If you use the New Scout Registration page to add new scouts to your site, those scouts will automatically be linked to their parents.  Likewise, if you use one of the upload programs to transfer membership data from another unit management system (other than Scoutbook), the upload program will use the information in the input files to link scouts to parents.

There are, however, three cases in which scouts will NOT be automatically linked to their parents:

• If you upload scouts and adults from ScoutBook
• If you enter new scouts from the Active Scouts page instead of the New Scout Registration page
• If you enter new adults from the Active Adults page

The membership files available from ScoutBook do not identify which scouts belong to which adults, so we cannot automatically create these links.

While the Active Scouts and Active Adults pages both have the ability to link scouts to parents, they do not force you to create those links.

We call the links between parents and scouts "relationships".  A relationship links the parent to their scouts' records.

Once a parent is linked to their scouts, when they log on to the site they can:

• View all of their scouts from the My Scouts page
• Update their scouts' contact information
• View their scouts' current balance and transaction history
• Add money to their scouts' accounts via On-Line Payments
• View their scouts' advancement status to see what requirements are needed to complete the next rank or merit badge
• Sign up their scouts for upcoming events or shifts
• Grant electronic permission for the scouts to attend an upcoming event

Relationships make all of this possible.  If a parent cannot access their scouts records, it may be because they do not have a relationship that links them to their scouts.

Relationships can be created from either the Active Scouts and Active Adults pages.  Update the scout or parent, then scroll to the bottom of the detail page to find the Add Parent Relationship button (on the scout page) or the Add Scout Relationship button (on the adult page).  This will take you to a page like this:

Select the related individual from the drop down list and select one of the relationship types.

The "Advisor" relationship has somewhat less access to the related scouts.  Specifically, the advisor cannot transfer money to/from the accounts of these scouts, and cannot grant electronic permission for them to attend an event.  Other than that, there is no functional difference between the different types of relationships.

Click Save & Exit to save this new relationship, or Save & Add Another to save this relationship and add another one.