perforated blue cards and summer camp

[Tim W-2]

Hello all,

I just ordered the TroopMaster perforated blue cards for our troop. How do people use this with summer camp?

Do you fill out the Scout's name and merit badge for all the ones they plan to sign up for and then print them out to bring to camp, or are they filled out after camp? I would think that the camp MB counselor needs to sign it, so I'm guessing that you're mainly printing blank cards with no requirements checked off.

What's the best way to handle this?

Thanks in advance.

[Kenneth-44]

Tim,

If you're going to a camp that still allowes or uses MB Blue cards, then by all means, yes, the Camp MB Counselor SHOULD sign them if the boy completes the Merit Badge there.

As for the other information on the cards, you should go ahead and have the boys' information, MB information w/o requirements checked off, and leaders' signature of approval on the front of the MB card to begin the MB. This way at least if a boy loses his card between your campsite and the MB Counselor, they know who to return it to, and who it belongs to.

YiS,
Ken Hartman
SM-Troop 57


--- In TMTUG@..., "Tim Williams" <tjandacw@...> wrote:

>
> Hello all,
>
> I just ordered the TroopMaster perforated blue cards for our troop. How do people use this with summer camp?
>
> Do you fill out the Scout's name and merit badge for all the ones they plan to sign up for and then print them out to bring to camp, or are they filled out after camp? I would think that the camp MB counselor needs to sign it, so I'm guessing that you're mainly printing blank cards with no requirements checked off.
>
> What's the best way to handle this?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

[mmurphy686]

Hello Tim,

We put the Camp's name and address in the MB counselors fields plus the information for each scout. We usually have 6 cards filled out for each scout unless they are in a pioneer program that would require less.  We leave the MB blank and have the scout fill that out along with the requirements.  We have found that the staff at our summercanp are very happy that most of the information is filled out already and is ledge able.

Hope this was of help.

Mike
 

---- Tim Williams <tjandacw@...> wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I just ordered the TroopMaster perforated blue cards for our troop. How do people use this with summer camp?
>
> Do you fill out the Scout's name and merit badge for all the ones they plan to sign up for and then print them out to bring to camp, or are they filled out after camp? I would think that the camp MB counselor needs to sign it, so I'm guessing that you're mainly printing blank cards with no requirements checked off.
>
> What's the best way to handle this?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>

[Thomas A Newman]

If I can do some shameless promotion, tell your camp to look into getting merit badge tracking software which will print the blue cards on plain paper filling in the names, merit badges, partial information, completed requirements and sign the counselor name.  No need to purchase cards, for the troop, no need to fill in the scout information, for the troop and no need to track information the information and update the cards by the counselor.

 

Yours in Scouting,

Tom Newman

scout043@...

Phone: [phone]

 

If you can't live forever, create something that can.

 

From: TMTUG@... [mailto:TMTUG@...] On Behalf Of mmurphy686@...
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 8:55 PM
To: TMTUG@...
Cc: Tim Williams
Subject: Re: [TMTUG] perforated blue cards and summer camp

 






Hello Tim,

We put the Camp's name and address in the MB counselors fields plus the information for each scout. We usually have 6 cards filled out for each scout unless they are in a pioneer program that would require less. We leave the MB blank and have the scout fill that out along with the requirements. We have found that the staff at our summercanp are very happy that most of the information is filled out already and is ledge able.

Hope this was of help.

Mike


---- Tim Williams <tjandacw@... <mailto:tjandacw%40yahoo.com> > wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I just ordered the TroopMaster perforated blue cards for our troop. How do people use this with summer camp?
>
> Do you fill out the Scout's name and merit badge for all the ones they plan to sign up for and then print them out to bring to camp, or are they filled out after camp? I would think that the camp MB counselor needs to sign it, so I'm guessing that you're mainly printing blank cards with no requirements checked off.
>
> What's the best way to handle this?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>

[corinnajones]

Why don't we just hand out completed and signed off Blue Cards on Monday morning. That way nobody is inconvenienced. In my book the Scoutmaster still signs the Blue Card. If he prefers not to sign a blank check, I would suggest to the scout to write down the name of the Merit Badge before requesting the signature.
With the majority of all scouts who earn at least 90% of their Merit Badges at summer camp, it might be a good idea to have them somehow involved in the process. My son worked at camp for three summer, and was director during the third year - he did not have any complaints about the way the Blue Cards were filled out. And no, they did not just sign off on all requirements - some boys returned home with partials.

Corinna

[Laszlo Acs]

This would be dependent to the local council/camp policies and rules.  Some
camps create their own spreadsheet-like paper form and do not deal with
blue cards at all - so if you want the blue cards signed by the camp
activity's MBC, then you'll need to talk to him or her and make
arrangements.  I've been to camps where they prefer you fill out the blue
cards and the requirements completed yourself the last day of camp and
they'll have a time where you'll be able to have the various MBC's sign the
cards.  Other camps, they'll only fill out their "spreadsheet" and leave it
up to you to deal with the blue cards yourself (in those instances, I've
simply put the name of the camp and the counselor's name in the area where
the signature goes.  My local council will accept this.)

FYI - Troopmaster will only print the merit badge with the numbered
requirements (if it can be fit onto the card - it will omit the actual
numbers if there are more requirements than will fit).  Troopmaster WILL
NOT print any cards with any requirements already checked off - even if the
Scout has already completed some of the requirements and you are wanting to
print a "partial".  In those cases, you'll have to fill out the
requirement's completion dates and initials manually (after the card is
printed).

It does help to have the cards all pre-printed with the Scout's name and
all the rest of the information (address, council, district, etc) - then
you're not having to write that information in at camp.  All you'll need to
do is hand the cards over to the MBC and have him/her date and sign the
card - saves tons of time and looks very professional.

Word of caution - if you use an ink jet printer to print the cards, the ink
WILL RUN if the cards get wet or are in a moist environment!  In this case
(if you don't have access to a Laser printer), make sure you store the
pre-printed cards in a ziplock plastic bag until ready to fill them out -
and make sure you and anyone signing the cards don't get sweaty fingers on
the cards.  It's usually not much of a problem, but - awareness is an ounce
of caution that may save you from a preventable "murphyism".  :)

YIS,

Laszlo Acs, Scoutmaster
Troop 3, Springfield, IL

At 11:49 PM 6/30/2009 +0000, you wrote:

>Hello all,
>
>I just ordered the TroopMaster perforated blue cards for our troop. How do
>people use this with summer camp?
>
>Do you fill out the Scout's name and merit badge for all the ones they
>plan to sign up for and then print them out to bring to camp, or are they
>filled out after camp? I would think that the camp MB counselor needs to
>sign it, so I'm guessing that you're mainly printing blank cards with no
>requirements checked off.
>
>What's the best way to handle this?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>

 
 

[John Nojeim]

It is a fantastic advantage to have pre-printed Blue Cards for the scouts on their 1st day of camp.  We have 37 scouts taking 92 Merit Badges this week.  The SM was dreading the 1st afternoon, writing out & signing 92 cards.  We would have spread that work out by letting the scouts fill in all the information, then giving the card to the SM to sign.

Two weeks ago, at our regular troop meeting, all the scouts filled out a form indicating the merit badges they wanted to work on.

The SM compiled the forms into a spreadsheet to submit to camp for their activity/area's planning purposes.  

As TM owner, I took that same compilation & pre-printed the 92 blank Blue Cards with the scout's information on them all, and signed them in the comfort of my home while watching the Red Sox beat Atlanta Braves.

I ignored the possibility that some of the scouts might already have partials on some of the MB's, mostly because it could be wasted effort if they change their minds on MB selection at camp.  I will reconcile that when they come back from camp.

The camp receives up to 300 scouts/week for 7 weeks.  They do not have the staff availability to enter all scouts/MBs into MB tracking s/w.

Pre-printing on regular paper is a good alternative to the actual blue card perforated card stock, but then you need a good paper cutter to seperate the two cards/page.  Depending on the qty of cards printed, one of the two options will work well.

YIS,
John Nojeim
Advancement Chair
Troop 3 Groton, MA

[Craig Dalrymple]

Well, this was my first year of going to camp -- my oldest just turned
11 last September and crossed over in January.  I found it interesting
that our camp tracked everything with OCR sheets.  Probably the best way
to do it when you figure there are three camps on the reservation with a
total of about 650 scouts.  My hand gets tired just thinking about blue
cards....

--
Craig K. Dalrymple

[Sarah-115]

We print 'blue cards' on generic blue card stock and cut with a paper cutter - gives you alot more flexibility in printing - setup does not have to be exact. And alot cheaper!!!!

Yes we do 'blue cards' for all merit badges, summer camp or not - its all part of the process of scout learning to ask for things, becoming responsible for their belongings, and following through.

Sarah

[Randy Hinckley]

First you will need to know if the camp will even use the cards.  Many camps have their own software to track the merit badge completions and then furnish the troop with a report at the end of camp or soon after with this information.  If they are asked to also use the blue cards, then they are performing redundant work and may not comply.

Having been our troop's advancement chair as well as chairman of and and a counselor at our councils annual Merit Badge Day, I can tell you that in my opinion, the blue cards are best suited for the badges that are obtained in a smaller setting or the one on one type of merit badges.  If there is a large group like at camp or a merit badge event. it is much easier for the camp or counselor to hand out the completion report.  Another advantage to this is the camp and/or council has the information should the report get lost.  I have seen several boys show up at Merit Badge Day with a blue card and then later I get a call needing information on him because he lost his card.  I know Scouting teaches responsibility and if he loses it then that should be a lesson learned for him but, it's nice to know there is a record that can be obtained.

One last statement and then off to other things - The use of the blue cards is not mandatory.  Some people will tell you that you HAVE TO HAVE THEM.  This is not true.  Nowhere in any of the advancement information are the cards listed as mandatory.  They are simply a troop option to track the progress and completion of the merit badge.

YIS,

Randy
--- On Tue, 6/30/09, Tim Williams <tjandacw@...> wrote:

From: Tim Williams <tjandacw@...>
Subject: [TMTUG] perforated blue cards and summer camp
To: TMTUG@...
Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 11:49 PM











   
           
           


     
      Hello all,



I just ordered the TroopMaster perforated blue cards for our troop. How do people use this with summer camp?



Do you fill out the Scout's name and merit badge for all the ones they plan to sign up for and then print them out to bring to camp, or are they filled out after camp? I would think that the camp MB counselor needs to sign it, so I'm guessing that you're mainly printing blank cards with no requirements checked off.



What's the best way to handle this?



Thanks in advance.




 

     

   
   
       
         
       
       








       


       
       


     

[Tim Musson-2]

Laszlo,

Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 11:17:27 PM, you wrote:

====8<---------------- snip
> Other camps, they'll only fill out their "spreadsheet" and leave it
> up to you to deal with the blue cards yourself (in those instances,
> I've simply put the name of the camp and the counselor's name in the
> area where the signature goes. My local council will accept this.)
====8<---------------- snip

What if there is a dispute about the boy earning his MB when he is
going for Eagle? Will National accept that type of thing? Or do they
not even get involved?

--
Tim Musson,
Chief Okemos Council, Ojibwas District
Pack 180 Cubmaster, Co Webelos Leader, webmaster
Troop 2 Advancement Chair, webmaster

Pack 180 Web Site: www.troop2el.org/pack/180
Troop 2 Web Site:  www.troop2el.org

[Tim Musson-2]

Randy,

Thursday, July 2, 2009, 11:05:54 AM, you wrote:

> One last statement and then off to other things - The use of the
> blue cards is not mandatory. Some people will tell you that you HAVE
> TO HAVE THEM. This is not true. Nowhere in any of the advancement
> information are the cards listed as mandatory. They are simply a
> troop option to track the progress and completion of the merit
> badge.

Interesting - what proof then does the boy have to show he did
complete the MB if council's records disagree (and yes, that has
happened to my Scouts more than once...)?

--
Tim Musson,
Chief Okemos Council, Ojibwas District
Pack 180 Cubmaster, Co Webelos Leader, webmaster
Troop 2 Advancement Chair, webmaster

Pack 180 Web Site: www.troop2el.org/pack/180
Troop 2 Web Site:  www.troop2el.org

[Thomas A Newman]

There are 3 ways that a boy can prove that he completed a requirement.

 

1.       If he has a signature in his Scout Book.  This is fine for Rank
Advancement but not Merit Badges.

2.       If he has a signed Merit Badge card.  He will only get this at a
Court of Honor which means that he will have no proof between completion of
the Merit Badge and the Court of Honor.

3.       If he has a Blue Card.  If the camp does not issue blue cards they
are cheating the boy out of one his best tools to prove that he completed a
merit badge, if troop records do not match scoutnet.

 

Yours in Scouting,

Tom Newman

scout043@...

Phone: [phone]

 

If you can't live forever, create something that can.

 

From: TMTUG@... [mailto:TMTUG@...] On Behalf Of Tim
Musson
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 9:57 AM
To: Randy Hinckley
Subject: Re[2]: [TMTUG] perforated blue cards and summer camp

 






Randy,

Thursday, July 2, 2009, 11:05:54 AM, you wrote:

> One last statement and then off to other things - The use of the
> blue cards is not mandatory. Some people will tell you that you HAVE
> TO HAVE THEM. This is not true. Nowhere in any of the advancement
> information are the cards listed as mandatory. They are simply a
> troop option to track the progress and completion of the merit
> badge.

Interesting - what proof then does the boy have to show he did
complete the MB if council's records disagree (and yes, that has
happened to my Scouts more than once...)?

--
Tim Musson,
Chief Okemos Council, Ojibwas District
Pack 180 Cubmaster, Co Webelos Leader, webmaster
Troop 2 Advancement Chair, webmaster

Pack 180 Web Site: www.troop2el.org/pack/180
Troop 2 Web Site: www.troop2el.org

[Tim Musson-2]

Thomas,

Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 10:13:07 AM, you wrote:

> There are 3 ways that a boy can prove that he completed a requirement.

> 1. If he has a signature in his Scout Book. This is fine for Rank
> Advancement but not Merit Badges.

Yep, that part I was aware of.

> 2. If he has a signed Merit Badge card. He will only get this at a
> Court of Honor which means that he will have no proof between
> completion of the Merit Badge and the Court of Honor.

Are you referring to the Pocket Certificate we hand out with the MB?
That is signed by the Scoutmaster, not a MB Councilor, so isn't really
good for anything more than a memento in my opinion... I always make
sure the Scout's portion of the BC is attached in addition to the
Pocket Certificate (and Yes, I have them turn it in to me so I can
Scan them in and keep a Troop record - Had a family of Scouts move
into our Troop from another State, and the BCs were the only real
record! Both the previous Troop's TM and Council records did NOT
reflect everything the boys had earned - Ranks & MBs!)

> 3. If he has a Blue Card. If the camp does not issue blue cards they
> are cheating the boy out of one his best tools to prove that he
> completed a merit badge, if troop records do not match scoutnet.

I agree, but am seeing lots of posts indicating that it isn't uncommon
for only a list to be returned to the Troop.

Another problem I see with that is what if you have a Scout from
another Troop going to camp with you? For example, we have a Scout
that moved to another State & Troop, but still has family/friends in
our Troop. He went to Summer Camp with us. How would he or his Troop
get acceptable info about his completed MBs if it was not on Blue
Cards?

--
Tim Musson,
Chief Okemos Council, Ojibwas District
Pack 180 Cubmaster, Co Webelos Leader, webmaster
Troop 2 Advancement Chair, webmaster

Pack 180 Web Site: www.troop2el.org/pack/180
Troop 2 Web Site:  www.troop2el.org

[Thomas A Newman]

Hi Tim,

 

Just a couple of points..  You said.

 

"Are you referring to the Pocket Certificate we hand out with the MB?
That is signed by the Scoutmaster, not a MB Councilor, so isn't really
good for anything more than a memento in my opinion..."

 

The Pocket Certificate is valid proof.  The Scoutmaster is the final
approver of the Merit Badge.  If he feels that the counselor did not
properly teach the merit badge, he is not compelled to turn that information
in on the advancement report.  If the Scoutmaster feels that the boy
completed a partial merit badge, he can compete it on his own.  I had 5 boys
taking Emergency Prep last week.  When I got the paperwork back Saturday,
one of the boys did not receive credit for the Emergency Drill held on
Friday Morning.  I spoke to the boy, in question, his dad, who was at camp,
and another of the boys.  They all said the he was there.  Most likely there
was a paperwork snafu and when they took attendance either they didn't hear
him answer or they checked the wrong place on the attendance sheet or when
the clerk entered it into the computer, she missed one.  Whatever the
reason, I determined that he was present and went ahead and completed him in
Troopmaster and will turn the completed paperwork.  So actually this becomes
possibly the best proof of a completed merit badge.

 

"> 3. If he has a Blue Card. If the camp does not issue blue cards they
> are cheating the boy out of one his best tools to prove that he
> completed a merit badge, if troop records do not match scoutnet.

I agree, but am seeing lots of posts indicating that it isn't uncommon
for only a list to be returned to the Troop."

I agree with this position, but it is up to the troop to make sure that the
camp issues blue cards.  There ae over 300 Scout Camps find another camp.
If you just get a sheet, it is going to be kept by the Scoutmaster and the
Scout will have no proof, if he goes to another unit or the Scoutmaster
retires.  Our camps allows you to opt out of blue cards.  When the camp
director asked if any of the troops wanted to opt out, only 2 of 24 troops
opted out.

 

Yours in Scouting,

Tom Newman

scout043@...

Phone: [phone]

 

If you can't live forever, create something that can.

 

From: TMTUG@... [mailto:TMTUG@...] On Behalf Of Tim
Musson
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:53 AM
To: Thomas A Newman
Subject: Re[4]: [TMTUG] perforated blue cards and summer camp

 






Thomas,

Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 10:13:07 AM, you wrote:

> There are 3 ways that a boy can prove that he completed a requirement.

> 1. If he has a signature in his Scout Book. This is fine for Rank
> Advancement but not Merit Badges.

Yep, that part I was aware of.

> 2. If he has a signed Merit Badge card. He will only get this at a
> Court of Honor which means that he will have no proof between
> completion of the Merit Badge and the Court of Honor.

Are you referring to the Pocket Certificate we hand out with the MB?
That is signed by the Scoutmaster, not a MB Councilor, so isn't really
good for anything more than a memento in my opinion... I always make
sure the Scout's portion of the BC is attached in addition to the
Pocket Certificate (and Yes, I have them turn it in to me so I can
Scan them in and keep a Troop record - Had a family of Scouts move
into our Troop from another State, and the BCs were the only real
record! Both the previous Troop's TM and Council records did NOT
reflect everything the boys had earned - Ranks & MBs!)

> 3. If he has a Blue Card. If the camp does not issue blue cards they
> are cheating the boy out of one his best tools to prove that he
> completed a merit badge, if troop records do not match scoutnet.

I agree, but am seeing lots of posts indicating that it isn't uncommon
for only a list to be returned to the Troop.

Another problem I see with that is what if you have a Scout from
another Troop going to camp with you? For example, we have a Scout
that moved to another State & Troop, but still has family/friends in
our Troop. He went to Summer Camp with us. How would he or his Troop
get acceptable info about his completed MBs if it was not on Blue
Cards?

--
Tim Musson,
Chief Okemos Council, Ojibwas District
Pack 180 Cubmaster, Co Webelos Leader, webmaster
Troop 2 Advancement Chair, webmaster

Pack 180 Web Site: www.troop2el.org/pack/180
Troop 2 Web Site: www.troop2el.org

[Kenneth-44]

Randy,

I have to disagree here. It is clearly stated as part of the Merit Badge process that a Scout obtain a signed Merit Badge Application from his Scoutmaster in the "Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures guide BSA item No.33088 on pg.26."

It is also mentioned on pg.34 where it states if a boy is at summer camp; "Partial completion of merit badges should be credited to a Scout on the Application for Merit Badge and given to the Scoutmaster at the end of the week."

It is also mentioned in "A Guide for Merit Badge Counseling, No. 34532"

It is also mentioned in "The Boy Scout Requirements book item No.33215 on pg.22"

I think pretty much in most cases the boy is to obtain a singed Merit Badge Application (Blue Card) from his Scoutmaster prior to working on Merit Badges. This also serves as their permanent record. The presentation Pocket Certificate as Tim Musson stated, is not a valid permanent record to replace the Merit Badge Application, nor a good substitute.

Though most camps do not use the Merit Badge (Blue Cards) anymore, that is not withstanding that they are still not required to have the Counselors sign them if the Unit Leader requests it prior to leaving camp. They are still, though some councils have their own policies for summer camp, required to fill out the (Blue Cards) upon the request of the unit if that is their preference to have those as a permanent record with the Counselor's signature on them. They can not expect everyone to just rely on a printout of what the boy has completed at summer camp as a permanent record, especially if it is still stated in a National BSA publication that the Merit Badge Application (Blue Card) is still the standard for permanent record keeping purposes.

JMTCW,
Ken

--- In TMTUG@..., Randy Hinckley <randyhinckley@...> wrote:
 
"Nowhere in any of the advancement information are the cards listed as mandatory.  They are simply a troop option to track the progress and completion of the merit badge."

>
> YIS,
>
> Randy
> --- On Tue, 6/30/09, Tim Williams <tjandacw@...> wrote:
>
> From: Tim Williams <tjandacw@...>
> Subject: [TMTUG] perforated blue cards and summer camp
> To: TMTUG@...
> Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 11:49 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>    
>            
>            
>
>
>      
>       Hello all,
>
>
>
> I just ordered the TroopMaster perforated blue cards for our troop. How do people use this with summer camp?
>
>
>
> Do you fill out the Scout's name and merit badge for all the ones they plan to sign up for and then print them out to bring to camp, or are they filled out after camp? I would think that the camp MB counselor needs to sign it, so I'm guessing that you're mainly printing blank cards with no requirements checked off.
>
>
>
> What's the best way to handle this?
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

[David Wildschuetz]

Interesting - what proof then does the boy have to show he did
complete the MB if council's records disagree (and yes, that has
happened to my Scouts more than once...)?

.



The only reason the Scout's record does not match Council is either 1) the Troop did not turn it in, or 2) if done manually (i.e. non-internet filing), the council lost the advancement report after it was turned in (it has happened).  If the Scout's record does not match, then the Troop should only have to file a new advancement report to make things right. 

David

[Linda-59]

There are lots of reasons that the records might not match.  It's a pretty
mindless job entering advancement and mistakes happen.  One of the biggest
problems is hand writing.  There have been times I looked at it and could
see that the first name started with, for example, "J" and the last name
with a "P" and went looking for a name that would fit.  I remember spending
3 hours on one units advancement reports (3 or 4 sheets).

If you submit hand written advancement reports instead of internet
advancement here are some hints to help:

1. Write or print legibly.
2. List by boy in alphabetic order.  It's cumbersome to navigate in
Scoutnet.  MB's don't have to be in alpha order.  MB's are entered by number
and anyone who does this very long memorizes the numbers.
3. Skip a space between boys.  It helped to list a boys name once and use
dittos or a line.


I used to get asked if a unit could turn in the report generated by
Troopmaster.  My reply "it's typed and in alphabetic order.  What's not to
like?"

Linda
Who used to work for my council

On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 5:59 PM, David Wildschuetz <shamanlsn@...>wrote:

>
>
>
>
> Interesting - what proof then does the boy have to show he did
> complete the MB if council's records disagree (and yes, that has
> happened to my Scouts more than once...)?
> .
>
>
> The only reason the Scout's record does not match Council is either 1) the
> Troop did not turn it in, or 2) if done manually (i.e. non-internet filing),
> the council lost the advancement report after it was turned in (it has
> happened).  If the Scout's record does not match, then the Troop should only
> have to file a new advancement report to make things right.
>
> David
>  
>

[Tim Musson-2]

David,

Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 5:59:30 PM, you wrote:

>> Interesting - what proof then does the boy have to show he did
>> complete the MB if council's records disagree (and yes, that has
>> happened to my Scouts more than once...)?

> The only reason the Scout's record does not match Council is either
> 1) the Troop did not turn it in, or 2) if done manually (i.e.
> non-internet filing), the council lost the advancement report after
> it was turned in (it has happened). If the Scout's record does not
> match, then the Troop should only have to file a new advancement
> report to make things right.

Ok, how about this (yep, happened to more than one of my transferred
in Scouts). His previous Troop had horrible records. The previous
Council was just as bad. He DID have his Blue Card. My Council
accepted a photocopy of his Blue Card. If he didn't have his Blue
Card, then he would have had to do the MB over again...

--
Tim Musson,
Chief Okemos Council, Ojibwas District
Pack 180 Cubmaster, Co Webelos Leader, webmaster
Troop 2 Advancement Chair, webmaster

Pack 180 Web Site: www.troop2el.org/pack/180
Troop 2 Web Site:  www.troop2el.org

[Bill Nelson]

Folks

Key I believe is a document signed by a merit badge counselor. At the last
National Jamboree, NO, repeat NO blue cards were given out. National created
their own special carbonless form and the Scouts brought that home, not a
blue card. We had them save it the same way.

 

If you have a camp that doesn't use blue cards, I would just recommend
making a copy of whatever they send home and give the Scout a copy as well
as having the Troop keep a copy.

 

Not sure about your Councils, but the only thing that goes to National is
the Eagle Scout Application - and my understanding is even it may not go
before long, must an electronic version of some sort sent by the Council.

Bill Nelson

UC/ADC

 

 

From: TMTUG@... [mailto:TMTUG@...] On Behalf Of
Thomas A Newman
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:13 AM
To: TMTUG@...
Subject: RE: Re[2]: [TMTUG] perforated blue cards and summer camp

 






There are 3 ways that a boy can prove that he completed a requirement.

 

1.       If he has a signature in his Scout Book.  This is fine for Rank
Advancement but not Merit Badges.

2.       If he has a signed Merit Badge card.  He will only get this at a
Court of Honor which means that he will have no proof between completion of
the Merit Badge and the Court of Honor.

3.       If he has a Blue Card.  If the camp does not issue blue cards they
are cheating the boy out of one his best tools to prove that he completed a
merit badge, if troop records do not match scoutnet.

 

Yours in Scouting,

Tom Newman

scout043@...

Phone: [phone]

 

If you can't live forever, create something that can.

 

From: TMTUG@... [mailto:TMTUG@...] On Behalf Of Tim
Musson
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 9:57 AM
To: Randy Hinckley
Subject: Re[2]: [TMTUG] perforated blue cards and summer camp

 







Randy,

Thursday, July 2, 2009, 11:05:54 AM, you wrote:

> One last statement and then off to other things - The use of the
> blue cards is not mandatory. Some people will tell you that you HAVE
> TO HAVE THEM. This is not true. Nowhere in any of the advancement
> information are the cards listed as mandatory. They are simply a
> troop option to track the progress and completion of the merit
> badge.

Interesting - what proof then does the boy have to show he did
complete the MB if council's records disagree (and yes, that has
happened to my Scouts more than once...)?

--
Tim Musson,
Chief Okemos Council, Ojibwas District
Pack 180 Cubmaster, Co Webelos Leader, webmaster
Troop 2 Advancement Chair, webmaster

Pack 180 Web Site: www.troop2el.org/pack/180
Troop 2 Web Site: www.troop2el.org