Welcome letter to New Scouts and Parents

Frequently Asked Questions

Activity Information

Adult Participation

Calendar of Events

Camp Duty Roster

Council Information

District Information

Joining Requirements

New Scout Gear List

The Aims of the Boy Scouting Program

The Scout Shop Online!

Troop Abbreviations Page

Troop Guidebook

Troop Discipline Policy

Troop Goals

Troop Newsletters

Troop Uniform Policy

What happens to a Scout

What is a Boy Scout?

What the Heck is a Youth Led Troop?

Where to buy Scout stuff

"A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent."

One thing that you will learn early on is that You Get Out Of Scouting What You Put Into It. If you don’t take action to get a merit badge or achieve a rank then there isn’t going to be anyone to make you do those things. Probably the biggest difference between Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts (if you were one) is the new responsibility you have to take the initiative to achieve rank. In Boy Scouts you have to plan when you will work on your awards. Sometimes it is just as easy as asking another older Scout before or during a meeting to help you with a requirement. Other times it is talking to one of the Scoutmasters about a merit badge and then calling a Merit Badge Counselor for a time and place to meet to work on a badge. At other times it is working on a service project. All of these things are part of what makes Scouting so unique.

Scout Leadership Positions

First let’s take a look at the way the Troop is organized. Let’s focus more on the positions that other Scouts in the Troop hold. At the top is the Senior Patrol Leader. He runs all the Troop meetings, events, activities and the Annual Planning Conference. He is in charge of the Patrol Leaders’ Council: the meeting of the other Scouts that have leadership positions. He is usually referred to as the SPL. Next are the Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders. They help the Senior Patrol Leader and are in charge of various aspects of the Troop. They assist in leading all Troop activities and one of them runs the Troop in the absence of the SPL. They are usually referred to as the ASPLs. After the ASPLs, come all the Patrol Leaders. They are in
charge of all of the other Scouts in the Patrol. In order for the Troop to run smoothly every Patrol Leader must keep his Patrol members informed. The Patrol Leader has the hardest job because he is in charge of all the Scouts in his Patrol. He is helped by an Assistant Patrol Leader who runs the Patrol in the absence of the Patrol Leader. The Troop has many other youth positions that are needed for it to run smoothly. They are the Quartermaster, Librarian, Scribe, Troop Guide, Den Chief, Order of the Arrow Representative and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. The Quartermaster is in charge of the Troop equipment for all activities. The Librarian is in charge of the Troop library of merit badge books and other printed materials. The Scribe helps to keep the attendance at all events. The Troop Guide is the mentor for all the new scouts  The Den Chief works with a den of Cub Scouts and with their adult den leader. The Order of the Arrow (OA) Representative communicates all information from the Order of the Arrow Lodge to the OA members of our Troop. Finally, the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster is a Scout who is at least 16 years old and has shown outstanding leadership skills. He provides support and supervision to other boy leaders of the Troop under the guidance of the Scoutmasters. With every Junior Leader doing his job correctly we have a very successful Troop, as shown by our longevity. 

Troop Events You Need To Know About and Who To Ask When You Have a Problem

When new Scouts join the Troop there are always some questions that they need answers for. One is “What is a Court of Honor?” A Court of Honor (COH) is a special meeting held approximately every 3 months. At the Court of Honor you will be recognized for any ranks or merit badges or awards that you have earned. This is a whole family event and there will be food. Your induction into the Troop will take place at the next Court of Honor after you join. It is very important to be at the Courts of Honor since we only have 4 a year.  All other meetings, events and activities are listed in the Troop calendars.  A common mistake that new Scouts make is that when they have a question they go straight to the Scoutmasters or the Senior Patrol Leaders. You might not think about it, but in our system there is a ladder of how problems get solved or questions answered. First, talk to your Patrol Leader. If he doesn’t know the answer, then ask the Troop Guide. He is there to help guide you in everything that you do and will probably have the answer to your question or problem. But if he doesn’t, then you may ask the Senior Patrol Leader or his Assistants, and lastly the Scoutmasters. This is just a way to keep the SPL and the SM from being bombarded by questions or concerns that could really be solved at the Patrol level. Remember, if, when you first join, you feel a little lost, you will learn everything about how we operate in about a month. The SPL and other Junior Leaders and the Scoutmasters will help you become informed on everything you need to know to make your Scouting experience worthwhile and fun.
 
HAPPY SCOUTING

Thanks to Troop 1919 of Dale City, Virginia for the bulk of ideas expressed in this document.