Advancement FAQ

The role of the unit advancement chairman may be found in the "Guide to Advancement." The section you want is 3.0.0.3 "Unit Advancement Responsibilities." Minsi Trails Council also has a Pack and Troop advancement training presentation which is offered yearly at the University of Scouting. You may also contact your District Pack or Troop Advancement Chair to work with your unit.

Unit Advancement Chairs should be registered as Unit Committee Members.

Yes, any adult can be the Unit Advancement Chair, except those registered as Cubmaster or Assistant, Scoutmaster or Assistant, Crew Advisor or Assistant and Skipper or Assistant.

The same training that’s required for all Committee Members, which can be found at https://my.scouting.org/ and then going to ScoutingU.

It is strongly recommended that Units use Scoutbook, available at https://www.scoutbook.com

They are both tools to add advancement information into the same Scoutbook database. Scoutbook has more functionality than Internet Advancement. Scoutbook is preferred, but Internet Advancement is available for units that don’t use Scoutbook. Anything that is approved in Internet Advancement can instantly be seen in Scoutbook and vice versa. If you are using Scoutbook you do not need to and should not use Internet Advancement.

At https://www.scoutbook.com click on "More Scoutbook and Internet Advancement help is here" and "Login help is here." Also, training classes are offered at University of Scouting.

Ranks are required to be entered for ALL programs. Adventures (required and elective), Pins, Belt Loops are strongly recommended for Cub Scouting. Merit Badges are required to be entered for Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts. This is so each scout can have an accurate scouting history on record as they move through the advancement ranks.

Yes. Print the Advancement Report from Scoutbook and include 3 signatures (see bullet below).

For Packs – the Pack Advancement Chair, is the only one that needs to sign Advancement reports. 

For a Troop, Crew or Ship – the report must be signed by at least 3 registered committee members who conducted the Board or Review. The other two committee members may sign the report, if available when the report is completed. Otherwise, the names of the other two committee members on the Board of Review should be printed on the report. 

Then you can either bring it to the Scout Shop when you come in to make your purchases, or you can mail in your signed report, or you can scan and email your signed report to minsitrailsscoutshop@scouting.org.

One copy. This is the Advancement Page not the Purchase Order page.

Yes! You can email your Purchase Order page to minsitrailsscoutshop@scouting.org and ask them to collect your items for you so they will be ready when you come in. But remember to also send in your Advancement Report.

Although the online advancement reporting system is greatly preferred, the Council will accept this form and enter the information for you into the online system: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34403.pdf

Using the Scoutbook app, on your handheld device, your Pack/Troop authorized Scoutbook users are able to enter requirements as Scouts earn at Pack/Troop meetings/campouts and activities. It is advised to enter Advancements every month to stay current. At year end, advancements must be entered online by December 31 for them to be counted for that year. If you are using the pre-printed forms (not printed from Scoutbook), you need to turn them into the Council office by December 20 because additional time is needed for these to be entered into the database.

The BSA has several PowerPoint presentations available under the title of "Advancement Educational Presentations".Particularly helpful for the Cub Scout Program is “Cub Scout Advancement: Delivering Adventure” and for Troops "Effective Troop Advancement."