Getting Started Is Getting Easier
We just added a new feature that will help your trooop get started using TroopWebHost.
But first I'd like to thank the following troops for subscribing to our service in the past month.
- Troop 87 of Nashville, Tennessee
- Troop 125 of Commack, New York
- Troop 218 of Iowa City, Iowa
- Troop 226 of Highland, California
- Troop 309 of Wyckoff, New Jersey
- Troop 314 of Platte Woods, Missouri
- Troop 660 of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Here are some suggestions for those of you just starting to use your new web site.
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Edit Your Home Page
When your site was configured, your home page contained our instructions on how to get started.
This is only meant to be temporary.
As soon as you have read through this page, you should replace it with information about your troop.
Once you log on to your site as the site administrator, you should see an Edit button at the bottom of the page. Click on this button to start replacing the text and adding photos from your troop.
The instructions at the top of the page in red tell you what to do.
- Click on any existing text or photo to modify it or remove it.
- Click on one of the four icons to add headings, text, lists, or photos in that part of the page.
You can only upload JPG and GIF images to the site. You can make the uploads go faster if you resize and compress your photos first.
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Add Your Scouts
The next step is to get other leaders of your troop set up as users, so they can help you enter information into the database.
While you could simply create a User ID for each of them, a better way is to enter their sons' scout registration information.
To do this, go to Troop --> New Scout Registration.
This form collects information about a scout and his parent, and will cause the system to create User IDs and Passwords for each of them.
If you already have your troop membership entered into TroopMaster, you can export it to a file that can be uploaded into BSA Web Host. That function is available from the Administration menu.
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Send User IDs to Troop Members
We just added a function that lets you broadcast an e-mail to the troop telling each member what their User ID and Password is, with instructions on how to use the site.
Select Administration --> Send User IDs & Passwords.
This function is similar to the function used by the troop treasurer to e-mail everyone their account balance.
It allows you to compose an e-mail message that will be inserted below a system generated message that provides the recipient with their logon information.
The system sends out two separate messages to each recipient: the first contains their User ID and the second their Password.
Your message will be appended to both e-mails.
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Get Other Leaders Involved
Now that they can log on to the site, let the other leaders of your troop help you get the site running.
First you'll need to go into the Administration --> User and Passwords function and give your leaders the necessary permissions to do what they need to do.
For example, your troop treasurer should have the Treasurer role. Your advancement chair should have the Rank Advancement role, and so on.
At your next troop committee meeting, decide who is going to be responsible for each of the following areas:
- Scout registration and troop membership
- Rank advancement (including merit badges and other awards)
- Troop calendar
- Photos and summaries from past events
- Financial accounts
- Troop library materials
- Camping equipment inventory
When all of your scouts have been entered into the system, you can broadcast another e-mail to send each member their User ID and password as described above.
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Good luck!
John Corning
TroopWebHost
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