Finding Merit Badge Counselor by Name

[DGray]

Hello folks. I feel pretty silly asking this because it seems like it should be obvious, but when I invite a merit badge counselor, where do I type their name so that I can find the person they worked with directly? By default it searches a 50m range, but that gives me a broad list of 74 results split across 8 pages. I know their name, and I’m painstakingly searching. When I’m not finding them, is it because they’re not currently available or are busy? What if I’m just trying to link a counselor, but it was at a camp, and I don’t know the distance? Thanks for the help.

YIS,

dave

[CharleyHamilton]

You can connect the MBC from the merit badge page using the red “Invite Counselor” button at the top of the MB page. From there, assuming that the scout isn’t already connected to the MBC as a parent or leader, then you would use the red “+ Add” button. From there, you can search for the MBC by name or by email address, the latter of which I find more reliable.

[edavignon]

If you know the name of the counselor, just go to the Scout’s connection page, click +Add and search by name. When you find the MBC, click on his/her name and select the Merit Badge Counselor box then the MB.

[DGray]

@CharleyHamilton there isn’t an Add button for me after clicking Invite. Instead of “inviting a merit badge counselor” to invite a counselor, you need to know that you really need to Add a Connection. This has been frustrating me for a while, but I’m glad to know the workaround now. Thanks @edavignon.

How do we make an official feature request to include an “+Add” or “Search by Name” button to the “Invite Merit Counselor” page?

[CharleyHamilton]

@DGray

there isn’t an Add button for me after clicking Invite.

That sounds like a bug, then. The box has been there for me for quite a while. Are you reaching the invite page by starting a merit badge, or by searching the merit badge counselor list from Troop -> MB Counselor List?

[DGray]

I played around with this some more, and it appears that the #scoutbook:feature-assistant-extension is intervening and changing this behavior. @GaryFeutz are you aware of this difference? Because the FAEfS is changing the UI it makes it hard to find a counselor by name.

dave

[DGray]

My experience -

Click Lookup/Invite -

[GaryFeutz]

@DGray If you want to look up by name the original/native Scoutbook way - click Benjamin’s Connections. The extension renamed that button from the native “Invite Counselor”. However, all it ever did was bring you to Benjamin’s Connections page where you can view connections and do a lookup after clicking the Add button there.

Lookup/Invite is purely extension - it simplifies the process where the specific Counselor name is not known, using the Counselor search for the specific MB and allowing a quick connect via the Invite button.

[DebraDixon]

Hi! I’m trying to connect a merit badge counselor to a Scout. I’m able to find the merit badge counselor and connect her. However, I’m getting a note that states, “This merit badge counselor cannot approve or sign off on a merit badge. Please check to make sure the Scout has started the merit badge”. The Scout began the merit badge at a merit badge clinic and finished at home. The merit badge counselor has tried connecting to the Scout on her end. She gets a note stating she can’t find the Scout. She enters the correct Mmember # and all! Is there something the Scout needs to do in Scoutbook? Is there something I need to do in Scoutbook? #FRUSTRATED!! Pleas HELP!!! What are we doing wrong?

[JenniferOlinger]

@DebraDixon I sent you a private message for more information. Please look for the indicator on your avatar in the upper right of the forums.

[DebraDixon]

It worked!! Thank you so much!!

[DebraDixon]

I’ve figured it out. Thanks

[BridgetMusick]

@JenniferOlinger can you either post the solution or message me too? I am having the same problem as @DebraDixon and am at a loss. Thank you.

[JenniferOlinger]

@BridgetMusick The solution in that particular case was that the Scouts had not “started” the merit badge in Scoutbook yet.

On the Scout’s Advancement page, a user needs to click on the “Start Another Merit Badge” button and add the selected merit badge. This is how Scoutbook knows that a Scout has started working on a particular merit badge.

[BridgetMusick]

In my case then, I clicked the “start another merit badge” and added Cit. in Nation. Then tried to invite the counselor. I can search and find the counselor’s name. I can click the merit badge counselor relationship. Then under Permissions, it says this MBC cannot approve any merit badges this scout is working on. This particular counselor IS approved for Cit in Nation (along with several others) by the council and shows up in the council list in Scoutbook. It makes no sense and I cannot figure it out.

[CharleyHamilton]

I just had that happen with a counselor who has two Scoutbook accounts. The account associated with his “known” email address was not assigned the MBC role by our council’s list. He thought council had already fixed the issue. It took a couple of weeks of fiddling around to get it sorted out.

[BridgetMusick]

Thank you! Our Council office just confirmed this is the same issue I’m having. Should be fixed soon.