Leon Valley District,
Longhorn Council,
Boy Scouts of America
Serving the Greater Fort Hood
Area
Rechartering Handbook
P 
C
1
|
Table of Contents
|
|
Council Commissioner Message
...
|
4
|
|
Suggested Timetable
..
...
|
5
|
|
Getting Started
.
.
|
6
|
|
Confidentiality Statement
.
|
7
|
|
Internet Recharter Instructions
.
|
8
|
|
Understanding Your Unit Charter Application
.
...
|
15
|
|
Appendix
|
|
Charter Application Checklist
.
.
|
21
|
|
Troubleshooting Tips
.
..
|
22
|
|
Glossary
.
.
..
|
24
|
|
Adult Position Codes
.
...
|
25
|
|
Using Unit Management Software
.
..
|
26
|
|
Insurance Information
.
.
|
27
|
|
Centennial Quality Unit Award
..
.
..
..
|
28
|
|
Where You Dollars
Go
.
LHC How To Recharter
On-Line
.
.
|
29
30
|
2
My Fellow Scout Leaders,
Welcome to renewing your
unit charter! We truly appreciate community organizations establishing a
charter with the BSA to conduct our programs for their families. It's time to
renew your unit's charter and the Leon Valley District Commissioner staff is
here to help you with the process.
You start with the
information currently in this handbook, your recharter packet and the Scout Service
Center (i.e. in Scoutnet
computer files). The official recharter process with Longhorn Council is
Internet Electronic Rechartering.
The Longhorn Council will
have an Internet Rechartering link on our Web site
(http://www.longhorncouncil.org/recharter/index.htm) with instructions and
tutorial. The unit receives its charter renewal packet as usual, only now the
packet includes information for Internet Rechartering. The system lets you
enter new members, renew current members, and update information for any
registrant, all from your own desktop and on your own time.
There will also be a link
to the Internet Rechartering tutorial and help on the Web site. All BSA
policies are enforced throughout the system, so what you enter is sure to meet
all the requirements.
Meet with your key leaders
early in the recharter period. You will have internet access starting 90 days
before your recharter month (i.e. January units can access internet Rechartering on November 1). Most units can do the bulk of
the process in one evening. However, you shouldn't put it off because there
could be stragglers, hard-to-get signatures, or other delays.
"Be Prepared!"
Robert
Kratzer
District Commissioner
YIS
3
Getting Started
Items you need to gather before you begin
Rechartering:
Internet Electronic Rechartering is the official
charter renewal process in Longhorn Council. You have the option of paper Rechartering with Longhorn Council information or you may
use your Unit Management Software. To see which software programs interface
with the Boy Scout Network (ScoutNet) please refer to the appendix section
entitled Unit Management Software in this handbook.
The Rechartering Handbook with your units access
code on the back page.
Set the units charter application meeting date and
follow suggested meeting preparation checklist in this booklet.
Your charter is
available three months before and two months after your units charter
expiration date as listed on your roster,
however, your charter should be turned in to Council by the 15th of the month in which your
charter expires. This allows your unit to qualify for the LHC Commissioners
Award.
Important-If
your charter expires; you are not eligible to earn advancement, or to
participate in events or activities that require you to be registered.
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
Important: You
are about to view information confidential to your unit and Boy Scouts of America.
You accept the responsibility of maintaining the confidentiality of this
information only with individuals in your unit or the Boy Scouts of America
on a need to know basis.
You agree that this information will not be
distributed or shared outside of the Boy Scouts of America.
4
Suggested
Unit Charter Application Meeting
Meeting Preparation: Items always needed to
recharter (or at least highly recommended for Rechartering).
Set
a date to meet early in your recharter cycle that is convenient for your
recharter team.
Suggested attendance: Unit Commissioner, person
preparing the charter, Unit Leader, Unit Committee Chair, Finance chair, and
other interested adults.
Consider inviting youth leaders for programs with
older youth (e.g. Senior Patrol Leader, Crew President, or Team Captain)
Optional attendees should also include Executive
Officer (Institutional Head), Chartered Organization Representative.
Gather
current copies of unit youth and leader rosters
Correct a copy of your most recent unit rosters
before correcting originals, software, etc.
Write unit roster changes in another color (e.g. red)
to make official data entry easier.
Gather
all materials from your Recharter Packet
Recharter
Handbook, National Quality Unit form, and spare youth and leader applications.
Have
telephone access (extra cell phones can be very helpful)
Have
refreshments (cookies, soft drinks) at hand to help keep meeting focused.
If
you need assistance, your Unit Commissioner has resources to help with
recharter.
Charter signed paperwork and fees are due in the LHC Service
Center by the 15th day of
your recharter month (i.e. expires 31 January charters are due on
January 15th).
5
Internet Recharter Instructions
Internet
Rechartering Overview
Internet
Rechartering is a Web-based software application designed to make the unit
charter renewal process more efficient and accurate.
Before
beginning the unit charter application, take the Internet Rechartering tutorial
on our website, http://www.longhorncouncil.org/recharter/index.htm.
The
Internet Rechartering tutorial is a step-by-step explanation of how to use the
Internet Rechartering system. It includes screen captures and examples. We
recommend that users take the tutorial before using Internet Rechartering.
What
are the benefits of Internet Rechartering?
There
are two key benefits from using Internet Rechartering:
More accurate member data, and
Freeing up of scarce council resources.
These
benefits are really two sides of the same coin. Moving some of the data entry
for charter renewal from the council to the unit leads to more accurate member
data (because a unit member is entering the information). Also, the council
will need to only double-check and potentially edit the submitted Internet
Rechartering data before it is posted to PAS (Program Administration System
within the Boy Scout Network).
What
do users need to use Internet Rechartering?
Internet
Rechartering was designed to accommodate the widest variety of users without a
need for specific training. The users of Internet Rechartering should have a
basic knowledge of Boy Scouts of America terminology and familiarity with a
computer and the World Wide Web. Internet Rechartering contains an optional
tutorial that will walk users through each step.
Internet
Rechartering will require that the user have access to a computer with a 56
KB or faster Internet connection and a browser that is IE 5.5 or
greater.
What
can I NOT do in Internet Rechartering?
Internet
Rechartering is only for charter renewal. New charters cannot be established
through Internet Rechartering. Internet Rechartering is for traditional units
only Packs, Troops, Teams, Crews, and Ships.
6
What are the steps in the Internet Rechartering
process?
The unit renewal processor (RP), the
person who is renewing the unit's charter, follows the process on the secure
Internet site to create a charter renewal file. The RP provides Internet
Rechartering with the data necessary to create the file in a series of
intuitive steps.
To
renew a unit's charter:
1. The unit eligible for Internet Rechartering
designates an adult member as the RP.
2. The RP gathers all the information needed for a
traditional charter renewal (e.g., new applications, fees, data of which adults
are holding which paid positions, etc.).
3. With the charter renewal information at hand, the RP
navigates to Internet Rechartering via the council Web site.
4. In Internet Rechartering, the RP registers/logs in
to Internet Rechartering and follows the intuitive process. Fundamentally, the
process requires the RP to:
a) Load the Roster use PAS or third-party
unit-management software (UMS) to create the initial work-in-progress roster.
OR
C