So I know you guys are in the middle of working on this new release. But AHG troops are just now finding out that they are releasing a new handbook in July with our old one phasing out by Spring of 2021. How does that work with our TT? Will the badges be updated to only the new handbook or will there be both badges until the old one phases out?
My board found out today and there is a little bit of panic on how this will affect badges girls have earned in the old books, will those disappear from their records? My guess is no since we have patches that disappear and the girls’ records still show them.
When BSA did this several years ago TT made new versions of things but the old versions still existed to keep consistent with data that all ready exists. We were then able to choose which version of the badges per scout, once the transition was complete we could then hide the old badges so they didn’t show up in lists to select however they still exist in the system so anyone that earned that old version still has it applied to their advancements.
That was one of the things we wondered. Did BSA change something on virtually every badge? The ones they are deleting, nbd. But they are renaming several and and updating virtually every other badge from the information we can glean. Our leaders are already concerned about the crazy that will ensue. Especially since they are releasing 2 handbooks one for our Tenderheart and Explorers and a 2nd one for our Pioneers and Patriots.
I hate it when National releases minimal information. Just enough for the current leaders to wonder how much this is going to change b/c with the information we have, it could be a HUGE change or a handful of minimal changes… Since the books won’t even be available for purchase until 8/1, that leaves troops scrambling to learn all the new stuff and if TT doesn’t get the new book until then, we’re definitely toast for as many badge changes at they are hinting at. Ninety-some odd badges and most will have changes, some are deleted, some are brand new. Surely, TT will get some information ahead of time to start updating, right?! Cause that would totally stink if they didn’t!
There were definitely many changes, in our case it was more specific to Rank requirements, especially in Cub Scouts, but they do update Badges periodically and TT has always created new versions of the Badges and kept the old ones. When the name is the same they have typically added (pre-20xx) to the name of the old Badge and then the new is just listed, for instance Rowing, and Rowing (pre-2014), so the badge changed in 2014 but was still named Rowing. In the case of our Ranks they added (2016+) to the new Ranks and left all of the old ones there, again an example Bear Adventure: Bear Claws, then the new one is Bear Adventure: Bear Claws (2016+), we are then able to set the old one inactive so they don’t show up on the lists of available Achievements. Terminology is a bit different and I am not very familiar with AHG’s program, just what I have gleaned out of the Community from posts like yours. As to weather or not TT will get the new requirements early that would be great and I seem to remember seeing some Community posts about TT having a strong relationship with AHG but not sure if that is still as true, I know when BSA made all the major changes to their Advancement submission system TT did not get early access or information.
I tagged Troop Track on the AHG National Facebook post about this update. Troop Track replied, so hopefully AHG will be willing to provide TT an advanced copy of the handbooks so they can be ready to roll out the new changes. Troop Track said they are willing to work with AHG so the ball in solely in AHG’s court at this point.
