A Brief Guide
for New Scouts and New Scout Parents
Whether you are transitioning from a Cub Scout Pack or are getting
involved in Scouting for the first time, this guide is intended to briefly
answer many common questions about Boy Scouting.
How do I sign up?
For scouts, fill out a youth application form. Be sure and check
the box to get "Boys Life" magazine. Turn in the form and fees.The fees are listed on the form.Currently registration is $15 a year and Boys
Life subscription is $12 per year.Adults who would like to be part of the troop should also register.Adults who would like to be part of the
committee need to fill out an adult application and make sure to sign the
disclosure regarding the background check located in the application and pay
the registration fee, which is currently $15 a year.For those adults wishing to not be a
committee member but would like to participate in activities such as camping
they will need to also fill out the registration form including the background
disclosure but no fee is required.
How much does it cost?
Besides the fees for registration and Boys Life, there is a $1.00
a week due that the boys should bring with them to the weekly meetings.Also once a year $40 is withdrawn from each
boys account to cover the following years registration/Boys Life fees and
badges.
Other costs that you will have over time will be the Boy Scout
Handbook (about $10), the Boy Scout Uniform (around $80 for the whole rig--more
on the uniform below), camping equipment (more on that below, too), and fees
for various campouts, summer camps, and outings. There are several fundraising activities to
help pay for Scouting expenses throughout the year.
What do I need to get now?
Get the Boy Scout Handbook first. Get the uniform second.Check with the troop Quartermaster, at times
there are uniform parts available at little to no cost in the troop.For camping equipment see below.
What is the Handbook?
The Handbook is pretty much everything a Boy Scout needs to know.
It has his advancement requirements and the information necessary to complete
those requirements. It serves as his official record of achievement and his
Scout encyclopedia. Take good care of the Handbook, and take it with you to
every troop meeting and activity. Make
sure your scout’s name is clearly written on his handbook.
How about the uniform?
The official Boy Scout uniform consists of the shirt, pants or
shorts, belt, socks, and merit badge sash. A neckerchief and slide are given to
each scout who joins the troop.Hats are
optional.
You may hear unofficial terms like "Class A" and
"Class B" uniforms. Class A often refers to the entire uniform, while
Class B may only require a troop t-shirt or other t-shirt or polo shirt with a
Scouting logo or design. At times the troop will have for sale “Class B”
t-shirts.
How about camping equipment?
A list of camping equipment needed at each campout is listed in
the Boy Scout Handbook.You may need to
purchase more than one kind of sleeping bag depending on the weather conditions
of the campout.The troop camps pretty
much every month in tents, so a cold weather sleeping bag (rated at 0° or
below) will be needed when camping in the cold months.A sleeping pad (not air mattress) is also very
desirable.Check with the troop for a
list of places to get camping equipment at a reasonable price and to confirm
that you are buying what the scout needs.
So how does this Scouting thing work?
The troop meets once a week for an hour and a half. Try to attend
as many of those meetings as you can--this is where a lot of the
"work" of Scouting (planning, preparation, learning skills, working
on rank advancement) is done. This is also where a lot of information about
upcoming activities is distributed. Parents are welcome to come to meetings and
observe, and should attempt to do so regularly, at least for part of the
meetings, so they know what is going on in the troop and can also get the
information on upcoming activities and events.
Once a month or so, the troop will have an outing or activity,
such as a weekend campout, a hike, bike, ski, or canoe trip, and perhaps a
fundraiser or service project. Preparation for these activities usually happens
at the regular troop meetings. Parents are always welcome (and usually needed)
at these activities, but they should be aware of the level of fitness required
and what their role might be (for example, providing transportation, teaching a
skill, or simply relaxing at the campsite while the boys are off on their main
activity). These monthly (usually outdoor) activities are what Scouting is all
about--it is where Scouts test their skills and leadership--and where much of
the FUN of Scouting happens.
What about ranks and advancement?
Ranks and advancement show your level of skill and experience in
Scouting. When you join Boy Scouting, you must first complete the "Joining
Requirements." You will then get a plain "fleur-de-lis" badge,
the Scout Badge, to wear on your uniform. You can then begin working on ranks
and Merit badges. You can work on requirements for the first three ranks
(Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class) all at the same time, but you must
complete each rank in order. You can also work on merit badges, which you will
need for higher ranks. When you reach First Class rank, you will have learned
and are expected to know (and be able to teach) all of the basic Scout skills.
The next three ranks (Star, Life, and Eagle) call for a Boy Scout to develop
skill and knowledge in specialized areas by earning merit badges, and also
require demonstration of leadership and service to others.
Each time you complete work on a rank, you must ask the
Scoutmaster for a "Scoutmaster Conference," where you and the
Scoutmaster will review the skills you have learned, your goals, strengths, and
areas that need more attention, and how you are living the Scout Oath and Law.
If the Scoutmaster is satisfied that you are ready to advance, you can then
request a Board of Review. The Board (a group of at least three Troop Committee
Members that you choose) will meet with you to assess your progress. If the
Board is satisfied, they will notify the Advancement Chairman so the
advancement can be recorded and the new rank awarded. You should receive your
new rank badge as soon as possible after completion of the Board of
Review--either at that troop meeting or the next. You should also be publicly
recognized for your advancement at the next troop Court of Honor (a ceremonial
occasion, usually held a couple times a year).
How do you earn merit badges?
There are over 100 merit badges, covering everything from advanced
Scouting skills to sciences, arts, and hobbies. Certain merit badges are
required in order to earn Star, Life, and Eagle ranks (these are listed in the
Boy Scout Handbook).
If you would like to work on a merit badge, go to the Scoutmaster
to ask permission. If the Scoutmaster agrees that you are ready, he will give
you a "blue card"--a record of your work on that merit badge, and the
name of a merit badge counselor (who may or may not be involved with your
troop). A merit badge counselor is someone with special knowledge or expertise
in the subject matter of the merit badge. Then it is up to you to call the
counselor to set up an appointment to work on the merit badge with him or her.
Usually the merit badge counselor will ask you to bring along an adult or buddy
to your appointment. You may not meet with the merit badge counselor alone.
Sometimes your troop may offer a merit badge during regular troop meetings. There
may also be times when your District or Council offers a "Merit badge
Day" where counselors for many merit badges hold classes for many Scouts
at once.
You will need to read the merit badge pamphlet for that badge. You
may be able to borrow the pamphlet from the troop library or from the
counselor, or you can purchase it from your local Scout Shop or online from
ScoutStuff.org. You are required to read the pamphlet before working on the
merit badge.When you have completed all
of the requirements, the counselor will sign the "blue card" and tear
off one section of it for his or her records. Take the other two parts to the
Scoutmaster. He will sign it and turn it in to the troop Advancement Chairman
so that you can be awarded your badge. You do not need a Board of Review to
receive a merit badge. You will get one section of the blue card back. Keep it
safe! It is your record that you earned the badge. Get a 3-ring binder and some
clear plastic "baseball card" holder pages to keep your merit badge
and advancement cards.
Why does the troop seem so disorganized?
The purpose of Scouting is not simply to do activities, but for
the BOYS to LEARN the skills necessary to do the activities and to LEAD their
fellow Scouts in accomplishing all of the tasks and planning needed. Things
seem disorganized because, usually, the boys aren't as efficient as parents are
at getting activities planned and tasks completed. The best troops are
"boy-led" and use the Patrol Method. That means that the boys work through
their patrols and their elected Patrol Leaders to plan and carry out
activities. The troop adults are responsible for maintaining health and safety,
taking care of things like advancement paperwork, activity permits, and money,
and providing support (like transportation) for the activities that the boys
plan. This is different from Cub Scouts, where the adults actually plan and
lead the activities. In Boy Scouts, troop adults and parents play a supporting
role rather than taking charge of activities and telling the boys what to do.
Sometimes, the hardest thing for new Boy Scout parents is learning to sit back
and let the boys do it themselves. .Remember it is okay for a scout to fail as long as they keep
trying.
What is the "Patrol Method"?
The Patrol Method is how Scouting gets done. Each troop is made up
of patrols, usually 5 to 8 boys each (the equivalent of a den in Cub Scouting).
Patrols may be formed based on age or grade level, or by special interests, or
may just be groups of friends who want to be in the same patrol together. Boy
Scout patrols work together, camp together, cook together, plan together, and
play together. They are a team. Each patrol will have a name (such as
"Dragons," "Flaming Arrows," or "Invisible Men"),
and should have a patrol flag and patrol yell.
Each patrol elects one of its members as the Patrol Leader
(elections are usually once a year). The Patrol Leader appoints an Assistant
Patrol Leader to help him. The Patrol Leader is responsible for helping his
Patrol organize and carry out its responsibilities and activities, and for
representing his Patrol on the Patrol Leaders Council. (Patrols made up of New
Scouts usually have an older Scout as a Patrol Leader.)
In addition to Patrol Leaders, the entire troop elects a Senior Patrol
Leader, who is the top youth leader of the troop and is in charge of what the
boys do at troop meetings and activities. The Senior Patrol Leader appoints an
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and other troop officers, such as Quartermaster,
Chaplain's Aide, Troop Guides, and Historian. Together, the Patrol Leaders, the
Troop Guide(s), the Senior Patrol Leader, and the Assistant Senior Patrol
Leader form the Patrol Leaders Council.
The Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) generally meets once a month to
plan the upcoming meetings and activities. Then individual patrols will be
assigned specific tasks and responsibilities to carry out the plan. During
troop meetings, the individual patrols will get together to work on their parts
of the meetings and activities, and to discuss the things they would like the
troop to do. At each PLC meeting, the Patrol Leader will represent the patrol
and talk about what his patrol needs or wants to do.
So what do the adults do?
The Scoutmaster and the Assistant Scoutmasters are like big
brothers to the boys. They advise, nudge, and make suggestions, teach skills
(if there isn't a qualified boy to do it), and make sure that the boys are
following Scouting rules and policies (including safety rules). The Scoutmaster
works closely with the Senior Patrol Leader. The Troop Committee provides
administrative support to the troop by organizing functions such as
fundraising, keeping records, sitting on Boards of Review, and otherwise
helping the boys carry out a Scouting program.
Parents play a vital role in the troop. They not only serve in
official troop positions, but also provide transportation and other support.
They are strongly encouraged to participate in some way in troop activities,
and to stay informed about troop plans and events. Perhaps the best way for a
parent to learn about the troop and what it does is to attend the Troop
Committee meetings held every first Monday of the month. Above all, parents
need to encourage their son's Scouting activities--if parents don't care, the
boys won't either.