It’s super important that you update your unit BeAScout.org pin! It’s how parents easily find and join your unit.
A BeAScout.org pin can be updated by a “Key 3” leader of your pack or troop (or a “Key 3 Delegate”), by logging in to your My.Scouting.Org account and updating both the “BeAScout” setting and the “Organization Manager” for your unit. The Key 3 leaders are Cubmaster/Scoutmaster, Chair, and Chartered Organization Representative – any of them can appoint up to 3 “Key 3 Delegates” from other registered leaders every year.
To update, make these changes:
- In My.Scouting.Org, click “Menu”, click on your Unit (e.g., Pack 1234) and in the drop-down menu, click “Organization Manager”.
- There, on the left-hand side, will be two options: “Settings” and “Unit Pin”.
- Select “Unit Pin” For a visual, see https://www.scouting.org/resources/online-registration/, about how to update the Unit Pin.
- Under “Unit Information”, the first setting is “Pin Mode”: choose “Allow Units to Update Pin Information”.
- That should already be selected.
- If not, switch from “Only Allow the Council to Update” to “Allow Units to Update”.
- If you cannot make that switch, contact the Program Center at 770.956.5694.
- Right below that, select the checkmark to the right of “Appear on BeAScout”.
- And below that, select the checkmark to the right of “Allow People to Apply Online”.
- Then, update “Contact Information” as needed: there is an “edit” button that will open up a pop-up window reading “Update Contact Information.”
- You can change contact information by clicking the name in “Contact Person”, which will create a “drop-down list” of all registered adult leaders.
- Pick the one most likely to respond quickly.
- In the box under “Unit Website”, enter the URL for any website that your unit uses to interface with the community, where anyone could seek more information.
- To provide a brief bit of highlight, enter in the box below “Additional Unit Information” some detail about your Unit that will help families decide if they have an interest in your Unit. You might note when and where you plan to meet or highlight something about your program, like camping, hiking, biking, or having a year-round activity calendar. See examples in the document attached below called “BeAScout and Online Registration Text Options – Tailor to Your Unit”.
- To the right, you will see a “Unit Pin Preview” showing what data will appear at BeAScout.org (but it may take up to 24 hours for your updates to migrate).
- That side will give you choices of “Fields to Display on Unit Pin”, where you would want to select the checkmark to the right of each of these (you might redact some of the contact detail if your Unit Website has contact options or you want to only respond to “BeAScout” emails of notices):
- Unit Meeting Address
- Contact Person’s Name
- Phone Number
- Contact Email
- Unit Website
- Additional Unit Information
- Below both columns of “Unit Information” and “Unit Pin Preview”, you will find “Unit Meeting Address”, where you should put the most common location of your meetings – the default entered is your Chartered Organization’s address, which may not be where you really meet.
- Save!
- Last step – and most important – click “Save” at the bottom of the page (scroll down to the bottom).
- Under “Unit Information”, the first setting is “Pin Mode”: choose “Allow Units to Update Pin Information”.
- Then scroll back up to be sure that at the top this note appears: “Successfully Update — Please allow up to 24 hours for changes to be reflected on BeAScout”.
Next Steps:
- Select “Settings”. Now, back to the left side, and select “Settings” (right above “Unit Pin”). Here you can complete the steps to make “Online Registration” effective.
- Your first option is “Membership Application Approval”, or who approves Adult Applications.
- Either just the Chartered Organization Representative or both the Chartered Organization Representative and the Committee Chair
- Next, “Types of Youth Applicants This Pack Accepts” – click the radio button that fits your Pack’s current plans:
- ‘Girl Only’, ‘Boys Only’ or ‘Both Boys and Girls’.
- You want to change this if the Pack’s circumstances change.
- Under that is “Email Settings”, where you can “Opt In” or “Opt Out” with respect to two types of Online Registration Emails: “Fee Emails” and “Online Registration Emails”:
- Fee Emails. The option is a “Fees” email, since Online Registration will collect the BSA Registration Fee for the rest of the year (whenever one joins).
- Select the checkmark to the left of “Include Fees/Fee Explanations”.
- You can enter the amount of your overall dues, and write an email with a short “welcome” message about dues, and how the amount of Registration Fee relates to that – like when the rest of dues and Scouting costs will be collected.
- In that email message, Units should include a hyperlink to their Website or other data about how they do Scouting
- Online Registration Emails (Welcome Email). Here you can generate your own “Welcome” email and link to your Website or other data about how you do Scouting, with key contact information and maybe exciting highlights about what’s coming.
- You would be wise to consider how this email will “mesh with” or “conflict with” emails that come from the National BSA in the online registration process (those are described at the bottom of this “Promote Your Unit” page).
- If your Pack does anything that is different than what is in the automatic National BSA messages, you will need to let new families know.
- See examples of both a “Fee Email” and a “Welcome” email in the document attached below called “BeAScout and Online Registration Text Options – Tailor to Your Unit”.
- Fee Emails. The option is a “Fees” email, since Online Registration will collect the BSA Registration Fee for the rest of the year (whenever one joins).
- Your first option is “Membership Application Approval”, or who approves Adult Applications.
- Save!
- Last step – and most important – click “Save” at the bottom of the page (you’ll have to scroll down to the bottom).
- A “Successfully Updated” pop up box should then appear.
Want More? Create Invitations That Link to On-Line Applications
In the “Invitation Manager” setting for your Pack on My.Scouting.Org, a Unit “Key 3” leader (or Key 3 Delegate, or anyone registered as a “New Member Coordinator”) can do the following:
- Create a URL Link for Applications and a QR Code for Applications – it’s right there when you log in (just copy and share – QR Codes on flyers, URL Links for Websites, emails, and more)
- Send an email link for an Application to a new “Lead” for your Unit
- When you meet someone at a “back to school” event, like a “meet and greet” or “open house”.
- Any time you hear about someone who “wants to join”.
- At Sign-Up Night: you can have a Unit “Key 3” leader (or Key 3 Delegate, or anyone registered as a “New Member Coordinator”) enter Name, Phone and Email of an adult and immediately send them a link to sign up – no paper needed!
