Coming from someone whose team switched from 95% paper scouting to 95% electronic scouting last year, I would say you're right when you say your team would be setting themselves up for failure through the use of paper scouting at St. Louis.
If so few students seem to be interested in seriously developing your scouting subteam, using paper in St. Louis will most likely result in lack of cohesive data and, as you stated, no good way to tabulate the data.
I think if you show your team why paper scouting may have been good in the past, but not so applicable this year (especially if your electronic system is as good as you say it is), you may be able to convince them to utilize the electronic system in St. Louis.
Showing them how easy it is to sort through and compile data collected electronically compared to data collected through paper scouting may also prove to them why electronic is better for your team.
As for overstepping your boundaries, I wouldn't say you'd be doing that by trying to convince them to use electronic scouting. You're trying to help the team in a manner that you know will work, and from what you say, it doesn't sound like you're shooting down any of the students' ideas to overhaul your scouting process either.
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I am working on migrating the electronic scouting system into a few, very capable, student's hands.
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Getting the system into those students' hands before presenting your case for using tablets in St. Louis would also greatly increase your chance of convincing the senior mentors on your team. It would show how you really aren't trying to discourage any students from scouting, rather setting them up to improve tenfold compared to their previous method.
Even though you said there's very few accomplished programmers on your team, you could see if they'd be willing to help modify WildRank or help take on the task of creating your own system, ground up.
Conclusively, I say try your hardest to get electronic scouting implemented for St. Louis and get students involved with the system before appealing to any senior mentors regarding the issue.