Slideshow tutorials are available via SlideShare to help “show and tell” you how to accomplish these tasks! Click on the links below to view the presentations. Please note: At this time SlideShare does not support the audio portion of these presentations on mobile devices. Please view these on a desktop or laptop computer.
Website Registration Procedures
Email Registration Procedures
Website Rules and Passwords
Making Posts and Comments
The very first thing to do is to “register” yourself and any other family members that will be using the website. Please register each person who will use the website separately! This registration is important because you must be a registered user to be able to post messages and comments on the website. This can be started from just about any page on the site.
Just below the left hand side of the scout picture on each page you will see a Troop 809 Website Login. About five lines below that text is a red “Register” link. Click on that link and you will be redirected to the WordPress registration page. Please fill in a username. Then you add your email address in the next field. An automated email will send you your initial password.
When you receive that email, click on the link, enter your user name and the password you just received and login. On this page you can complete your profile information and change your password if you desire. The most important thing to do in updating your profile is to change your “nickname”. At the direction of the Troop Leadership and following the recommendations of BSA – scout nicknames will be allowed in the following format only – Firstname FirstInitialofLastname – e.g. Rob B. Adults may choose to follow the same format or choose another, but keep in mind that we would like to be able to have some chance of recognizing who is sending the message so a username of srwhizkid doesn’t help accomplish that goal. Then, using the drop-down arrow in the “ select that nickname as the one to be displayed. This is the name that will automatically display when you post a message or comment. When you go back to the website pages now, you will notice the text “Troop 809 Website Login” has been replaced by Welcome “Your Nickname” and links to the dashboard, your profile and a logout button.
When you first register for the website you will be able to update your information but not be able to post messages until your registration has been reviewed by the webmaster. This is done so Troop 809 can take an extra step of precaution and control who can post messages and comments to the “809 Blog” page, the “Patrol” pages and the adults’ “Hoots and Hollers” page.
The second thing to do is sign-up to receive Troop 809 emails. Again, this can be started from almost any page on the site. Just to the right of the Troop 809 Website Login (or if you are now logged-in – Welcome “Your Name) is the Sign-up To Receive Troop 809 Emails. Click on the red “Click Here” link and you will be redirected to the mailing list subscription page. Enter your email address, first name and last name. If you are using one email address for multiple people in your family (not recommended) – under the first name field enter the names of each person as in the example – Rick and Linda and Jeffrey and Reggie. You should know that in doing so, every email will be addressed to all of those people even if it really only applies to one person. Under the Relationship to Troop 809 category, please check all of the boxes that apply to you (and/or all the others that are registering under the same email address). This helps target emails so that you receive all the email you should while avoiding unnecessary emails. Finally, tell us how you prefer to receive your emails. Check either the html (allows graphics, special formatting etc.), plain text (just plain old letters and symbols) or if you usually get your email on a mobile device such as a smart phone or iPad. We are using a service called MailChimp to send out emails to the troop. Your email registration information is not available to anyone outside of the webmasters.
One personal note about emails: I know many parents are concerned about establishing email accounts for their children, and rightfully so. Remember that scouting is about instructing our young men in the ways of the world and how to act responsibly. This website is designed to help scouts along that path and exposure to the internet and email is a part of that growth process. I would ask that if you have not already established an email address for your child to please do so and allow them to be responsible for receiving their own correspondence from the troop. I would recommend that you review their emails regularly so you can make certain they are being safe and using it appropriately. This is a part of the learning and growing process and must be overseen just as we do for almost everything else. If you would like, we can even set you up with an @troop809md.org email. Contact the webmaster for more information.
You will notice that some pages are “Password Protected”. This is done to limit access to these pages to only members of Troop 809, and within that group to certain subgroups such as: scouts of a certain patrol, parents only, and Troop 809 Adult Leaders. Once you register for the website you will be provided the appropriate password(s) within a day or two.
Of course we have to have rules to follow. There are not too many but they are important.
- The use of names. The committee is following the recommendations of BSA regarding names on the website. Scouts can only be recognized by the use of their first name and first initial of their last name (Rob B for example)
- Names can never be attached to photos or referenced to photos on the site!
- NEVER use addresses of scouts in any post!!! If we need to send the location for a patrol meeting, a general post regarding the date and time can be put on the website, but the location for the meeting can be sent to the webmaster and he will send an email to the appropriate people.
- Be kind and courteous! Use appropriate language and do not use the posts to make fun of or intimidate anyone. What you post will be seen by everyone – so stay out of trouble! By the way, posts are reviewed before they go on the site, but even trying to post something inappropriate will result in disciplinary actions.
With that said, you are fully on your way to exploring the website. You will notice that there are different contact forms that can be filled out on certain pages to get more information or to send us your ideas, suggestions and comments. So look around and explore the website, post your messages and responses, send us your ideas for improvements and help us make this a valuable tool for scouts and parents of scouts.
Okay! Really the last thing to learn about the website is how to make a post (start a new message) and how to make a comment (to an existing post).
- Login to the site via the Troop 809 Website Login area found on virtually all pages.
- Under the new text “Welcome (Your Name)” click on the red “Dashboard” link.
- OMG!!! What did you just do??? Are you scared now? Don’t be. Despite all that you see, there is nothing you can do to harm anything and really not much more you can do than to make a new post or edit your personal options.
- In the black bar towards the top of your screen, place your cursor over the “+ New” tab and then click on “Post” when it appears.
- In the first text box, type in the title of your message (post).
- In the second text box type in the text of your message. Use the default “Visual” tab unless you happen to be a real techie and know HTML coding. You notice you have some formatting flexibility so you can highlight text and make it bold or put it in italics or use bulleted or numbered lists and so on.
- IGNORE all the stuff below the second text box. See it just go easier.
- To the right of the second text box you see a “Categories” box with several choices. Select one or more of the categories that applies to your message and your message will post to the appropriate pages within the website after it is approved.
- Disregard the “Tags” section below the “Categories”
- If your message is complete and you want to send it for approval and posting to the site by the webmaster, click the blue “Submit for Review” button in the “Publish” box (above the Categories box).
- If you would like to save your work and complete it at a later time, click on the “Save Draft” button also located in the “Publish” box.
Now do it! Go ahead – send a message and let everyone know that you are now officially a “blogger”!
To make a comment to a post is even easier. If you are logged in all you have to do is type your comment in the text box at the bottom of an existing post and hit the submit button. If you are not logged in, all you have to do is click on the “you must log in to post a comment” link in the text box below a post, log in and then write your comment and click on submit!