Preparing for our Unit’s virtual Court of Honor, the following issue came up: several Scouts started a merit badge with the last Scoutmaster (Who has moved) and have just completed them. Attempting to print new Blue cards for them, is there any way to change the “Leader Approved” entry to the current Scoutmaster so the signature on the card matches ScoutBook?

@RandySaltzmann Are you referring to the signature underneath “I have discussed this merit badge with this Scout and recommended at least one merit badge counselor”? Or are you referring to the signature on the other side in the Applicant’s Record section?

The initial Leader Signature for a merit badge

If you want to change it, the current Scoutmaster will need to go to each merit badge, click on “Initial Unit Leader Signature” and change it to reflect his or her name. The blue card will show the name of the user who updates the “Initial Unit Leader Signature”.

One would think. But, no. I am the current SM. Scoutbook will let me change the date, but it does not update the name. There will be sticklers, at some point, that will complain that the “Blue Card” doesn’t match the Scoutbook report and give a Scout going for Eagle a hard time over this.

If the old Scoutmaster signed the Blue Card, it is valid. The initial and final signatures do not need to match. Many Scouts have the initial discussion with one SM but not finish the MB until after a new SM has taken over. In addition, once a MBC signs a Blue Card, there are very few reasons a MB can be revoked. Lack of Initial or final SM signatures are not valid reasons. I suspect you have to clear the date and save then set the date and save to get the signature to change.

[image] RandySaltzmann: There will be sticklers, at some point, that will complain that the “Blue Card” doesn’t match the Scoutbook report and give a Scout going for Eagle a hard time over this. We have plenty of cases where one SM/ASM had the initial conversation and signs the card, then another one signs the “receipt” when it gets turned back in. Who signed the “return” receipt tends to be more likely to be one of the ASMs than the SM, since it’s really only acknowledging that we received the counselor-signed blue card back.

The only way I’ve found to change the “Initial Leader” name is to delete and re enter the entire badge. What I’m primarily concerned with is scouts who have misplaced their original blue card and need a re-print from Scoutbook. Their paper and digital records then, do not match.

I"ve seen scouts get grief for less, unfortunately.

[image] RandySaltzmann: What I’m primarily concerned with is scouts who have misplaced their original blue card and need a re-print from Scoutbook. I would probably handle this issue, if it was a concern, by indicating in the comments section in Scoutbook that the initial paper document was misplaced and that this was a reprint. I’d also be pretty up-front with any EBoR member who kicked my scout back because of who had signed the leader slot on his or her blue cards that it’s a clear violation of the Guide to Advancement. I’d also do it in writing to the District and Council advancement committees, as well as our DE and perhaps even the Scout Exec. That’s “mites-on-the-fleas-on-the-dog” level of crazy, and a clear violation of what the G2A says an EBoR is supposed to be.

Changing Unit Leader Approval on Merit Badges

Scoutbook Using Scoutbook & Scoutbook Plus

SteveCagigas June 15, 2020, 8:33pm 8

I cannot imagine an EBOR saying “you don’t get Eagle because your old Scoutmaster retired.”…

Topic		Replies	Views
Scoutbook problem Scoutbook & Scoutbook Plus Bugs	0	322	October 28, 2019
How would one change the signature of unit leader on blue card for printing? Using Scoutbook & Scoutbook Plus	4	836	December 6, 2021
Change to MB Sign off in Scoutbook New Scoutbook Feature Requests	15	165	May 14, 2026
Marking a merit badge as leader approved replaces the counselor approved info Scoutbook & Scoutbook Plus Bugs	7	390	October 26, 2021
Unit Leader Signature on MB completion Using Scoutbook & Scoutbook Plus	14	3249	November 11, 2020

Changing Unit Leader Approval on Merit Badges

Related topics