NOTE: This functionality is currently in BETA
There is a demo / sandbox environment you can use before using the production version to setup your den meetings. See more information here.
SUGGESTION: WATCH THE VIDEOS, READ THROUGH THIS PAGE AND USE THIS DEMO ENVIRONMENT BEFORE SETTING UP YOUR MEETINGS IN THE PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT. ONE YOU SETUP MEETINGS IN THE PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT YOU CAN MOVE THEM AROUND BUT YOU CANNOT DELETE THEM.
If you’re a den leader, you’re going to love the latest update to Scoutbook! The Boy Scouts of America’s online tool for tracking Scouting advancement just rolled out a new update that’s going to make it easier than ever for den leaders to prepare for and lead meetings, track advancement and attendance, and more.
A PowerPoint presentation is available here.
“We want to help all den leaders — both new and experienced — feel equipped to run awesome den meetings that the kids enjoy and that parents consider to be a valuable use of their family’s time,” says Ryan Hill, the BSA’s national director of DigitalStrategy.
Rather than having to juggle leader books and other resources, den leaders will be able to do everything they need from within the app — from organizing meetings for the year to preparing for their next meeting to tracking attendance and advancement. They will even be able to communicate with parents of absent Scouts about what their kids need to do at home to get caught up.
Also new in Scoutbook for den leaders, now the Cub Scout required adventures for each rank have been thoughtfully organized into roughly 12 meetings, making planning out meetings for the year simpler than ever.
“If you attend these required meetings, and your den leader simply keeps attendance in the app, then you have earned your advancement and you’ve also received the full value that we’ve always designed for you to get out of Scouting,” Hill says.
These changes are designed to help streamline and simplify work for leaders, so they can be more prepared for their Scouting adventures. It’s the same great program, just made easier.
“We know how busy families today can be, and that your time is valuable,” Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh says. “You want more time for you and your Scouts to explore, have fun and create positive life-changing memories in the Scouting program. The Scoutbook app helps accomplish that.”
These exciting new improvements to Scoutbook are specific to the Cub Scout den leader experience at this time, but it’s only a matter of time before leaders of other Scouting programs will see upgrades to their Scoutbook experience too.
“We’ve spent a lot of time interviewing den leaders, parents and Scouts from around the country,” Hill says. “We’ve received a lot of really great ideas we’re excited to roll out in future phases to bring new levels of fun and simplicity to everyone in Scouting.”
A few video “how to” walk-throughs for various items are below, they can also be found here . These can also be found in the Den Leader Experience under account/resources/Den Leader Tips and Tricks.
Scoutbook Answers
Log on to Scoutbook to make sure your unit is ready to adopt these updates this fall.
If you are a den leader and your pack is onboarded to Scoutbook, your pack administrator will send you an invite to connect in Scoutbook. This will prompt you to create an account.
A quick tour is available here. (PowerPoint)
Read more answers to frequently asked questions here.