As you know, Troop 2 is over 100 years old.
We’ve got a long oral and written history, and have numerous artifacts and
memorabilia items that help us mark the span of years, from old newsletters to
troop advancement records.
Over the past few years Troop 2 has moved into the digital
age. We first began with a free website over 10 years ago, which developed into
a content rich hosted website, with registered domain names assuring our
identity (www.troop2weymouth.com).
We moved further into digital media by adding a BLOG two years ago (http://www.troop2weymouth.blogspot.com),
and developing an online calendar and Gmail email group for updates. Our
newsletter and announcements have moved from a photocopied and printed model
with manual clipart to a digital presentation that can be distributed by hand,
email, deployment to the website, and posted on bulletin boards. We also have
leveraged social media, establishing a Facebook group “Troop 2 Past, Present
and Future” to connect with alumni and friends of our troop. Communications
have changed significantly as well – not only through the use of email – but
also through the use of cellular phones for updates and connectivity. An
example is a standard Valley Pines weekend trip. We used to be disconnected,
with no electricity or phone lines. We still don’t have electricity thankfully,
but we have an instant connection to emergency personnel or to parents via
cellular phones. These can be used for a “real time” update as well, where we
snap a photo, post it to the blog, and immediately share it with the troop.
Another area we’ve digitized is our memorabilia. In
preparation for our 100th anniversary we began scanning and
preparing photos from our collection for display. This has grown to over 8000
photos organized by subject and era. These photos are on display in digital
frames on the wall at the clubhouse, and when blown up to 8 x 10 show great
details of people and places. Going forward we’re planning to scan slides
from the 50’s through the 70’s, convert several reels of Super8 films from the
1960’s, and even digitize a cassette tape recorded by a scout in the early
1970’s at summer camp. Ron Parry can clearly be heard several times, along with
many other folks, which is amazing after all this time. We’re also beginning to
scan papers collected by Franklin Pratt, and we aim to scan all of the Scout
News newsletters, which span from the 1930’s to the early 1970’s.
Our most recent move forward has been in the area of
training and advancement. For many years BSA has offered online training and
advancement tools. Training formerly required attendance – you had to take a
class in a physical setting, perhaps watching a movie or a presentation.
Coursework might take a few hours, or a few days of classes. Now we have online
options via BSA that are self paced and can be done anytime, from anywhere.
This improves our training opportunities, and I am happy to report that our
Scoutmaster is at the halfway point in official BSA training for certification.
All of our Adult members have taken online Youth Protection courses, and many
have also taken specialized training in key areas such as Hazardous Weather or
Safety Afloat.
A few years ago we moved from a paper based reporting system
to an online reporting system, which assures that our records remain in sync
with the records at Old Colony Council and at the National Headquarters. For
2012 we participated in online re-chartering for the first time, registering
over 90 youth and adults in our program. We also began to review Troopmaster,
which is a content rich advancement and tracking tool. Beginning January 1 we
officially moved our records from the paper based recording model to an
electronic model, which included taking a real time update from Old Colony
Council of our advancement history. Once this was in place it was very easy to
see the benefits of this tool for analysis and reporting of our scout’s
progress.
Also, the use of a computerized solution for advancement
has become critical most recently due to changes in how the Eagle Scout process
is managed. Previous to Jan 2012 a candidate was required to file a paper
proposal for his Eagle Scout service project, which had to be reviewed in
person, and often required several revisions. Changes placed in effect this
year have moved to an email based model, where the candidate “files” his
project for review with the Eagle board at Old Colony Council, and then works
with a representative in a purely digital environment, trading emails and
updating the project proposal as they go along, ultimately receiving permission
to undertake the project, all in cyberspace.
An advantage of Troopmaster is the ease of reporting
progress. We can quickly print out a record of a scout’s achievements,
determine rank advancement and merit badge awards, leadership, and even
attendance records and other participation information. The software even
supports an identifying photo of the scout, which can be critical when we’re on
a trip. Our ongoing goal is to present a progress report similar to the ones
your son receives from his school so you can tune in to his advancement and
participate in his success, and to be able to provide you with a snapshot on
demand at any time so you can catch up if needed.
As you can see, we’re making great strides. Please stay
tuned to the BLOG for more updates as we move forward into the digital age!
