(Under construction!)
A virtual event sponsored by Patriots’ Path Council Advancement Committee.
Zoom
The Merit Badge Introduction Workshop (MBIWS) will be held virtually using the Zoom platform.
- Both participants and faculty are encouraged to try the platform ahead of the workshop.
- Run only the browser and necessary other programs. (Such as Powerpoint or Adobe for presenters.)
SCOUTS
- Scouts are required to leave their video enabled during each class.
FACULTY
- Presenting and monitoring a class at the same time is tricky. Some ideas:
- Use two devices if at all possible….use one for presenting, and the other to monitor and interact with the class.
- This will let you know exactly how your presentation appears to others.
- NOTE: You will need to MUTE and TURN DOWN THE VOLUME ENTIRELY on one of the two devices to avoid painful audio feedback Muting the second devices alone is not enough…if you don’t turn down the volume, the audio from your second platform will get picked up by the first.
- Present and share a window instead of an entire screen. This will let you use another window to monitor and control the meeting.
- Here is a pointer how to present in a window in Powerpoint. (Note…this technique is not consistent with animations. Given that, you might find it simpler to print your ppt to pdf and present in Adobe Reader.)
- TRY IT FIRST! Do a practice round with a co-counselor or parent monitor. The hour will disappear quickly enough without time spent struggling with technology. If you have any animations or video, run through them to make sure they work over Zoom.
- Use two devices if at all possible….use one for presenting, and the other to monitor and interact with the class.
SCOUTBOOK
Scoutbook is the free and approved platform for approving merit badge advancement, providing a completely virtual alternative to the traditional paper blue cards. There are plenty of online resources to help scouts, parents, leaders, and counselors get connected on this platform. A unit does NOT have to adopt Scoutbook for all advancement in order to review and accept merit badge approvals for individual scouts and badges. However, the unit leaders do need to enroll the unit and in turn invite parents to create Scoutbook accounts and give their Scout access via the Scout’s email address. They also need to connect each enrolled scout to the lead counselor listed in the MBIWS Course Catalog.
- Scoutbook Tutorial for Parents
- For Parents: How I give my Scout access to his or her account.
- Getting a Unit started in Scoutbook
- Even if the Unit isn’t using Scoutbook, it is straightforward to establish Scout accounts and assign Merit Badge Counselors to them:
- Any of the Unit Key 3 (Committee Chair, Scoutmaster, or Chartered Organization Representative) can login to Scoutbook with their my.scouting.org credentials, go to “dashboard”, click on “Administration” if it is not yet expanded, and bottom right should be a list of one or more units. Click on the Troop.
- Click on an individual Scout, and add a connection to his or her parent. (Use their email address to find their existing my.scouting.org account, rather than creating a potential duplicate account.) Scroll down and click Invite. This will give the Scout’s parent the ability to set up their Scout’s account.
- Go back to the Scout entry and click “Advancement”. Add the specific Merit Badge, at which point an “add counselor” option will be offered. Look up the lead counselor listed in the MBIWS Course Catalog and invite them to connect to the Scout. You’re done!
- Even if the Unit isn’t using Scoutbook, it is straightforward to establish Scout accounts and assign Merit Badge Counselors to them:
- Scoutbook Merit Badge Counselor Guide and Unit Leader Instructions.
- For Unit Leaders: Merit Badge Counselor List FAQ
- Guidance for Merit Badge Counselors on Scoutbook
Still have questions? Contact Michael Merritt, MBIWS Volunteer Coordinator 973-568-7979 [email protected].