Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Tussock endorsed by Scouts Australia?

  No. Tussock is an independent tool built by Scout leaders. It is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or operated by Scouts Australia or any Branch, Region, or District organisation.

  All official Scouting records remain authoritative in Terrain, Scouts Australia's official platform. Tussock syncs results back to Terrain so the official record stays current.

• Can Tussock sync with Terrain?

  Yes. Leaders link their Terrain account to Tussock during setup. Tussock then:

  • Imports your Scout roster from Terrain's member management API
  • Pushes attendance records, OAS completions, and Milestone awards back to Terrain after each night
  • Keeps the official Terrain record accurate without manual double-entry

  See Terrain Integration for a full breakdown.

• Is Tussock free?

  Yes, Tussock is free to use during the current pilot phase. All core features are available at no cost, including:

  • Scout Night planning wizard
  • Attendance tracking and PAL role assignment
  • OAS stage awarding
  • Parent consent flows
  • Terrain sync
• Does Tussock work offline?

  No. Tussock requires an internet connection for all reads and writes. It is a Progressive Web App (PWA) so it can be installed on your phone's home screen for quick access, but connectivity is required at the venue for every action.

  If you're running a camp or night in an area with poor coverage, we recommend downloading the Scout roster and event details to Tussock before you lose signal, then completing awards once you're back online.

• What sections does Tussock support?

  All sections: Joeys, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, and Rovers. Every section has its own patrol structure within a Group.

  OAS tracking, Milestone awards, SIA projects, attendance, and parent consent all work across every age group. There are no section-specific restrictions.

• What is OAS?

  OAS stands for Outdoor Adventure Skills — Scouts Australia's progressive outdoor skills program. It covers 9 streams across 9 stages each:

  • Core streams: Bushcraft, Bushwalking, Camping
  • Specialist streams: Alpine, Aquatic, Boating, Cycling, Paddling, Vertical

  Scouts progress through stages by completing specific requirements in each stream. Stages persist across a Scout's entire Scouting lifecycle — progress in Camping as a Cub counts toward Camping as a Scout.

  See the OAS Framework Reference for the full requirement breakdown.

• How do I get started with Tussock?
  1. Sign up at tussock.group using your email address
  2. Create your Scout Group and invite co-leaders
  3. Link your Terrain account to import your Scout roster
  4. Use the Scout Night wizard to plan your first event
  5. Run the night with live attendance and award at the end

  See How It Works for a full step-by-step walkthrough.

• Can multiple leaders use Tussock for the same Group?

  Yes. Any number of leaders can be invited to a Scout Group in Tussock. Co-leaders can:

  • Plan and manage events
  • Take attendance during the night
  • Award OAS stages, Milestones, and SIAs
  • View the full Scout roster and event history
• Does Tussock handle parent consent?

  Yes. Tussock supports two consent models:

  • Standing consent: A parent's general permission for their Scout to attend Group events
  • Per-event consent: Specific consent requests sent before a particular event, for events that require it

  Leaders can view consent status per Scout at a glance before running an event.

• What is the Plan > Do > Review cycle?

  Plan > Do > Review (P>D>R) is the standard Scouts Australia learning cycle. Every Scout Night follows this structure:

  • Plan: Create the event, set Challenge Area and SPICES domains, map OAS requirements, assign PAL roles in advance
  • Do: Run the night — take attendance, adjust PAL roles on the fly, manage the active session
  • Review: Complete the night — award OAS stages, Milestones, and Achievements; sync back to Terrain

  See How It Works for a detailed walkthrough.

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