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This section covers the things you should know about when using TroopManager Plus for
the first time.
Sequence Matters for Efficiency
While you are free to enter data in any order, you will find that the product makes you
more efficient if you enter your initial set of data in the following order.
- Troop Information. Enter the troop
number, program level and grade level at a minimum. This information is used elsewhere
during data entry and reporting so entering it now will save you time later. If your troop
uses patrols, enter them at this time.
- Scout Information. Use the Quick Data
Sheet feature on the Scout Information form (or the Quick First Time feature
on the Troop Information form) to enter basic information about your scouts. Start by
entering at least the first and last names. The rest can wait, unless you have most of the
information already handy and want to enter it right away. Most of the additional
information is not used by the rest of the product, but will make some reports more
useful.
Special Note about Addresses: Often times you will have several scouts
from the same family, plus several adult records for the same address and phone number.
You need to enter this information only ONCE -- then use the Copy
Address & Phone feature.
- Adult Information. Same advice as above for
scouts -- use the Quick Data Sheet feature to quickly record the adult first and
last names at a minimum. As an alternative, you can use the Assign Parents
feature of the Scout Information form, which makes it easy to add new adults and assign
them to a scout while in the process of entering scouts. Use whichever technique works
best for you.
- Meetings. Use the Automatic
Schedule feature to quickly generate a list of meeting dates based on how frequently
your troop meets.
- Events and Trips. If you have upcoming
events or trips, you can enter them now and make some reports more useful. Permission
Slips are a particularly popular feature with troop leaders. Be sure to examine the Permission
Slip Standard Form found in the Troop Information form
and make any changes required or desired for your troop.
- You now have the basics necessary for getting started with TroopManager Plus. From here
you may decide to forge ahead with doing data entry in support of Scout History and Adult History. This involves preparing ahead of time
by entering the skills, training and certifications you think
you will need. See upcoming section in this page for details.
Backup Your Data!
Typically, new users spend a lot of time doing basic data entry when first getting
started with this product. There are many scouts and adults to enter, with addresses and
phone numbers and so on. Don't make this substantial investment only to loose it due to a
computer malfunction or hardware problem! Be sure you understand
how to make backup copies of your database before investing many
hours of your time.
Things to Avoid the First Time
Don't be tempted to spend hour after hour entering scout and adult history items. You
need to gain some experience using the product efficiently before you put your head down
and crank away. You also need to spend time establishing skills, training and
certifications, and badges/patches before the history features can be put to good use. If
you jump in without enough advance planning you will find that you bounce back and forth
alot, for example, creating a new event or skill in one form then trying to use it in
another. You'll end up with inconsistent wording, and you'll wish you hadn't done this.
Instead, think about the skills, training and certifications
that you'll probably need and enter all of them at one time. You can decide about jargon
and abbreviations and end up with a concise, consistent list. Think about all the
different events and trips that have occurred and will occur again. Then come up with a
way to describe them that groups similar things together.
On the other hand, what the heck! Dive in and see what happens. There's no
wrong way to use TroopManager Plus and if you like to learn by doing and discover things
as you go along, go ahead and do it your way.
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