Can't Connect Merit Badge Counselor

DavidMadison · February 13, 2023, 3:08pm

I too struggle with this feature. It sometimes works and other times does not.

Today, the search is able to find the counselor I want to add as a connection/mb counselor for a Scout, it didn’t work. Following is the actions taken and the response from the system.

I entered the Scout’s record
Clicked on Advancement
Clicked on the merit badge that has been ‘started’ for a Scout. The ‘unit leader signature has been applied with a date’.
Clicked the ‘Invite Counselor’ button.
The add connection screen is displayed.
Clicked the ‘Add’ button
Searched for the counselor by entering his name, town and state and MBC only. It did find the counselor’s record.
Clicked the counselor’s record. A number of panels collapsed. The MB counselor checkbox is not clickable (disabled for some reason).
Filled in the ‘invite message’
Clicked the Invite button.
An error message then was displayed saying I needed to fill in gender, first name, last name, and email, and relationship

I verified that the counselor is active and available.

WilliamNelson · February 13, 2023, 3:51pm

Here are the instructions to find the MBC:
NOTE: This only works if he is approved to council the badge they are trying to attach him to

Go to the Scout in question
Go to the advancements then the badge to connect the MBC to
Click on Invite Counselor
Click on Add
Enter the MBC name: and member ID (I think you can do it with MBC name and email too; but I think you need two fields)
MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE BOX Include MBC Only

click Search

DavidMadison · February 13, 2023, 4:24pm

Hello Bill and thank you for replying.

That is exactly what I did. (see the steps I performed and the described responses from ScoutBook).

I did verify (via that ‘Find Merit badge counselors’ feature at the dashboard)

that he is an approved counselor for our council.
he is ‘available’
and that I checked the MBC Only check box.

Like I stated in the list of actions I performed, this counselor is found when clicking the Search button.

I select that counselor, which causes the other panels to collapse.

The connection type set of check boxes has the MB Counselor option greyed out/disabled.

edavignon · February 13, 2023, 4:26pm

@DavidMadison

Has the MB been started for the Scout you want to connect the MBC to?

WilliamNelson · February 13, 2023, 6:16pm

David
I send you a private message. Click on your icon in the upper right then the envelope

JenniferOlinger · February 13, 2023, 6:17pm

@DavidMadison Could you post the Merit Badge Counselor’s BSA member ID number? (No names, please)

DavidMadison · February 13, 2023, 6:44pm

The councilor’s BSA ID is: 135751637
Personal Fitness Merit Badge

DavidMadison · February 13, 2023, 6:45pm

yes @edavignon it has been. And as leader, I ‘initialed it’.

edavignon · February 13, 2023, 6:46pm

@DavidMadison

Is the MBC already connected to the Scout? If so, on the Scout’s connection page, select the MBC, then set the MBC checkbox if necessary and select the MB.