A Reference Guide
to Introduce New Parents to Scouting in General
and Troop 1954 in Particular.

Our Mission:

Troop 1954, through teamwork among the Scouts, adult leaders and parents, actively provides a quality program emphasizing leadership, self-reliance, self-esteem, and recognition. We accomplish this with a focus on a meaningful High Adventure program, community involvement, and advancement.

Welcome to Troop 1954. Many of you may be familiar with Scouting from your experience as a youth or your son’s Cub Scout involvement. Some of you will be joining Scouting for the first time. There’s a lot of jargon, as in any large organization, and this document will help you to make sense of it; and describe how Troop 1954 fits within the Scouting framework.

We are a High Adventure troop, which means we emphasize activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, and camping.  The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) classifies these activities as High Adventure because they require more training and are often more strenuous than more traditional camping activities.

Troop 1954 is a member of the Capitol Area Council, which covers fifteen counties in Central Texas.  The Council is divided into nine districts.  Ours is the Twin Valley District which serves youth in Hays and Caldwell Counties. 

Our Council headquarters is located at the intersection of Routes 183 and 290 in Austin.  There you will find the Scout Shop that has all of the official BSA items you will need to purchase for your son.  This map will help you find the Scout Shop:

All BSA troops must have a chartering organization that adopts the Scouting Program as their youth program and provides meeting facilities and support. Troop 1954 is chartered by Thermon Industries, an international manufacturer of heat tracings headquartered here in San Marcos.  Heat tracing is the application of steam, fluid or electric heat to piping, tanks, instrumentation and other equipment.

Meetings

Troop 1954 meets Tuesday evenings throughout the year year round at its own 4,000 square foot facility, called the Scout Hut, located about 1 mile east of IH 35 on McCarty lane.  Meeting times are 7:00 — 8:30.  Parents are always welcome.

The Troop also has a number of special meetings throughout the year where parents are specifically invited to attend. Two times a year, in April and October we meet in special "Courts of Honor" to recognize the achievements of the boys in the Troop.

Parents who leave their sons at the Scout Hut must be prompt in picking them up after the meeting.  Boy Scout of America policy dictates that at least two unrelated adults must be present with any boy.  A late pickup means that two adults are delayed in getting home to their families. 

Guests are always welcome at Troop 1954 meetings.

Registration and the Uniform

Scouts typically join the Troop when they bridge over from their Cub Scout program. This is not a requirement, since boys often join without having participated in Cub Scouts. Registration requires filling out a Scouting Application (obtained from the Troop Registrar) and paying the annual registration fee. An optional subscription fee for Boys Life magazine is also indicated on the form.

You are asked to provide drivers’ license and vehicle insurance information required by the BSA in the event that you or your spouse volunteer to drive on a trek or other Scouting event. There is also a medical consent form required for every Scout, and a Medical form to be filled out by you and your son’s physician. Our troop requires a BSA Class 3 Medical Form, which must be signed by a physician, on an annual basis, because of our High Adventure activities that often take Scouts to places where rapid medical response is not available.

The next step is purchasing a Boy Scout Handbook and the official uniform. These can be purchased from the Scout Shop at Council Headquarters.

The Boy Scout Handbook includes all of the basic information about ranks, advancement, merit badges, and many other subjects.  It also has checklists that must be signed by adult or boy leaders as each scout completes requirements for advancement.  Scouts should get in the habit of bringing their books to meetings so that their progress can be checked and requirements that are completed at meetings can be initialed.  You might want to buy a cover for your handbook.  This is convenient but not required.

Scouts should also buy a notebook about the same size as the Handbook and bring it to meetings to record important information about upcoming events and their responsibilities.

The official "Class A" uniform consists of an official Boy Scout shirt with red epaulet loops.  It may be worn with the shorts or long pants of your son's choice but must be tucked in.  Official Boy Scout socks, short or long pants, belt, and cap are encouraged but not required.  The Troop will supply patches with its number but you must buy the Capitol Area Council shoulder patch and the purple World Crest patch.  A diagram in the Boy Scout Handbook as well as a tag that comes with each new Scout Shirt has instructions for where to place each patch. 

In addition to the standard BSA Uniform (or Class A uniform), their is an "official" T-Shirt available from the Troop.  This shirt, as well as any other scout shirt (those from BSA camps or stores) are referred to as the "Class B" uniform

The Class A or B uniform should be worn at all official Scouting occasions (including troop meetings). Our general protocol is that Scouts wear Class A uniforms at the first meeting of each month, for special events such as Courts of Honor, and frequently, at official District or Council events. Class B uniforms are appropriate for all other occasions

Adults are encouraged to join the troop as Scouters. An adult registration form is available from the Troop Registrar and requires a small registration fee. Uniforms are optional, but encouraged, to help set an example for the boys. Both men and women can participate in any role. A Class 3 medical form, signed by your physician, is required for all adults joining the troop on High Adventure treks.

Troop Organization

The key unit within the troop is the patrol. In our troop, patrols are often created when the boys join the troop; resulting in patrols of like-aged scouts. A patrol is generally 6 to 10 scouts. On some occasions, incoming scouts may be divided between patrols.  Older scouts transferring into the troop are initially assigned to a patrol based on their age. However, should they find that they are more compatible with a different patrol, they may request a transfer.

When new scouts first enter the troop, they may be organized into unnamed New Scout Patrols (NSPs). An older scout, called a Troop Guide, is assigned to each NSP and acts as their Patrol Leader for the first 6 months. In this period, the NSPs will pick a patrol name, work on early rank advancements and learn the ropes. After a few months, each new patrol will elect their first Patrol Leader, and the Guide will help transition that scout into their new leadership role for the next 6 months.

The members of the troop elect a Senior Patrol Leader (SPL).  The SPL is the highest ranking boy officer.  He leads all troop meetings, and youth leadership meetings.  The SPL appoints an assistant (ASPL) as well as other youth leadership positions including Quartermaster, Scribe, Librarian, Historian.  The SPL never appoints Patrol Leaders or Assistant Patrol Leaders.

Each patrol elects a Patrol Leader (PL) who is responsible for maintaining order within the patrol, representing the patrol to the Troop at large and on the Patrol Leaders Council, and keeping track of the progress toward rank of patrol members (though he does not do the paperwork involved in this). The PL appoints an Assistant Patrol Leader to help him in these tasks.

The Patrol Leaders' Council (PLC) meets regularly to set the agenda for both meetings and campouts. It is made up of the scouts who lead the troop, including the SPL, the ASPL, and one representative from each patrol (either the Patrol Leader or Assistant Patrol Leader) . Other scouts may attend PLC meetings but may not vote. In Troop 1954, PLC meetings occur roughly every three months. They generally last for several hours.

Scouting is a boy led activity! Troop meetings and campouts are run by the SPL and his assistants based on agendas formed with the PLC and the Scoutmaster.

Adult Leadership: Adults play a crucial role in running Troop 1954.  Although the emphasis is on letting the boys lead, they need to be coached and supported by an active adult leadership.

The Scoutmaster:  The primary adult leader of any Scout troop is the Scoutmaster, who is responsible for leading the boys in executing the Boy Scout Program.

The Scoutmaster depends on two groups of adults for help: the Assistant Scoutmasters (ASMs) and the Troop Committee. The ASM’s are more typically involved with the boys at meetings and on treks, while the Troop Committee manages and administers key functions within the Troop, such as finances, equipment purchase and maintenance, registration, and Scoutmaster selection.

The Troop Committee sets broad policy for Troop 1954, appoints the Scoutmaster, acts as its "Ways and Means" committee, and handles numerous other administrative functions.  It is not involved in the daily operation of the troop.  The Troop Committee structure is complex.  Here is a brief summary:  The Charter Organization Representative (COR) is responsible for maintaining the liaison between the troop and our Chartering Organization, Thermon Inc.  The COR appoints a Committee chair who then appoints committee members.  The Committee Chair serves at the pleasure of the COR and Committee members serve at the pleasure of the Committee Chair and the COR.

Details of the duties of all youth and adult leaders as well as the duties, structure and operating rules of the Troop Committee can be found in the Troop 1954 Operations Manual found on the Troop's website.

Ranks & Merit Badges

The Boy Scout program is based on rank advancement. The definitive guide for all rank related information is the Boy Scout Handbook that every Scout is required to have. New Scouts come in without any rank and work with their Troop Guide, as a Patrol, to achieve the entry level rank of Scout. This should happen within the first few months of joining.

The first three ranks are geared towards learning general Scouting skills and consist of Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. Requirements for Tenderfoot through First Class can be signed off by any Scout of First Class rank or higher. (Not by an adult!) The Boy Scout Handbook has all of the information and requirements needed to achieve these advancements. Scouts should bring their Scout Handbook to all meetings and to outings where rank requirements are likely to be taught, tested, and signed off.

Once a Scout has all requirements signed off in his Handbook for a given rank advancement, he will contact the Scoutmaster to arrange a Scoutmaster Conference (this is the Scout’s responsibility!). The Scoutmaster will review the Scout’s skills and knowledge and discuss his progress and goals. The Scout will then meet with members of the Troop Committee at a Board of Review to discuss his overall experience within the Troop. The Board of Review is a great time to give feedback or suggestions on how the Troop may better meet the Scout’s needs or interests. Finally, the Scout will receive their new rank badge at a Court of Honor. Merit badges are focused on learning skills in specific areas of interest. There are over 120 merit badges that can be earned!

Merit badges are not required for Tenderfoot through First Class, but many scouts may earn a few at Summer Camp or as a patrol activity. For the remaining ranks of Star, Life and Eagle, earning merit badges is mandatory. To reach Eagle, there is a set of specifically required merit badges, and each rank above First Class requires the scout to earn several of these. See the Handbook for details.

 Scouts should maintain a notebook to keep track of their achievements. A three ring binder works best, with sections for note-taking, holding merit badge and rank advancement cards, patches from treks, a log of all of their Scouting activities, newsletters, calendar, and other related information. Encourage your Scout to keep a Scouting diary – they’ll find this very rewarding.

Attaining Eagle rank is a great goal within the scouting program, but don’t make it your scout’s sole aim. Work with him to set a rank advancement plan. BSA recommends that boys reach the First Class rank within 12-18 months, although there are no time limits for these rank advancements.  A good time to plan on reaching Eagle is between ages 15 and 17.  Scouts are only eligible for any rank advancement until their 18th birthday.

Merit Badge Procedure (Scouts do this - not parents!) 1. Get a "Blue Card" from the Scoutmaster, fill it out for the specific badge, and have the Scoutmaster sign it. Get the name of a counselor if you don’t already know. In addition, download the appropriate merit badge workbook from the web.  It's the workbook, not the card, that is the evidence of your work on the merit badge.  2. Find and meet with a counselor before working on the badge. Obtain the merit badge book from the troop Librarian – and read it! Work with the counselor to complete the requirements for the badge. 3. Upon completion, have the counselor sign your blue card. They will keep one portion. Return the remaining two sections (completely filled out), to the Registrar. You will get your badge and your section of the blue card at the next Court of Honor. Keep these cards (and all rank advancement cards) in a safe place. If you lose your badge, the card will allow you to obtain a replacement.

Keeping Informed

Announcements of pending activities are always made at Troop meetings. Scouts should take notes in their notebooks that they should bring to each meeting (along with their Handbook). If you don’t attend the meetings with your Scout, make sure to ask them about upcoming activities and help them to schedule those into your family calendar.

Troop 1954 operates a Yahoo Groups mailing list for scouts, adult leaders, and other interested adults.  Most events are announced through the mailing list.  Please be sure to give your name to a leader for inclusion on the mailing list.  If you'd like to be added to the list, you can also email design@sanmartians.net or use the contact form on the web pages.

The Troop Calendar is another important resource for parents and Scouts. It is crafted in during PLC meetings by the members of the PLC assisted by adult leaders. It includes meetings, treks, activities, service projects, training opportunities, and anything else we are planning to do during the next three months.

Finally, there is the Troop website located at http://www.sanmarcos1954.org. The calendar is available along with many trek photos, other resources and links to other BSA related websites.  As a registered leader or committee member, adults will also receive Scouting Magazine.

Treks and Service Projects

Trekking is the highlight of the Boy Scouting Program, and Troop 1954 has a dizzying array of treks. New Scouts will focus on their rank advancements through First Class by working within their Patrol meetings and by going on activities specifically geared for them. These include training hikes, Car Camping, Beginner Backpacks and Summer Camp. Signup sheets will point out the rank advancements that are possible at these events.  A brief listing of the types of treks we do includes:

Training Hikes – single day outings
Car Camping – overnight car camps
Backpacking – overnight camps involving backpacking
Aquatics, Canoeing and Sailing – single day or overnighters
District and Council Events - including Camporee and Webelos Woods
Summer Camps – week-long camps at special BSA facilities.
Winter Camps - 4 and 5 day camps at special BSA facilities.

Some activities require certain merit badges before the Scout can participate (Rock Climbing for example). Others are geared towards the older scouts because they may be strenuous or require more advanced skills.

On all overnight camps, cooking becomes an important activity. There are cooking requirements for Second Class and First Class that are also closely tied with fire building and knife and ax handling.   The Troop website has step-by-step instructions for the critical role of Cookmaster which every Scout must perform at least once.

If you volunteer to drive Scouts on a trek, you will be reimbursed for your gas expenses and will be given a Transportation book that includes the medical consent forms for every Scout in Troop (this covers all the Scouts in your vehicle and needs to be returned after the trek). No Scout is permitted to attend a trek without a medical consent form and a current Class 3 medical form on file.

Equipment – if your family is new to backpacking, there is a daunting array of equipment needs that your Scout will suddenly be pressing you for. The Troop has some equipment that can be borrowed, but also be aware that some of the equipment you buy now will soon be outgrown. There is a balance that needs to be struck between quality, fit, and price. If you have questions, please feel free to talk to any of the adult leaders.

Service - Another important aspect of Scouting is service projects. These are projects geared towards helping others in our community and all Scouts should participate whenever they can. Participation in community service is required for most advancement and a significant service project is required to earn an Eagle.

Finances and Fundraising

Part of the annual registration fee goes to the Capitol Area Council for operating expenses at the Council and national levels.

Treks are self-financed by the participants to cover food, transportation and permits. Sign-up sheets will indicate the cost of events that must be paid in advance by the date listed on the sign-up sheet.

All other troop finances are raised through fundraisers, and the money earned is managed by the Troop Committee to pay for equipment, patches, and other troop expenses.  Troop 1954 earns money in two primary ways: popcorn sales and funnel cake sales.

Popcorn Sales  In October each year, Boy Scouts and Cub scouts across the nation sell popcorn.  The Scout popcorn program is similar to the Girl Scout cookie program.  A portion of the money earned by sales of these products is directed back to the Troop and some also comes back to the scout.  Another portion of the money generated goes to the Council and the National Associations.

Funnel Cake Sales  Most of Troop 1954's money is generated through funnel cake sales.  The troop owns funnel cake making equipment and, most years, sells funnel cakes at two of San Marcos' major community events: Sights and Sounds of Christmas, held the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of December each year, and Summerfest, held yearly on July 4th.  The troop may parcipate in additional funnel cake fund raisers according to its needs and abilities.  Money earned from funnel cake sales is divided between the troop and the scouts who worked at each event following a formula determined by the Troop Treasurer.

Finally, National BSA offers a charitable means of supporting Scouting through the Friends of Scouting program. You can donate cash, in-kind gifts, or property to Scouting. You can also help Scouting through direct designation via your employer sponsored United Way program.

Scout Accounts: Any fundraising money that comes back to the Scout is held in a special Scout Account that is administered by the Troop Treasurer. Scouts may only use the money in their accounts to pay for treks, or other Scout related activities.  A detailed policy concerning the distribution and use of scout account money is available on the troop website.

Financial Aid: Troop 1954 is frequently able to offer financial assistance to families in need. Full information on financial aid as well as financial aid forms are available on the Troop 1954 website.

Getting Involved

With the natural turnover of boys as they progress through the program, the Troop is always in need of fresh adult leadership to replace the loss of experienced leaders. There are numerous ways in which adults can help:

Assistant Scoutmaster: The troop needs as many assistant scoutmasters as it can muster.  According to BSA policy, two non-related trained adults must be present for any troop activity, therefore adult leadership is always needed.  In addition, there are specific roles that assistant scoutmasters fill.  Two of the most important of these are:

Patrol Coach:  Each patrol in Troop 1954 is assigned an adult coach who promotes the smooth operating of the patrol by supporting the patrol leadership and working with them to plan meetings and patrol events, acquire necessary resources, and maintain order.

Adult Ramrods: Adult “ramrods” are assigned to each campout.  They are responsible for insuring that all tour permits are submitted to the Scout office, medical forms or permission slips and other required forms are turned in by the Scouts, all fees are paid, and that there are adequate vehicles and seat belts to transport the Scouts to and from the campout.  Ramrods are also expected to attend the campout to serve as adult leadership.

Please return this form to the Committee Chairperson or the Scoutmaster

TROOP 1954 RESOURCE SURVEY

Your Name: ___________________________________ E-Mail:________________________

Troop 1954 has a very busy calendar that requires lots of parent support. We invite you to share your skills and interests so that we can successfully deliver our program. In making this survey the committee wishes to find ways you can enjoy using your talents to help our Scouts. Your participation is greatly appreciated.

Please tell us about your interests if you think they would be of interest to our Scouts:
 

What hobbies do you enjoy? ___________________________________________
 

What is your Occupation? ___________________________________________
 

What sports do you enjoy? ___________________________________________

Would you be willing to assist the troop leaders and committee members occasionally?

Please check the areas in which you would be willing to help:

General Activities

Special Program Assistance:

Troop Management

Please check any Scouting skills you would be willing to teach:

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