The best option is to import your membership as you can be up and running in 10 minutes. However, you can manually add members to ScoutSoft by clicking on the Roster menu and selecting the Add Members option. If you manually add all of the many members, leaders and merit badge counselors required to properly run your sponsor's BSA programs it is expected to take between 20 to 30 hours or more depending upon the size of your sponsoring organization. If you just manually add your boys only it will take 5 to 8 hours depending on the number of boys you have. It is best to import your membership from your Sponsoring Organizations records which means you could be ready to go in as little as 10 minutes. Listed below are import options for all types of sponsors.

Only use the Council's Unit Export files if you cannot get an export file from your sponsoring organization that contains member's birthdates and parents which are required by the BSA.

See the separate tutorial on importing from your Council generated unit export files (LOD#####.CSV) which will bring in ONLY the current registered adult leaders and youth with their correct birthdates. Parents are not included in the file. All BSA sponsored units should use this option first if your Sponsor's export file does NOT contain birthdates or if you do not have a sponsor export file available to you. After importing the Council Unit Export files then manually add other members or use your sponsor's import file to add other members not included on the BSA charters. You must allow time to get the Council Unit Charter export files and to upload the file and add additional family members as needed. Council Unit Export files creation instructions are included below. Plan on a wait period of a couple of days to a week to get the files from your Council.

After importing then manually add parents, other leaders and members to complete your member database.

Expected Leader time to set up data base - 5 hrs over several days. 20 hours if you manually add all members in your sponsoring organization.

As state above it is recommended that you upload your Sponsor's BSA Unit Export files (LOD#####.csv) first and then import from a sponsor membership file so your scout records will have the correct birthdates. See the tutorial on uploading the BSA Unit Export files. (LDS sponsored units see LDS MLS import instructions below which is your best option.)

1. Create a CSV file containing a single record for each member consisting of at least the members' name, gender, address, city, state, zip and telephone in ###-###-#### format, birthdate if available. It is easier to import if there are separate fields for member's first name, middle name and last name. You can use Notepad or Excel to modify your CSV file. See the Miscellaneous Import File Definitions at end of this webpage.

2. Click on the Maintenance Program.

3. Click on Load Data Into ScoutSoft.

4. Click on Miscellaneous CSV File.

5. click on the Select Name button and locate the membership CSV file.

6. Format the file to set the order the data in the membership export file and import it. (See the File Definitions at end of this webpage.)

Expected Leader time to set up data base - 2 hrs. 5-10 hours if you have to manually add birthdates.

In a CSV file format ScoutSoft will read values between commas, quotes can be used or not, the difference is that if you use quotes then you can use commas in your fields:

"John Doe", "Male", "29" is the same as: John Doe, Male, 29

But with quotes you can do this: "Doe, John", Male, 29

So the first field is "Doe, John" since the quote shows that the enclosed comma is part of the value.

Here are the definitions, new fields can be added very easily if we need additional options:

First Name - Sets Preferred and Legal First Name

Last Name - Sets Preferred and Legal Last Name

Preferred Full Name - Sets the Preferred Name, in this format: "Doe, John"

Legal Full Name - Sets the Legal Name, in this format: "Doe, John"

Middle Initial - Sets the Middle Name

Middle Name - Sets the Middle Name

Suffix - Sets the suffix

Preferred First Name - Sets the Preferred First Name

Gender - Either M, m, F, or f. Sets the gender

Home Address City - Sets the City

Home Address Country - Sets the Country

Home Address State - Sets the state

Home Address Street 1 - First Street Address

Home Address Street 2 - Second Street Address

Home Address Street 3 - Third Street Address

Home Address Zip Code - Zip Code

Mailing Address City - Sets the City

Mailing Address Country - Sets the Country

Mailing Address State - Sets the state

Mailing Address Street 1 - First Street Address

Mailing Address Street 2 - Second Street Address

Mailing Address Street 3 - Third Street Address

Mailing Address Zip Code - Zip Code

Home Phone - Home Phone Number, format is flexible, all non-digits are stripped and it needs to be either the 7 digit or 10 digit number

Cell Phone - Cell Phone Number, format is flexible, all non-digits are stripped and it needs to be either the 7 digit or 10 digit number

Work Phone - Work Phone Number, format is flexible, all non-digits are stripped and it needs to be either the 7 digit or 10 digit number

Pager - Pager, format is flexible, all non-digits are stripped and it needs to be either the 7 digit or 10 digit number

Home Email - Home Email Address

Work Email - Work Email Address

Social Security Number - Set number in format: ###-##-####

DL Number - Drivers License Number

DL State - Drivers License State

Birthdate - The record's birthday in the format: MM/DD/YY or MM/DD/YYYY

Employer - Their employer

Grade - Their School Grade - Number indicating the grade: Preschool, Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, etc... From 0 to 13. Preschool = 0, Kindergarten = 1, First = 2, Second = 3...NOTE THAT THERE IS NOT A DIRECT MAPPING FROM 1 TO FIRST, 2 TO SECOND, YOU'D NEED TO ADD 1 TO THE NUMBER IN THAT CASE.

Medical Condition - Sets medical condition

Boys Life - Set to Yes or True to indicate that they take Boy's Life, false otherwise

Merit Badge BSA Code - The Code for a merit badge, it has to be paired with a Merit Badge Completion Date in the same line.

BSA Award fields - Indicates whether or not a given BSA Award is completed

BSA Requirement fields - Indicates whether or not a given BSA Requirement is completed