Newsletter: January 2018

Scouts Online Training Event Setup
Scouts Online OSM Integration
Training Completed Form

Dear fellow Scouter,

I hope you've had a great Christmas.

I'd like to share some of the new website feature and news from Scouts Online. As ever, most of the new features have been suggested by you and other Scouts Online website users. If you've got a good website idea, that could also benefit other Groups, Districts or Counties, please contact me.

Thank you for continuing to partner with Scouts Online. It's great to work with you. Have a great 2018.

Yours in Scouting,

Chris

Help Grow the Community

I would appreciate your help to spread the word and recommend Scouts Online to your neighbouring Groups, your DC, other Districts and your County.

It would really help, if you could add a link to www.ScoutsOnline.co.uk on your next District/County newsletter or mention Scouts Online to your Scouting friends. You could also follow the Scouts Online Facebook Page and Like/Share any posts of interest.

Scouts Online builds websites for Scout Groups, Districts, Counties/Regions and Campsites. Group websites now include OSM integration.

The more websites we supply, the more the platform will evolve to the benefit of us all.

Thank you for your help in anticipation.

All Websites News
Manage Event Bookings
Event Bookings

You can now limit the number of people attending your events by offering online bookings.

A list of attendees will be stored on the event and booking emails sent to the event organiser and the attendee.

Applies to Group Package 3 and District/County Package 2 websites
Standard Content Update
Home Page Text Update

One of the advantages of Scouts Online's default content is that it can be controlled centrally, but overridden locally.

The Scout Association recently announced that membership had increased to 620,000, so the home page has been updated.

Also, as the Scout Association has renamed the Chairman/Chairperson roles to "... Chair", the Scouts Online roles list, Meet The Team and directory pages have been updated to reflect this.

Applies to all websites
Username / Email Address Change

Site Admin users can now change a user's email address in Admin/User Management. This is useful when a leader changes their broadband or email provider and wants to use their new email address on your website.

Applies to Group Package 2 & 3 websites and all District/County websites
Group Website News
Online Scout Manager Integration

OSM is a third-party product which helps Scout Groups manage their sections, programme, members, badges, communication with parents, invoicing and more.

If you already use OSM, your Scouts Online website can use the data stored inside OSM and in some cases add to it.

For more details of OSM Integration, click HERE.

Applies to Group Package 3 websites
OSM Programme/Event Import
OSM Programme Integration

Your sectional programmes and events added in OSM may be imported into your Scouts Online website and shown on your home page events list and sectional programme pages.

Applies to Group Package 3 websites
OSM Badge Progress Chart Display
OSM Badge Progress

There are new pages available to show a badge progress chart for your Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts. The data in the table is pulled from OSM in real-time.

A privacy field in the OSM Integration Settings defines which website viewers can see member surnames.

You can add these pages to your website in Admin/Page Management.

Applies to Group Package 3 websites
What's On Calendar Page
Group What's On Calendar

There is a new all-events calendar page available on the About menu. This shows events from all your sections.

You can add the page to your website in Admin/Page Management.

Applies to Group Package 3 websites
Application Forms to OSM Waiting List
OSM Programme Integration

It's now possible for your website Youth and Adult application forms to automatically create a new member in your OSM Waiting List section.

This removes the need for re-keying and increases the quality and quantity of your waiting list member records.

Applies to Group Package 3 websites
OSM Patrol Competition Points Table
OSM Patrol Points

You may now show your patrol competition points league table on your website, using data coming directly from OSM.

You can add these pages to your website in Admin/Page Management.

Applies to Group Package 3 websites
OSM Member Flexi-Record Tables
OSM FlexiRecord

There is a new control, available on sectional user-defined 'Page' pages, allowing you to display a specific OSM flexi-record on your website.

Applies to Group Package 3 websites
District & County Website News
AAC Management
AAD Process

An Adult Appointments information page has been added to the Members menu, similar to above. This page includes:

  • Adult Appointment Process information
  • Review Process information
  • AAC Interview Diary + Online Bookings
  • AAC Members List
  • Online Form and Document Links
  • Information Links
  • Website Links
  • Contact Form

You can now setup AAC Interview 'Events' and advertise them on your Adult Appointments page for prospective leaders to book online.

Applies to District/County Package 2 Websites

Updated Training Modules
Adult Training Modules

The event adult training modules have been updated in line with Scout Association changes.

Applies to District/County Package 2 Websites
New Activity & Training Forms
Formatted Forms

Some new forms have been added for adult support, as follows:

These have been put together using a mix of standard Scout Association formats and forms/fields suggested by fellow Scouters.

Links to these forms have been added to the default links on the Members/Adult Resources and Adult Training pages, as appropriate. If you have overridden your form links, just add these links above exchanging the DistrictDemo.ScoutsOnline.co.uk with your own domain or sub-domain - Or contact us.

Applies to District/County Package 2 Websites
Adult Roles

The following Adult Roles have been added to User Management:

  • County Training Administrator
  • County Trainer
  • District Training Administrator
  • District Trainer
  • County Appointments Chair
  • County Appointments Secretary
  • County Appointments Committee Member
  • District Appointments Chair
  • District Appointments Secretary
  • District Appointments Committee Member
Applies to all Websites
Coming Soon
SSL Security Certificate

When a SSL certificate is applied to a website, the visitor's browser displays a padlock symbol to indicate that the data passed between the browser and website is encrypted.

The price of SSL certificates has traditionally been a barrier to local Scouting, but we will be investigating a SSL certificate solution that is either free or low cost to you.

What Else?

If you have a good idea for an enhancement, please use THIS FORM to describe what you'd like to see and the benefits it brings.

Follow @ScoutsOnlineWebsites On Facebook

You can keep up to date with Scouts Online news by following the Scouts Online Facebook page HERE.