Events, Registration & Payments

Lifecycle: Create, Publish, Register, Collect, Reconcile

Events in TroopForge follow a shared lifecycle with handoffs between operations and finance teams.

1. Leader or treasurer creates the event and cost structure.
2. Members are registered and registration status is managed.
3. Payments are requested or recorded against each registration.
4. Treasurers approve scout-account requests and reconcile external money.
5. All roles monitor payment status and stage deadlines through event registration views.

Leader/Treasurer Lifecycle: Build and Publish the Event

Where to go: Events -> Create Event.

1. Open the event form and complete identity fields first: Event Name, Location, Description, Event Start Date, and Registration Deadline.
2. Choose single-day or multi-day event dates.
3. Set scope with Sub-Troop (Optional) or leave blank for organization-wide events.
4. Review the event summary blocks and then continue to cost setup before submitting.

Step-by-Step: Configure Event Costs

Cost setup happens in Event Costs. TroopForge calculates registration balances from these component records.

1. Step 1: Add required fee components
2. Click Add Component.
3. Enter a clear component name (for example, Base Fee, Transportation, Campsite).
4. Set amount and keep Required (auto-included) checked for charges every registration must pay.
5. Choose the most accurate component type (Base Fee, Meal, Transportation, Equipment, or Optional Item).
6. Step 2: Add optional fee components
7. Add optional add-ons members can choose during registration (for example, Event Shirt).
8. Uncheck Required for optional components.
9. Use negative optional amounts only for discounts. Only leaders and treasurers can apply discount components during registration updates.
10. Use max quantity when inventory limits should block oversubscription.

Step-by-Step: Configure Multi-Stage Payments

1. Enable Enable multi-stage payment schedule.
2. Add stages in due-date order. Stage numbers are auto-sequenced.
3. For each stage, set due date, description, and amount.
4. Use Amount ($0 = auto) when you want automatic distribution instead of fixed per-stage totals.
5. Step 3: Validate stage totals before saving
6. Review the Stage Allocation Summary before submit. It shows Total Required Cost, Current Stage Total, and Remaining Amount.
7. If you entered explicit stage amounts, make sure totals are fully allocated before you save.

Multi-stage logic used by TroopForge

• If all stage amounts are $0, TroopForge splits each component amount evenly across all stages and applies any rounding remainder to the final stage.
• If any stage amount is non-zero, stage totals must equal the total required event cost.
• Required components are distributed proportionally across defined stage amounts based on each component's share of required total cost.
• Optional positive components are allocated to the final stage by default.
• Negative optional components (discounts) offset stage balances using the same stage proportions as required costs.

Leader/Treasurer Registration Workflow

Where to go: Event detail page -> Member Registrations -> Register Member.

1. Click Register Member and select one or more members.
2. Select optional components and quantities as needed before submit.
3. Submit registration. Leader/treasurer-created registrations are immediately active for operations.
4. Use row expansion to review balances, component breakdown, and stage due status.
5. Use status controls (Confirm/Waitlist) and bulk tools for roster management.
6. Use Edit Optional Components to add/remove extras when unpaid and update quantities safely.

• Registrations created by leaders or treasurers start as confirmed.
• Registrations created by parents or scouts start as pending.
• Only leaders and treasurers can apply discount components.
• If required component pricing changes after members register, TroopForge synchronizes required balances for existing registrations.

Parent/Scout Lifecycle: Register and Request Payment

Where to go: Left nav Events -> open event -> registration list.

1. Step 1: Register for the event
2. Click Register Member.
3. Select your family member (or yourself for scout self-registration).
4. Select optional components if needed and submit.
5. Registrations created by parents or scouts start as pending.
6. Step 2: Request scout-account payment
7. Expand your registration row and review balance details.
8. In Pay from Scout Account, confirm available balance and submit Request Payment from Scout Account.
9. Step 3: Track request status and balances
10. After submit, status shows Awaiting treasurer approval.
11. Watch payment history and balance owed until request is approved and posted.

Parent/scout users can request payment actions in-app but do not approve or post payments. If you pay outside the system (cash/check/PayPal/card), provide details to the treasurer so the transaction is recorded.

Treasurer Lifecycle: Review Requests and Reconcile Payments

Where to go: Left nav Pending Requests and event registration detail rows.

1. Step 1: Review and resolve scout-account requests
2. Open Pending Requests.
3. Use filters for event or scout account when needed.
4. Review requested amount, available balance, and requested-by user.
5. Click Approve to confirm payment and apply funds to the event registration.
6. Click Deny to release held funds and close the request.
7. Step 2: Record external payments
8. Open the event registration row and click Record Payment.
9. Enter amount, payment date, and method for cash, check, PayPal, and card payments.
10. Capture references for reconciliation, including check numbers and PayPal transaction IDs.
11. Step 3: Correct or refund when needed
12. Update pending payment records when correction is needed before posting.
13. Refund confirmed payments when money must be returned.
14. Do not delete refunded records. Refunded payments cannot be deleted.

• Only treasurers can create, update, or refund manual event payments.
• Manual payment entry in event rows keeps registration balances and stage allocations in sync.
• Record outside-the-system receipts as soon as funds are received to avoid stale family balances.

Payment Status and Multi-Stage Tracking

TroopForge supports single-charge events and multi-stage payment schedules. Multi-stage tracking rolls up by registration and shows whether each member is current, due soon, or overdue.

• Use stage due dates to manage installments over the event timeline.
• Track paid, upcoming, and overdue stages directly in registration details.
• Use payment status badges and balances to prioritize outreach.
• Quick payment defaults target the amount needed to get current (overdue + near-term stages first).
• When payments are posted, allocations are applied to base fees first and then to later components by stage order.