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Troop Information SheetJanuary 2010 (draft revisions)BSA Troop 478 is located in the Clearview-Cathcart Area of Snohomish County. The Troop is sponsored by the Horseshoe Grange #965. The Troop is named for the location of Clearview that is geographically situated at 47.8 degrees north latitude. Meetings: Mondays - 7:00 PM at the Horseshoe Grange – year around except when school is not in session An adults committee meeting is held once per month, usually the first Tuesday. Organization: The Patrol method is used in the traditional sense to develop the teamwork approach to camping, planning, competition, etc. Patrols meet when necessary during Troop Meetings to jointly plan menus, make assignments, and other small unit tasks. Youth leadership positions rotate frequently. An adult volunteer monitors and provides oversight to each patrol. Patrols normally cook and camp as a unit during outings. Skills practice and other program topics normally are conducted with maximized youth involvement. Adults plan and present many topics to accelerate learning because of age and experience levels of the Troop members. This is modified as age and skill levels of boys change with the goal of a “boy-run” troop. A Troop Committee composed of interested adults meets at least once per month to plan activities, expedite administrative details and set overall policy. The Committee is chaired by the Committee Chairman and otherwise is composed of the Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters, Treasurer, Advancement Chairman, Registered Committee Members, District officials, and Chartered Institution Representative. Parents and other adults are encouraged to attend meetings as scheduled. All adults are encouraged to register with the BSA. Uniform: The Class A uniform consists of khaki shirt, BSA ball cap, Troop neckerchief, Scout shorts or trousers (blue jeans may optionally be worn) and footwear. The following are not authorized uniform standards; sandals, non-authorized medals and patches, cub scout patches (except Arrow of Light), baseball hats, berets, swimming suits, etc. The Class A uniform is to be worn to all Troop Meetings, while traveling, certain fund-raisers, some service projects, certain times at summer camp and occasionally at campouts. The Class B uniform is generally worn during events when it is impractical to wear the standard Class A uniform. These events would include most campouts, hikes, summer camp activities, work parties, etc. The Class B uniform is fairly informal but would normally include T-shirt, jeans or shorts, appropriate footwear, coats, raingear, and BSA ball cap. Advancement: The goal of the advancement policy is for each boy to attain First Class Rank in approximately one year. Attainment of one rank per year thereafter is expected. Boys not attaining this goal will have a review conducted by a Troop subcommittee appointed by the Scoutmaster. The Troop program is designed to assist in rank advancement. Merit Badge classes will normally not be scheduled during regular Troop meetings except under exceptional circumstances. Rank achievements are normally signed off by an older/ more experienced Boy Scout of at least one higher rank, typically his patrol leader, SPL or instructor. Achievements may also be signed off by the Scoutmaster or his designee. Courts of Honor are held 2 or 3 times per year for a formal recognition of individual achievement. Families are encouraged to attend these events. Each Scout keeps a record of achievement in his Scout Book. The Troop Committee will also keep a record in the Official Record Book. Other methods of record keeping may be used, including “blue cards” issued at Summer Camp and wall charts. Scouts are encouraged to keep individual records in a scrapbook, etc. throughout his scouting career. Outings: The Troop has an outing each month. The Troop goal is to attain the National Camping Award. This requires at least 20 nights sleeping outside per year, among other things. Outings are scheduled well in advance in order for families to plan their schedules to maximize attendance. Drivers are normally parent volunteers who are welcome (but not required) to participate in the event as appropriate. Car pools are encouraged. A reimbursement fee is determined for each trip to compensate driver’s costs. This fee is usually established as part of the overall cost of participation which also would include such things as food, entrance fees, and camping fees. An escrow account is maintained by the troop for each boy and/or family to facilitate money handling during campouts and other events. Each outing has an adult organizer who researches times, availability, costs, transportation, and other factors. The following are discouraged on outings as well as Troop meetings: Pets, electronic devices, radios, trading cards, fireworks, yo-yos, and other distracting items. While Boy Scouting is a family-oriented activity, siblings are generally discouraged from most activities unless it is a special occasion or is part of a recruitment effort. Also discouraged from Boy Scout outings are such things as recreational vehicles, motorized devices such as motorcycles, chain saws, snowmobiles, etc. Parental Involvement: Parents are encouraged to attend monthly committee meetings, outings, or assist with weekly programs when appropriate. Parents not directly involved with program assistance can drop off their boy at meetings and return or can wait unobtrusively, assist with small group planning, work on development, etc. It is very important that parents not create distractions by talking during the program presentation. During good weather when there is sufficient light, meetings will be held outside and parents are more than welcome to observe if they choose. The minimum effort expected is for parents to make arrangements for rides to Troop Meetings and Car pool points for outings. It is assumed that fees and other costs are covered promptly. Behavior: A persistent pattern of misbehavior will eventually result in a boy being asked to leave. This is not expected to be a problem, however, parents will be asked to personally supervise their boy with a behavior issue. Some of the following are considered grounds for reprimands: fighting, swearing, bullying, disrespect to others, use of distracting items, endangering others, and other obnoxious behavior. Participation: The overall Troop program is designed to make
Scouts enthusiastic to attend events. It is understood that things come up which
interfere with Boy Scout activities. No one is expected to attend all
activities. It must be understood that if a program topic is missed which is
part of the advancement progression, then an opportunity to catch up is not
necessarily going to be available in a short time frame. Outings and special
events are normally scheduled to not conflict with school events but it is
impossible to avoid conflicts with sports, family vacations, piano lessons, or
other personal situations. It is hoped that boys will attend as many events as
possible. Outings are better for everyone if all boys attend. If a lot of
meetings are missed, these boys are still welcome to remain Troop members as
long as it is understood that they will be at a disadvantage in terms of
advancement and skill levels. Miscellaneous: A Newsletter is published each month with future activities and other information. Troop members and parents are welcome to contribute articles. Finances: Fund Raisers are held from time to time. Money is used to fund Troop equipment and normal operational expenses. A yearly fee of $50 is assessed each scout to help defray costs and avoid too many fund raisers. A family account is maintained for each family to cover expenses incurred on outings, etc. Each family is required to maintain a positive balance and turn in expense forms for credit when appropriate. Neal Kazmi, Scoutmaster |