Trail Life Connect Features Overview

This guide provides an overview of the layout, primary tools, and menu items available within Trail Life Connect. Most of the views shown are from the perspective of the Troop Ministry Liaison (TML.) The views and available tools will be different for leaders, youth Trailmen, and non-registered parents. Most, or all, of the items in this guide are covered in more detail within other Help guides and documentation.

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Traillifeconnect

MAIN DASHBOARD

The Dashboard is the starting point whenever you log in to Trail Life Connect. As you are navigating the site, this would be considered the "Home" page where you can return when needed by clicking the link to "Dashboard" on the left menu.

- Quick Link Buttons

One of the primary items on the main Dashboard is a collection of quick link buttons you can click to navigate to other areas of the site. (Many of these quick link buttons are also available as links on the left navigation menu.) \*Customize which buttons appear, as well as a few other Dashboard components, by clicking the gear icon next to the 'Dashboard' title at the top of the page. (If you are a leader who holds multiple roles, you can create customized Dashboard views for each role.)

- Notifications

The top section of the Dashboard *may* display a small variety of informational notifications (sometimes with links to other items.) The labeled **Notifications** section of the Dashboard will list items for which you need to taky any action. (Such as approving activities or completing permission forms, etc.)

- Calendar

The **Calendar** section of the Dashboard will display pertinent upcoming event information. *All* members will see any upcoming RSVP events for which they have indicated they are "Going" to that event, as well as other available "Upcoming" events occurring within the next 30 days. For Troop Leaders with the permission to manage the Troop Calendar, an additional section will display for "Area/Regional/National Events Requiring Response." These are larger scale events the Troop has been invited to, and a Calendar manager role within the Troop will need to review and respond to indicate if the Troop intends to participate in any capacity.

- Member Statistics

The **Member Statistics** section provides a list of any members who have not yet completed a registration item, will soon expire on a registration item, or who have expired on a registration item. A drop-down menu at the top of the section provides explanation for the presence of this information.

Troop Leaders will see an additional section below the list of expired/expiring members, to help give a graphical snapshot of other relevant Troop statistics.

- Switch Roles

If you are a Troop Leader who holds multiple roles, using each of those roles will result in a different TLC experience. To **switch** between multiple **roles**, click the drop-down arrow in the upper right by your name. The resulting menu will display a section at the bottom that lists any other roles you hold. Click a role name to switch to using that role.

- Power User Search

The **Power user search** bar at the top of the Dashboard can be used to search for members *only*. (This tool is not designed for searching other data within the Trail Life Connect site.) Troop leaders can use the 'Power user search' to quickly locate someone in the Troop. Region and Area leaders can search for someone anywhere within their respective Region or Area. Click the "?" icon to the right of the Power user search bar for tips on how to use this tool.

LEFT MENU

The left navigation menu in Trail Life Connect will be available wherever you go throughout TLC, and the available menu items and links will take you to other parts of the site as needed. Each menu item will be covered briefly below. (\*Not all menu items will be available for every role.)

Clicking **Announcements** will bring you to the Announcements page, where you can view a variety of posted announcements from your Troop, Area, Region, or Home Office. Click the 'x' on an announcement to hide it, if desired. (Later, you can click the "Show Hidden" icon to view any active announcements you have hidden.) Click the other icons along the top to filter announcements from the different levels by turning them off or on.

Click **Profile** to view your profile information and see who else is listed within your Household. Tabs along the top of your Profile will reveal more information or take you into other areas. (Available tabs will be different between adult and youth accounts.) You can click the button to add a son to your Household whenever needed. If you are a Troop Leader, you will also have an available button to add another Parent or Guardian to your Household. A photo can be added to your Profile, if desired, and the "Print ID Card" button will be visible if your account is up-to-date on registration. \*If red text appears by anyone's name in the Household, or within your own Profile, this typically indicates something that is expired or is soon to expire. The message will include instructional information, and clicking this red text will take you to the relevant item to renew.

Viewing a youth Trailman **Profile** shows different tabs along the top, related to his Advancement and various Activities. If the Trailman is a Navigator or Adventurer, he will also have a 'Freedom Trail' tab to show his progress towards that achievement. \*If a Trailman is expired on his registration, he cannot renew himself if he is logged into his account. An adult in the Trailman's Household must be logged in for registration related links to work and payment to made.

Non-registered parents or guardians do not have the option of adding a new parent or guardian to the Household. (Again, only Troop Leaders can add new adults into the Troop.) If any changes need to be made to the currently displayed **Profile**, click the "Update Profile" button to modify information as needed. (\*A logged in youth Trailman cannot update his own Profile information; any changes must be made by a parent or guardian in the Household.)

- My Troop

Clicking **Troop Members** (*if available to your role*) will result in a list of all current Troop Member accounts. Leaders can sort and filter results, as needed, and can open and view member Profiles if their role allows. Buttons along the top of the Troop Members list (*if available to your role*) allow for: - displaying all members on one page - viewing members added within the last 30 days - toggling between different profile-related data columns on-screen - exporting the member list to an Excel or CSV file - using Bulk Member Actions

Troop Leaders can click **Add New Adult** to add new adults to the Troop, using any of the listed methods as needed. (*\*More information on adding new adults can be found within the page for TLC Help Documentation*.)

Certain leaders can also click **Initiate Leader Registration** to invite an existing Parent/Guardian to become a Registered Adult. (*\*If an adult was previously registered, or previously invited to register, but was reverted back to a Parent/Guardian, the Troop Leaders can use this Initiate Leader Registration link to change them back to a Registered Adult. Any previously completed registration items will remain as completed.*)

Clicking **Transfer Member** allows a Troop to invite another existing member to transfer from another location into their Troop. (Transfers are always initiated by the receiving Troop.) The Last Name and Email address of an adult in the Household is all that is needed to begin the process. (*By default, this transfer tool is available to the Troop Ministry Liaison (TML) and Troopmaster. Also, by default, when an adult is transferred into a Troop they are automatically assigned to the "Parent/Guardian" role. A Troop Leader with the proper permissions can click "Initiate Leader Registration" to change them back to a Registered Adult, if desired, and assign any roles as needed.*)

Clicking **Pay Bulk Memberships** allows you to process payment for multiple Household members at one time. Additionally, you have the ability to pay for other Troop members if desired. (*\*Registration expiration dates must fall within the same 45-day renewal window for multiple individuals to be selected.*)

Click **Troop Org Chart** to view the primary leadership layout for your Troop. If any standard roles are not currently filled, this chart will help to identify those needs. (*\*Only standard Charter-related and Program leaders are able to be displayed within this chart.*)

OTHER MENU ITEMS

The **Calendar** menu includes a variety of items, depending on your role. "View Calendar" will display the Troop's Calendar for all members. Other tools are available to Calendar managers and Troop leaders. (*\*More information on the TLC Calendar can be found on within the page for TLC Help Documentation*.)

The **Advancement** menu contains links for program leaders to track Trailman progress, order awards, and view related reports. The "Badges & Awards" link (as well as the "Badges" button on the Dashboard) will bring you to a page that lists all of the various awards, ranks, and badges across the entire Trail Life program. (*\*More information on Advancement tracking can be found on within the page for TLC Help Documentation*.)

The **Scripture** menu is for utilizing scripture memorization in the Troop, if desired. Many scripture memory items are already populated for members to complete. Leaders can add additional scripture passages if they wish, and can also mark memorization approvals for any listed Trailmen who are working on memorizations.

The **Documents** menu provides links to the digital Health & Safety Guide, a printable Incident Report Form, and a link for leaders to manage the Troop's own Documents library. (*\*More information on Troop Documents can be found on within the page for TLC Help Documentation*.) For access to Home Office provided Documents and Resources, navigate to "Basecamp Training" (covered in the next section) and go into the "Backpack" area within Basecamp.

**Basecamp Training** is your source for role-specific training materials (under *Learning Trails*,) curated and searchable Documents & Resources (under *Backpack*,) and Trail Life *Podcasts*.

Under the **Communication** menu, leaders can *Email Members*, post or *Update Announcements*, and create email *User Groups*. All members can view *Email History* to locate and review any emails sent or received from within Trail Life Connect.

Under the **Troop Settings** menu, Troop Leaders can view and modify some of the Troop's general settings, view roles and permissions, and update a variety of other items for use within the Troop.

The **Trail Life Campfire** is the social media platform built within Trail Life Connect. Access to the Campfire is restricted to adult leaders who are fully registered. The Campfire is a way to engage with the whole Trail Life community and ask questions, give answers to questions, share activities and photos, etc.

The **Trail Life Resources** menu is a list of helpful external resources. Access the Trail Life online *Store*, see *Member Benefits*, get help with *Branding* and "Join the Adventure" *Recruiting Materials*, use the *Annual Planning Guides*, or make a donation.

Use the **Help** menu to locate *TLC Help Documentation* for answering questions regarding using the various tools and areas of Trail Life Connect. If you need to contact your Troop leaders, use the *Contact* *Troop* link and fill out the form to send them an email. If you need support beyond your Troop leaders, you can send a message to your designated Area leader (either Point Man or Direct Service Advisor) by clicking the available link as it displays for your Troop. If you need additional assistance after consulting the Help Documentation, after speaking with Troop or local leaders, and after speaking with Area leaders, you can click *Contact TLC Support*. You will first get an opportunity to engage with the virtual support assistant. If you are unable to obtain the answer you are looking for, you will be presented with the opportunity to submit a support request.