Manually Adding Members - The best option is to import your membership as you can be up and running in a few minutes. However, you can manually add members by doing the following:
1. Click on Units on the top menu bar and select the Main roster.
2. Click on Roster on the top menu bar.
3. Click on either Add Members to Roster or Record Quick Edit/Add.
4. Add the member and add the member's parents or guardian as separate records.
5. In the member's record click on Family to assign parents and/or children by Family
6. Birthdates - All 'registered' BSA leaders and youth and youth's parents must have their exact birthdates entered.
Estimated time required to add all members and leaders for running just the Ward's BSA programs - 10 to 20 hours.
Importing LDS Members Options - The best option for LDS sponsored units is to import your membership from the Ward MLS export file created by your Ward clerk or Bishopric member.
Option 1 - Ward MLS Import Option - the best option!
With Bishop's permission either the Ward Clerk or a Bishopric member can create an export file to for importing into ScoutSoft. This is the best option for LDS Sponsored Units.
Create the Membership File from the MLS files:
1. The Ward Clerk or Bishopric member signs onto MLS program.
2. Click on the File menu.
3. Click on the Export option.
4. Click on the Membership box.
5. Save the file to a floppy disk or jump drive and take the drive to the computer that has ScoutSoft.
6. Sign on to ScoutSoft and click on the Maintenance menu.
7. Click on Load Data Into ScoutSoft.
8. Click on Sponsor Membership File to highlight it and click on Select Name and find the Membership.csv on your disk drive or external drive and import the file. Important - Delete the Membership.csv export file after importing!
9. The Bishop may have a Ward clerk or Bishopric member do the import into ScoutSoft with you and then either you or they should delete the MLS export file from the export disk or drive. The Bishopric can set the privacy lock passwords to secure member's personal information only needed for rechartering of your Ward's BSA units.
Expected Leader time to import the data base - 10 minutes - 5 minutes for Bishopric to create the file and 5 minutes to import into ScoutSoft. The leader then only has to enter any individuals that are not members. This is the best option and it keeps your leaders excited about their calling!
Option 2 - LDS Ward's Website Membership Directory CSV File
Since this import file does NOT contain birthdates it is recommended that you use your Ward's MLS export file, if available, or that you upload your Sponsor's BSA Export file (LOD#####.csv) first and then import this membership directory so your scout records will have the correct birthdates for current leaders and boys. See the tutorial on uploading the BSA charter file. You will have to manually match the members when your perform the LDS membership import described below due to the fact that it does not include birthdates or genders.
1. Sign onto www.lds.org from your personal computer
2. Click on About the Church.
3. Click on Stake and Ward Sites.
4. Enter in your User Name and Password - See your Ward clerk for instructions on setting up your user name and password from your membership record.
5. If your Ward webpage does not appear then search for the site.
6. Click on Membership Directory.
7. Click on the CSV file option above the membership list on the top right of the screen - Your computer should pop up a save box and request a name for the file. Give the file a name and save it to a directory on your computer you can later access from within ScoutSoft. ** Warning - If the actual members pops up on the screen instead of the just a request for a name to save the file as then your internet browser is not compatible with the LDS file. Switch to another computer or have another leader create the file. If the member listing shows up on the screen its format will be corrupted and it will not import into ScoutSoft.**
8. Sign on to ScoutSoft and click on the Maintenance menu.
9. Click on Load Data Into ScoutSoft.
10. Click on Sponsor Membership File to highlight it.
11. Click on the Select Name button and browse for the file and click on it and then click on the Open button to load it.
12. Click on OK button to process the file.
13. Process & Edit - The Membership Directory CSV file does not contain birthdates, genders or family groupings. You should click on the Process and Edit button which allows you to add or edit birthdays and genders. Click on OK button to process the file. Then go into each and make corrections as needed. Remember you will need to correct birthdates and genders on all sponsor leaders. parents and youth.
Expected Leader time to set up data base - 5 minutes to import and a minimum of 8 - 10 hours if you match up all families, verify gender and obtain birthdates for all of the members required to properly run the BSA and LDS Church's DTG, FIG, YW and other programs. Importing from your Ward's MLS export file is the LDS leaders best option and only takes 10 to 20 minutes maximum.
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
