Welcome! This forum has a treasure trove of great info – Scouters helping Scouters! Just a heads up, though - all content, information, and opinions shared on this forum are those of the author, not the BSA.
We currently use google groups for our troop communication: all the parents (and additional adults like stepparent/grandparents who support the scouts) get added to the list. anything sent to our troop##@googlegroup email goes to everyone.
Any parent can email the troop, things like:
How many scouts are going on this outing in patrol x (so we know how much food to buy)
I was at x store and they had tents on sale for the next few days
I saw the the Arboretum is having a Insect Study Merit Badge event
Scout leaders can send out announcements or reminders about trips, events, requirements, etc:
Today’s road cleanup cancelled due to weather
Don’t forget your bike helmet
Here’s the permission slip
December’s outing will be on these dates to this place and this cost, etc
Can someone tell me how the message feature works in scoutbook comparatively?
Thanks
Edit to add: would we be able to add a unit forum and use that in much the same way?
Parents can add others who can see information on their scout in the scouts connections.
There are three places you can add notes. There are private notes for administrators that can be used for planning. I don’t use it often because you can’t invite the people planning the event to use these notes.
Everyone who has access to the calendar can leave a note. We use this to put information out and a place for family members who are not registered to be added to our count.
You can also send messages to those who are going, not going, didn’t RSVP or all invited using the message function. You can customize the message to each group. There is a function to send the message immediately or send automatic messages at certain intervals. You can also send the message by text if a phone is registered.
The unit calendar can be added to any email program allowing ICS calendars. Under the calendar there is a subscribe button. Copy the URL and past it into your favorite email system. The only caveat to this is anyone who has the URL can see the calendar event . They won’t be able to access anything else unless they have a scoutbook account.
For an adult to send a message to all families in the troop, they would have to ha e at least a view profile connection with all scouts in the troop.
Forums can be used similarly. The challenge is you don’t know what notification settings everyone else has. So, it me not be great for reaching people quickly with time sensitive information.
