1. Introduction to Blue Card Manager
Scout Management Software LLC

2. Scout Management Software LLC
Introduction
This course sequence for this training will cover the following:
Blue Card Manager for Windows Desktop
Blue Card Manager for Windows Tablets
Introduce yourself
Explain how Blue Card Manager is to be used in your council or event and why learning how to use Blue Card Manager is a benefit to the audience

3. Purpose of Blue Card Manager
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Purpose of Blue Card Manager
Blue Card Manager is designed to improve the experience of merit badge counselors teaching merit badges in large groups
Reduces time counselors spend on paperwork
Prints typed blue cards much faster than writing by hand, and with fewer errors
Generate reports of merit badge progress for event organizers
Quickly generate summary reports for scout units after the event

4. Part 1: Using Blue Card Manager for Windows Desktop
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Part 1: Using Blue Card Manager for Windows Desktop

5. Training Outline Lesson 1: Terminology and Introduction
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Training Outline
Lesson 1: Terminology and Introduction
Basic terminology used in Blue Card Manager and an overview of the program
Lesson 2: Recording Scout Information for Your Merit Badge Classes
Learn how to track scout progress and attendance for your classes
Lesson 3: Printing Blue Cards
Learn how to print blue cards from the program
Lesson 4: Report Generation and Export
Learn how to generate Excel and CSV Reports
Explain what is being covered in the Desktop section of the training course

6. Lesson 1: Objectives Learn Blue Card Manager’s user interface
Scout Management Software LLC
Lesson 1: Objectives
Learn Blue Card Manager’s user interface
Learn and understand the basic file types used by Blue Card Manager
Learn and understand the basic operation of Blue Card Manager

7. File Types Used Merit Badge Template File Mastersheet File
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File Types Used
Merit Badge Template File
File Extension: .mbt
Used to store merit badge requirements for creating Mastersheet files
Mastersheet File
File Extension: .msf
Primary file type used by Blue Card Manager
Used to store scout information and requirements completed
Divided into pages, each page is used for one merit badge class

8. Introduction to the Blue Card Manager Interface
Scout Management Software LLC
Introduction to the Blue Card Manager Interface
Create/Edit Merit Badge Templates
Application Menu
Generate Reports
Merit Badge Name
Blue Card Manager uses a Ribbon interface similar to Microsoft Office. If you have used MS Office after 2007 you should be familiar with this type of interface.
Under the Application Menu you can
Create a New Mastersheet
Open a Mastersheet
Import Scouts Information from a CSV file
Export the Mastersheet to Excel
Mastersheet and Blue Card Printing
Generate Compiled Reports
A compiled report is a report that contains data from multiple Mastersheet files
This is useful to compile records from multiple merit badges into a single Excel workbook rather than Exporting a workbook for each merit badge
Title of Page
Add Scout
to Mastersheet
Current Page Number
Print Mastersheet
Next/Previous Page
Print Blue Cards

9. Scout Management Software LLC
Lesson 1: Wrap-up
Blue Card Manager is used to reduce time spent on paperwork by merit badge counselors at large scouting events
Blue Card Manager primarily uses 2 file types, the merit badge template file and the Mastersheet file
Take this time to answer any questions

10. Lesson 2: Objectives Learn how to create a Mastersheet
Scout Management Software LLC
Lesson 2: Objectives
Learn how to create a Mastersheet
Learn how to add scouts to the Mastersheet
Learn how to track scout progress in your classes
Learn how to track attendance in your classes

11. Create a Merit Badge Template
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Create a Merit Badge Template
In order to create a Mastersheet, you must first create a Merit Badge Template
This template can then be reused to create other Mastersheets for the same merit badge
Instructions
Navigate to the MB Templates tab and click New
Add requirements and select a Merit Badge
Click Save
Name the file

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Create a Mastersheet
A Mastersheet is used to scout information, attendance, and requirements completed
Instructions
Navigate to the Application Menu
Click New Mastersheet.
Find a Merit badge Template you created earlier
Click Open
Save the Mastersheet

13. Add an Individual Scout to the Mastersheet
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Add an Individual Scout to the Mastersheet
Click Add Scout
Enter Information
All fields are optional except for Scout Name
Fields correspond to fields on a BSA merit badge application form
Both scout name and troop # are required to upload records to web portal
Click OK

14. Check Off Requirements
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Check Off Requirements
There are 3 different ways to check off requirements in Blue Card Manager:
Check off a requirement by clicking the check box under the column of the requirement
Check off a requirement for all scouts on the page by double clicking the requirement
Mark off all requirements for a scout by right clicking, and select “Mark As Complete”
The tooltip of a checked requirement box shows the date the requirement was marked as complete
Scout line turns green when all requirements are completed

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Take Attendance
Day label
At many camps, class attendance is tracked to let unit leaders know their scouts are going to the classes they are supposed to. Blue Card Manager can handle track this too.
Click Attendance on the Home ribbon
Check the check box for the current day attended next to each scout
Double clicking the day label above each column will check the boxes for that day for every scout listed in that column

16. Lesson 2: Wrap-up Summarize the lesson and take any questions
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Lesson 2: Wrap-up
Summarize the lesson and take any questions

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Lesson 3: Objectives
Learn how to Print Blue Cards on cardstock and official BSA stock
It is recommended to have Blue Card Manager running in the background for this lesson, so you quickly switch to Blue Card Manager and demonstrate the printing steps if needed

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Printing Blue Cards
Blue Card Manager can print blue cards one of two ways:
On Official BSA Blue Cards
On generic cardstock found at any office supply store
The fastest way to mass print blue cards is on generic cardstock
The cardstock option prints prefilled duplicates of the official BSA Merit Badge Application Form #34124
Make sure your printer is configured for duplexing if you are using cardstock

19. Printing Blue Cards on Official BSA Stock
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Printing Blue Cards on Official BSA Stock
BSA Stock Printing Instructions
On the Home ribbon, under the Printing heading click “Blue Cards”
Select “Official BSA Stock” from the dropdown
Select a counselor to be printed on the blue cards from the dropdown in the lower left
Feed the blue card into the manual feed-slot with the barcode facing out
Click “Print Front”
Reinsert the blue card without changing its orientation
Click “Print Back”
Click “Next Scout” and repeat Steps 4-7
Blue Card Manager can fill out standard BSA Blue Cards from nationals using the manual feed slot of the printer
This process uses the standard BSA Merit Badge Application Form #34124
This process is not as time efficient for printing blue cards for large groups. It is recommended to use cardstock for groups of more than 25 scouts.

20. Printing Blue Cards on 8.5” x 11” Cardstock
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Printing Blue Cards on 8.5” x 11” Cardstock
Advantages of Cardstock vs BSA stock
Faster print speed
75% cheaper vs. official stock:
$0.02 per card vs. $0.08 per card
Ability to print blue cards for up to 30 mastersheets at once
Printing on cardstock has several more print options than BSA stock
Cardstock Printing Starting Instructions
On the Home ribbon, under the Printing heading click “Blue Cards”
Select “Generic Cardstock” from the dropdown
Choose which group of scouts to print
Select a counselor to be printed on the blue cards
Click the Printer icon in the upper left to print

21. Scout Management Software LLC
Lesson 3: Wrap-up
Blue Card Manager can print blue cards much faster than filling out by hand
Printing blue cards on generic cardstock is cheaper than using official BSA forms
Make sure your printer is configured for duplexing if you are using cardstock
Summarize the lesson

22. Lesson 4: Objectives Learn about Blue Card Manager reports
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Lesson 4: Objectives
Learn about Blue Card Manager reports

23. Scout Management Software LLC
Reports
Blue Card Manager can generate several basic reports in either MS Excel .xlsx format or CSV
Not all reports are available in both formats
Available General Report Types
Mastersheet Export
Attendance (All Scouts)
Attendance (By Troop #)
Mastersheet Export (By Troop #)
Compiled Report Types
Area Report
Troop Progress Report
General Reports denoted as “By Troop #” export data for only the given Troop #
A Compiled Report is a report that contains data from multiple Mastersheet files
The Area Report is the same as a Mastersheet Export but contains multiple Mastersheets in a single file, with each Mastersheet on a different Sheet within the Workbook
The Troop Progress Report is the same as an Area Report, except only contains data for a single Troop

24. Summary of Desktop Training
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Summary of Desktop Training
Blue Card Manager can be used to increase the speed that Merit Badge paperwork such as requirement tracking and blue cards can be done
Reducing time on paperwork makes Merit Badge events more enjoyable for all involved
Blue Card Manager can be used to quickly generate summary reports after the event to distribute to scout units