It almost seems wrong to have the Boy Scout Handbook on my iPhone 4 now.

Maybe it’s some visceral mental bias that insists on the tactile sensations of turning pages, scribbling handwritten notes in the margins. Or fear that I’ll get campfire soot on the smart phone screen with each tap, slide, and pinch of my fingers.

This handbook is the only official release from the Boy Scouts of America. At that, it’s fundamentally a pick-and-place e-book rendering of its print version; for now, then, I suspect, not really conducive to the sort of dog-eared highlighting, Scoutmaster-sign-off references we’re used to for our practical, hand’s-on needs.

But if planning and record-keeping are things you’re looking for from an Apple iPhone app, there are some neat independent offerings from which to choose.

Specifically, I’ve found three current options for rank advancement and merit badge tracking.

Personally, I prefer “My Badges: Troop Badge Personal Edition” (2.9 MB, version 6 released Aug. 7). It’s a solid 4 out of 5 stars with 39 ratings so far on the App Store. Wonderful images of each patch are used for the main page navigation structure, and repeated on dedicated work screens to keep users oriented as they drill down.

This program really seems to maximize iPhone 4 potential, with tabs across the top for users to check Required, In-Progress, and Complete status. Scroll to anything from its home page, or jump to specific merit badges from among six alphabetized groupings. Tap on the “Special” box for even more certifications, from the basic Firem’n Chit, to Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Awards.

A “Premier Edition” from the same author HandyApp, differs by providing means of tracking multiple boys.

Another equally good option is “Badge & Scout Rank Advancement Merit Tracker” (3.8 MB, iOS 4.0 tested, version 1.3 released July 30), developed by Latter-Day Apps. Also 4 stars, but only 26 ratings.

Layout differs from “My Badges,” but this one does an equally good job of letting you look at either rank advancement or merit badge efforts by section. It also features nice patch graphics, and fields for posting progress and completion dates — in addition to check-off boxes.

Navigation isn’t quite as nice, however. No tracking, nor even general notes on certifications beyond the basics.

Finally, coming in a distant third for me, there’s “ScoutTracker” (114 KB, version 1.1 released Jan. 7).

Navigation is exclusively rank-driven, which falls short of how I see our young men using their Boy Scout Handbooks. For example, it’s not immediately clear how they’d record any Merit Badges earned during their first four ranks; they’d likely have to intuit how these would apply, and record them accordingly, against ranks that they might not actively work on until years later.

Sign-off fields created by Sudden Technology are cumbersome as well. App Store feedback stands at 14 ratings, with only 3 stars.

Whatever you decide, do make sure to wash your hands first. And consider adding “iPhone protection” to your field-packing inventory.

Dell Deaton is a local volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, Great Sauk Trails Council. He currently serves as District Vice-Chair for Membership and as Chaplain in his son's Troop. Wood Badge C-60-08, Beaver Patrol. Former Cubmaster, Ann Arbor-based Pack. Check out /scouting_dell to Follow me on Twitter.

Professionally, Dell Deaton is a Christian divorce (and alternatives) counselor based in Saline. Personal life: Re-married, father of one, with three dogs. Other interests include Ian Fleming and James Bond wristwatches, on which he is an internationally-recognized expert.