they are not.
As we approach the end of the year, I’m concerned a parent may enter completions at the last minute and the cub scout will show 100% when they actually aren’t.
I know it’s probably a big request, but if there was a way for a Den Leader or Key 3 to set allow/block on an Adventure or better on individual Requirements, to allow or block parents from entering completions, it would avoid the potential conflict with the parent.
@RichardKempf - parents will always have full control which can not be blocked or reversed. You best approach is either delete the completed dates, ignore the entries or have a bit of education with the parents.
I Cubs Parents are the True AKELA - That is outlined in the Guide to Advancement
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4.1.0.3 Who Approves Cub Scout Advancement?
A key responsibility for den leaders is to guide each
Cub Scout toward completing their badge of rank by
organizing meetings, activities, and working with the
family of the Cub Scout to complete the requirements
for the six required Adventures and at least two elective
Adventures each year. For Lion through Webelos ranks,
if activities take place outside the den meeting, a
parent, guardian, or another trusted adult may verify
that Cub Scouts have done their best to meet the
requirements completed at the activity. The den leader
then records the requirements.
Well then some cubs may be receiving awards in Scoutbook that they didn’t actually earn. I had one parent put completions in for 3 electives that I know were not completed. I deleted the dates, and the parent put them back in.
I get where you are coming from. But we follow the guide to advancement. If you think a change is needed, you’ll need to work with your council to advocate for the change with national.
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My experience (a long time ago as a Den Leader) was that I got the most impact from talking directly to any parents involved to find out:
- If they actually intended to say that the scout completed the requirements in accordance with the Guide to Advancement (“Do your best” at the pack/den level)
- If they understood the difference between marking something Complete at the cub level (“parent-as-Akela”) versus the troop level (“Complete means ready to be tested”), since many scouts don’t have their own login/device even at the troop level.
I also discussed with them my philosophy of how I wanted to use Scoutbook as a tool, differences in how advancement works prior to the Webelos level versus at and after, and (only if it seemed like the parent was intentionally marking things not even attempted) some of the potential impacts of crediting a scout with work they hadn’t completed yo the standards set in the Guide to Advancement (e.g. A Scout is Trustworthy).
Usually, they didn’t realize what the intent was and modified their behavior. Sometimes, they actually thought the scout had completed things they couldn’t have done (e.g. den trips we hadn’t actually taken), and were more careful about reading the requirements and asking questions in the future. Once in a long while I got a parent who was intentionally “grade padding”. There’s not a lot to be done about that aside from potentially asking the CM or CC to have a discussion with the parent after I had already tried.
I often found that I had to have somewhat different conversation with parents at the Webelos and troop levels. Usually along the lines of “This is their advancement, and part of the transition to Scouts BSA is completing requirements as-written reviewed by designated senior scouts or adults in the troop.”
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Yes as a Den Leader - I simply addressed this as anything completed outside of Den the Parents had to pay for award.
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