Record keeping and the distribution of awards are the responsibilities of the council service center.
The council advancement committee periodically reviews the procedures used by units in applying for badges and other awards and in keeping records of advancement. These procedures must be as simple as possible. The goal should be to eliminate obstacles so that a youth member may receive the badge he has earned without delay.
Each unit is responsible for keeping its own records and for making reports of advancements to the council. This is done on the unit Advancement Report form. One copy is kept by the unit and two copies are sent to the council service center with an order for the necessary badges and awards. At the council service center, one copy of the advancement report is placed in the unit file, and the other is given to the district executive for the district records.
It is best that this form be submitted promptly so that unit records remain current and youth are able to receive their awards quickly after earning them. Awards cannot be purchased or awarded until the Advancement Report has been filed with the council office. At the discretion of the local council, computer-generated Advancement Reports may be used. If used, two copies of the computer-generated report must be submitted to the council service center.
Many councils have adopted a procedure of filing unit advancement reports in a current separate folder or by using computer spreadsheets. Each year, reports for the year are transferred to a unit history folder. Whatever system is used for record keeping, the awarding of badges to youth members should never be delayed.
A monthly District Advancement Report Summary will be compiled by the council. This information, provided to the district each month, gives a clear picture of advancement progress in each unit. District reports are summarized annually and included on the Application for Renewal of the Local Council Charter, which every council submits each year to the national office.
The advancement statistics reported on the Application for Renewal of the Local Council Charter are important. These statistics help the national advancement committee in monitoring the interests and activities of the youth members.
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