Handbook for Boy Scout Troop 225


Introduction
1. Troop Meetings
2. Courts of Honor
3. Troop Outings
4. Permission Slips
5. Required Clothing/Equipment
6. Special Rules
7. Cost of Scouting
8. Advancement
9. Damage to Troop Equipment/Property
10. Troop Health and Safety
11. Discipline Policy
12. Leader/Driver Responsibility
13. Parental Participation
14. Troop Organization

The following material has been written to assist new scouts and their families in learning some of the rules and procedures that have helped our troop remain successful and enhances each Scout's enjoyment of the program.

The program is for the Scouts and is as successful and rewarding as each of us makes it. Troop 225 has gained its success by being flexible and adapting to the changing times and interests of its members. Everyone's thoughts and suggestions to make this a better program are always welcome. The Troop Committee has adopted the following Mission Statement for Troop 225. Boy Scout Troop 225 exists to serve boys by instilling values, preparing them to make ethical choices over their lifetime and to enable them to achieve their full potential. We accomplish this by working toward three aims - Participating Citizenship; Moral Strength and Character; and Development of Physical, Mental and Emotional Fitness. Our values are based upon the Scout Oath and Law.


1. Troop Meetings

Every Monday during the school year from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. In our summer program the full troop will meet every other week. Any Scout under the rank of First Class can come each week (i.e. weeks the troop does not meet) and work on requirements for rank advancements to help scouts move up faster.

Exceptions due to outings, holidays, etc. are noted in the Newsletter's Calendar of Events published and distributed monthly. We share our facilities with many other groups at Christ Church. At times things may come up and we have to change/cancel a meeting with very short notice (i.e. funerals). We will do our best to notify everyone prior to the meeting but please understand that we only have a very short period of time and we will do our best.


2. Courts of Honor

Once each three months; presently in February, May, August and November, troop Courts of Honor meetings are held to recognize and award each Scout's acheivements during the prior three months. This is a more formal type of meeting and parents or guardian are required and families are welcome to attend in support of their sons. This also provides an opportunity for each parent to learn more about the upcoming troop events, as well as hear details of the past three months' activities. Scouts are expected to be in full Class A uniform for Courts of Honor.


3. Troop Outings

In addition to regular troop meetings, the Troop attempts to have some type of activity monthly to enable each scout to enhance his learning experience and to utilize and enjoy the rewards of the previous skill he has learned. Some examples of past and future activities are as follows:


4. Permission Slips

Permission slips must be turned in two weeks prior to participation in each outing, whether one day or longer. These slips must be signed by a parent or guardian and will be collected two meetings prior to leaving. These slips authorize the adult leader in charge to seek medical assistance should a Scout incur an accident or become ill. Depending on the seriousness of the problem, parents may be notified. If for some reason you misplace the permission slip, it may be handwritten, provided it is signed and dated and is worded as follows:

Parental Authorization - I give permission for my son(s) _______________ to accompany Boy Scout Troop 225 on the above outing.

Any permission slip that is signed by anyone other than the parent or guardian will not be accepted.

There is a place on the permission slip for the parent to indicate if they will be available for transportation to or from the event and whether or not they will participate in the outing. Parents are encouraged to take part in several of the monthly outings yearly.

Any boy not furnishing this slip will have to be left behind, and any consequences resulting from this action will be the responsibility of the boy and/or parents. Permission slip forms for each outing and activity are available at scout meetings at the time of activity sign-up.


5. Required Clothing/Equipment

UNIFORM: All Scouts are required to wear the basic Scout Class A uniform to all scouting activities. The uniform includes the official BSA shirt, neckerchief, slide, and proper insignia on the shirt as shown in the Official Scout Handbook. Trousers of any durable material are acceptable. Official scout trousers are not required. (All items are available at Scout Headquarters at 2319 Northwestern Ave.) During the summer program, Scouts are permitted to wear the Class B uniform.

CAMPING GEAR: All Scouts are requested to have the following equipment:

NOTE: Tents and other major camp gear is provided by the troop. From time to time other gear may be necessary depending on the type of outing. (All gear should be labeled with scout name for easy identification.)

MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT
ITEMS NOT PERMITTED ON OUTINGS FOR SCOUTS OR ADULTS

6. Special Rules

In the interest of the safety of all Scouts, as well as the enjoyment and successful learning experience of the scouting program, common sense and good conduct is required at all times.

The following special rules should be noted:

7. Cost of Scouting

The Troop desires that all boys be able to participate in the scouting program regardless of their personal financial situation. Because of this, various fundraising projects are a regular part of Troop activities.

Some of the money earned from these events goes toward Troop equipment, awards and registration. Additionally, from many fundraisers, credit is allotted to individual Scout accounts based on their individual participation in the events, to be utilized to cover the cost of outings, dues, camping equipment or other scouting related items.

Scouts are encouraged to participate in various fundraisers in order to ensure that the financial requirements of the troop are met. The Troop Financial Records are always available for review by interested parents. The early knowledge of which Scouts will be participating in an activity greatly helps in the planning stages. Scouts who sign up for an event and later are unable to attend must notify one of the Scoutmasters PRIOR to the event. In order to get a refund for the fees paid for the event the scout must make a written request to the Troop Committee. The request should include the date you notified the Scoutmaster and the reason for not attending. The committee reserves the right to determine the refund if any, to be returned since various registration fees must be paid and supplies must be obtained in advance.

Besides the outing cost, some events require the purchase of food or supplies. These are not covered by the fee (unless otherwise stated). Normally each Patrol plans its own menu for an outing and two scouts from the patrol purchase the food. Money is due two weeks in advance of the outing if paid by check or from Scout's account or one week in advance if paid by cash. Checks should be made out to "Boy Scout Troop 225."

A $15.00 a year transportation fee is due from each scout at time of recharter (February). This fee is for the year's transportation costs to campouts which include summer camp.


8. Advancement

Since the Scout Advancement Program is an integral part of the learning experience, each Scout is encouraged and expected to set certain attainable goals. All Scouts are required to progress to their next rank in a reasonable time.

Scouts encountering difficulty in attaining goals are requested to discuss any specific problems with the Scoutmaster. Parents are welcome to join in these discussions.

Remember, First Class is required for High Adventure Outings.

PARENT'S PARTICIPATION IN THE ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM:

Scouts planning to pursue merit badges are required to seek out merit badge counselors. Merit Badge counselors are adults who that have a knowledge of the area they have signed up for (i.e. Safety Merit Badge counselors may be a Police Officer, Fireman, etc.). The Scoutmaster maintains a list of counselors that are available, both within our Troop and outside our Troop. The parents' responsibility is to ENCOURAGE their son to acheive the next rank. The SCOUT should contact these counselors and make arrangements with them to get the badge requirements completed along with a buddy.

We would like to keep our Merit Badge counselor list within the Troop up to date. If your hobbies or employment fall under one of the merit badge titles, please let our advancement committee know and they will give you the necessary information to become a merit badge counselor.

AWARDS PRESENTATION:

Awards for advancement, acheivements or special situations will be distributed as follows:

The Committee wishes to make the point that full parental support and attendance is very vital at each Court of Honor. The Troop does reserve the right to withhold any advancement if the Scout is not in uniform. Please make all effort to be in attendance. All of the family (and friends) are welcome. Scouts are reminded that notification must be given to the awards chairman for all achievements to be recorded and awarded. This must be done at least two weeks prior to the Court of Honor.


9. Damage to Troop Equipment/Property

The Troop has invested a great deal of money in equipment for the use of the Scouts, therefore each Scout is expected to use and care for it better than if it were his own. Deliberate or negligent damage by any Scout will be cause for for such Scout to be responsible for the repair, replacement or reimbursement to the Troop for the cost of such repairs/replacements.


10. Troop Health and Safety

At Troop 225 we consider safety of each and every member to be very important. At times the Troop will participate in activities of slightly higher risk than the average activity. When you sign any activity permission slip you should fully understand the scope of the activity. For the health and safety of each member of the Troop we will use (but not limited to) the rules described in this booklet as a guide. The action taken to enforce these rules will depend on the infraction that occurred.

The health of the scouts is very important to us as well. In order to attend activities and outings greater than 72 hours in length as a Troop we require a completed Class 2 medical form to be filled out for every Scout every three years with a Class 1 form updated every year (the same forms required by Boy Scouts of America for camping at council camps). These forms will be distributed via the Troop and the update date will be the first Monday of June.

For Troop campouts/outings (less than 72 hours) a "Medical Treatment Consent for Minors Card" (Blue card) must be on file.


11. Discipline Policy

During all events and activities the Scouts are expected to live up to the rules established by the Boy Scouts of America, the Troop and the leaders. In the event that a Scout or adult does not follow these rules or threatens the health and safety of any of its members, the leader in charge may take immediate remedial action, including but not limited to immediate suspension from the activity. Depending on the circumstances the parents may be immediately required to pick up their Scout. The individual may be reinstated either by the leader in charge of the specific event or by requesting reinstatement by the Troop Committee. Should such actions recur by the same Scout or adult they may be subject to permanent dismissal from the Troop upon decision by the Troop Committee.


12. Leader/Driver Responsibility

The Troop uses the resource of the parents to provide the transportation and the leadership for our outings. When accepting this responsibility we ask that as a leader you do your best to be an example of good scouting and act according to the Scout Oath and Law as well as (but not limited to) the rules of this guidebook. You are being looked on as a role model for our scouts. As a driver we demand that you show up for driving on an outing hat you and your vehicle are in good driving condition. We can not take the risk of anything less than that. The Troop cannot tolerate an impaired driver due to alcohol or drugs and a driver may be asked by the Troop leadership not to drive if there is ANY concern that this may be a problem. If any parent has a concern that one of our drivers may be impaired, please bring it to the attention of the leader in charge of the activity. Your son's safety is our first concern. We live by the motto SAFETY FIRST!! Proof of insurance must be provided prior to driving for an outing.

Transportation policy for reimbursement:

  1. Registered drivers assigned to drive will only get reimbursed.
  2. Fill up tank before you leave and upon return and bring in the receipt within 30 days.
  3. Full reimbursement of fuel expenses for 50 miles (one way) and above for carrying passengers.
  4. Full reimbursement of fuel expenses starting at 0 miles and above for towing the trailer.

13. Parental Participation

It is recognized that parent interest in scouting varies for many reasons. The benefits that the Scout receives are directly proportional to both the QUALITY and QUANTITY of parental support and participation. Please keep this in mind when your help is requested. In addition, encourage and assist your son in obtaining the most out of scouting. He needs your support!

Any suggestions or questions that parents may have are more than welcome. Present them to any committee member or send a note with your son to any meeting. All parents are welcome to become a committee member or attend committee meetings.

In order to ensure a successful program, parents will be required to participate in an outing and/or provide transportation. A minimum of two adult leaders is required on every outing.

Parents are expected to help with transportation at least a couple times a year. If adequate transportation cannot be arranged for an event some Scouts may not be able to attend. Those Scouts who are at the top of the list for attending will be those Scouts whose parents have participated most in previous Scout activities.

PLEASE BE THERE -- The Troop needs the support and input from all its Scouts' parents.

Additionally, we encourage you to read the parent's guide "How to Protect your Children from Child Abuse and Drug Abuse," a supplement which can be found in the front of your son's Scout Handbook. This booklet tells you what you can do with your child to prevent drug and/or child abuse along with an explanation about what Scouting is also doing. The prevention of Drug Abuse and Child Abuse are topics that the Boy Scouts of America and the Committee of Troop 225 take very seriously.


14. Troop Organization


Patrols

Patrols are composed of a group of six to eight boys. They function as a group during meetings, campouts and other troop activities. Patrol members are to bring ideas for programs to their patrol leader, who will then convey these ideas to the Patrol Leaders' Council. Patrols are to have a patrol name, patrol call and patrol flag, all of which they can be held accountable for during Boards of Review. It is suggested that they are to meet at a separate location once every three months. These meetings can be used for several purposes, such as advancement or planning skits for Courts of Honor. It is encouraged that each patrol try to earn the Baden-Powell Patrol Award anually.


Patrol Leaders' Council

The Patrol Leaders' Council is composed of the Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and all of the Patrol Leaders of the troop. The Senior Patrol Leader shall be the chairperson of the Patrol Leaders' Council. The troop Scribe will also be present at all of the Patrol Leaders' Council meetings with the responsibility of taking the minutes which will then be submitted to the Scoutmaster and Troop Committee for approval and will also be approved at the next PLC meeting. The Scribe will also be responsible for presenting the next month's schedule for patrol responsibilities at meetings, such as Pre-Opening, Opening, Game and Closing. These patrol responsibilities should be shared equally and rotated through patrols on a regular basis.

The Patrol Leaders' Council will be run following an agenda set by the Senior Patrol Leader. The Patrol Leaders' Council is suggested to be run according to Robert's Rules of Order.

The responsibility of the Patrol Leaders' Council is to make decisions pertaining to daily and weekly events and to make recommendations to the Leadership Corps about programs and locations for campouts and special events. It is also the responsibility of the Patrol Leaders' Council to make sure that Troop programs and events are communicated to the Scouts. This communication system will be based primarily on a telephone tree. In this system, the Senior Patrol Leader will have the responsibility of calling the Patrol Leaders, who will in turn need to call the members of their patrol. If, for some reason, the Senior Patrol Leader cannot contact the Patrol Leader, he must call the Assistant Patrol Leader. The Senior Patrol Leader is also responsible for making sure that the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader is informed of all of the information in case a Patrol Leader or Assistant Patrol Leader needs to find out information and the Senior Patrol Leader is not available.

Patrol Leaders' Council meetings will be held on a regular basis, on the day of the meeting immediately prior to the Troop Committee Meeting. At the Troop Committee Meeting the minutes from the Patrol Leaders' Council meeting will be reviewed and approved. It is the responsibility of the Troop Committee to modify the program choices in the case that a program choice by the Patrol Leaders' Council is dangerous or does not follow the aims and methods of scouting as described in the Scoutmaster's Handbook. It is important that the Troop Committee does not undermine the leadership and learning experiences of the scouts, in particular those on the Patrol Leaders' Council, by not approving a program that they simply "do not like."


Leadership Corps

Requirements for being a member of the Leadership Corps:
  1. Acheived Life Scout
  2. Scoutmaster Approval
  3. Earn one merit badge every 6 weeks

Duties of the Leadership Corps

The Leadership Corps is responsible for planning special events and campouts. The Leadership Corps is to meet once every two months and as needed at other times. They are to petition the Troop Committee for funds and changes in rules and bylaws as they feel necessary. All bylaws must be approved by the Leadership Corps and Patrol Leaders' Council in addition to the Troop Committee. At the Scoutmaster's request, the members of the Leadership Corps may be asked to help with programs for the younger Scouts. The chairman of the Leadership Corps will be the member with the most years of experience in the Troop. His responsibilities will be to preside at the Leadership Corps meetings and provide a sense of organization. He will also be a liason to the Scoutmaster and Troop Committee. The Senior Patrol Leader is not eligible to be the chair of the Leadership Corps.


Duties of Elected Positions

Senior Patrol Leader
  1. Presides at all troop meetings, events and activities.
  2. Chairs the Patrol Leaders' Council.
  3. Assigns duties and responsibilities to other leaders.
  4. Makes up a duty roster whenever the Troop is eating/functioning as a Troop rather than as patrols.
  5. Calls all Patrol Leaders to communicate information when a "Patrol Call" is required.
  6. Establishes an agenda for Patrol Leaders' Council meetings.

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader
  1. Takes over the responsibilities of the Senior Patrol Leader in his absence.
  2. Helps with leading meetings and activities.
  3. Attend Patrol Leaders' Council meetings.
  4. Assist Senior Patrol Leader with "Patrol Call."

Patrol Leader
  1. Attend Patrol Leaders' Council meetings.
  2. Plan patrol meetings.
  3. Call the members of his patrol to inform them of recent and important information or reminders.
  4. Makes duty rosters for his patrol when at a function where the Troop is functioning as Patrols.
  5. Shows patrol spirit and instills patrol spirit in his patrol members.

Assistant Patrol Leader
  1. Performs Patrol Leader's duties in his absence.
  2. Responsible for making half of the phone calls during a "Patrol Call."

Troop Scribe
  1. Keeps minutes of the Patrol Leaders' Council meetings and submits them to the Scoutmaster and Troop Committee and Patrol Leaders at the following PLC meeting for approval.
  2. Collects dues and takes attendance at weekly meetings.
  3. Prior to each Patrol Leaders' Council meeting, prepares a rotation of patrols for patrol duties at the weekly meetings for the following month. This rotation will be voted on and approved at the Patrol Leaders' Council meeting.

Troop Quartermaster
  1. Keeps records of Patrol and Troop equipment.
  2. Keeps equipment in good repair.
  3. Checks out equipment and and sees that it is returned in good order.
  4. Suggests new or replaced equipment items needed to Patrol Leaders' Council.
  5. Works closely with adult Quartermaster Advisor.

Troop Librarian
  1. Keeps records on literature owned by the Troop.
  2. Advises Patrol Leaders' Council of new or replacement items needed.
  3. Has literature available for borrowing at Troop meetings.
  4. Keeps system to check literature in and out.
  5. Follows up on late returns.

Troop Historian
  1. Gathers pictures and facts about past activities of the Troop and keeps these in permanent forms such as scrapbooks, wall hangings, or information files.
  2. Provide a report of recent events at each Court of Honor. These reports should cover all outings and special or notable events since the last Court of Honor (e.g. Troop Swim, Eagle Scouts, Webelos Crossovers).
  3. Keeps information about Troop alumni and their doings.
  4. Provides a report at a Troop activity immediately following the event so the Scouts who missed it know what they missed.

Chaplain Aide
  1. Plans and carries out religious non-denominational services at Troop activities. For this he may utilize others if he wishes. These should be planned prior to the activity and submitted to the Patrol Leaders' Council for approval.
  2. Provide invocation at all meals during a Troop activity.
  3. Encourage Troop members to earn their religious emblem.

Troop Bugler
  1. Responsible for waking the members of the Troop on campouts on time.
  2. Preference should be given to those who know music and can play taps and reveille unless there are none eligible who can perform these duties.

Duties of Appointed Positions

Troop Guide
  1. Works with younger Scouts on advancement and duties.
  2. Assists in establishing a new patrol.

Eligibility for Elected Positions

To be eligible for any position, the Scout must have his dues paid up to date.

Senior Patrol Leader
  1. First Class Rank or higher
  2. Be active in the Troop
  3. Scoutmaster Approval

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader
  1. First Class Rank or higher
  2. Be active in the Troop
  3. Scoutmaster Approval

Patrol Leader
  1. Be an active member of the Patrol

Assistant Patrol Leader
  1. Be an active member of the Patrol

Troop Scribe
  1. First Class Rank or higher
  2. Active member of the Troop

Troop Librarian, Troop Quartermaster
  1. Second Class Rank or higher
  2. Active member of the Troop

Troop Historian, Chaplain Aide
  1. Active member of the Troop

Troop Bugler
  1. Active member of the Troop
  2. Preference is given to those who know music and can play taps and revceille


Election Procedure

The election procedure for junior leaders and other positions will be as follows:
  1. In order for elections to be held there must be a quorum of 50% of the active Scouts in attendance.
  2. The election for Senior Patrol Leader will be the first election to take place, following speeches by the candidates. The Senior Patrol Leader will be the candidate who receives the MAJORITY of the votes. (Note: This is a majority, not a plurality) If none of the candidates receive a majority of the votes, the two candidates who received the highest number of votes will remain on the ballot for a run-off election.
  3. After the Senior Patrol Leader election is completed, the ballot for the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader will be developed, including those runners-up from the Senior Patrol Leader election who wish to run for Assistant Senior Patrol Leader in addition to those candidates for Assistant Senior Patrol Leader who did not run for Senior Patrol Leader. The election for Assistant Senior Patrol Leader will then be held.
  4. Following the election for the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, the Troop will break up into Patrols and select among themselves a Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader by secret ballot.
  5. The election for other elected Troop positions will then be held in the following order:
    1. Troop Scribe
    2. Troop Librarian
    3. Troop Quartermaster
    4. Troop Historian
    5. Chaplain Aide
    6. Troop Bugler
    These positions do not require a majority of the votes to win. The candidate who receives the most number of votes wins the election. A mass ballot may be used to simplify the process, in which case the leading vote-getter for each position is the winner of the election. If someone wins more than one position, he may accept only one, and the second leading vote-getter for the declined position will get that position. The exceptionto this is that a Patrol Leader or Assistant Patrol Leader is able to hold one of the positions listed above as well as his Patrol position.
  6. If an elected junior leader is unable to serve his full term or chooses to resign, the Senior Patrol Leader, with advice and approval of the Scoutmaster, will appoint someone to fill the position for the rest of the term.
  7. The term for an elected junior leader will last for 4 months, with the elections generally taking place on the third Monday of the following months -- January, May and September.

Resources

The Boy Scout Handbook, Tenth Edition. Boy Scouts of America, 1990.

The Official Patrol Leader Handbook, Third Edition. Boy Scouts of America, 1980.

The Scoutmaster Handbook. Boy Scouts of America, 1990.
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