The official record of a Scout’s advancement is their Handbook (see Scouts BSA Rank Requirements section starting on page 440). However, this type of reporting does not provide our leaders with an overview of all our Scout’s advancement for planning purposes.  That’s why we encourage periodically updating a Scout’s advancement record in TroopTrack.

Who should update TroopTrack?

Periodically, one of our Scout leaders (youth or adult) will ask to review a Scout’s handbook and update TroopTrack to reflect their advancement progress.  This can also be done by the Scout or an adult member of their household.

We encourage updating a Scout’s TroopTrack records at least monthly before the PLC meeting.

How to update TroopTrack

There are two ways to update a Scout’s advancement information in TroopTrack.  Option A is the easiest to perform.

OPTION A: Record Progress

1. Login to TroopTrack and navigate to the dashboard.
2. Locate the Youth Summary card (when logged in as a Scout) or the Household card (when logged in as an Adult)
3. Click the Record Progress link next to the name of the Scout whose records you wish to update.
4. You will be presented with a list of Ranks and Merit Badges (previously completed advancement will be marked as Completed).  Locate and click on the Rank / Merit Badge for which you wish to record progress.
5. You will then be shown the list of requirements on the right side of the page with spaces to track when the requirement was Completed On and any relevant Notes.  Add the date from your Handbook into the Completed On field and (optional) the name of the individual signing off the requirement.
6. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to submit the progress for approval.

The Completed On field at the top of the page (before the requirements) should not be populated by Scouts or their parents.

OPTION B: Update Achievements

1. Login to TroopTrack and navigate to the Scout’s profile.
2. Click on the Achievements tab.
3. Click on the sub-tab representing the advancement the Scout is working on (i.e. Ranks, Merit Badges, Other)
4. Click the Actions button next to the achievement you’d like to update.  (If the Scout is working on a Merit Badge that does not appear in the list, contact the Scoutmaster to confirm they are authorized to start working on the badge and to update the Scout’s TroopTrack records.)
5. Locate the requirement(s) that the Scout has completed and enter the date the requirement was completed in the Completion Date field for that requirement.

The overall Completed, Awarded, and Reported to Council On and Recognized / Purchased fields should not be completed by anyone other than a registered adult leader or the Advancement Coordinator.

Scouts and members of their household may enter Completed on dates into TroopTrack but these records must be approved by an authorized adult leader before they are considered officially complete.

The Troop relies on our parents and guardians to help transport Scouts to and from Troop events using their personal vehicles.

The BSA Guide to Safe Scouting requires that “all vehicles transporting Scouts to or from Troop events be covered by automobile liability insurance with limits that meet or exceed the requirements of the state in which the vehicle is licensed. It is recommended, however, that coverage limits are at least $100,000 combined single limit. Any vehicle designed to carry ten or more passengers should have limit of $1,000,000.” (For insurance information refer to the Insurance section in the Guide to Safe Scouting.)

Parents/Guardians are asked to add information about their vehicles and their insurance coverage to their TroopTrack profiles.  This helps our leaders’ plan for the Troop’s transportation needs and ensures vehicles have the required insurance coverage to comply with the Guide to Safe Scouting.

This information can be added to your profile by:

1. Login to your TroopTrack Dashboard
2. Access the profile of the individual you wish to add drivers license information.  (Adults who are not registered leaders have access to update the profiles of other members of their household.)  You can access a profile by:
   • Clicking on the Profile link next to your name in the Profile card on your dashboard.
   • Clicking on your Name in the tan bar at the top of any page and selecting My Profile in the dropdown.
   • Searching for the adult’s name in the Power Search field at the top of any page.
3. Once on the adult’s profile page, you will see a series of tabs below your name:
4. Select the Vehicles tab.  (You may need to scroll to find this tab.)
5. To add a new vehicle, click the New Vehicle link in the light tan bar at the top of the page.
6. This will open the Vehicle Details where you will enter information about the vehicle’s make, model, license plate and safety information.  You are also asked to provide insurance information to ensure the Troop is in compliance with the Guide to Safe Scouting and to ensure adequate coverage is in place in the event of an accident.
7. Click the Save button to save the vehicle to your profile.

The BSA Guide to Safe Scouting requires that drivers transporting Scouts to and from events have a valid driver’s license that has not been suspended or revoked, including a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) when required. Additionally, some Troop events (i.e. visiting military installations) may require adults to provide their drivers license information to comply with security rules.

Adult’s drivers license information can be tracked in TroopTrack to ensure that the information is available when needed.  All adult members (both registered leaders and parents/guardians) are encouraged to add this information to their profile by doing the following:

1. Login to your TroopTrack Dashboard
2. Access the profile of the individual you wish to add drivers license information.  (Adults who are not registered leaders have access to update the profiles of other members of their household.)  You can access a profile by:
   • Clicking on the Profile link next to your name in the Profile card on your dashboard.
   • Clicking on your Name in the tan bar at the top of any page and selecting My Profile in the dropdown.
   • Searching for the adult’s name in the Power Search field at the top of any page.
3. Once on the adult’s profile page, you will see a card titled Driver Info.  Click on the card’s Edit link to add or update your Drivers License information.
4. On the Screen, you will be prompted to enter your Drivers License State and Drivers License Number.
5. Click the Save button to add this information to your TroopTrack profile.

The Troop can send text messages from TroopTrack to alert you to urgent updates or important reminders (i.e., late changes to meetings, when we expect to return to ELC after a campout). To receive these messages, you must add your mobile number to your TroopTrack profile:

1. Login to TroopTrack.com
2. Click on the Profile link next to your name (left hand column)
   
3. In your profile, click on the Edit button in the top right of the Contact Info card (center column)
   
4. Enter your mobile number into the Cell phone field and select the name of your carrier in the Cell carrier field.
   
5. Click the Save button.

The Troop will only use Text Messaging for urgent, time-sensitive communications.

A great way to make sure you never miss a Troop event is to add the Troop calendar to your calendar application of choice.  Some calendar applications even allow you to overlay your personal calendar with the TroopTrack calendar.  To do this, you first need the Troop’s ICS URL:

• Navigate to the Calendar in TroopTrack
• Scroll down to the bottom of the calendar.  There you will find the ICS URL.  Click the Copy button to copy that URL to your clipboard.

Now you just need to subscribe to that calendar in your calendar application of choice.  Below are links to instructions on how to add an internet calendar to the most popular calendaring applications.  Instructions for other applications can be found in their help files.

• Outlook Instructions
• Apple Calendar Instructions (MacOS, iOS / iPadOS)
• Android OS Calendar Instructions
• Google Calendar Instructions

Effectively planning events and some Troop meetings is a challenging task that can be made even more difficult if we don’t have an accurate headcount of attendees for the event.  That is why it is extremely important for our members to RSVP for events in advance.

RSVP Deadlines

• Events requiring an RSVP will include an RSVP deadline.
• The Troop will send several email reminders within several weeks in advance of the RSVP deadline.
• We cannot guarantee that RSVP changes can be accommodated after the stated deadline.  This is especially true when the Troop must make per-person reservations in advance.
• We encourage our members to RSVP early for events so we have an indication on your intention as soon as possible.  You can always change your RSVP before the deadline.
• In TroopTrack, you have the ability to state you are Going or Not Going to the event.  Any individuals who do not reply as of the stated deadline will be assumed to be Not Going.

RSVPs for Troop Meetings

RSVPs are not required for weekly Troop meetings UNLESS a headcount is needed in advance.  You will only receive an email reminder for weekly Troop meetings if an RSVP is required or the meeting date, time, or location is different than standard.

How to RSVP in TroopTrack

Most Troop Events will require you RSVP in TroopTrack.  To do this:

1. Navigate to the event details via the calendar or by clicking the View Event Details button or the Going / Not Going links in the TroopTrack email.
2. On the event details screen, you will find the RSVP card on the top right portion of the page.  This card shows you all individuals for whom you can RSVP as well as their RSVP status (“Coming?” column), the number of youth and adult guest attending, and the fees associated with the RSVP.
3. To RSVP, click on the RSVP button.  This will popup a screen where you can:
   • Respond that you are Going or Not Going to the event.
   • Add additional youth or adult guests to your RSVP (if permitted).  Only add guests if you are RSVPing for someone in your household not listed in the RSVP card.
   • Add an RSVP comment.
     • If you are RSVPing for guests, include their names in your RSVP note.
     • Check the Event Description to see if any additional information should be included in the RSVP note.

   Do not ask questions in the RSVP note field as these may not be checked in a timely manner.  Contact a Troop leader if you have questions about the event.

   Click on the Save button to save your RSVP and repeat this process for any additional members of your household who will be attending the event.

   Other RSVP Options

   In some cases, the Troop will utilize an online form to gather additional information for RSVPs.  For example, the Troop planned a ski trip in January 2023 where we needed to know who needed to rent skis and take lessons.  To simplify the RSVP process, we used a form here on the Troop website to gather RSVPs rather than TroopTrack.

   When we are not using TroopTrack to track RSVPs for an event, you will see a card stating:

   Outside RSVPs
   See Event description for information about RSVP’ing

   As stated, the instruction on how to RSVP are then provided in the Description card.

A TroopTrack account is created for every youth member of our Troop.  This allows us to track each Scout’s achievements (rank advancement, merit badges, other awards), participation, leadership,  medical information, and money accounts.  Scouts can also use TroopTrack to communicate with one another and leaders (with built in youth protection controls).

Scout accounts are not initially associated with an email account so they cannot login to TroopTrack directly or receive Troop emails.

As a youth led organization, Scouts should get in the habit of reading all troop communications directly.  We encourage parents to provide the Troop with an email address for their Scout different from a parent’s email address.

When you join Troop 457, we will setup two different types of TroopTrack accounts for you:

• A Scout Account
• One or more Adult Accounts

Scout and Adult accounts are joined to one another to form a household.  Both types of accounts have the ability to:

• View and update advancement, including ranks and merit badges
• View and update contact information for the Troop roster
• View parent and leader contact information
• View account balances
• View the Troop calendar of events and RSVP to event

Additional permissions may be added to accounts if the individual has a leadership role within the Troop.

The primary difference between these accounts is the level of access.  Scout accounts can only view and edit their own information while parent accounts can view and edit information for any member of their household.

Requesting Additional Adult Accounts or Adding a Scout Email Address

Complete the TroopTrack Account Request form on this website to request the addition/removal of an adult account or to associate an email account with a Scout account.  Note the following:

• You are required to login to the Troop website to access the form.  Use the TroopTrack username and password from the Initial Account Setup lesson.
• Email addresses added to TroopTrack must be able to receive emails from external addressed.  (Do NOT use a Seneca Valley School District student account as that email system does not receive emails from external sources.)
• Requests will be confirmed with adult members of the household before being processed.
• Requests could take up to a week to process.

Reference Information

• TroopTrack
• TroopTrack Account Request form
• Initial Account Setup lesson

Our Troop uses an online application called TroopTrack to manage all aspects of our Troop including events, communications, advancement, and more.  (For those joining from Pack 457, TroopTrack is similar to Scoutbook with additional functionality and ease of use.)

Your TroopTrack account credentials are also used to access restricted sections of the Troop457Zelie.org website.