Can't assign a MBC to a Scout

Scoutbook Using Scoutbook & Scoutbook Plus
1

As an Advancement Chair, I’m not able to assign a MBC to a Scout in Scoutbook plus. I receive the following errors:
You do not have access to this API.
Your positions and related permissions do not allow you to perform this function.

I was able to via Scoutbook Legacy.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Thanks

Mike V

2

There may be more detailed issue specifically related to your situation, but this thread:

https://discussions.scouting.org/t/who-has-permission-to-assign-merit-badge-counselors-now/510295

has a fairly extensive discussion that, I think, concludes that there is a system issue right now that is preventing otherwise proper permissions from working with regard to connecting MBCs to scouts.

Two workarounds are to have the Unit Key 3 (or Key 3 Delegates they designate in my.scouting) make those connections in SB+, or to have the scout/scout’s parents provide the information to the MBC, and have the MBC initiate the connection from their end in SB+. I posted some screenshots for “Option 2” in that thread here:
https://discussions.scouting.org/t/who-has-permission-to-assign-merit-badge-counselors-now/510295/39

3

Thanks for the info!

4

I have the same issue.
Advancement Chairs should be able to assign an MBC to a Scout.
Is this error an Acknowledged error and is a fix being worked?

Screenshot_20260507_205934
Screenshot_20260507_2059341856×1836 181 KB

5

@EricRoberts5

Advancement Chairs, per the Guide to Advancement do not automatically have the authority to discuss MBCs with the Scout. This is the sole responsibility of the Scoutmaster. If your Scoutmaster wants you to associate MBCs with Scouts in Scoutbook, the Scoutmaster or another Key 3 can give you that capability. It is not a default because not all Scoutmasters want their Advancement Chairs doing this.

6

I’m just a unit ASM, but yes, there appears to be at least in part, a bug. See this post for the thread I linked to:
https://discussions.scouting.org/t/who-has-permission-to-assign-merit-badge-counselors-now/510295/22

Note that the bug is not apparently that UAC don’t have automatic permissions to do this (as Ed noted). The bug appears to be that the permissions delegation system for this is (or at least was 9 days ago) not working quite right.

In the interest of full disclosure, I tend to agree with the Guide to Advancement position – not that national asked me or would likely care about my opinion – that the SM or their designee should be having that conversation with the scout. If the designee in your unit is the UAC, then the SM or one of the unit Key 3 can assign the relevant permissions (once they’re working again). The UAC is not that designee in my unit, for example. So, it would be potentially problematic for us if some future UAC was connecting scouts to MBCs when the SM hadn’t discussed starting the MB with the scout. The beauty of the new permissions structure is the finer granularity of the permissions. The headache is the need to set them, particularly as we’re all transitioning over from the prior system.