Scoutbook Primer
Your Son Needs His Own Scoutbook Account
Scoutbook is a critical tool your son needs to use. The sooner he gets his own account, the more independent he will become and the less you, as a parent, have to track. Once you've turned in an application or registered online, your son will appear in Scoutbook. But you, the parent, owns the account. He needs to have his own account. Here's what you do.
Log into Scoutbook. Click your son's name/photo.
Click on "Edit Extended Information" below your son's summary information.
Click on "Invite [name] to Connect"
Enter a personal email address (NOT a school email address) and click "Invite"
Your son will receive an email with a Scoutbook invitation and temporary password. They need to log in, change their password, and then they are ready to go!
What is the difference between Scoutbook and My.Scouting?
Scoutbook is the tool used by our troop to send messages to troop members, post calendar events, and track advancement toward ranks and merit badges. You will receive emails from Scoutbook so it is important that you have access. You are expected to RSVP for events through Scoutbook.
My.Scouting houses your personal profile - permanent name, email, phone, and home address. It contains your BSA ID and any adult volunteer training classes you have done (e.g., Youth Protection Training). If you are a registered adult leader, you can track your training certificates and learn about addition classes through My.Scouting.
Your login credentials are identical for both systems.
How to Use Scoutbook
Go to scoutbook.com. Log in and click on "Dashboard." From here you can look at your account, your child's account, send a message, view the troop roster, and view the troop calendar ("Events"). Next to your son's name, it will show a percentage, which represents how much of the next rank he has completed.
RSVPing to Events
When a calendar event is published, you will receive an email asking you to RSVP. You can click on the link from your email, which takes you to Scoutbook to RSVP. In the event, hover over your photo and click Yes, No, Maybe. The troop prefers to have explicit "YES" or "NO" responses to every event so we know how many to expect. It helps us plan.
Sending Messages to Troop Leaders and Members
Your son will need to send messages to troop leaders and fellow scouts to plan meetings, get sign-offs, ask questions, plan food for camping trips, etc. Click on the "Messages" menu item from the Dashboard. Click "Send Message." Scouts then choose who to send the message to by clicking the names/photos of recipients. Every email between scouts and adults need at least two adults copied. Scouts can just copy in their parents if they need a second adult. Scout-to-scout emails do not need 2 or more adults copied.
Note: There is no "inbox" on Scoutbook. Sent, received, and deleted messages are not stored on Scoutbook (even though the menu options make it look like they are).
Advancement / Sign-Offs
The beauty of Scoutbook is its ability to track Advancement electronically. Whether your son gets requirements signed off in his physical paper handbook or electronically on scoutbook.com, in the end, all advancement is stored in Scoutbook. Merit Badge requirements as well as rank requirements are all tracked in Scoutbook. The advancement history of a scout will be stored for life.
For most requirements, your scout should be reaching out to senior scouts (those in the Senior Patrol) for sign-offs. They can do this in person at troop meetings or set up a zoom meeting to discuss over video. The senior scout then notifies our Advancement Chair or another adult leader that the requirement is completed and it can be checked off electronically in Scoutbook.