Frequently Asked Questions

FREE TOOLS By Scouters For Scouters

.zip\[TigerTrax1.12.xls]Scout 1
	Problem:	When I enter the boy's names on the tabs at the bottom of the page, I get this cryptic filename in front of the boy's names. What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it?
	Solution:	You have to physically SAVE the spreadsheet to your hard drive. As soon as you save it, the filename will disappear from in front of the boy's names.

*Password?*
	Problem:	I'm trying to enter information onto the boy's pages, but it keeps telling me that the cell is protected and therefore, read-only. It further tells me I'll have to unprotect the sheet to enter the information, and that I may be prompted for a password. Help. What's the password?
	Solution:	Basically, if you're getting this message, you're trying to type stuff in the wrong place. Please read the instructions page about how and where to enter information.

*Read Only*
	Problem:	I'm trying to fill in information, and spreadsheet tells me it is read-only. Help.
	Solution:	This always boils down to one of two problems: 1. You are trying to enter stuff in the wrong place, and it is asking you for a password. To solve this issue, you need to carefully read the instructions page about how and where to enter information. 2. You haven't really unzipped the .xls Trax file from inside the .zip file yet. You are merely "looking at" the file enclosed inside the .zip file. To solve this, you need to finish unzipping the .xls file by physically saving the spreadsheet to your hard drive. I can't be more specific than that because different zip applications handle the unzipping of files differently. Winzip allows you to simply drag-n-drop the file from inside the zip window.

*Deleting Scouts*
	Problem:	I had a scout drop out. How do I delete his record?
	Solution:	Deleting can cause major problems, and I HIGHLY recommend you don't do it.The best way to safely remove a scout's record is to simply clear all his 'A's from his record, and rename his page back to 'Scout X'

*Adding Scouts*
	Problem:	I have over 15 scouts in my den/patrol, and I want to add a column to accomodate the 16th scout. How do I do that?
	Solution:	No easy way to do that. It would involve rebuilding the spreadsheet from scratch. Basically, you just need to download a 2nd spreadsheet to handle the extra scout(s). To be honest, if you have to ask for help in doing it, you don't have the Excel expertise to attempt it.

*Rearranging Scouts*
	Problem:	I really want to rearrange my boys to either put them in alphabetical order. How do I do that.
	Solution:	You can rearrange the order of the tabs for the individual scout sheets, but there's no way to do a "sort" on the spreadsheet. This is a simple spreadsheet.

*LDS Scouting Units*
	Problem:	Since LDS units approach scouting graduation from one rank to another from a different perspective, how do I keep track of the records for the boys as they graduate from rank to rank on their birthdays?
	Solution:	At any point in time, you'll have 2 active spreadsheets. Name them according to the calendar year. For example, BearTrax2006.xls and BearTrax2007.xls. As a boy ages up to your patrol, enter him onto your spreadsheet according to the year he entered. As he ages up to the next rank above yours, just let his records go "dormant". By Jan 1, 2008, all boys on the 2006 will be aged up to Webelos, and your current spreadsheets will then be for 2007 and 2008.

*Data Transfer*
	Problem:	I've been using an older version of one of your spreasheets, and I notice you now have out a newer version of the spreadsheet available. I've downloaded the sheet, and now I want to transfer over the data from the old sheet to the new sheet, but I don't know how. Help. How do I transfer over the data?
	Solution:	Bad news. There is no transfer function. This is a flat spreadsheet. Basically, you're going to have to hand-transfer over the data. The ONLY time-saver you have would be Copy~Paste from one block of boxes to another. Sorry.

*Can't see the tabs at the bottom of the page*
	Problem:	I've downloaded and opened the Tiger Trax spreadsheet. All I get is the instructions... no tabs, no place to enter data other than den and troop numbers. It says to use the tabs at the bottom of the page but I don't have any tabs... just information about the program itself.
	Solution:	You have to maximize the spreadsheet. Then you will see the tabs at the bottom.

*It wants to enter a boy's name when I try to type an A or E*
	Problem:	One of our boy's name is 'Alex' (or Andrew, or Eric, etc) - so whenever I try to enter 'A' for achieved in the Achievement page (or 'E' on the Electives page), it wants to automatically enter his full name instead, which also means the formulas won't work. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
	Solution:	You’re the victim of Microsoft's “auto fill”. Enter the A in the sheet, then hit the Backspace key to erase the rest of Alex’s name. Then press Enter. You'll have to do this on each page where you enter data.

*Packmaster/Troopmaster*
	Problem:	Is there a way to import data from these spreadsheets into Packmaster or Troopmaster?
	Solution:	No. Sorry.

*Stuff doesn't show on the Summary Sheet*
	Problem:	My son has earned some Arrow Points/Elective Disks, and it shows them on the Individual Sheets, but it doesn't show them on the Summary page.
	Solution:	The Summary sheet is for signaling the leader as to when to turn in for awards. A boy cannot recieve Arrow Points/Elective Discs if he hasn't earned his Tiger/Wolf/Bear badge.

*Beltloops and Pin in WebelosTrax*
	Problem:	When I open up WebelosTrax, you have almost all of the beltloops listed, and you only have one of the pins listed. Is this a mistake?
	Solution:	It's no mistake. The only Academic and Sports beltloops and pins listed in WebelosTrax are those that are direct requirements for Webelos Activity pins (thus the missing Collecting beltloop and solitary Physical Fitness pin). Also, be aware that even though a boy may have already earned the beltloop or pin, he must "re-earn" it to recieve credit for the Webelos Acitivity pin requirement.

*Integrating Beltloops and Pins into the various rank Trax sheets*
	Problem:	Please consider integrating the beltloops and pins into, say, TigerTrax or WolfTrax? I would find it useful to have both rank information and beltloop information in the same spreadsheet.
	Solution:	I understand completely. However, the reason that there is a separate Beltloop & Pin Trax spreadsheet is because the Academic & Sports Beltloop and Pins program is designed to encompass the entire cub scout career. It transcends the rank. A scout can very easily complete 2 beltloop requirements his Tiger year, and the third requirement his Bear year, and he has earned the beltloop. If I were to roll the beltloop pages into the various rank pages, you would have to hand-copy the beltloop information year after year, and believe me, that can get tedious.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
	ZIP decompression tool. These spreadsheets are ZIP COMPRESSED to facilitate quicker downloads. After downloading, the resultant file needs to be de-compressed on your workstation. If you do not have a Zip decompression tool available, click here to download WinZip. Microsoft Excel version: The spreadsheets have been tested on both Macintosh (OS 7.5 and later) and on Windows 95/98/2000, and XP machines. They have been tested with versions of Excel from 5.0 and later. Please note that these spreadsheets are not compatible with Microsoft Works. If you do not have access to Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice contains a free spreadsheet that is about 90% compatible with Microsoft Excel. OpenOffice is a free download from Sun Microsystems on the Internet. OpenOffice Calc version: If you do not have access to Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice contains a spreadsheet program called Calc that will work with the OpenOffice version of the software. The entire OpenOffice suite is a free download from Sun Microsystems on the Internet. This suite contains not only Calc, but also a word processor, a database, and a graphical presentation program. Click to download either the Windows version and the Mac version. Note: the Mac version of OpenOffice will only run on OS X. PLEASE NOTE! More specific information on using and customizing the spreadsheet is contained in the spreadsheet's Instructions worksheet. Please read this page before you begin using the spreadsheets!
DISCLAIMER & SUPPORT
	Frank Steele of Pack 615 and Troop 615, League City, TX is solely responsible for all of the Trax series spreadsheets and their support. The BSA does not endorse, support, or in any way acknowledge them. Please email Frank Steele and with any questions, comments, problems you have with the spreadsheets. Let me know if you find them helpful also! If you need help, please don't hesitate to e-mail me, but before you do, please be sure that you have both read the Instructions page in the spreadsheet thoroughly and read the FAQ page on this website thoroughly. I have found that most all problems can be solved by simply reading these two documents.

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