Internet Advancement

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The Daniel Webster Council is excited to offer Online Advancement to your unit. This method for recording advancements is easier and more efficient because you'll be entering the information yourself. This ensures that your unit's information will be correct as entered, and you can do it from your home or office, anytime that it's convenient for you. Use Internet Advancement for the following:

• Check current unit roster
• Add ranks, merit badges, and awards
• Update information on existing advancement (except the Eagle Scout rank)

System Availability & Notes

Internet Advancement was designed for Internet Explorer 5.5 or above.  Other browsers and operating systems other than Windows will not provide full functionality. Also, the system was designed for a minimum of 28.8 connection. If your connection is slower the system may time out.  Pop-up blockers should be turned off for all pages. It is a best practice to load the roster for each session in internet advancement, enter data, and submit to council.

The ScoutNET system will be unavailable every weekend from 12 AM EST on Saturday, until 10 PM EST on Sunday, for routine system maintenance. Internet Advancement will not be available during these times. You may work in Internet Advancement adding dates, but you may not load a roster or submit to council during these times. If you do the system will error and you may lose all data entered. 

How Internet Advancement Works

The Daniel Webster Council will provide each unit with a unit ID, and the unit will select and assign an adult to attend training and, after training, record most youth advancements from that unit. Information input on Ranks will be recorded based on program identification and can only be entered in the correct rank and date sequence. This unit ID is located on your unit roster, or can be secured from your district advancement committee, district executive, or the council service center.

Awards which can be entered through BSA Internet Advancement do not include nominated awards, such as those for meritorious action, the Eagle Scout rank, which involves a hand review, and awards which are controlled by other organizations, even if uniform wear is approved. 

There are also awards that require additional applications, such as special awards from the council, commemorative awards for 2010, and unique awards such as the 50 Miler, Historic Trails, Leave No Trace Award etc. These awards will need the additional application attached, and the ability to enter them may not yet exist on the Internet Advancement system.

Training on Internet Advancement

Each district, at roundtable, will feature orientation on Internet Advancement. Each unit must select an adult to be its advancement processor, and this adult should attend the training.

Then district roundtables will periodically feature Internet Advancement orientation training.  After each unit selects an adult to be the unit's advancement processor, the adult should attend the next available training.  Anyone who wants to learn more about Internet Advancement can review the help information through the link above.

If you have completed training and wish to review the PowerPoint, you may download the Internet Advancement Training.

When Questions Arise

There is a Frequently Asked Questions link on the Internet Advancement site and these should be reviewed as your first line of inquiry. There is also an extensive help guide, accessible through the link above.

If you have other questions or comments, contact the Daniel Webster Council service center and we'll be glad to help.

Using Internet Advancement

• Select the unit advancement processor. This person must have Internet connectivity and be able to utilize the MS Internet Explorer browser.
• Obtain a unit ID code from the council.
• The unit advancement processor attends the internet advancement training session.
• Gather the needed information for entry of advancement, including unit member merit badge applications and advancement records with dates.
• Click the Internet Advancement link on this page. Follow the instructions in Internet Advancement to process advancements and print an advancement report.
• Have the appropriate people sign the printed unit advancement report and submit it to the council service center / Manchester Scout Store. This may now be submitted by FAX at (603) 622-5071 or scanned into email and sent to the Manchester Scout Shop. Merit Badge Blue cards no longer need to be sent to the service center or store.
• Save a paper copy for your files.
• Units should submit monthly, before the last Council Business day of each month, or more often if needed. In December, units should submit a report before the end of the month to update your unit information.  This will also aid the council's efforts for accurate end of year information.

Reports Available Via BSA Internet Advancement

Unit Roster:  Your local unit advancement processor will be able to print a unit roster at any time. This unit roster will contain the most current information from ScoutNET, including the membership ID for each adult and youth member.

Unit Advancement Summary: Indicates the ranks, merit badges, and awards saved in each individual record for the current unit members.

Advancement Report: Listing of each youth member that has new ranks, merit badges, and awards, if any. This is your official unit Advancement Report that is to be signed and submitted to the council service center. 

Unit Awards Summary: Listing of the number of new ranks, awards and merit badges by name; this makes for a convenient shopping list.

Advancement Update Summary: Listing of any ranks, merit badges, and awards that were already in the member record and were updated online.

Recent Internet Advancement Enhancements (May 2011):

• Youth Protection Training (YPT) completed date − The last YPT completed date from the person record, if any, is displayed on the Unit Roster report. The course code is included based on the unit program type.
• View Previous Advancement Reports − This new feature provides access to the List of Reports Submitted for the unit. No longer will a unit have only one opportunity to get the advancement report online or be required to contact the council to obtain a prior report that was submitted.
• Academic and Sports Belt Loops − Cub Scout packs may enter and submit the dates on which Belt Loops have been earned by pack members. This feature is available by Multiple Person Entry and individual entry.
• Tiger Cub rank − Cub Scout packs may enter completion of the Tiger Cub rank for members who earned the award as a Tiger Cub but did not have it entered in their records.

Ready to Start? 
Click here to begin Internet Advancement>>>