Advancement

August, 2017

In support of the ongoing effort to provide our youth with the safest and best quality programs possible, the Cradle of Liberty Council Advancement and Training Committees, comprised of volunteer leadership from throughout our council, have determined it is in the best interest of our youth to ensure that all Merit Badge Counselors in our council are fully trained for their position by January 1, 2019.

Those who are not fully trained by December 31, 2018, will not be re-registered in that position. At that time, all new Merit Badge Counselors will need to provide evidence of being fully trained before they can register and begin their service to Scouts.

Why the Change? As set by the national organization, Merit Badge Counselors had to have taken both Youth Protection Training and Merit Badge Counselor Orientation to be considered trained in their position. However, these individuals were not previously required by the Cradle of Liberty Council to be fully trained in their position.

In June of this year, Merit Badge Counselor Training became available for the first time online, through the learning center at www.my.scouting.org. This made the training much more accessible than the previous classroom in-person version.

The requirement to be trained in one’s position continues the Council’s efforts that started in 2011 to have all leaders fully trained. Until the online training became available, it was impractical to ask all Merit Badge Counselors to complete the Merit Badge Counselor Orientation since the course was only offered once each year in our council. With the accessibility of online training, it is now possible to require this training of all Merit Badge Counselors.
To assist in the implementation of this training requirement, the following page shares additional information on what is required to be fully trained as a Merit Badge Counselor, and how to obtain the needed training.

Please click here for the full memo from the chairs of the Council Training and Advancement & Recognition Committee.

The Cradle of Liberty Council Advancement Committee has determined that beginning June 1, 2016; it will be council policy to require the use of Internet Advancement for all units to report their scouts’ advancement. The benefits of BSA Internet Advancement reporting include:

• Provides straightforward and direct method of reporting.
• Helps in local council verification of Eagle Scout Rank Applications.
• Records ranks, badges, and awards in accordance with BSA advancement rules.
• Consolidates data files to reduce or eliminate record gaps when Scouts transfer to new units.
• Supports national data analysis for advancement statistics.
• Assures advancement is counted in the Journey to Excellence.
• You may print a unit roster at any time.

For a direct link, go to the Council Internet Advancement site. The supported browsers are Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10, and 11. Internet Advancement can be used in conjunction with several independent advancement programs and the newly provided BSA Scoutbook; or by direct entry of data into Internet Advancement. For those units needing assistance, please reference the Internet Advancement PowerPoint presentation for basic assistance and contact your district advancement committee or commissions staff if needed for additional guidance.

You can contact your District Executive to obtain the Unit ID used in Internet Advancement or contact Dianne Campman at 484-654-9214 or Diane.Campman@scouting.org.