Can you guys add something to the Achievements tab to indicate to the parents whether the badge/ patch has been marked as Purchased and therefore is going to be ordered?
Short version -
We need a way for parents to see what badges and patches are on the shopping list for their daughters.
Long version -
Maybe a column in the Achievements tab labeled “On the Shopping List?”, with Yes/ No written next to each item, based on whether the checkbox has been checked.
(Alternatively, you could grant all TT users access to the Shopping List, but limit which girls they can see based on their TT privileges. This would allow ULs to see the shopping list for their entire unit, which might be handy.)
Right now, as far as I know, the parents can only see the Purchased status by clicking on each badge or patch individually.
There was some confusion from the parents about what the Purchased checkbox means. Some thought it meant that they should check it if they wanted the troop to purchase the item. They then had to go back and uncheck each box.
Also, there were some patches ordered that had no requirements associated with them (e.g., Operation Christmas Child). Parents were a little confused that they had to also mark the badge as Completed, even though there were no requirements. They thought the badge was in the Shopping List simply because they could see it on their Achievements tab.
Our Advancement Coordinator and Board are the only ones with Shopping list privileges. It would be GREAT if there were a box that the parents could just check off that says they checked their daughter’s badges and those are the badges that need to be purchased. Our leaders mark them as recognized so that we know what needs to be ordered. But before each award event, we print off lists for the parents to check and make sure that everything is correct. Something like below.
Parent Checked and approved badges that should be ordered
Then a Notes box that would allow the parent to indicate if there is something that is missing or wrong for the leaders to see.
Even if those things showed up on their dashboard for each daughter, that would be easy for the parents to find. I know our troop isn’t picky on how something like this would come about, but I do know that myself and my Advancement Coordinator would LOVE this feature! (And so would those lovely ladies who will be taking my position next year! )
Our troop is fairly large and after a great deal of trial and error, this is what we came up with last year.
When a girl completes a badge, she has to present it to her leader/squad. Once presented, the leader marks it off as completed and recognized with the date the girl presented it. If the badge is just marked as completed, we won’t order the badge until it has been recognized in TT. That’s what gives our Advancement Coordinator the head’s up that it needs to be ordered. Then when she orders them, she will go through and mark off the badges as purchased by filtering the badges by name and clicking “purchased”. The girls who do not have “recognized” checked will not be checked as purchased or even purchased.
We have ingrained it into our parents over and over again to not check the “recognized” box on their daughter’s badge or it may cause problems with our shopping list. Since most of them are scared to death of TT, they don’t question it and don’t mess with it.
Our only issue is that at each badge presentation (3 times a year), we set out lists that are done by hand. with what each girl will receive. Our parents will make sure that their girl isn’t missing a badge or getting a duplicate. Sometimes, it’s a matter of the girl or her parent has not entered the badge or finished entering it. And sometimes it’s on our end where we missed marking it as ordered/awarded. Since our troop pays for 6 badges a year, my parents really check to make sure they get their 6 badges. It’s that list that we have to create 3 times a year that is very time consuming.
In my fantasy world I’d love to see a tab after the “Other” tab that says, “Badge Approvals” (or a smoother, shorter, spiffier name). And when you click the tab, TT has populated what badges have been marked as “Completed” & “Recognized”. Then a parent check box that says they approve that badge and maybe a “Notes” box next to the parent approval check box that allows parents to say something about the badge. I have a couple of leaders who consistently forget to mark badges, we know which leaders they are and typically the parents will let us know that it’s not marked off and the girl did present it, we just mark it ourselves. A “Notes” box would be perfect for that. Again, my fantasy world.
I just want to ask about this again - some way for the parents to see what is on the shopping list for their household. And bump this request up a notch to something more urgent than it is currently.
We are having a lot of headaches because we are stuck in the middle of informing parents of what they have marked to be ordered, and what they should be expecting to receive.
For example, one problem we have is when parents select a patch for their daughter but don’t think to mark it as “Completed” in order for us to order it. Patches don’t usually have requirements, and are not thought of as “incomplete” or “complete.” Or a parent marked a badge as Completed after the order deadline had passed, and yet is surprised that her daughter did not receive it at the awards ceremony. Someone just asked me to email them everything that was ordered for their 3 daughters, so that they can make sure they get billed properly.
If they could see their daughter’s/ household’s shopping list before their order is placed, it would be very helpful! Right now it is an annoyance to the treasurer and the Troop Purchaser, to be the only people who can access the shopping list.
Any help with this would be appreciated tremendously, by the troop leaders AND the parents!
Thanks!
Parent Checked and approved badges that should be ordered
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with what each girl will receive. Our parents will make sure that their girl isn’t missing a badge or getting a duplicate. Sometimes, it’s a matter of the girl or her parent has not entered the badge or finished entering it. And sometimes it’s on our end where we missed marking it as ordered/awarded. Since our troop pays for 6 badges a year, my parents really check to make sure they get their 6 badges. 
It’s that list that we have to create 3 times a year that is very time consuming.