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Welcome to Scouts Canada
Web-Based Badge & Event Tracking
Whether you're a leader, a scout or a parent, scout-badges.com can help you navigate your way through the Scouts Canada Program.
Its intuitive interface is available from any browser, and gives you "anywhere, anytime" access to your records.
scout-badges.com is the official app of Scouts Canada, and is provided free-of-charge to all members.
Note: scout-badges.com is not affiliated with, but operates under licences of, The Scout Association. However, Scouts Canada and Scouts Australia have chosen it as the official app for their Programs.
Note: scout-badges.com is not affiliated with the Girl Guides of Canada. However, Scouts Canada and Scouts Australia have chosen it as the official app for their Programs. If you'd like to see the GGC similarly endorse it, please let them know!
scout-badges.com is the official app of Scouts Australia.
Note: scout-badges.com operates for the purpose of assessment by Scouting Ireland, and is not otherwise affiliated with the organisation. However, Scouts Canada and Scouts Australia have chosen it as the official app for their Programs. If you'd like to see Scouting Ireland similarly adopt it, please let them know!
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What Users are Saying...Next »
“This web app is amazing. Designed with troop operation fully in mind, we now are experiencing paperless records with everyone on the same virtual page. Parents know what events are coming up, Scouts can track their own individual progress, and leaders have a solid grasp on where the troop is at any point in time. It is a great aid to planning. Quite simply the best $25 we have spent.”
“I wanted to let you know how impressed I am with the app. It's very comprehensive, well laid-out and easy-to-use. You seem to know exactly the next feature we'd find useful and and implement it very well. The youth also find it easy to navigate, and those that use it for their own records really enjoy it.”
“From one Scouter to another I need to thank you for the service you are providing to Scout leaders across the country. It's GRRRREEEAAATT!”
“I'm VERY impressed by the Program. Very intuitive and easy to use and we have found the mobility features very useful at meetings.”
“Totally amazing! What a system! This is going to make it so much easier for us.
I'm making full use of everything there is to offer. Thank you so much.”
“It has a lot of great features and is extremely functional. It has already made our record keeping much easier!”
“I love the new features - particularly the future scheduled camps. It was interesting to stand in the horseshoe at our first meeting this year, hand out badges, and mark them as awarded using my BlackBerry on the spot.”
“We love the site and are using it extensively for our Program.”
“This program is fantastic. We use it all the time. We use it offline at our meeting place and update everything on the spot. Keeps us current at all times.”
“My Pack has started using your app, and I can't say enough about it. It solves some very real administration problems for us and lets us focus on running a great program for the youth.
What's particularly neat is that despite this being a web application, it works flawlessly in offline mode so I don't need to be connected to the internet to make it work.”
“I am a user of the program and loving it.
Thank you very much for making my life much, much easier.”
“Please let me thank you for creating this web app; it is a pleasure to use. I particularly like the record keeping and percentage completed indicators for each Cub.
Thank you again for putting together a very helpful web app. It makes my job as a leader much easier than before.”
“Your finished product looks EXCELLENT. If there is anyone out there that thinks your price for a Pack is too high, they are crazy. I've offered to pay the fee for our Pack here, I am so convinced of the worth of this program. The fact that it's free for an individual is a bonus.”
“This app has changed the way we manage our troop, much for the better!”
“Thanks for your work on this. As near as I can tell, this addresses all and more of the issues around progression tracking that have challenged the movement forever.”
“Cool... Really! The richness in the features and the responsiveness of your support are both... so cool.”
“We love this program. It has increased the youth enthusiasm for badges 500%! It's incredible.”
“This is a great piece of software and has allowed me to do things and accomplish goals that I would not have been able to complete without the software. It saves me a lot of time and has encouraged my cubs to complete more badges.”
Designed for Parents
You're paying for all these events, and your child seems to be having fun, but are they getting anything out the Scouting Program?
With scout-badges.com, you can see how your child is progressing. Much of the Scouting Program involves "learning by doing", so even though your child says that they may not have learned anything at a meeting, you may find out that the evening's events were designed to satisfy one or more requirements for a badge.
Your child's leaders can set you up with a login that lets you see all the detailed records, e.g., all the meetings, all the hikes, etc. and all the badges that were related to the event.
Scout-Badges.com gives you, the parent, insight into the Scouting Program.
Helping your Child
If you want to help your child through the Scouting Program, you can use scout-badges.com like an on-line searchable Handbook. If you think your child should ask a leader for clarification or help on a particular requirement, you can bookmark it. The leaders will be able to see what requirements are bookmarked.
Similarly, if your child has completed a project at school, in a club, or as a family event, you can mark a requirement as "ready to test". The leaders will then see these requirements in a report that they can generate before or during a meeting. This gives the leaders a chance to remind your child "Don't you have something to show me or talk to me about?".
No software to install
Scout-Badges.com runs in the browser that you probably already have on your computer.
Free
If your child's leaders have created an account, there is no additional cost to allow parents and youths to see their own records. Your child's leaders just need to create a login for you using your email address.
If your leaders haven't created an account, please encourage them to do so. In the meantime, you can create your own Personal account and store up to two youths' data!
Designed for Commissioners
With scout-badges.com, you can make a thankless job a bit easier!
Pushing Events
Rather than communicating events by having the Council Commissioner tell the Area Commissioners who then tell the Group Commissioners who then tell the section leaders (and then expecting the section leaders to then re-create those event in their own calendars so that the youths/parents can see them), scout-badges.com lets you "push" an event directly from the Area calendar to all the pertinent sections. E.g., a first aid course could be added to all the Troop and CompanyGuide and Pathfinder schedules, or an Area Camporee could be added to all the PackBrownie schedules.
Furthermore, the section leaders will get an automatic email when an event is pushed into the schedule so they know about it is as soon as it happens.
And, as the event is added as a subscription, any changes to the date/location/cost/description will be automatically updated in the individuals sections, eliminating confusing conflicts between what is stated on the Council website and what is on the Troop's calendar.
Communicating
A Scout-Badges.com commissioner account lets a commissioner communicate with the leaders and/or youths and/or parents in some or all of theirher sections, just as the normal section accounts let the leaders communicate with the youths and/or parents within a section.
And if a section leader/youth/parent changes theirher email address, a commissioner can always be confident that theyshe will reach people via their preferred email addresses.
Electronic Submission and Approval of AAF's
The Scouts Canada Adventure Application Form can now be generated by a leader from within ScoutsTracker, e-signed and submitted electronically. You'll then get a copy of the AAF along with all the necessary attachments. If it looks good, you can click a button to e-sign and approve it electronically. The leader then gets a notification that you've approved the event, and a copy of the AAF and all the attachments is forwarded to National for archiving.Electronic Collection of Parent/Guardian Consent Forms
The Scouts Canada Parent/Guardian Consent Form that is required for any Category 3 event can be filled out on-line, or if preferred, a paper form can be printed, filled out and signed, then scanned/photographed and submitted. Either way, both leaders and commissioners will be able to access the recorded consent for each youth, from the AAF.Instant Group-Wide Website
With a few clicks, you can set up an automatically-updating website that reflects all the information (e.g., Troop News, Upcoming Events, important Contacts) that is being recorded by your leaders. It also offers you an "About" page that can highlight your Group's areas of specialty, and show off some of your best photos.
One-click Group-Wide Collaboration
You can set up all the accounts in your Group to collaborate with each other via a single toggle switch.
Group-Wide Import
You can import the youth and Leader records for your entire Group from a commissioner account, so as your Registrar finalizes the registration, they can apply those changes to every account in your Group, thereby eliminating one key administrative task that the leaders in each of your section accouts would otherwise have to do themselves.
Group-Wide Import
You can import the youth and Leader records for your entire Group from a commissioner account, so as your Registrar finalizes the MyScouts records, they can apply those changes to every account in your Group, thereby eliminating one key administrative task that the leaders in each of your section accouts would otherwise have to do themselves.
Group Custom Inventory
Manage your Group's common inventory (e.g., tents, stoves, canoes), including fields to record where it's stored, and a notes field that lets you record item-specific information (repair notes, instructions). This inventory is visible to, and updatable by, all sections in your Group.
Group-Managed OAS Inventory
With all sections being eligible to complete the same staged Outdoor Adventure Skill badges, it makes sense to manage a single inventory of OAS badges across all your Group's sections. So when a Cub earns the Camping Skills 3 badge, it'll impact the inventory as seen by your Beavers, Scouts and Venturers.
Group-Managed Administration
Keeping track of which sections are using their accounts is simple with a Usage Report that summarizes the scout-badges.com activity for each account covered by your licence.
And, a configurable "master" login means you'll can step into any of the accounts in your Group
Group-Managed Administration
Keeping track of which sections are using their accounts is simple with a Usage Report that summarizes the scout-badges.com activity for each account covered by your licence.
And, a configurable "master" login means you'll can step into any of the accounts in your Group
Group-Managed Licensing
You can easily add and remove section accounts from Group Licence.
And keeping track of who is wisely using their resources is simple with a Usage Report that summarizes the scout-badges.com activity for each account covered by your licence.
Finally, a configurable "master" login means you'll always have access to the accounts that you've paid for.
Designed for Youths
- Want to find out how you're doing?
- Need to search for all the badges that involve community service?
- Curious about the dates of that last camp?
- Heard that Scouts Canada has announced a new badge?
Scout-Badges.com lets you do all of these things!
All the badges and awards show their percentage completion. So when you see that you're 85% of the way towards your Experienced Camper BadgeCampcraft 5 BadgeInformation Technology 4 BadgeAlpine Skills Stage 4Backwoods 5 Badge, you know you can probably finish it off quickly!
When looking at any badge requirement, you can bookmark it in case you want to discuss it with a leader or your buddies at the next meeting.
If you've completed a requirement at home, you can also mark it as "ready to test", so your leaders will be ready to ask you about the requirement at the next meeting.
Section Account or Personal Account
Normally, your leaders will give you a login (you need to provide them with an email address), and then you'll be able to see your own records. Your records are automatically updated whenever your leaders add events or mark requirements as complete in a meeting or at a camp.
However, if your leaders haven't set up an account to manage everyones' records, you can still use scout-badges.com as a Personal Account. In this way, you can track your own accomplishments and events, however your updates can't be shared with the leaders (to do that, your leaders will have to set up an account and give you a login!)
No software to install
Scout-Badges.com runs in the browser that you probably already have on your computer.
It fits in the palm of your hand!
Scout-Badges.com also runs on mobile browsers, like you might find on a smartphone or tablet.
How much does it cost?
ScoutsTracker is provided free-of-charge, courtesy of Scouts Canada, to all Groups!
Licensing Tiers
Handbook
If you just want to use scout-badges.com as a resource that you can check at any time (even on an off-line mobile device!), then it's Free. In fact, you don't even need to create an account.
Personal Account
If you just want to use scout-badges.com as a secure, backed-up way to keep the records for a couple of youths, you can create a Free Personal account.
Section Account and Commissioner Account
If you want to use scout-badges.com to track the badges, events and events for your entire section, and you want everyone (parents included) to be able to see the badge records and events, then you'll need a Section Account.
Similarly, if you're a commissioner and want to use scout-badges.com to push events to your entire Group or Area, or want to make your Group gear show up in all your sections' inventory, or want to do Group-wide imports from MyScouts, then you'll need a Commissioner Account.
The easiest way to get this is by creating a trial account (Section or Commissioner), and then going to "Account" | "Licence" and paying by credit card. Alternatively, you can pay by cheque or email transfer (see below).
Group/Area/Council Licensing
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There are Group, Area and Council discounts, starting with the Group "buy 3, get one free" model. E.g., if you pay for Pack, Troop and Company, you can get Colony (or a second Pack, etc.)Pack, Troop and Company, you can get Colony (or a second Pack, etc.)Pack, Troop and Company, you can get Colony (or a second Pack, etc.)Pack, Troop and Unit, you can get Mob (or a second Pack, etc.)Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders, you can get Sparks (or a second Guide Unit, etc.) for free. For larger volumes, the discount schedule (for a single transaction) is given below.
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How to Place an Order
If you're just interested in setting up an Individual licence or a Group licence for fewer than 10 sections, you can do that from within scout-badges.com, by going to "Account" | "Licence", picking the number of accounts (both section and Commissioner), the term you want, and then choosing your preferred payment method.
Otherwise, if you're interested in setting up a licence for more than 9 sections, please use the calculator above, then contact us with the
- Contact name
- Contact email
- Description of what you're paying for (e.g., "Gilwell Area")
- # of accounts (both section and Commissioner) to be covered
Orders for more than 9 accounts must be made by cheque or email transfer.
Payment by Cheques and Email Transfer
For cheques, please make them out to Dave Caughey, and send it to10 Plaza Court
Ottawa, ON K2H 7W1
Canada
Please ensure that your cheque includes a note saying which account the payment applies to (e.g., "99th Gilwell Pack" or "Mafeking Area")
For email transfers, please contact $SUPPORT to get the necessary payment email address.
Deploying a volume licence
Once you've paid for your Group/Area/Council licence, you'll get an automatic email that includes an activation code that you can then share with your section leaders.
Sections with existing accounts can redeem this activation code by going to "Account" | "Licence" and entering it the "Activation Code" field. Otherwise, the activation code can be redeemed when a leader creates a new account for their section.
As the licence administrator, you'll get a notification email every time someone redeems your activation code, so you can keep track of who's part of your Group/Area/Council licence.
Integrating already-licensed accounts
If some of your sections have already licensed scout-badges.com, then the existing licence is merged in with your new licence, to proportionally extend the duration of your Group/Area/Council licence. In this manner, previous purchases aren't "wasted" when a section joins your Group/Area/Council licence.
Designed for Scouters
Scout-Badges.com was created by a Scouter (originally as scout-badges.com) who was frustrated by
- keeping paper records
- having the youths not know where they really stood
- having the other leaders not know the overall status of the section
- trying to figure out which missing requirements should be the focus of upcoming meetings
- manually calculating when dependent requirements were satisfied
- not having an accurate record of who attended what event, and what requirements were satisfied by the event
- the risk of losing the most up-to-date copy of the youths' records
- having to leaf through the Handbook trying to find particular requirements
- knowing that the Handbook doesn't include the latest badges and awards
- the fact that every leader and every youth has to buy a copy of the Handbook for each section they belong to
These issues are the same whether you are involved in Scouting or Guiding!
Scout-Badges.com was designed to address all these issues.
In short, scout-badges.com is a searchable, web-based, backed-up badge and event tracking system that lets leaders, youths and parents see the latest data presented in an intuitive manner that helps leaders plan Program, and youths progress through the Program.
Some other features of note include...
Multi-User
A Section Account lets all the people who need access to the records have access. Leaders can see (and update) all their youths' records, whereas youths and their parents can see (but not update) just their own records.
Creating logins is a snap... all you need is an email, and for the youths/parents, you can pick which youths are accessed by the login.
Mobile & Off-Line Access
You can bring your laptop or mobile device (smartphone or tablet) to camp and have access to all the youths' records. Any requirements you mark as complete will automatically be synchronized with the on-line database when you next connect to the internet.
Customizable
You can customize the badge completion logic by marking some requirements as "always complete" (in the case that you are confident that the material is well-taught in the local school system). You can also specify that some requirements can be completed at the sub-requirement level (if appropriate).
You can also add new badges. Badges added by other sections include:
- Troop - Permits, Basic Scoutcraft Award, Cycling, Fishing and Astronomy
- Pack - Martial Arts
Always Up-to-Date
Because the application is web-based, you are always running the latest version. Furthermore, the moment the Scouts Canada Program changes are announced, the application's badge database is updated with the latest information. For example the recent World Scout Environment Program included not only the WSE Award, and Climate Change Badge, but it also changed requirements in the following badges:- Pack - Recycling, Home Repair, Cyclist and Family Helper
- Troop - Recycling, Home Repair and Chief Scout's Award
Inexpensive
Using scout-badges.com as a Personal Account is always free. An account for your entire section only costs $39.95 per year (or less). A Section Account lets you create as many logins as you need for all your leaders, youths and parents.
And consider that at $39.95 (or less) per year, the cost of scout-badges.com is much, much less than asking every leader and every youth to buy their own Handbook.
Support
Documentation
A Quick Reference Guide and other documentation is available on the scout-badges.com wiki.
The Release Notes are also available on the wiki.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's a wide variety of answers to our frequently asked questions.Contact Us
By email: $SUPPORTPress Releases
Scouts Australia Signs Deal with Dakemi Communications
Jul 17, 2018 – Scouts Australia has signed a deal with Dakemi Communications to white-label Dakemi's comprehensive scouting application, and offer it at no cost to Scouts Australia's members...
Scouts Canada Signs Deal with Dakemi Communications
Feb 3, 2012 – Scouts Canada has signed a deal with Dakemi Communications to white-label its badge management application and to promote it to Scouts Canada's members...
Feb 3, 2012 – Scouts Canada has signed a deal with Dakemi Communications to white-label its badge management application and to promote it to Scouts Canada's members...
Scouts Canada Signs Deal with Dakemi Communications
Offers ScoutsTracker badge management application for members
OTTAWA, Ontario – Feb 3, 2012 – Scouts Canada has signed a deal with Dakemi Communications to white-label its badge management application and to promote it to Scouts Canada's members. ScoutsTracker, a web-based badge and event tracking system developed by a Canadian scout leader and formerly known as scout-badges.com, allows leaders to collect, maintain and share their Section's records with the parents and youth. Its management reports help leaders plan their Scouting Program, and its progress-oriented interface help youth advance through the Scouting program.
"We are excited to work with Dakemi Communications to offer ScoutsTracker to our members," said Rob Stewart, Acting Executive Commissioner and CEO for Scouts Canada. "ScoutsTracker is a cost-effective solution that fits well into our National Technology Strategy and addresses many of the needs of our volunteers. With ScoutsTracker we can deliver a tremendous amount of power and convenience to our members."
"Scouts Canada continuously strives to offer the best opportunities for youth development by providing fun, challenging and relevant programming," said Steve Kent, Chief Commissioner of Scouts Canada. "ScoutsTracker will provide us with more in-depth insight into how our Scouting Programs are being implemented across the country so we can learn what's working and what isn't and continue to evolve our programs."
Designed as a web-based application, ScoutsTracker is not only accessible from any desktop or laptop computer, but also via any mobile device with a browser.
"Leaders are starting to use their laptops, smartphones and tablet devices to do live updates to the youths' records at meetings." says Dave Caughey, Founder at Dakemi Communications. "And because the web app syncs with a central database, it means that both youth and leaders have any-time access to up-to-date records and a searchable, bookmarkable version of the Scouting Handbook. Most of our youth members were born after the Internet came into being, so this is the type of interactivity that they've grown up with, and naturally expect."
About Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada, the country's leading youth organization, has more than 100,000 members nationwide representing every faith and culture. Scouts Canada groups offer programming in more than 19 languages reflecting Canada's multicultural landscape and communities. Kids in Scouts have fun adventures discovering new things and experiences they wouldn't discover elsewhere. Along the way, they develop into capable, confident and well-rounded individuals, better prepared for success in the world. For tens of thousands of children and youth across Canada, Scouts is the start of something great. For more information visit www.scouts.ca.
Scouts Canada is a not-for-profit organization (Charitable Registration No. 10776 1694 RR0028) and a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
About Dakemi Communications
Dakemi is a boutique software development firm specializing in software development, productization and commercialization of technology, innovation, intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, VoIP, audio, and usability.
Contact Information:
David CaugheyFounder, Dakemi Communications
[email protected]
Scouts Australia Signs Deal with Dakemi Communications
Offers ScoutsTracker badge management application for members
OTTAWA, Ontario – Jul 17, 2018 – Scouts Australia has signed a deal with Dakemi Communications to white-label Dakemi's comprehensive scouting application, and offer it at no cost to Scouts Australia's members. Pioneer Tracker is a comprehensive application that tracks youths' progression through the Scouts Australia Pioneer Program; manages event signup and participation; provides secure communications between adult Leaders, Youth and parents; and enables collobaration between Units. Its management reports help adult Leaders plan and execute their Scouting Program, and its progress-oriented interface helps youth advance through the scouting Program.
"This is a very exciting product for our Pioneer Groups in the count-down to the launch of our new Youth Program", said Cathy Morcom, National General Manager for Scouts Australia.
Pioneer Tracker is not only accessible from any desktop or laptop computer, but also via any mobile device with a browser.
"While having an easy-to-use application on a desktop PC at home is great, the best scouting Program planning is done collaboratively with the youth, which means you have to take advantage of those times when you've got all your youth together in one place, whether it's in your meeting hall or deep in the bush! For example, it's not unusual to start dreaming about great summer adventures while sitting around a campfire. And because Pioneer Tracker works on smartphones and tablets, it allows Program elements to be looked up and incorporated into a concrete event plan that can be recorded whenever and whereever you happen to be doing the planning." says Dave Caughey, Founder at Dakemi Communications.
About Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia is the largest youth development organisation in Australia with around 70,000 members, and provides young Aussies aged 6 to 25 with a wide range of opportunities to grow through adventure. For more information visit scouts.com.au.
About Dakemi Communications
Dakemi specializes in the development of turn-key software solutions for youth development program and industrial/government training. It is white-labeled by Scouts Canada, Scouts Australia, and supports other scouting and guiding organizations' programs. It is also used to support governmented-funded apprenticeship training.
Contact Information:
David CaugheyDakemi Communications
[email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started
- How do I get an account for my section?
- Is there a free version I can use for my own records?
- What's the difference between a Personal and a Section Account?
- What browsers does it run on?
- Is there a mobile app? I want to run it on my smartphone, but can't find it in the App Store or Google Play.
- How do I get it on my mobile device?
- What if I don't have an internet connection?
Features
- Can multiple leaders manage the badge and event tracking?
- Can the youths update their own records?
- Is there dues or event fee payment tracking?
- Is there integration with MyScouts?
- Can I mark individual sub-requirements as complete?
- Can I skip certain requirements in badges?
- Can I add my own badges?
- Can I create hard copy record sheets?
- Can I get a backup of my data?
- How is this different from Online Scout Manager?
Technical Support
- It says there was an "error opening database"... what can I do?
- It says I need to clear my cache... how do I do that?
- Why does it restart after saying that "application has been updated"?
- Why does it occasionally resync all my records?
Privacy
- Who can see the data?
- Can the youths see each other's records?
- What about PIPEDA (Canadian data privacy legislation)the Privacy Actthe Data Protection Act 1998the Data Protection Act 1998PIPEDA (Canadian data privacy legislation)?
Payment
- How much does it cost?
- Is there a Group/Area discount?
- Shouldn't this be free for all Scouts Canada members?
- We can't afford it... can we get a subsidy?
- How do I pay?
Other
How do I get an account for my section?
You can create an account from within the app.
Just click on the link for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers or Rovers within the inset in the upper-right of this page. Just click on the link for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers or Rovers within the inset in the upper-right of this page. Just click on the link for Guides or Pathfinders within the inset in the upper-right of this page. Just click on the link for Joeys, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers or Rovers within the inset in the upper-right of this page. Just click on the link for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers within the inset in the upper-right of this page. then click "Account" | "Create a New Account". You can then create records for your youths and your events. You'll have 60 days to test it out, and if you like it, you can extend your access by a year via credit card from within the app.
Is there a free version I can use for my own records?
Yes. Scout-Badges.com is free if you just want to use it as a Handbook or for your own Personal Account.
But if you want your records to be stored along with the other youths' in your section, and backed up automatically, and visible from multiple computers or by other leaders, then you'll need a Section Account.
What's the difference between a Personal and a Section Account?
| Feature | Personal Account | Section Account |
|---|---|---|
| Max. Number of Youths | 2 | 45 |
| Max. Number of Logins | 1 | unlimited |
| Bulk Updates | – | ✓ |
| Section Reports E.g., Ready to Test, Ready to Award, Planning, Attendance | – | ✓ |
| Event Enhancements E.g., Calendar, Leaders' Notes, Cost tracking | – | ✓ |
| Inventory Management | – | ✓ |
| Badge Customization | – | ✓ |
| Cost | free | $39.95 (or less) |
| Full-Featured Trial | – | 60 days |
What browsers does it run on?
Supported Browsers (both desktop and mobile)- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
- Opera, Brave
- Microsoft Internet Explorer (any version)
Is there a mobile app? I want to run it on my smartphone, but can't find it in the App Store or Google Play.
Scout-Badges.com is a web application that runs in your browser... even when you have no data connection! So you don't need to get it from the App Store. Just browse to it and enjoy.How do I get it on my mobile device?
Point your mobile device's browser to one ofWhat if I don't have an internet connection?
The application has been designed from day 1 to support off-line access. Any updates you make while you're on a hike (or in the Church basement) will be automatically synchronized with your database when you next connect to the internet.Can multiple leaders manage the badge and event tracking?
Absolutely! You can create as many logins as you want. You can also set a flag so that some leaders' logins can see the section's data but not update it. For example, you may not feel comfortable giving your Scouters-in-Training the ability to update the youths' records.Can the youths update their own records?
No. The youths can bookmark requirements of interest, or flag requirements as "ready to test", but can't mark any requirements as complete or change details about events.Is there dues or event fee payment tracking?
Yes. ScoutsTracker supports the ability to define an event fee, and possibly collect a deposit. For meetings, you can define weekly dues, and optionally mark youths as pre-paid.Is there integration with MyScouts?
Currently, you can export your youths/leader records from MyScouts to import into ScoutsTracker. For details on this, sign into your ScoutsTracker account, and click "Account" | "Import from MyScouts".
The plan is that there will be additional integration with MyScouts. As soon as a programming interface for MyScouts becomes available, we'll be able to assess the possiblilites.
Can I mark individual sub-requirements as complete?
Yes. By default badges are marked as complete at the requirement level (like the way badges are presented in the paper Handbooks). However, you can specify that individual requirements' subrequirements are completable.Can I skip certain requirements in badges?
Yes. Some material in the Scouting Programs may be taught very well in your local school system, in which case you can specify that particular requirements are "always complete".Can I add my own badges?
Yes. Several sections have added their own badges. At this point, you need to send us the badge description, but at some point in the future we expect to have an interface in which you can create your own badges and (possibly) share them with other sections. Because custom badges created as a joke (e.g., a "Music Piracy" badge) could reflect poorly on Scouts Canada, we'll need to put a system in place to vet badges before they are shared.Can I create hard copy record sheets?
Yes. You can publish the youths' records in a handy two-sheet format suitable for printing.Can I get a backup of my data?
Yes. You can generate a hard copy of all your data, including event details. However, please rest assured that the scout-badges.com data is backed up nightly to a geographically and network remote server.How is this different from Online Scout Manager?
Both ScoutsPlus and Online Scout Manager were developed by Leaders who were intimately aware of the challenges that leaders face in planning and delivering a top-quality Scouting Program.
However, the two web-based solutions focus on slightly different pain points... Online Scout Manager is an excellent tool for leaders that helps build and schedule your events, and provides you with excellent links to resources that will result in fun, productive meetings.
On the other hand, ScoutsPlus is specifically geared towards both
- giving young people and leaders the information they need to progress the young people through the Scouting Program by:
- offering detailed information about badges and awards than mirrors the handbook presentation
- showing the progress for each young person in an intuitive manner, so that they can focus on the next steps required to advance through the Program
- providing a way that young people and leaders can bookmark and communicate about key requirements
- providing young people and their parents with the same view of the young people's data as the leaders have
- simplifying the tasks of defining which youths should get what credit for having participated in the events you've planned by:
- letting you associate badge requirements with specific events, and then allowing you to instantly give credit to all participants
- providing reports to let you see whether your year's events are going to satisfy enough of the core program.
Additionally, ScoutsPlus is mobile-friendly–running equally well on desktop/laptop browsers, iPhones/BlackBerries/Android phones and tablets. It is also designed to offer seamless offline access that allows users to update records even while off-line (sync happens automatically next time users connect on-line)
Of course, there's a lot of overlap between the two solutions, as well. Both solutions offer trial accounts, and both cost about the same.
It says there was an "error opening database"... what can I do?
If you are using Microsoft Edge
Are you launching Scout-Badges.com in an "InPrivate" window? Please use a normal window, instead.
If you are using Firefox
Are you launching Scout-Badges.com in a "Private" window? Please use a normal window, instead.
But... even if you aren't using Firefox in "Private" mode, there is a Firefox setting that can interfere with launching Scout-Badges.com. This setting can be cleared as follows:
- Click on ☰ in the upper-right corner of the Firefox window, then select "Options"
- Select "Privacy & Security" from the left-hand menu
- Scroll down to the "History" Section and select either
- "Remember History"
— or — - "Use custom settings for history" (but you must then uncheck "Always use private browsing mode")
- "Remember History"
It says I need to clear my cache... how do I do that?
Each browser has a different way to clear its cache. If you browse to this site, you'll it'll detect your browser and provide the instructions you need.
BUT! when clearing your cache, you need to remember to
- enable "Cookies and site data" (the name of this setting varies a bit between browsers)
- set the "Time Range to Clear" to "Everything" (name of this setting varies a bit between browsers
Why does it restart after saying that "application has been updated"?
As bugs are fixed, or new features added, the server is updated with the latest code. Your browser (Firefox, Chrome or Safari) then replaces the cache that lets the application run off-line (e.g., at camps or at meetings in the school gym).Why does it occasionally resync all my records?
Normally, each time you connect to scout-badges.com, only the latest changes (if any!) to your badges and events records are pulled down from the server.
However, some software updates change the way that your records are stored in the browser. When this happens, the only safe way to ensure that the code will update your browser's database correctly is to completely rebuild the database from the information stored on the server. In this case, you'll see a one-time reloading of all your records, after which it will revert to the normal behaviour of only pulling down new changes (if any).
Who can see the data?
Any leaders logins that you create can see all your section's youths. Furthermore any parent/youth logins that you create can see the youths that you associate with each login. Otherwise, no one else can see your data.
The exception to this is if you share your schedule by embedding the calendar in youth website, or by giving your "section key" to a leader in another section, or by joining an organization (accessed via "Account" | "Collaboration"), then other people will be able to see your schedule (that was the purpose of sharing the schedule!). Howewer, shared schedules will not include personal information about the youth (e.g., who has signed up and/or paid, etc.). Such personal data is ever only visible to the leaders in that particular youth's section. Of course, if you insert personal details into an event description (e.g., "At the meeting, we'll celebrate Jasmine's 11th birthday"), then sharing this event will let everyone know that you have a youth named "Jasmine" who turns 11 on a particular date). Ensuring your youths' already requires discretion on the part of the leaders.
Note: there is interest by some Councils and Areas in seeing anonymous usage data for event planning. I.e., to find out whether specific events at Area events are worth running, or to find out if a Service Team could be of assistance.
Can the youths see each other's records?
No. Each Youth/Parent login can see only the specific youths' data that you associated with the login.What about PIPEDA (Canadian data privacy legislation)the Privacy Actthe Data Protection Act 1998the Data Protection Act 1998PIPEDA (Canadian data privacy legislation)?
Member information is stored in encypted form in your browser, and requires a PIN to decrypt and show it. Information in the server database (located in Canada)(located in Australia) is accessible only through 256-bit SSL encryption. Login requests to the server use nonce-based encryption to ensure that "packet-sniffers" can't extract your password.
Scout-Badges.com will not share or use anyone's email address for any other purpose than required by the application (e.g., for example "forgot my password" emails, or if a leader publishes the youths' progress to their parents.)
Some Councils and Areas are interested in gaining access to their youths' badge and event data to assist with Area event planning (e.g., if 70% of Scouts in an Area already have their PioneeringAbseilingAbseilingCanoe Safety badge, having a pioneeringabseilingabseilingcanoeing station at an Area camp may not be useful) and to provide early detection of problems that may require the assistance of a Service Team. However, in these cases, the Area already has full access to each youth's personal information through MyScoutsthrough the registration systemthrough the registration systemthrough the registration systemthrough the registration system, so letting them see badge and event data does not compromise any youth's privacy.
How much does it cost?
See the exciting news on the Pricing page!
The cost is:
- Colony – $44.95 / year
- Pack – $44.95 / year
- Troop – $44.95 / year
- Company – $44.95 / year
- Crew – $44.95 / year
- Commissioner – $44.95 / year
- Colony – €24.95 / year
- Pack – €24.95 / year
- Troop – €24.95 / year
- Company – €24.95 / year
- Crew – €24.95 / year
- Commissinoer – €24.95 / year
- Mob – $29.95 / year (not yet available)
- Pack – $29.95 / year (not yet available)
- Troop – $29.95 / year
- Unit – $29.95 / year (not yet available)
- Sparks – $29.95 / year (not yet available)
- Brownies – $29.95 / year (not yet available)
- Guides – $29.95 / year
- Pathfinders – $29.95 / year
- Rangers – $29.95 / year (not yet available)
- Commissioners – $29.95 / year (not yet available)
- Colony – £19.95 / year
- Pack – £19.95 / year
- Troop – £19.95 / year
- Unit – £19.95 / year
There are also Group discounts
Is there a Group/Area discount?
See the exciting news on the Pricing page!
There are Group, Area and Council discounts, starting with the Group "buy 3, get one free" model. E.g., if you pay for Pack, Troop and Company, you can get Colony (or a second Pack, etc.)Pack, Troop and Company, you can get Colony (or a second Pack, etc.)Pack, Troop and Company, you can get Colony (or a second Pack, etc.)Pack, Troop and Unit, you can get Mob (or a second Pack, etc.)Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders, you can get Sparks (or a second Guide Unit, etc.) for free.
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For larger volumes, the discount schedule (for a single transaction) is given below.
If you're interested in setting up a volume licence, please see information on creating and deploying a licence on the "Pricing" tab of this website. |
Shouldn't this be free for all Scouts Canada members?
See the exciting news on the Pricing page!
It would be nice if it were, but the underlying technology is provided by a third-party (Dakemi Communications), and it costs money to run the service and support the user base. So, a nominal fee of $39.95 per section per year (or less!) is charged to defray those expenses.
It would also be nice if the Scouts Canada Handbooks and uniforms were free, but we understand that the suppliers have a right to receive compensation for their products. This is no different.
Additionally, scout-badges.com ends up saving your leaders and youths a significant amount of money, since they no longer need to buy their own Handbooks.
We can't afford it... can we get a subsidy?
See the exciting news on the Pricing page!
While being in Scouts Canada is definitely great value for the money, it is true that the cost of events, uniforms, etc. can add up--and for certain financially-disadvantaged neighbourhoods, cost is a very important issue.
To this end, it's worth noting that at $39.95 (or less!), scout-badges.com is significantly cheaper than asking all your parents to buy Handbooks.
Beyond that, there are several options for getting subsidies:
- There are aggressive discounts offered to Councils and Areas. This discount could be unevenly distributed amongst the group to accommodate your differing financial needs
- You can talk to your Sponsor
- You can ask for consideration from the Scouts Canada N.O.L.B. program
- You can ask a neighbouring group to provide you with assistance
- You can ask an individual parent or leader to "gift" the application to your group
How do I pay?
You can pay from within scout-badges.com. Just sign in, then click on "Account". You'll see a option for "Licence" which will let you pay via credit card for a year.
If you don't yet have an account, then you'll need to create one first.
Credit card transactions are securely processed via PayPal.
Is this a Girl Guides of Canada product?
No. This was developed by a Scouter to address many of the frustrations he had in running a Scout Troop. However, the basic tasks of delivering a high-quality youth development program are the same, whether you are talking about Scouting or Guiding.
In fact, this web app is now being distributed as an official Scouts Canada product (ScoutsTracker.ca). Please contact your Provincial Council or the National Organization if you'd like to see guide-badges.com endorsed by Girl Guides of Canada.
Is this a Scouts Australia product?
Pioneer Tracker was commissioned by Scouts Australia, and is being distributed as an official Scouts Australia product. It is uses the same underlying technology that was adopted by Scouts Canada (where it goes by the name ScoutsTracker).
Is this a Scouting Ireland product?
No. This was developed by a Canadian leader to address many of the frustrations he had in running a Scout Troop.
In fact, this web app is now being distributed as an official Scouts Canada product (ScoutsTracker.ca). Please contact the National Organisation if you'd like to see scoutdo.com endorsed by Scouting Ireland.
Is this a Scout Association product?
No. This was developed by a Canadian leader to address many of the frustrations he had in running a Scout Troop.
In fact, this web app is now being distributed as an official Scouts Canada product (ScoutsTracker.ca). Please contact your Branch or the National Organisation if you'd like to see scout-badges.co.uk endorsed by The Scout Association.
Who are "Dakemi Communications"?
Dakemi is the consulting firm of the Scouter who developed scout-badges.com. Expertise includes software, audio, intellectual property, etc. For specifics, please refer to his LinkedIn profile. If you have any questions about how Dakemi can assist your company, please contact us.
Badge details: Some requirements are automatically satisfied by the completion of other badges and awards. Badges are hyperlinked for easy navigation.
Logical groupings: Cub badges are grouped by activity area, Scout badges are grouped by achievement level.Scout badges are grouped by Programme area.Scout badges are grouped by Programme area.Badges and awards are grouped into logical collections that help the youth see what they might want to tackle next.Guide badges are grouped by Program Area and by theme. The youth's progress is clearly shown beside all badges.
Event details: Events can have one or more labels (camps, hikes, environmental projects, meetings, etc.) that can automatically identify whether certain badge requirements may be impacted. After the event, you just need to record which youths attended, and click a "Give Credit" button to update all the participants' badge records.
Helpful workflow: Youths can mark requirements as "ready to test". Leaders can access this information in a report before or during a meeting.
Program planning: Leaders can access reports showing overall completion on any particular badge or award. The report is linked so that clicking on any point selects the current badge and youth.
Administration: Section details, youths and logins are easily administered by one or more leaders. Logins can be defined as leader logins (can update all youths' records) or parent/youth logins (can view only specific youths' records).
Mobile Friendly: Scout-badges.com has been designed from day one to run on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Even though it's a web application, it looks and feels like a native app. It even works off-line!
What is Scout-Badges.com?
Scout-Badges.com is the easiest way to do Scouts Canada badge and event tracking.
Scout-Badges.com was built by a Scouter who was "feeling the pain", and was designed to simplify the process of planning and running a quality program, and then sharing the progress with youths and parents. The issues associated with running a program are the same whether you're in Scouting or Guiding.
Records are kept on a remote server in the cloud, and are available through an intuitive interface that runs in just about any browser (IE 9+, Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Opera).
Badges & Awards
Scout-Badges.com always has the latest versions of the badges and awards. Individual sections can also add or customize badges.
Badge and Award requirements are automatically calculated and updated. So requirements that depend on other badges being earned are always accurate. The percentage complete for each badge is shown, so that youths can see in a flash which badges they are close to completing, and which need more work.
Section reports make program planning easier, because you can quickly see which youths are missing what requirements for any particular badge.
Events & Activities
Scout-Badges.com lets you record events such as camps, hikes, and community service. Each of these events can be tagged with attributes to help identify badge requirement completion (e.g., 2 nights of summer camping).
Attendance at events can be used to quickly mark requirements as complete for all youths who participated in the event.
Multi-User
Being "in the cloud" means that all the people who need access to the records can have access. Leaders can see (and update) all their youths' records, whereas youths and their parents can see (but not update) just their own records.
Leaders, youths and parents can now know exactly where they stand, at any time.
Mobile Access
Scout-Badges.com works on your mobile device, and supports off-line access.
This means you can bring your laptop, smartphone or tablet to a meeting or a camp, update records, and when you next have internet access, all your updates will be automatically synchronized with the remote database.
Secure
All data is backed up nightly to a geographically and network remote server.Inexpensive
The Handbook and Personal Account are free, and an account for your entire section only costs $39.95 per year. A Section Account includes as many logins as you need for all your leaders, youths and parents.
The cost of scout-badges.com is much, much less than asking every leader and every youth to buy their own Handbook.
