GeneralBoy Scouts is very different from Cub Scouts. In Troop 595, the boys are in charge of the meetings. The Senior Patrol Leader is the leader of the Troop. He is responsible for running the meetings and organizing the other boys with the assistance of the Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders and the Junior Leader Staff. The boys are divided up into Patrols. Each Patrol has a Patrol Leader who is responsible for organizing and leading his patrol and two or more patrols report to an Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, or ASPL. The ASPL’s , assist the Senior Patrol Leader, or SPL, and the patrols in delivering the troop program to the scouts. There are many leadership positions available in the troop and at sometime, all the boys will have an opportunity to be a leader. All boys must fill leadership positions in order to advance beyond First Class Rank. Selection for a leadership position in the troop is based on a boy’s maturity and ability to carry out the duties of the office. These are not age-based positions. All leadership positions require the approval of the Scoutmaster. MeetingsTroop meetings are held every Wednesday night in the Mini-Hall at St. Bernadette Church. Meetings start at 7:00 PM and are usually complete by 8:30 PM. UniformScouts are expected to attend Troop Meetings in the full “Class A” uniform, which includes the Boy Scout uniform shirt, Scout shorts, Scout belt and Scout socks. Troop 595 neckerchief is not required for troop meetings but is required when a scout attends a Board of Review. We encourage the boys to wear a Scout hat, especially if they will be out on a campout. In cold weather (60 degrees F), blue jeans can be worn in place of the Scout shorts. We do not require the purchase of Scout pants, but the boys are encouraged to wear them. The Class A uniform must be worn to and from campouts and other troop activities – no exceptions. This is necessary for insurance requirements. New scouts are given one Troop 595 t-shirt upon joining our troop. We recommend that a second one be purchased to be worn during the campouts and summer camp. We normally make new Troop t-shirts in the spring at a cost of $5-10 each. The Activity Uniform “Class B” uniform consists of a Scout t-shirt and Scout shorts or pants. Troop t-shirts can be purchased year round by contacting the t-shirt coordinator on the troop roster CampoutsThe Troop goes on campouts about once per month. Generally, we meet at St. Bernadette Church’s rear parking lot at about 6:00 on Friday evening to leave for the campout. The boys should eat on Friday night prior to coming to the church or bring a sack dinner with them. We hold campouts at a number of different locations that are generally from 1 to 5 hours away from the Clear Lake area. We return sometime Sunday afternoon, depending upon how far away the campout is. The drivers typically drop off the boys at their homes. The boys plan the menu for the campout. For each campout, one boy from each patrol will purchase the food for his patrol. We ask that you help your son purchase the food when it is his turn. Each boy in the patrol will contribute $10 for food and a fee for transportation may be required depending on the distance to the campout. Money for the campout should brought to the “commitment night” meeting in separate envelopes with the scout’s name and the amount on the front. When planning menus, we try to get the boys to remember this limit. If you spend more than this, please let us know and the patrol will be asked to contribute the difference. We ask that the boys do not plan to bring carbonated beverages on campouts. An Event Flyer is handed out at the Troop meeting and available on the website approximately 2 weeks prior to the event. Commitment night is typically 2 weeks prior to the event/campout. This allows ample time for the necessary planning for food purchasing and transportation to take place. For this reason, requests to attend an activity after commitment night may be refused. So the boys are encouraged to plan ahead. Scouts should not bring electronics to campouts or Troop activities. We want their focus to be on the opportunities that the Scouting campout/activity offers. If you want to send a small snack with them, that is OK, but don’t send so much that they can skip meals, because part of Scouting is participating in the meals with the other boys. For campouts that are more than 1½ hours away, we will stop for lunch on Sunday. The boys should bring $5 for lunch on Sunday. They look forward to this special treat of getting back to civilization. Medical FormsAnnual scout medical forms are here. Summer Camp and High AdventureTroop 595 typically attends Summer Camp in June and Winter Camp in December. Scouts are encouraged to attend camps as it is a great opportunity to learn some of the skills that are needed for rank advancement and to earn merit badges. We leave for summer camp on Sunday morning and return Saturday afternoon. Winter camp is typically from December 26 – 31st. The boys will need a physical for camp and this is a good opportunity to update any information that may have changed in the last year, including copies of current medical insurance cards. Older Scouts also have the opportunity to attend High Adventure programs. These include backpacking at the Philmont Scout Ranch (New Mexico), canoeing at the Northern Tier Canoe Base (Minnesota), and the Florida Sea Base. Scouts also have the opportunity to attend the National Jamboree which is held every four years. AdvancementAdvancement is an essential part of the Scouting experience. Your new Scout will initially earn his Scouter rank soon after joining. He then will progress through the Tenderfoot and Second Class ranks on his way to the rank of First Class. In earning these ranks, he learns the basic skills in camping, first aid, citizenship, outdoors, and physical fitness. Your son should get his Scout Handbook as soon as he can, as this will help to guide him on his path to First Class. We will work on these advancement activities during the meetings and on campouts. The Scout can work on his own, but one of the Assistant Scoutmasters will have to review and sign him off. (Note that parents cannot sign-off on their own son’s work). We will encourage your son to attain the rank of First Class in the first 12 – 18 months that he is in Boy Scouts. Once he reaches First Class, he can advance toward the ranks Star, Life, then Eagle by earning merit badges, participating in service projects and serving in leadership positions. The merit badges must be completed with a qualified merit badge counselor. If a boy wishes to work on any merit badges, the troop can provide your son with a list of qualified counselors. Only the First Aid Merit Badge can be worked on during troop meetings. All other merit badges must be worked on outside of the meetings with a merit badge counselor. Court of HonorWe have three Courts of Honor yearly (usually in January, May, and September) . Occasionally food is served prior to the ceremony. This is where we recognize the boys for their achievements. We expect all Scouts to attend whether or not they are receiving awards. We also believe that when parents attend the Courts of Honor they are showing their son that they support him in Scouting. All scouts are expected to attend and be in Class A uniform. Fees and DuesThe Troop is currently charging an initial registration of $50.00 for new scouts. This covers the national registration fee, insurance, a subscription to Boy’s Life magazine, the Troop neckerchief and slide, green tabs, the 595 unit strip for the scout uniform, one class B t-shirt and the advancement badges between Scouter and First Class. The Recharter fee is $40.00 and is collected every February. Adult membership is $15. The boys are required to pay dues of $4 per month. This can be paid weekly, monthly or yearly ($48) at rechartering. This fee goes toward the remaining expenses associated with campouts, equipment, advancement, awards, and operating expenses. We suggest that the boys do some chores to earn the money for the dues and that they bring the dues each month at the first meeting of the month. Dues should be given to the patrol scribe. If unavailable then the troop scribe can accept them. Scouts must be current in their dues to attend campouts. FundraisersVarious fundraisers are held during the year. Popcorn sales are held in the Fall. The proceeds from this event provide the remaining funds for Troop operations. Profits from fundraisers are shared with the Scouts. They are allocated to individual accounts and may be used toward defraying Scout-related expenses. BehaviorScouts are expected to demonstrate scout spirit by following the 12 points of the Scout Law. Scout spirit is required for Rank advancement. Parents’ SupportA Scouting program cannot succeed without parent support. This is a volunteer program, and it helps to have many people involved, so the load on any individual is not too great. We need Troop Committee members as well as Assistant Scoutmasters to work with the scouts. All parents will be occasionally asked to serve on a monthly Board of Review for Scouts who are completing the requirements for one of Scouting’s ranks. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to gain insight into the scout opinion of how the troop is doing. A key element in maintaining and improving the quality of Troop 595 is by having active parental support. Good parental support consists of the following:
Becoming involved and helping the Troop is one of the greatest ways for a parent to help ensure that their son stays on the Trail to Eagle. Contact any Troop Committee member and let them know what you would like to do to support Troop 595. If you should have any questions or concerns, you are encouraged to speak with any member of the Troop Committee or the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmasters at any time. Parents are always encouraged and welcomed to attend Scout Meetings. |