Unable to view Scout's merit badge after inviting MBC to connect with the Scout

Scoutbook Using Scoutbook
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There are many misconceptions with this post:

No one from the BSA has stated the point of Scoutbook was to eliminate Blue Cards. The BSA has not made any statements about Blue Cards going away. The BSA produces an 8.5x11 sheet of 3 Blue Cards for printing with Scoutbook.

Units do not have MBCs. MBC is a council position, not a unit position. The fact that an MBC has a Scout in a unit or holds another position in a unit does not make the MBC the unit’s.

Scouts do not have access to the MBC list in Scoutbook. This list is limited to leaders. The Scout is still required to meet with the Unit Leader (Scoutmaster, Crew Advisor, Skipper or designee) to be given the name and contact information of one or more MBCs.

A unit leader does not give approval to start working on a MB. A Scout may start working on a MB at any time after registering. The Unit Leader, by signing the Blue Card is saying the Scout has discussed the MB with the leader and has been given the name of one or more MBCs. This authorizes the Scout to work on the MB with an MBC, not to start work on the MB.

The Guide to Advancement has not authorized this change. MBCs are still required to sign Blue Cards unless the council has approval from the National Council to change the process.

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if you are entering Merit Badge earned at camp the best way to do what you where doing up to invite a merit badge counselor. at that point look down to the requirements and click the present complete when that box opens just fill it out the scout has done it and the date the camp said he did.

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I am an Admin for our troop and also the advancement chair. So far I have never invited yet a MBC. So far I get the information of a completed MB (via blue card, summer camp info, MBC who work within the troop) and I do all the record keeping in scoutbook. So I just would not worry about that feature at that point. First get comfortable using scoutbook as a record keeping/ reporting tool and then venture in doing more and more as time goes on.

I am big on using the note section on anything I enter. That way nobody can accuse me of just randomly marking things complete, approved and or awarded. Because you will forget over time the details unless you see a summer camp date.

So in your case I get the info from summer camp that a MB was completed I just mark that MB 100% complete right away and put a note in that says earned at summer camp.

Also from reading on forums you all should stay away from using Internet Advancements and Scoutbook interchangeably. Stick with one way of reporting to council. And in my humble opinion is just use scoutbook and don’t even use Internet Advancement. Just by using scoutbook for record keeping stuff will be automatically reported to council electronically when approved by someone within the unit–provided the scout has the green check mark and the A in the circle listed by their name.

And also important (working at a scout shop) you all still need to populate the paper copy of the advancement report when you go shopping for your stuff. So far we are still required to get the paperwork to be able to sell advancement badges.

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I would just like to add here :slight_smile: Units do have their own MBC. I belong to a very large Troop of 65 scouts and over 80 registered adults. As a Troop we have more trained, CORI, SORI, MBC, ASM committee Members, Camp School Trained Staff, NRA trained staff/directors(if thats what they are called) , Aquatics Directors, that we offer more merit badges than your average Camps and we Run our Own Summer Camp. We offer our MBC services District and council wide but wanted to clarify, yes MBC is a BSA position that you have the option to chose from where you would like to have it be part of. Unit level, district level, council level, or all 3 and Scoutbook will place you into the system as will council accordingly. I don’t just spew out information without having my facts in order first. I’m an advancement chair who uses Scoutbook for 65 Boy Scouts an ASM in that Troop, a Crew Advisor who uses Scoutbook, a Cubmaster of 40 boys who uses Scoutbook since it came out, an ASM of a Scouts BSA Girl Troop, and a Girl Scout leader that wishes they had Scoutbook LOL the Blue Card talk has been talked about for over a year now. Also scouts can connect to MBC themselves online. Once they have had the invite sent to them and are set up in the system they can use search engine for the MB they want. They can open the parameters they wish in milage when asked. It will list who is in your UNIT first and then district and council to select. Only if everyone has done it correctly near you and submitted their paperwork, taken the my.scouting training and filed the additional paperwork with their local council as well. You can also search MBC by email and name if they give it to a scout as partial so they can connect with them to add all their advancement right in for them to SB. This is why it eliminates Blue Cards. We just completed this for 85 boys from Summer Camp and went smooth. Good Luck. Feel free to reach out with any questions :slight_smile:
Yours in Scouting
Jennifer

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This is incorrect. MBCs are registered at the District or Council level, not with a unit. Some councils allow their MBCs to only council for a single unit. These MBCs are still not registered with the unit, they are district or council MBCs who chose to only work with one unit. If you look in Member Manager on my.scouting.org you will not see any MBC on your adult roster.

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Yes in this way of looking you are correct. No MBC shows up on a roster in a Unit. This is also because MBC do not have to pay to register, it is free for them. They just need YPT, CORI/SORI, and MBC paperwork and training. This is also a great way to pull volunteers into your Troop/Unit to help with least pressure on their behalf and not costing them money to begin. Then they can add roles as they see fit and begin to enjoy it more.
Jen

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Thank you, very much, @JamesWechsler, for this helpful recap. Especially appreciate the screenshots.

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Hi, @DarcyStaley,

Everyone was so helpful here. I wouldn’t leave you all hanging once I got the answer to the problem. :slight_smile:

These forums are a great resource. Thanks, everyone, for participating and chipping in with your thoughtful responses.

Jim

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I disagree that this is a reason why.

What is “CORI/SORI”? A parent, new leader and the public reading a discussion topic may not know. It helps if we all use the full term at least once.

My understanding is that:

  • Merit badge counselors (MBC) need to be qualified for the merit badge (MB} subject area and for some MBs that requires having additional credentials.
  • MBC qualification is normally verified by a member of the district program “advancement and recognition committee”.
  • MBC basic leader (position-specific training) is encouraged by BSA national and might be required by a council.

For more discussion see the “How to sign up a new merit badge counselor” discussion topic.

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I hope you got to read my responses to this below :slight_smile: I think you may be working a lot out and learning more information about SB that is still new to many, but I assure you, My information is 100% correct. 100%
YIS,
Jennifer

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Wrong, Open Scoutbook for your Troop, Open Troop Roster, Open the Adult Roster, and any adult that is FULLY registered as a MBC the correct way will be registered in your Troop/Unit as a MBC and show what ones they are certified for as well.
I figured if anyone was on this site, working with Scouts, and have a position in scouting already then we all knew what a CORI was and if you do not, I would like to know what State, Council, District, and Troop you belong too please. I do like to help train people just a little lol so here is that information

C.O.R.I.- Criminal Offender Record Information This requires you to fill out the Adult BSA application, Give a few personal references, Sign the release for BSA background check in the application (last sheet in the new forms) You also need to fill out the BSA CORI form front and back asking about your Social Security #, your maiden names, your parents names, place of birth, residences past 7 years etc. The you need a copy of you license front and back to submit with these forms.
S.O.R.I- Sexual Offender Registry Information Now to what many people may not believe…A CORI does not cover nor protect our children from all types of predators even though the BSA and every other agency does it’s best to protect them. Adults begin to get more rights than the children they harm. So now new laws need youth programs to run a SORI on adults spending time with youth. You should all be asking ALL your children and youth programs if they do this and call them all out if they are not. When they say we CORI you can now say that is NOT ENOUGH!! BSA is better!
Next there is also another level of SORI that goes beyond the boarders of each State. if you have an adult registered as a sex offender in Texas (sorry no offense just picked for reference xo) and they move to Massachusetts they now could hide from that sex offender list here.
So now I want to ensure BSA is following the SORNA (Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act)
YPT- BSA’s Youth Protection Training all leaders MUST have as well as ANYONE working with the Scouts on a regular basis and attending campouts. 2-DEEP-LEADERSHIP in and out of scouting. This means on emails, texts,( always attach 2 adults with any scout and scouts must do the same) phone calls (Adults do not call scouts) and 2 deep does NOT MEAN 2 scouts and 1 adult. Remember you need to protect yourself too.

Unit Counselor Lists

Units may establish their own lists of counselors, who may or may not opt to work with youth in other units. This may be necessary in wide geographic areas. It can also be helpful to have ready counselors for the most popular badges. Recognize, however, that Scouts learn from the perspectives of counselors outside their own troop. Note that all merit badge counselors, including those serving only one unit, must be registered and be approved by the council (or district, if authorized) advancement committee.
Merit badge Councelor App.pdf (125.5 KB)

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Hi, @JenniferBolduc,

Appearing in the Scoutbook roster as a MBC is not the same thing as being registered in the troop as an MBC.

We (MBCs) are registered with the council. We may (in some councils) elect to be visible only at the unit level, visible only at the district level, visible only at the council level, or visible to all scouts anywhere. I didn’t submit my application as an MBC to my CoR/committee for approval. I submitted it to council. I indicated I only wanted to be visible to the unit, at least until I figured out what my time commitment was, just serving the scouts in my unit as a MBC. That still doesn’t make me a troop MBC, or registered with my troop as an MBC. I am registered with (and serve exclusively at the pleasure of) the council.

If I look at the Member Manager at my.scouting, it says I am an ASM and a Key 3 Delegate.

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It says nothing about my MBC role in the unit roster.

If instead I look at my profile at my.scouting, it shows me with two positions: ASM in my troop, and MBC in my district.

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Similarly, my troop roster at scoutbook.com under My Dashboard → My Units → Troop Roster only shows our adult leaders’ unit-level positions. It does not show the Unit Commish position for one of our ASMs who also serves in that role. It does not show the MBC positions for the numerous ASMs, SM and committee members who also serve in that role.

Analogously to what we see at my.scouting, drilling down to the individual profiles for the adult leaders shows their “non-unit” positions (except the Unit Commish. I guess those aren’t populating into Scoutbook), as you showed when you posted the My Positions excerpt above. Just like at my.scouting, the position appearing on My Positions in Scoutbook indicates that the position is correctly associated with me, not necessarily that it is associated with my unit.

It says nothing about the MBC position in which I am registered in the unit roster, because it is not a unit-level position. That is the key point that I believe @edavignon and others are trying to get at. The Guide to Advancement says that only registered MBCs for the particular badge may counsel scouts and approve the work done for the badge. There has been long history of problems with adult leaders in units identifying themselves as MBCs and counseling scouts, but not being properly registered with the BSA in that role. (I’m not suggesting that is the case here.) As a result, there have been issues later on. The sensitivity that is being displayed over what seems like an otherwise
semantic issue is tied to that history of problems, and a desire to avoid confusion, especially for people who may not have as much familiarity with the BSA policies on MBCs, leaders, etc, as many of the experienced folks here do (e.g. new leaders, new parents, scouts).

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Colorado, Longs Peak, Bighorn, Pack 98, Pack Trainer, 5 years

Seems CORI/SORI is part of the background check that council does. Because I do not participate at that level with the professional staff, I have never heard those terms related to Scouters. The context of the reference was adult training.

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I totally agree that the history of MBC and problems with how some have attained MB’s and awards. How some units just take roles as such. I’m honestly trying to be an advocate for this. Thats my exact point :slight_smile: The only option BSA is going to start to implement this year as I asked recently myself about is the “initial unit leader signature” within Scoutbook and Scoutmaster needs to give permission to start new MB’s. They have to connect to this to accept the MB starts If you are properly registered with the BSA in this role or any other for that matter. I want any new leader with questions to come here and get answers :slight_smile: My frustration lyes sometimes that “some” units make up their own rules, read the Guide to Safe Scouting in a grey lined glasses, and interpret YPT in their own ways and pick and choose the ones they will follow and share their “bad habits” online for new leaders to start off on a bad foot. ugh. Sorry.
As far as positions not showing up. My.Scouting as we know doesn’t talk the best as of trainings with Scoutbook so they decided to keep it separate but are linked for easier access. If like you are properly registered with BSA as a MBC then the Unit Advancement Chair or you can (once you show proof in My.Scouting of approval) can access Scoutbook and do this . Go to My account, My Profile, My Scouting Positions, Hit the RED ADD+ You then will open the page to add this feature to your profile. It will ask you or AC the Council name, unit type, Position acquiring in the pull down menu, date started or ended, and then ask for permission to join the unit roster. This will ask you what merit badges they have been approved for and if they wish to be visible in Unit, district, council, or All. I chose my units (I am crazy and lead 5 and I wear many other hats as well LOL) and 3 surrounding districts as to help in my council positions. All other Leader positions can be entered the same way into scoutbook as this is BSA 100% record book now and it will record all adult time now too.
YES every one of you adults deserve your time to be added up and recognized as well and it will all add up here. You can even enter your original start dates in :slight_smile: Enter service hours, Enter camping nights, it all goes toward another topic of Journey to excellence.

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