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Has anyone else had an issue with Scoutbook Plus OA Eligibility Reports mysteriously crediting short-term camping nights?
In our Troop, we have done a full week summer camp each year (among others). Looking at the OA Eligibility Report for last 2 years we see:
2024: other scouts went to summer camp for 6 nights, got 5 long term camping night credits (as expected)
2025: other scouts went to summer camp for 6 nights, got 0 camping nights credit. (as expected)
2024: “CB” went to summer camp but left after 4 nights (instead of 6), for which he got 3 short term camping nights credit on the OA Eligibility report. (why?!)
2025: “CB” went to summer camp for 6 nights, got 5 long term camping nights credit (as expected)
CB was part of a whole-group add to the 2024 campout report, then individually adjusted down to 4 nights. We’ve tried removing and re-entering him a couple of times in different ways, and each time he gets credited with 3 short-term camping nights for the shortened 2024 summer camp, so we know that’s where the mystery 3 short-term camping nights are coming from. He shouldn’t get short-term camping nights for bailing out of a long-term campout unless other scouts get short-term overnight credits for long-term campouts as well.
Re: 4 nights = 3: That makes sense if a campout was planned for 4 nights. It doesn’t make sense that on a planned 6 night campout a camper who bails after 4 nights get 3 nights credit while the others who stayed for 6 nights get 0. The primary activity was entered as a 6 night event, so shortening one person’s stay to 4 shouldn’t have changed the creditability.
I can see arguments both directions. In the end it’s down to the SM or their designee to certify that the scout met the camping requirements. Therefore, if the SM believes those nights should be excluded, then they are responsible for making that argument. I would argue that, in the absence of clarity as to why something shouldn’t count, “the tie goes to the runner”.
It’s similar to the issue faced for camping nights credited for Camping MB. The new rules permit up to two nights from any given long term camping experience to count. Should that be automated in, or left to the scout and counselor to work through? I tend to fall here in a similar place I do for the OA. It’s the scout’s record/advancement/eligibility. Give them the opportunity to advocate for themselves.
The only way to really implement both the ability to track all nights camped and to specify whether they should count for OA purposes (or any other special case) or not would be a separate flag for each event and special case. That sounds like more trouble than it’s worth to me, but I’d defer to the SUAC on whether to offer that as a suggestion to the developers.
“Have experienced 15 nights of Scout camping while registered with a troop, crew, or ship within the two years immediately prior to the election. The 15 nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of at least five consecutive nights of overnight camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of Scouting America. Only five nights of the long-term camp may be credited toward the 15-night camping requirement; the balance of the camping (10 nights) must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps of, at most, three nights each. Ship nights may be counted as camping for Sea Scouts.”
If a Scout stayed 4 nights, how could they reach 5 consecutive nights? Only 5 nights count as Long Camp. Once there is one Long Camp all other camp nights of any length are limited to 3 nights for the OA Report.
