PREFACE
Welcome
to the Boy Scouts of America. Without question the largest boy-run organization
in the world. An organization that has changed very little since its
introduction by Lord Baden Powell nearly a century ago. Although there are adult
Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, the program is run by the Senior Patrol
Leader with the adults playing the role of advisors. You will often hear the
term “patrol method”, which refers to how a Troop operates. Boys are
assigned to patrols, a fully self sustaining group within the Troop. These
patrols, under the guidance of the Senior Patrol Leader and with the advice of
the adult leaders, seek to achieve Scouting’s goal of creating an environment
where boys can learn leadership skills, responsibility, conservation, and
spiritual growth. This document is intended to serve as a reference point for
the Scouts and Scouters of Holy
Trinity Boy Scout Troop 9. Historically, the Troop’s rules have been passed on
in the oral tradition from boy to boy and leader to leader. As one might imagine
this can easily lead to areas not specifically covered by any rule and rules
unfairly applied in one situation and not another. This handbook has been
developed to make Troop 9’s program more consistent from year to year and
Scout to Scout. Should a conflict between this document and BSA National
guidelines arise the BSA National policies will be followed and this document
will be amended to conform to those policies. In all matters the Troop Committee
is the final authority at the Troop level. It is our firm commitment to make
this document an integral part of our daily Troop operations.
Should
you have any questions or comments concerning this document you should contact
one of the Troop’s leaders directly. The current uniformed leadership of the
Troop can be found on the Troop web page at norwoodscouts.com. By
far the best way to find out what’s currently going on with the Troop is to
attend the fourth Tuesday meeting, when we will make time to help parents and
answer questions. An informed
parent can mean the difference between a successful
Scouting career and a dismal one. Show your son you’re interested in
his success. All parent are
encouraged to get involved and will be asked to help out from time to time.
Troop
Meetings
1
Patrol
Leaders Council 2
Committee
Meetings 2
Rules
3
Cost
6
Equipment
7
Advancement
First Class 7
Life
to Eagle
8
Work
done in Webelos/
outside
the Troop
9
Signatures
10
Merit
Badges
10
Service
Projects
12
Scout
Spirit
12
Scoutmaster
Conferences
13
Board
of Review
13
Uniforms
(class A)
14
(class
B)
15
Fund-raisers
16
Annual
Troop Court of Honor 16
Eagle
Scout Court of Honor 17
Parental
Involvement
17
Disciplinary
Procedures
18
Troop
meetings are an integral part of our program. The Troop meets every Tuesday
from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall/Cafeteria of Holy Trinity
School. Troop meetings are uniform occasions, full uniform (class A)first
Tuesday of the month (uniform inspection), any scout shirt (class B)other
Tuesdays. Scouts should bring their Official
Scout Handbook, a notebook, and a pen or pencil. These meetings are run in a
business-like fashion by the Senior Patrol Leader consisting of
pre-game/skill, opening, announcements, skill, patrol meeting, and a
troop-wide game if time permits, followed by our closing.
Many of the announcements of details for upcoming events are made at
Troop Meetings and there will be informational handout sent home with each boy.
Also keep updated at www.norwoodscouts.com
The scout will have their Official Scout Handbook signed for all skill
learned, the scout is responsible for having his book signed and letting the
scoutmaster know when he is ready for advancement. Additional information
2
regarding
advancement can be found in the “Advancement” section of this document.
The
patrol leader’s council (PLC) meets on the first Tuesday of each month from
8:30 until 9:15 p.m. after the regular meeting. The PLC meeting is the key which
makes the patrol method operate. The PLC consists of the Senior Patrol Leader(s),
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leaders, and the Troop Scribe. Attendance
at PLC meetings is mandatory for all patrol leaders. In the event that a patrol
leader cannot attend, his assistant must represent the patrol at the meeting.
PLC meetings are intended to allow the Senior Patrol Leader to
communicate with the Patrol Leaders and plan details for upcoming outings. Each
Patrol Leader is expected to share the details from the PLC meeting with the
Scouts in his patrol.
The
Troop Committee is charged with the responsibility of seeing the Troop’s
needs, direction, and goals are achieved. The
Troop Committee will meet three times yearly or as needed, time will be
3
announced
and be convenient to all committee members. Troop operations issues such as
finance, advancement, equipment
maintenance, awards and any concern of a leader, parent, or other Troop member
are addressed and resolved at these meetings. All parents are encouraged to
attend as an interested parent or to support your boy(s) and the Troop’s
program by volunteering for one of the vacant positions.
Though
the Troop encourages each Scout to have a good time on each day trip or weekend
outing, There are several rules
that must be observed by the Scouts:
1.
No boy may carry a pocketknife unless he has earned his Totin’ Chip.
This is part of the first year camper program held on the spring break
advancement camp. If a Scout is found improperly handling his knife it will be
confiscated for the duration of the outing and given to his parents when the
Troop arrives home. Furthermore, a Scout’s Totin’ Chip will be taken from
him. Minor infraction cost a
corner.
4
2.
Sheath knives are not permitted to be carried by anyone (youth or adult)
for any reason. A sheath knife is one
which has a fixed blade that cannot be folded back in the handle. Any Scout
found in possession of a sheath knife will have his knife confiscated for the
duration of the outing and given to his parents when the Troop arrives home.
3.
Walkmen, Discmen, GameBoys, and other electronic devices are strictly
prohibited.
Outings are an opportunity for boys to get to know fellow Scouts and enjoy the
beauty around them. These devices create an artificial barrier between the Scout
and his surroundings. If a Scout is
found in possession of one of these devices it will be confiscated for the
duration of the outing and given to his parents when the Troop arrives home.
4.
The Buddy System is to be used at all times.
No Scout is to leave the rest of the Troop for
any reason unless he has obtained permission from a uniformed adult
leader and has another Scout to accompany him. After lights out no scouts are to
leave the campsite for any reason. Scouts
who violate this rule may be barred from outings, unless their guardian
accompanies them.
5
5.
If a Scout or adult commits to attending a camp-out
and subsequently is unable to attend, he remains liable for his share of the
food bill. The designated shopper for each patrol is not to purchase his food
until the Wednesday night prior to the camp-out. This is to give each scout the
opportunity to cancel without affecting the Patrol’s menu. If a boy does not
notify his Patrol’s shopper by before the shopping is done it will be assumed
that he is going on the outing.
6.
No soft drinks except Friday night. Kool-aid or water will be the drink of the
day. Junk food will be kept to a minimum.
7.
No food or drink allowed in tents.
8.
No flame of any kind in tents.
9. While on an outing
each Scout is acting as an
6
10. Scouts
must report to a uniformed leader when
11. Scouts
will bring dress uniform shirt on all
12.Adults will not sleep in a tent with Scouts,
even
Cost
There
will be a $40 yearly registration fee due the first Tuesday December of each
year. Your sons should be encouraged to pay this out of their money if
possible. The patrols may elect other dues for special projects. From time to time the Troop imposes a nominal fee on Scouts and
parents attending an outing. This is usually done when there is an exceptional
expense involved or the
7
trip
is over one hundred miles round trip. In all cases the amount shall be
sufficient to partially offset the cost of the outing, not to increase the
Troop’s coffers. If the Troop must pre-register and a fee is charged, the
troop will try to refund the fee if we can get it back.
Equipment
There
are a number of personal equipment items that each Scout should have. Some
camping equipment can be expensive, so it is important to look for high quality
products that will last for many years. Good camping equipment can be purchased
from sporting goods stores, camping specific stores, mail order companies such
as Campmor, L.L. Bean or Cabalas, the Dan Beard Council Scout Shop or the BSA
National Supply Division catalog. A complete equipment listing for a camp-out
can be found on pages 51-54 of the Official
Scout Handbook. Most companies can be found on the web
First
Class - First Year
It is Troop 9’s goal to help each new Scout earn First Class rank in his first year with the Troop.
8
Informal
Life
to Eagle
The
Troop has an Eagle Scout Advisor who is responsible for guiding Life Scouts
through the process of becoming an Eagle Scout. Completing the Eagle Rank
requirements can be a long and arduous task. There are a number of rules and
procedures not
9
used
in the lower ranks. Each new Life Scout will be given a "Life to Eagle
Packet" with a copy of the Eagle Scout Application, Service Project
Workbook, a letter detailing procedures, and a parent’s letter. Life Scouts
are encouraged to meet with the Eagle Scout Advisor as often as necessary
through-out the process to ensure that all requirements are met properly.
Work
Done in Webelos/Outside the Troop
All
requirements are to be met while the Scout is a registered member of Troop 9
participating in a Troop or Patrol activity. No work done as part of a Cub
Scouting program or individually (family camping, etc.) will be accepted unless
specifically stated in the rank requirements in the latest edition of the Official
Scout handbook.
The
purpose of only accepting work done while registered as a member of Troop 9 is
twofold. First, it allows the Troop’s adult and junior leaders to get to know
the new Scouts. Second, it guarantees that each Scout is tested on the
requirement as thoroughly as possible.
10
Signatures
Rank
requirements may only be signed by a registered leader of Troop 9. This leader
may be an adult (the Scoutmaster and his assistants) or a member of the junior
leadership (Senior PatrolLeader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader). No parental
signatures will be accepted unless the requirement in question indicates
otherwise.
Merit
Badges
Merit
badges are the heart of the Scouting advancement program. Once a Scout has
earned First Class rank he is free to work on any of the more than 100 merit
badges that interest him. Some merit badges are offered as part of an organized
class but most of them are taught on an independent study basis. The Troop has
an extensive library of merit badge pamphlets available for loan before regular
Troop meetings from the Librarian, books lost or not returned will cost $3.00 .
If a book is not available in the library current copies can be purchased at the
Dan Beard Council Scout Shop. Many Scouts choose to donate the book to the Troop
library once they have earned the badge.
11
When
a Scout wishes to work on a merit badge he should begin by borrowing a copy of
the merit badge book from the Troop library or purchasing one from the Dan Beard
Council Scout Shop. After having read the book and familiarized himself with the
requirements the Scout should ask a uniformed adult leader for the name and
phone number of a counselor for the merit badge. At this time the Scout should
also get a blue merit badge application from the Scoutmaster, fill it out and
have the Scoutmaster sign it. There are usually several counselors in our area
for any one merit badge. It is up to each Scout to initiate contact with a
counselor and make as many appointments as necessary to meet the requirements.
When a Scout has successfully met all the requirements and secured the signature
of his counselor he should turn the card in to the Scoutmaster. Generally the
badge will be available at the next regular Troop meeting.
One
of the purposes of the merit badge program is to teach a Scout to make and keep
appointments and other commitments with adults he would not otherwise deal with
in a "real-world" setting. To
that end no Scout may earn more than 5
merit badges from any one counselor. Scouts
attending summer
12
camp
will be encouraged to get the swimming merit badge, as this will be needed for
safety. Merit Badge Requirements may be found on the web at norwoodscouts.com
Service
Projects
Service
projects will be accepted only if they have been approved in advance. For the
Eagle badge this approval must come from the District Advancement Committee. For
all other ranks this approval comes from the Scoutmaster. Scouts may not use a
project already being counted for some other purpose (confirmation, etc.).
Fund-raisers such as the park clean-up may not be counted as service projects.
Scouts may count time spent helping a Life Scout with his Eagle Scout service
project.
Scout
Spirit
Showing
Scout spirit means many things. The most obvious aspect of this requirement is a
Scout’s ability to explain how he applies the principles of the Scout Oath,
Promise, Motto, and Slogan to his life in and
out of Scouting. The other aspect of this is a little more easily measured.
Correctly wearing the uniform, attending meetings and camp-outs regularly,
13
participating
in fund-raisers and helping with service projects are all ways a boy can
demonstrate his Scout spirit. The Scout spirit requirement is usually part of
the discussion held in a Scoutmaster Conference.
Scoutmaster
Conferences
Scoutmaster
Conferences are held by appointment before and after regular Troop meetings.
These are sometimes referred to as personal growth conferences due to the
goal-setting nature of these one-on-one conversations. Scoutmaster conferences
are to be the last requirement a Scout meets in order to allow some time to pass
for the Scout to grow both physically and mentally. If the Scoutmaster is not
available an Assistant Scoutmaster may perform the conference in an emergency.
It should be noted that procrastination is not
considered an emergency.
Board
of Review
Boards
of Review (BoR) are required for each rank advanced. BoR for all ranks except
Eagle are held at the Troop level. They are held 4 times annually. A typical
Board of Review consists of 2 - 4 members of the Troop committee or other
adults. The names of Scouts up for review will be posted at the regular
14
Troop
meeting prior to the BoR date. If a Scout has reason to believe he is up for
review but is not on the list he must see the Scoutmaster immediately. Failure
to do so will delay a Scout’s advancement. These reviews are not intended to
re-test Scouts on the skills they have mastered. Rather they are a chance to
gauge the Scout’s growth in the Scouting program. They also help a Scout grow
accustomed to speaking with a group of people in an interview setting.
Boards of Review are complete uniform events. Merit badge sashes are encouraged, however
please remember that this is not an Order of the Arrow event and OA sashes
should therefore not be worn. Failure
to appear in uniform, bring one’s Official
Scout Handbook or incomplete requirements are all cause for postponement of
a Board of Review.
Uniforms
Class
A
The
class A uniform consists of the official Scout shirt and pants with proper
placement of badges of office and other insignia. The official Troop hat will be
worn. We will wear a troop or patrol neckerchiefs as voted on by the troop.
Class A uniforms and accessories are available from the Dan
15
Beard
Scout Shop on Victory Parkway. The Troop recognizes that a complete Scout
uniform can be a substantial investment. For that reason the Troop committee has
decided that olive green dockers or other close color and type pants are an
acceptable substitute for the official green pants. Parents are encouraged to
buy the uniform a size or two larger than necessary to allow for "grow room". However, there are some
circumstances where a 100% official uniform is required. For example if a Scout
is chosen to attend Junior Leadership Training Camp he will be expected to
purchase Scout socks, pants, neckerchief, etc. When a boy joins the Troop, his
Webelos patches from the Cub Scout pack should be removed. The only insignia
carried forward are the Arrow of Light, religious award square knot (if earned),
American Flag, Troop Numerals, and Dan Beard Council Patch. See the inside front
and back covers of the Official Scout
Handbook for correct placement of insignia.
Class
B
A
Class B uniform is any Scouting related clothing including summer camp T-shirts,
BSA polo shirts, and the official Troop 9 red T-shirt available for a nominal
fee from the Troop Quartermaster. The only restriction
16
on
Class B uniforms is that the pants must be single color, clean, and free of
holes.
Fund-raisers
The
Troop schedules two fund-raisers throughout the year to support our
many activities. Scouts are expected to participate and "DO YOUR BEST"
to Support Troop
fund-raising effortsand this is considered part of demonstrating Scout spirit. Parents
are sometimes asked to participate in these events this keeps everyone's cost
down. Examples of annual fund-raisers involving parental involvement
include the Mulch Sale, and Christmas Wreath Sales (these will be our only
sales). Any other fund-raisers will involve working, bagging at BIGGS, Phone
Book Deliveries, or general clean up. The Troop Committee will keep track of
each scouts time/sales to put a portion of profits in each scouts
account. This account has no cash
value but may be used to pay dues, registration, summer camp, etc.
Annual
Troop Court of Honor
Each
year the Troop holds a Court of Honor to recognize each Scout’s personal
achievements. This event also includes a banquet and a year-in review
17
show.
All members of the Troop 9 family are strongly encouraged to attend. The
deadline for having an achievement recognized in the February Court of Honor is
the second
Troop
meeting of January.
Eagle
Scout Court of Honor
Whenever
a young man earns his Eagle Award a special Eagle Scout Court of Honor is
convened. This can take place immediately following the Troop Court of Honor or
in a special ceremony. An Eagle
Scout Court of Honor represents a significant milestone and as such any family
and friends of the new Eagle are invited. Eagle Scouts of all ages are extended
an open invitation whether they have an affiliation with the Troop or not.
Parental
Involvement
The
key to running a successful Scouting program is dedicated volunteers and
interested parents .Scouting allows parents to participate in their son’s
lives in a way no other youth activity can ever dream of achieving. From helping
out with fund-raisers to volunteering to counsel a merit badge to attending
committee meetings as an interested parent, the
18
opportunity
exists to be involved. Every one of
the Troop’s Eagle Scouts has had active parents. Also, many of these parents
are so committed to the ideals of Scouting that they remain involved long after
their sons have turned 18 and left the Troop. Historically the Troop’s
leadership has been drawn extensively from the ranks of active, interested
parents. If at any time you have any questions please feel free to call one of
the Troop’s leaders. Only together can we maintain the excellent program now
in place in
Troop
9.
Disciplinary
Procedures
Over
the years the Troop has developed a very simple set of disciplinary rules.
Scouts are
expected
to use the Scout Oath and Law as their personal code of conduct when involved in
a Troop activity. If a Scout chooses to be unruly during a meeting or other
activity he will be removed and his parents will be called to come and take him
home. This applies for camp-outs as well. The Scout will be allowed to return to
Troop activities after a conference with his parents, the Scoutmaster, and the
leader who removed him from the activity is held. Fighting or disrespect of an
adult will absolutely not
19
be
tolerated. A first offense will bring a warning and possibly removal from the
activity. A Scout guilty of a second offense will be suspended from the Troop
for a period of time to be determined by the Troop’s uniformed leadership. The
decision to allow a scout to return to the Troop at a later date will be made on
a case by case basis.
