1st Crowthorne Scout Group use Online Scout Manager to help all the Leaders, Volunteers and of course parents organise and manage everything from Subs payments to the programme we plan for all of our members.
When you child joins the group you will be be emailed an invitation to the Parent Portal side of OSM. This will allow you to see all of the latest information from your Section Leaders.
How Does it Work?
Your first point of contact with us will be when you are added to our waiting list to join, we will ask for a contact email and phone number to be able to contact you when there are available spaces. You can join the waiting list at any age, so get your names down quick!
Your first message from OSM will be a welcome email which will invite using a unique link to directly access the system. When your child moves from one section to another you will receive a new invitation with a new unique link to continue tracking your child.
Important to note if you have more than one child in the group you will receive an email with a unique link for each one. You can log on using the name email address and password.
Once online, you can access details about payments, the programme and any events coming up.
Parent Portal Menus
Dashboard
The first screen you will see when logging in will be the Dashboard, this will show an overview of your children’s activities coming up.
These videos are from the makers of Online Scout Manager and give some very useful information about how it can help you keep up to date and in touch with the group. These can all be found by clicking on the help icon at the top right of the screen in OSM.
Click the full screen icons at the bottom right of the video to get a better view!
Noticeboard
When clicking on your child’s name it will show some more menu options, the first of which is the Noticeboard – we can use this to show messages about updates from Leaders etc so please check this screen from time to time when visiting.
Payments
This is probably the most helpful feature of the system which can save both parents a lot of time and leaders a lot of admin and paperwork. This page will show all current and future charges for subscriptions and events throughout the year.
Clicking here will show the payment schedules which are currently set up on your account.
Subscriptions
This will be a repeating payment which funds the activities of the group, this is charged monthly.
Camps & Events
We will be using the system for camps and events. Each activity will be notified separately and you will be notified in advance of any future charges.
There are 2 ways to make the payments on the system;
- Recurring Subscription
This will stay active for any future payments and is a great way to set up and not have to worry about the terms subs payments being paid on time. These payments will be taken automatically on the due date shown on each schedule. You will always be notified of any upcoming payments and given the opportunity to immediately cancel a payment with a direct link in the email.
- One off Payment
Some payments will allow you to use the Pay Now feature where you can do an immediate payment. This still uses the same Direct Debit authorisation, but will only initiate a single payment. The next time a payment is due you can go back and press the Pay Now button again, the Direct Debit will still be active to complete the payment. Subs charges normally allow you to use the Pay Now feature within 1 week of the due date.
Cancellation
All of these Direct Debits can be manually cancelled at any time using the payments page or links on the payment notification emails. Any existing payment schedules are automatically cancelled by the system when your child leaves the group, and also when they move sections. In this case you wold then receive an email with a link to setup a new payment.
Events
The events section will contain details for all the camps and trips which are organised throughout the term.
This screen will be empty unless you have an event planned for the current term. These will then be shown in a date ordered list showing the name of the event and the cost. A tick or cross will show on any which you have already decided to go on or not.
Clicking theses will then show you more details about the event which have been published by your Leaders, times, dates, location and cost are all shown at the top of the screen along with a list of attached documents which you may need. These might be consent forms to download and return, or maps or kit lists for the event. Below that you will find all the details about the event which have been shared.
The details about the event may sometimes be purely for information purposes, but generally if these are shown on OSM then we will try to enable booking and payment online as well. The attendance field at the top of the page will allow you to sign up for the event if it has been enabled, you may also be also to sign up for a waiting list if it is only available for a limited number of members – you will then be notified when a space becomes free.
Once you have notified us that you wish to attend, we can send out emails quickly and easily to those members on the list to update you about the event. If paying online is available, this will normally be done through the Camps & Trips schedule and you will be notified when this is due to be taken. You will then normally be reminded about the event a few days before.
Programme
We always have a very exciting range of activities planned for each section every term.
These are all listed in the programme section.
The programme screen is where you can find all the latest updates about what is going on each week. Leaders will always update this section with changes as well as inform you by email so keep checking back each week. Programme details are no longer listed the website to enable you to get the very latest information.
Each planned meeting during the term is shown with its title, date, time and a description of what will be happening. The details will normally be updated with any specific instructions relating to the activities which are planned – different locations, times, clothing requirements etc will all be shown here for each week as required.
Below the information there are badges shown which relate to the areas of badge work that are going to be covered by that particular meeting, this gives a good indication of what they will be learning and whether you might have more badges to sew on at the end of the night! More information about badge work is shown in the next section below.
Parent Rota
Sometimes Leaders may need a few extra pairs of hands for certain meetings, hikes and outdoor activities etc. These are sometimes shown with an extra button which allows to sign up for the parent rota for that date – this is a great help to all the leaders as it gives them a reassurance that parents will be available to help in advance so the meeting can go ahead.
Calendar Feed
At the top of the screen you will find a very useful feature which can revolutionise your diary! By clicking on the calendar feed button you can add the programme into your calendar automatically – this will then sync all meeting details for your child as long as they are on the system. Meeting names, times and all information will be shown for every meeting and updated at regular intervals to make sure you always the latest information. A similar option is also available on the events screen.
Personal Details
Probably the most important section for the group and Leaders. From here you can add and update you contact details and important information about your child.
This screen allow you to update contact details for yourself and your child. We would ask you to try and always keep this up to date so we can always get hold of the correct people if necessary.
The email addresses are used by the system to send out notification about activities and payments, as well as messages from Leaders so it is very important we try and keep these as accurate as possible.When you first login you will probably find there are only your name, email and phone filled in – this is normally the information we get when your child is added to the waiting list, so please go through and add all contact details for parents, emergency contacts and medical details which you think would be useful for your Leaders to access.
The information store is only accessible by your Section Leader and a small number of other Adults for administration purposes to help run the online system.
Emails
The emails menu will show you a list of all the messages you have received via OSM for the last 3 months, great for catching up on lost messages about upcoming events and meetings!
Gift Aid
This option will allow you to update your declaration online, even if you have filled in these details on the paperwork when joining we would be grateful if you could do this via OSM.
Gift Aid has enabled us to claim back a significant amount of money which helps greatly with funding the Groups activities and equipment. By completing this online it simplifies the administration of claiming these funds for those volunteers involved.
Retail Discounts
Using OSM also has its benefits for shopping. Here you will find details of discounts off camping equipment, days out and how to raise money for the Group.
Access
The final part of the main menu allows you to see who can access these screens for your child. This is normally restricted to the contact email addresses shown on your personal details pages, but if anything seems to be incorrect then please contact us for help.
