Pioneers and Visionaries needed for BOYSCOUT Project

Looking for volunteers to join your project? Need help with a script but can't afford to pay? Want to offer your services as a volunteer to build up your portfolio? This is the place for you...

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futureeagle
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Pioneers and Visionaries needed for BOYSCOUT Project

Post by futureeagle »

Certainly what I am proposing has the potential to be a far-reaching, benefitial project throughout the world. Whether or not those that volunteer for this project decide that converting the project from non-profit to profit remains to be seen, given its nature. Here is a synopsis of what I propose:

MY BACKGROUND AND STATUS QUO:
I am currently the Pack Chairman for Pack 529 in Central Florida. As a web gearhead / self taught webmaster, I have been wrangling with the technology issues that face Boy Scount leaders when it comes to communicating with the parents, as well as tracking the progress of scouts and the performance of the unit. There are National Standards for the operation of the local units, and a vast sea of information that is currently in so many different formats ( html, php, pdf, xls, doc, etc ) that it is daunting to wrap your mind around basic organization duties. The status quo is that there are several PC-based organizational tools available, as well as several web-based organizational tools. On the face of it all, every option available to local leadershop with regards to having a "website " and staying organized is basically an exercise in balancing the best possible combinations of web hosting, online calendars & forums, and the organizational tools available.

PROPOSED PROJECT:
As one to desire to not only provide a solid, dynamic web-based information center but to possible re-invent the wheel on how local packs operate, I have found the flexibility of PHP and specifically WORDPRESS to be an amazing way to free myself of the tediousness of CODING and allow my creativity with layout, design, and function to flow unimpeeded. Of course I can recognize when my desired results escape even my own skills, and when it becomes necessary to bring in some help.

Basically, a WORDPRESS 'plugin' that utilizes PHP to perform the basic tracking functions of local unit leadership is what I envision for this project.

For those within this forum who are well versed in PHP, I am certain before even you finish reading this post you can figure out in your head exactly what is needed for the structure of such a 'plugin'. Here are some basic functions needed:

-Management system for Names, addresses, contact information, and email addresses - entry, edit, groupings, etc
-Organization of those names for scouting purposes: Which den is each child/parent in, which pack is each den in, etc.
-Email management system to send out mass emails to set groups within the total database - parents, leaders, all, etc.
-Management system for individual activities within each section of boyscout achievement - tiger, wolf, bear, webelos, boy scouts - entry, edit, groupings, etc.
-tracking of progress for each boyscout within activies for that level - completed, planned, incomplete, etc.
-ability to import, export, and save important data into and out of the system system - xls, sql, or other software systems
-tracking of dues, fees, and other expenses paid/not paid by individual scouts and their parents
-tracking of adult training certifications, courses needed, courses completed, etc.
-integration with existing calendar plugins / events plugins


Two typical systems currently used are http://www.scouttrack.com and packmaster. I invite you to view those two systems to see the type of functionality needed for a PHP-based replica.



BENEFIT RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT:
The primary benefit of this project would be to provide local unit leaders with a very flexible web-based system, as well as all of the great flexibility of WORDPRESS. Theme creation as an industry will have yet another client, as well as plug-in creators who wish to expand on what is created for this "core" product.
A secondary benefit of this project would be that local pack "website" quality and consistency would increase dramatically across the board. This would enhance and increase the visibility of the entire scouting program as a whole. Always a good thing.
A third (potential) benefit to this program for those involved is a genuine profit center if the core development team chooses to not make the plugin free to distribute. Currently pack's pay somewhere between $75 and $100 per year to have access to the systems available to them in the market today. I do not readily have statistics on how many units are in the US ( or even worldwide ), but certainly it numbers in the thousands. Personally I do not have a profit motive - just a desire to increase the effectiveness of my own leadership locally. Should developing this tool provide a strong shift in the basic way packs stay organized, I see no reason why those involved cannot be compensated for their efforts.


Feel free to contact me immediately if you can see the vision of the project, and desire to participate in something that will be very benefitial to a great many people.


Nicholas Durante
Lake Mary Florida
npd621@aol.com
futureeagle
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Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:11 pm

MODIFICATION TO MY REQUEST

Post by futureeagle »

As a modification to my request... what is the probability/possibility of converting EXISTING html-based mangement systems to PHP, given that I would be able to gain permission to de-construct existing programs/software as a foundation for the creation of a PHP-based system?>
mkabot
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Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:17 pm
Location: Rochester, NY

Existing alternatives

Post by mkabot »

Mr. Durante,

You may want to take a look at some other alternatives to the two you mentioned. There are quite a few existing projects for scouting based website that are well underway. You may want to add your talent to one of them.

As an example, I run a website service ( http://www.soarol.com ) for scouting organizations based on the Drupal ( http://www.drupal.org ) content management system that uses PHP and has almost all the features you mentioned.

You can also look here for additional offerings available in the market - http://www.scout-websites.com
futureeagle
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Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:11 pm

Re: Existing alternatives

Post by futureeagle »

mkabot wrote:Mr. Durante,

You may want to take a look at some other alternatives to the two you mentioned. There are quite a few existing projects for scouting based website that are well underway. You may want to add your talent to one of them.

As an example, I run a website service ( http://www.soarol.com ) for scouting organizations based on the Drupal ( http://www.drupal.org ) content management system that uses PHP and has almost all the features you mentioned.

You can also look here for additional offerings available in the market - http://www.scout-websites.com

With all due respect, your system (as I have seen it) only provides the same features as a wordpress-based site. I see virtually none of the features I listed on your demo site, and it is teh goal of this project to integrate the features of scouttracker with a CMS system that has greater visual appeal.
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