Calling All Eagle Scouts! Meet NESA’s New Online Community

NESA’s online community is about to change in a great way and you and your fellow Eagles are going to love the new features you’ll be able to use to stay connected.

The associate director for the Scouting Alumni Association, Ryan Larson has the details on this exciting move, as well as a video to help you set up your account. Check out this helpful Q&A breakdown of the new community, and make sure to watch his step-by-step video tutorial!

A New Online Community

Recently, the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) learned that the provider of the online Eagle Scout Community found at www.nesa.org would be discontinuing their service of the community on Feb. 29, 2016.

In the past, NESA has relied on this online community (which was created in conjunction with the 2008 Eagle Scout Roll of Honor book and serviced by the publisher, Harris Connect) to help Eagle Scouts connect with one another online.

Please be assured that NESA is committed to providing an avenue for Eagle Scouts to find and network with one another. To remedy the situation, NESA has worked with the Scouting Alumni Association to create the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0 and has provided the following information sheet to help Eagle Scouts with the transition to the new network/online directory. 

What do I need to do, right now?

If NESA has your email address, you will receive an email where you will be able to register and locate your current profile. This email will contain your first and last name and your email address, which you will use to ensure that you log in to your specific record.

You will need to review and enter your information in the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0 before the Eagle Scout community expires on February 29.

If you are an Eagle Scout, and you do not receive an email instructing you to login, feel free to reach out to NESA@scouting.org with your email address, phone number, and troop number. We will then send you your login credentials.

Eagle Scouts may find that some information did not migrate to the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0 from the NESA community such as your profile photo or other information. We apologize for any inconvenience you may experience in re-entering and/or uploading your profile data as this was caused by the different requirements between the two databases.

What are the advantages of the new Scouting Alumni Network 1.0?

The Scouting Alumni Network 1.0 was created with the potential to be more robust over the long term. For instance, it will not just include NESA members, but over time will also bring together records from NESA, the Scouting Alumni Association (SAA), and other Scouting affiliated groups.

It also includes updated information from the most recent Eagle Scout directory project.

This central database will make it easier for alumni to find each other and keep their records up to date, while improving local councils’ ability to engage with people who are committed to advancing the cause of Scouting.

During the recent directory project known as The Four Percent publication, an overwhelming number of Eagle Scouts asked NESA to provide an online option for Eagle Scout alumni keep their information current. The new Alumni Network 1.0 provides Eagle Scouts that ability.

In addition, local councils often reach out to the National Service Center for information on alumni who’ve moved into their service areas. With the new database, Eagle Scouts will be able to update their information as it changes and councils will be able to access that information in real time, which was not available on the online NESA community.

What will happen to my Eagle Scout “@nesa.org” email address?

Unfortunately, this service will be discontinued on February 29 as it was a benefit that was delivered by the provider of the online NESA community. We are in the process of looking at a replacement, but do not believe one will be available at the termination of the contract on February 29.

What about other features such as the Business Exchange, Eagle Notes, and Career Center?

Some features will no longer be active based on surveys of NESA members, current use rates as well as digital changes since the NESA Community’s inception.

For instance, the discussion board will no longer be present as most individuals use other platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn to conduct online group conversations.

NESA and the SAA are developing strategies to leverage existing social media outlets for launch in the Scouting Alumni Network 2.0 and also create features that will only be available to Eagle Scouts. Unfortunately, due to the lack of notice from Harris Connect regarding the retirement of the NESA community, we were unable to incorporate those features in the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0.

I searched for another Eagle Scout record and he did not show up in the search results.

This may be due to a number of reasons, which may include the following:

• The Eagle Scout is under the age of 18. Or, we do not have their birth month and year on file to confirm that they are over the age of 18. Eagle Scouts who are under the age of 18 do not display on the network.
• The Eagle Scout has indicated that they do not want their record searchable on the alumni network.

I notice that badge icons display on some profiles. How does that work?

National Scouting awards that are known to the BSA will display on individual profiles such as the Eagle Award, Silver Buffalo, etc. Some awards and distinctions will display on an individual’s profile if they have entered information on their profile such as if they are Order of the Arrow member or received the District Award of Merit.

In addition, logos of certain Scouting Affinity groups such as the Philmont Staff Association, Summit Staff Association, etc. will display when membership is confirmed in these groups.

We are in the process of migrating this information into the profiles on the Alumni Network and verifying award data. So, if you see data missing from your profile please be patient as that data will be incorporated over the course of the year.

I see that I can mark past council affiliations. Can you explain more about this feature?

Where you live determines your “current council.” However, alumni who have moved tend to want to stay in contact with councils they previously associated with in the past. By marking past council affiliations, you will open your record to those councils so that they can continue to stay in touch with you (for instance, keep you updated on the council camp you attended as a youth).

 I searched for some Eagle Scout friends of mine, and not much information is displayed for them. Why?

Eagles need to examine their profile and check the boxes to indicate what information they would like displayed. Otherwise, only the default information such as first name, last name, city, state, unit and Scouting affiliations, hobbies, and professional and volunteer associations will show on their profile. We will be communicating with Eagle Scouts to encourage them to update their profile so other Eagle Scouts may locate them.

 How do I limit the data shown to those on the Alumni Network 1.0?

The default information displayed is your first name, last name, city, state, unit and Scouting affiliations, hobbies, and professional and volunteer associations. If you mark your profile as “not searchable,” nothing will be displayed on the Alumni Network.

In addition, the new database gives alumni control over what information appears on the site. In addition to their contact information and professional details, alumni will be able to include their Scouting histories and add links to their social-media platforms.

Each section has a box that gives alumni the ability to display or not display the information contained in the section. (All data will be made available to local councils whether or not the information is checked to display on the network.) You must check the boxes to have information displayed.

Be aware that some information is not editable and must be entered at the National Service Center such as whether an alum received the Eagle Scout Award.

Check out the online tutorial on how to work with the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0!

We have created a video tutorial for Scouting alumni that will be used in conjunction with the Scouting Alumni website (scheduled for launch later this year) that we will prove helpful to you as you get familiar with the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0.

For additional questions, feel free to email the National Eagle Scout Association at NationalEagleScout.Assocation@scouting.org

Have you already registered your accoutn? Tell us how you like the new online community in the comments!