MLK Camp

Buddy System

​All Scouts should adhere to the buddy system throughout the camp. Scouting’s buddy system calls for Scouts to pair up with a friend or two for all activities. This helps ensure safety and accountability and teaches Scouts to have responsibility for others. No Scout should ever be found wandering through camp alone. It can be difficult to implement the buddy system when a Scout does not schedule classes with fellow members of their troop. Troop leaders are encouraged to pair Scouts in classes as much as possible. If this is not feasible, the Scout should walk with other Scouts in the class to the location of the merit badge class. Due to the number of Scouts and the short amount of time between classes, this should be a relatively simple exercise.

Prerequisites, Requirements Not Covered and Partials

​Attending a merit badge class does not guarantee that a Scout will complete the merit badge, but it is an opportunity for Scouts to meet with qualified counselors, to help them work on the requirements needed to complete a merit badge. The merit badge fair should not be considered another school where the pupils sit and stare for hours on end. Scouts should come prepared to participate. The counselor's job is to encourage self-discovery and then check that each Scout has the minimum knowledge and does the requirements. Scouts should be ready to take notes and come prepared with notetaking materials and writing utensils. Remember one goal of the merit badge advancement system is to develop individual growth and initiative. 

Prerequisites: All Scouts are to read the merit badge pamphlet prior to the Merit Badge Fair. Merit Badge pamplets are available online. Scouts are to be prepared to answer the questions to each of the requirements before the merit badge fair; Scouts can complete the worksheets available at http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/worksheets/list.asp to help them prepare. Some merit badges require prerequisites that must be completed before the merit badge fair.

Merit Badge Worksheets

Requirements not covered: Some of the requirements cannot be completed during the class. The Scout should bring documentation of requirements not covered. Scouts are encouraged to complete requirements not covered before the merit badge fair and bring proof of completion; otherwise, the Scout will receive a partial.

Partials: If the Scout does not complete the requirements not covered and bring documentation to the class, the Scout will receive a partial completion of the merit badge. The partial completion will be noted on the advancement report. Scouts will need to complete the badge with a registered merit badge counselor approved for that particular badge with their unit. Merit badge counselors are not usually available to serve as a counselor after the event unless arrangements are made with the counselor. Find a list of merit badge counselors by logging into http://scoutbook.scouting.org with your my.scouting userID and password, click on My Dashboard, Administration, your unit and scroll down the page. Remember that a youth member must not meet one-on-one with an adult. Sessions with counselors must take place where others can view the interaction, or the Scout must have a buddy: a friend, parent, guardian, brother, sister, or other relatives—or better yet, another Scout working on the same badge.  

Merit Badge Completions 

A few weeks after the event, all of the completed requirements will be posted in BlackPug, the registration system. The Scoutmaster, committee chair, or registrant contact (i.e., person who registered the unit for the event) can log in to BlackPug and view the reports.

How to Pull Advancement Reports

• Go to https://scoutingevent.com/000/Login/ 
• Click on profile name (top right)
• Click on View Activity (tabs: Summer Camp & Activities or Year-Round Camping)
• Select the activity
• Click on Reports Tab (provide these reports to the unit advancement chair)
  ⇒ Unit Advancement Summary: summarizes all advancements completed at camp  (e.g., merit badges, rank advancements)
  ⇒ Unit Advancement Detail: list of all advancements completed at camp in a grid  (one page per Scout)
  ⇒ Scoutbook Export: is a report of all merit badge completions that can be uploaded into Scoutbook.  Note: rank advancements have to be entered manually. This report exports merit badge data in Scoutbook format using Scoutbook's "advancement.csv" template. Chrome Users - an extension is available that allows direct import of this data into Scoutbook. This extension can be obtained here: Feature Assistant Extension for Scoutbook. Firefox Users - a similar extension for Firefox can be obtained here: Feature Assistant - Scoutbook. A document describing the upload process can be found here: Importing Data from Black Pug Software
• Video: How to view Reports  

Helpful Registration Videos

• My Account Basics
• How to use the Auto Fill feature (council-provided roster)
• Using personal roster
• How to register for an event - Starting a Registration
• How to register for an event - Completing a Registration
• How to register for a merit badge class
• Reports

Reports

A variety of reports are available:

• Go to scoutingevent.com/000/Login
• Click on profile name (top right)
• Click on View Activity (tab: Summer Camp & Activities)
• Select the activity
• Click on Reports Tab

Parent Portal:  How to give parents access to make payments and change class schedule (ideal for long-term camps like summer camp)

The Parent Portal is a customizable feature that allows unit leaders to provide parents with limited, secure access to their child's event registration. This enables parents to view event details, make payments, add participant information, and select classes or activities for their specific Scout(s), such as merit badge classes at summer camp. The unit leader determines the specific permissions parents have within the portal, such as whether they can make payments or only view information.

• Go to https://scoutingevent.com/000/Login/ 
• Click on profile name (top right)
• Click on View Activity (tabs: Summer Camp & Activities or Year Round Camping)
• Select the activity
• Click on Participants Tab
• Click on View Registration
• Under first Registration Contact, select Additional Action
• Click on Parent Portal - Follow Instructions
• Video: Parent Portal - Unit Leader Guide
• Video: Parent Portal - Parent Guide
• Video: Parent Portal - Enable Parent Portal