New Scout Parent Overview

Welcome to the trail!

Troop Information

• Troop1861.org
• Troop Calendar
• Campouts (Annual Schedule)
• FAQs
• Eagle’s Nest Roster
• Online Store (Pay Dues, Buy Troop Class B t-shirts)
• Communication
• Scoutbook
• Google Groups Email from Scoutmaster/Committee
• Troop Facebook (pictures & updates only)
• GroupMe
• Regular Activities
• Weekly Troop meetings at Peace Lutheran Church (Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm)
• Monthly Troop campouts (~3^rd weekends, Friday evening to Sunday morning)

Housekeeping

• Health Forms A & B (C >72 hours)�A&B Hack - Save it and update dates each year

• Applications

• Membership Dues

Housekeeping

• Current Youth Protection Program (YPT) Certificate

Troop Organization

• Boy Scout Troops are “Boy Led!?!”
• Scouts learning to lead is important (accept the chaos)
• Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) and Patrol Leaders
• Scouts plan annual activities
• Scouts
• Organized into Patrols
• Coordinate with their Patrol Leader and SPL
• “Have you talked to your SPL?”
• Scout Master and Assistant Scout Masters
• Offer guidance and maintain a safe environment
• Mostly coordinate with the SPL and PLC
• Perform Scoutmaster Conferences
• Committee Members
• Responsible for the business of the troop (many easy ways to serve)
• Perform Board of Reviews

Uniforms – Class A

• BSA Cap (optional)
• BSA Shirt
• Polyester Microfiber* vs Cotton Poplin, Short Sleeve* vs Long Sleeve
• Green Shoulder Loops
• Council Shoulder Patch (Sam Houston Area Council)
• “1861” Unit Numerals (Individual or All-in-One) – Provided by Troop (with Scout rank)
• World Crest Emblem
• Rank Badges and Patrol Emblem – Provided by Troop
• “1861” Neckerchief and BSA Slide
• Bottom
• BSA Shorts, BSA Polyester Microfiber Switchback Pants, or Magellan Zip Off Pants
• Note: Please no cotton (sweat pants, denim jeans, etc.).
• BSA Belt
• Footwear
• Should be activity appropriate
• Wool or “Smart wool” socks (does not have to be BSA socks)
• Hiking boots or hiking shoes (tennis shoes okay often times)
• Worn at all Troop meetings and events, and when traveling as a Troop

Uniforms – Class B

• Red Troop 1861 T-shirt
• Bottoms (any previously listed)
• Typically worn
• Summertime Troop meetings

(SPL will announce transitions)

• Summer camps and high adventures
• Some volunteer activities

Activities

• One outdoor activity per month
• Types
• Trailer Camping
• Camporee and Webelos Woods at Camp Arrowmoon in Hearne, Texas
• Backpack Camping
• Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, Texas
• Summer Camps
• Bear Creek Scout Camp near Hunt, Texas*
• Camp Rockefeller in Damascus, Arkansas
• High Adventures
• BSA
• “Philmont” in New Mexico (philmontscoutranch.org)*
• “Northern Tier” in Minnesota & Canada (ntier.org)
• “Sea Base” in Florida (bsaseabase.org)
• Troop only

Advancement

• Types
• Rank Advancement
• Merit Badges
• Scouts Handbook
• Bring to every meeting
• Some choose to put in a cover
• Authoritative source for documenting rank advancement
• Scoutbook Website
• Scoutbook.Scouting.org
• Tracks advancement progress
• Troop Advancement Coordinators:
• Hayley Scotti

Advancement Tools

Scoutbook.Scouting.org

Rank Advancement

How to be a Scout (~18 months)

How to Lead Scouts (~18 months)

Rank Advancement

• Requirements
• Listed in Scouts Handbook by rank
• Completed at Troop Meetings and Campouts
• Guided by older Scouts
• There are time and leadership requirements to consider
• Signed off in their Scouts Handbook (by Scout two ranks higher or Scoutmaster)
• It’s not a race. Scouting should be FUN!
• Scout Completion Steps
1. Ask for Scouts Handbook review by Advancement Coordinator
2. Ask for Scoutmaster Conference
3. Ask for Board of Review from Advancement Coordinator
• Recognition
• Rank patch presented to Scout after Board of Review at Troop meeting
• Officially recognized at Court of Honor ceremony (held 3-4 times annually)

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Rank Advancement

• Parents/Guardians
• Help sync Handbook to Scoutbook
• Login to Scoutbook
1. Navigate to…
1. My Dashboard
2. My Family
3. Scout Name
4. Scout’s Advancement
2. Select Rank in Progress (Scout, Tenderfoot, etc.)
3. Check off requirements initialed in Handbook

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Rank Advancement

Scout’s Name

Scout’s Name

Merit Badges

• More than 135 Merit Badges
• Required for rank advancement and ultimately Eagle rank
• Eagle Required vs Elective
• Eagle Rank
• 21 total merit badges
• 13 Eagle required + 8 elective*
• Earned
• Home
• Troop Meetings and Camp Outs
• Merit Badge / Summer Camps
• Online

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Getting Started with Merit Badges

1. Scouts find a merit badge that looks fun
2. Meet with the Scoutmaster and get a signed “blue card”
3. Find and work with a merit badge counselor who can sign off on the requirements as they are completed
4. Completed blue cards should be recorded in Scoutbook by Advancement Coordinator

Workbook PDFs found at http://usscouts.org/mb/worksheets/list.asp

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Order of the Arrow (Not a Rank)

• The “Honors Society” of BSA that functions as a service organization
• Referred to as “OA”
• Composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers
• The OA uses "safeguarded" (privy only to members) symbols, handshakes, and private rituals to impart a sense of community
• The OA is NOT a secret organization which are not allowed by BSA

Gear Sources

• Local
• Academy
• Burdett & Son Outdoor Adventure Shop
• The Bear Mountain (in Ace Hardware)

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• Online
• Amazon.com
• Backcountry.com
• REI.com
• ScoutShop.com
• HikerDirect.com

Basic Gear

• Sleeping Bag
• Sleeping Pad
• Drinking Container
• Mug
• Headlamp
• Raingear
• Tent (sometimes)

Sleeping Bags

• Shapes: Rectangle vs Mummy
• Fill: Synthetic vs Down
• Temp. Rating: Comfort vs “Alive”
• Liners / Two Bags
• Good Target
• 20-degree rated bag
• Smaller / lower weight
• Stuff sack

Sleeping Pads

• Types
• Air Chamber
• Self-Inflating
• Closed-Cell Foam
• Non-Insulated vs Insulated (~3 R-value)
• Brands
• Big Agnus
• Klymit
• Therm-a-Rest

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Drinking Containers

• Water
• Reusable Water Bottle (Nalgene)*
• Thicker Disposable Water Bottles (Smart Water)
• Hot Drinks
• Backpacker Mug (GSI Outdoors)
• Camp Mugs (BSA)
• How much water?
• 4L per person per day
• Troop brings water if possible
• Used for drinking and cooking

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Headlamps

• Useful as we often arrive at campsites after dark!
• Power: Batteries vs Rechargeable

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Rain Gear

• Jacket and Pants
• Poncho
• Stores easily in a pouch
• Can go over backpack

Tents

• 2-Person
• Ground cover / tarp
• Brands
• Hyke & Byke Yosemite 2P*
• Other Brands
• Big Agnes
• Eureka
• Marmot
• Mountain Hardware
• MSR
• REI (Passenger 2)
• No single scouts in tents!

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Backpack Camping Gear

• Basic Gear

+

• Backpack
• Waterproofing
• Backpack Stoves (sometimes)
• Backpacking Food
• Camp chair (optional)

Backpacks

• 60-70 Liter
• Sized to the person
• Brands
• Osprey*
• Gregory
• Deuter
• Mountain Hardware
• Some have daypacks
• Rule of thumb, 20% of person’s weight when loaded

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Backpack Waterproofing

• Heavy duty trash bags
• Dry bags
• Backpack rain covers

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Backpacking Stoves

• Amazon: Bisgear Stove with Stand, Cookware, 12pcs (~$25)
• MSR: Pocket Rocket Deluxe (~$80)
• Small and light
• Used mostly to boil water
• Scouts can use canister gas fuel but not liquid fuels unsupervised
• Troop has patrol stoves to share

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Backpacking Food

• Meal Ready to Eat (MRE)
• Freeze Dried - Add Boiling Water
• Alpine Aire
• Backpacker’s Pantry
• Mountain House*
• Next Mile Meals
• O Meals (Self-heating)
• Trailtopia
• Wise Company
• Power Bars
• Trail Mix
• Jerky
• Oatmeal

Camp Chairs

• Stools
• Backpacking Chairs
• Bag Chairs (Trailer Camping)

Trailer Camping Gear

• Basic Gear

+

• Camp chair (optional)
• TBD

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Summer Camp Gear

• Basic Gear

+

• Cot
• Mosquito Netting
• Home Made
• SansBug Pop-Up
• MosquitOasis “Wicked Cool” Pop-Up
• Foot Locker
• Labeled with Scout Name & Troop 1861
• Combination Padlock
• Plano brand

Questions?