Process ranks and awards for packs, troops, teams, crews, ships, and posts

Units can now submit advancement for unit youth members online. Use Internet Advancement for the following:

Add ranks, merit badges, and awards
Update information on existing advancements (excepting the Eagle Scout rank)


FAQ's	Powerpoint Guide

Internet Advancement

Online Advancement entry is here! The Northwest Suburban Council is excited to announce that units can now use Internet Advancement to record their youth member advancements from any online location – at home or at the office. You will find this new method to be easy, convenient, and accurate because you enter the information. The link will go live on the Council Website on September 8, 2011.

Here's how it works:
Northwest Suburban Council has an Internet Advancement page on our Website (www.nwsc.org) with instructions and a link to this new functionality.

Internet Advancement makes it easy for unit leadership to record awards, ranks and merit badges to youth via an online process. This system is separate from Internet Rechartering, but uses a similar concept.

At any time during the year, the unit advancement processor from each active unit will be able to record advancements to youth member records. And, they'll also be able to print a unit roster at any time. The roster is the most current information from ScoutNET, and it will include the person ID for each adult and youth member.

Reports that are available from Internet Advancement are:

UNIT ADVANCEMENT SUMMARY showing ranks, merit badges, and awards saved in each person record for current members of the unit.
ADVANCEMENT REPORT lists each youth member that has new ranks, merit badges, and awards, if any. This is the official unit Advancement Report to be signed and submitted to the Council Office.
UNIT AWARDS SUMMARY lists the number of new ranks, merit badges, and awards by name as a shopping list.
ADVANCEMENT UPDATE SUMMARY lists any ranks, merit badges and awards that were already in the member record and were updated online.

The Council will provide each unit with a Unit ID Number and the unit will assign ONE ADULT to record advancement. The Council recommends that the Advancement Chairman of the unit be the processor. All Units will receive an envelope with instructions on Internet Advancement and the unit ID numbers at the September 2011 Roundtables. Ranks must be recorded based on program identification and in the correct rank and date sequence. Only the Eagle Scout Rank cannot be awarded by this process. Troop and Crew Leadership need to become familiar with the Eagle Rank process. The Council offers Life to Eagle Seminars twice a year to help them with the process. Awards to be entered will not include nominated awards, such as those for meritorious action, and awards that are controlled by other organizations, even if approved for uniform wear. BSA policies for rank advancements are enforced, so what the unit processors enter will meet these requirements or entry will not be allowed.

There will a link to the Internet Advancement help on the NWSC Website and a Frequently Asked Question link and these Helps should be reviewed by the Advancement Processor.

If you have questions or comments, contact the Northwest Suburban Council and speak to either Dee Ryan at 847-824-6886, your District Executive, or Paul Whittenhall at 847-824-6880 Ext 1001.

To use Internet Advancement:

Select the unit advancement processor. This person must have Internet connectivity and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Obtain a unit ID code from the council. The unit advancement processor attends an April roundtable, and can obtain the unit ID code there.
Gather information for advancement, including merit badge applications and advancement records with dates.
Click Internet Advancement on this page. Follow the instructions in Internet Advancement to process advancements and print an advancement report.
Have the appropriate people sign the printed unit advancement report and submit it to the council. Save a copy for your files.
Units should submit monthly before the end of each month, or more often if needed. In December, submit a report before the end of the month to update unit and council statistics.