<< List of all previous releases
This big new in this release is that scout-badges.com is now an official Scouts Canada app, and will now be called “ScoutsTracker”!
If you've currently bookedmarked scout-badges.com or saved it to the home screen of your mobile device, there's no need to change anything… because everything that applies to ScoutsTracker equally applies to scout-badges.com (behind the scenes, it's the same server).
And, I'm still the one who will be supporting and extending the app. Of course, the downside to that is that it means there will be no change to the fee structure.
The UK Beaver Program is now supported. UK? Well as most Beaver leaders already know, Scouts Canada is in the process of developing a Beaver Badge Program. It is likely that we will use some elements of the UK program in our own Program. Even for groups not running a badge program, this will let you track events and costs.
Because it's the UK program, you'll notice some odd spellings and vocabulary.
The only caveat is that if Scouts Canada ends up rolling out a Program that differs substantially from the UK Program, then some of your record-keeping may be rendered obsolete… this is a risk you'll have to take.
When you create a new user you can optionally send out an email (the standard text can be personalized) that welcomes the new user and provides them with their sign-in credentials.
There is a “Randomize” button beside the password, so you don't have to think up a unique password or give each new user the same password.
The welcome email can also be used with existing logins, if you want to reset a password for user or re-invite a youth/leader who has never signed in
Under “Account” | “Scouts”, each youth has a link to a per-youth tabular representation of all the badges which you can use to quickly enter that youth's historical records from your existing record-keeping system (e.g., old paper record sheets).
Just in time for tax season, a “Program Costs” report has been added to assist with the generation of the Children's Activity Tax Credit receipts.
This shows, for each youth, the sum of the program-related costs associated with the events you run within a particular calendar year, which you could then add to the eligible cost of registration. Of course, it assumes your records of eligible costs and participation are accurate!
Guidelines for what constitutes eligible expenses can be found at http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/credit/catc/faq.html#Q2