Boy Scout Troop 759 Handbook Boy Scout Troop 759 Handbook Boy Scout Troop 759 Handbook Boy Scout Troop 759 Handbook Boy Scout Troop 759 Handbook Boy Scout Troop 759 Handbook
PURPOSE: As a supplement to the BSA Handbook, this
handbook and the supplemental documents establish specific
policies and procedures to support the effective and efficient administration
of Troop 759.
I. Troop Philosophy and Purpose.
In order to meet the
objectives of the Boy Scout program and to foster desirable leadership and
character traits among its Scouts, Troop 759, to the extent possible, is
Scout-run. As necessary, the Troop
Adult Leaders and parents administratively support the Scouts.
Troop 759 emphasizes
integrity in the Scout program by ensuring rank advancements and merit badge
achievements are earned to the letter and spirit of the Boy Scout program. Troop 759 also promotes among its Scouts strict
adherence to the Boy Scout Oath, Law, Slogan, and Motto.
Troop 759 is an
activity and service project-oriented Troop.
As a rule, the
Troop participates in
one weekend-long activity per calendar month, a one-week summer camp, and
numerous special activities, all of which are established by the Troop’s Annual
Calendar of Activities.
All Troop 759
activities are designed, developed, and administered to ensure a safe,
rewarding, and fun environment for all participants, whether they be Scouts,
Adult Leaders, Mothers and Fathers, legal guardians, siblings, or guests. In this vein, Troop 759 neither permits nor
tolerates discrimination, intimidation, harassment, or verbal or physical abuse
by its Scouts, Adult Leaders, or other affiliated personnel. Any Scout, Adult Leader, or affiliated
person who believes they have been subjected to such treatment is required to
report that treatment through the Troop 759 chain-of-responsibility.
II. Troop Organization and Structure.
--Adult Leader positions: Scoutmaster; Assistant Scoutmaster(s); Troop Committee Chairperson; Secretary/Scribe; Treasurer; Advancement Chairperson; Activities Coordinator; Equipment Coordinator/Quartermaster; Troop Information Manager; Merit Badge Counselor Coordinator; Publicity Coordinator; Fund Raising Coordinator; Librarian; Summer Camp Coordinator; Patrol Coach(es); Scout Credits Coordinator; Special Events Coordinator; Charter Organization Representative; Eagle Scout Advisor.
--Scout positions:
Senior Patrol Leader; Assistant Senior Patrol Leader; Patrol Leader; Assistant
Patrol Leader; Scribe, Librarian, OA Representative, Chaplain Aide,
Quartermaster, Bugler, Troop Guide, Troop Instructor, Historian, Junior
Assistant Scoutmaster.
--Appointed and
Elected Positions: With the exception of the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster(s) who
serve indefinite terms at their discretion and at the discretion of the Troop
Committee, all Adult Leaders, as identified by the positions above, are elected
by the Troop Committee for a one year period.
Only registered adult committee members can vote, this excludes
the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters. Generally, positions are rotated
annually to ensure continuity and flexibility in the effective and efficient
administration of the Troop. For the
scout positions, the SPL and Patrol Leaders are elected by the Troop and
subject to affirmation by the Scoutmaster based upon the best interests
and needs of the Troop as detailed in attachment???. Add supplemental document on troop elections.
--Troop Committee: The Troop Committee is
responsible for the overall effective and efficient administration of the
Troop. The Troop Committee is comprised
of all of the adults with the exclusion of the Scoutmaster and the Assistant
Scoutmasters. The Scout Senior
Patrol Leader serves in an advisory/observer capacity to the Troop Committee.
The Troop Committee: Establishes the duties and responsibilities
of the Adult Leader and Scout positions identified above; establishes Troop
policies and procedures; if needed, authorizes variances from existing Troop
policies and procedures; authorizes the Troop’s annual calendar of activities
on a beginning-of-the-calendar-year basis in conjunction with the expressed
desires of the Scouts; supports the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster(s) in
their roles as Troop leaders, moral compasses, and Scout skills experts; meets
the third Monday of each month; authorizes expenditure of Troop funds; sets
annual fees for Scouts joining the Troop and Scout re-chartering; approves
annually the number of Scouts acceding to the Troop based upon the needs of the
Troop and the ability of the Troop’s infrastructure to support additional
Scouts; ensures that all Troop 759 policies and procedures are fully
implemented in a consistent, fair, and equitable manner; if and when necessary,
determines and implements disciplinary measures to ensure Scouts adhere to the
Scout Law; promotes and sponsors monthly “Green Bar” meetings for Scouts
holding Patrol leadership positions; etc.
Troop Committee decisions
will be based upon majority vote of those in attendance and recorded in
Troop Committee meeting minutes and in this Handbook (following appropriate
notice as defined in Preamble) if the decision modifies Troop policies or
procedures. Minority positions will be
recorded in the meeting minutes as appropriate.
In the event a
majority of the Troop Committee members are not present at a scheduled
Committee meeting, it is at the Committee Chairperson’s discretion to table a
decision for a later vote.
In the event the
Committee Chairperson cannot chair a monthly meeting, he/she will arrange for a
Committee member to serve as the chair, to include setting the written meeting
agenda.
--Scout Patrol
Organization: Each Patrol will have a Scout-elected and Scoutmaster-affirmed Patrol
Leader who is at least a First Class Scout, with the exception of the new scout
patrol. The Patrol Leader will select
an Assistant Patrol Leader to serve in the Patrol Leader’s absence. Each Patrol will be comprised of no more
than eight Scouts unless the Troop Committee authorizes a variance. Two or three Patrol Coaches will assist each
Patrol.
III. Troop Meetings.
--All Troop meetings
on Tuesday evenings, starting promptly at 7:30 PM and concluding promptly at
9:00 PM. Currently troop meetings are
held at Mt. Hebron Presbyterian Church in Ellicott City. To the extent
possible, variances to day/time/place must be announced on a timely and
effective basis to all Scouts/Adult Leaders/parents.
--Meeting
Cancellations: With regards to Troop,
Greenbar and Committee Meetings, we will follow the Howard County School
System. If schools are closed for
inclement weather, our meetings will be cancelled.
--Each Scout
meeting will be comprised of an Opening (responsibility for conducting an
Opening will be rotated among the Patrols); Committee announcements; Skill
Session; Patrol time (Scouts plan patrol events, activities, and outings);
Inter-patrol Activity; Scoutmaster Moment/Words of Wisdom; and Closing
(responsibility for conducting a Closing will be rotated among the Patrols).
--Each Scout Patrol
will keep written participation records for weekly meetings, activities,
events, and outings and submit them on a timely basis to the Advancement
Chairperson.
IV. Scout Participation.
In Troop 759, Scouts
advance in rank and earn merit badges at their own volition and pace. No Scout is expected to achieve higher rank
or merit badges on a predetermined schedule.
--Scout conduct: In conjunction with adherence
to the Scout Law, upon joining Troop 759 and on an annual basis at the time of
re-chartering in the Troop, each Scout, their parents/guardians and all
involved adults will sign and date Supplemental Document #3, Conflict
Resolution Statement.
--Attendance: Scouts are expected to attend ¾ of the Scout meetings and
Troop-sponsored activities in order to gain valuable scouting skills, rank
advancement and merit badge credits, to show support for the Troop, and to meet
the Scout Spirit requirement necessary for rank advancement as identified below.
--Rank advancement: Scouts are individually
responsible for meeting the letter and spirit of each requirement for
advancement to a higher rank. Scouts
must fully demonstrate that they have earned advancement by being able to
articulate what they accomplished to warrant advancement. Note: When a scout is asking for a
rank advancement sign-off, the
scout should be wearing the complete uniform of the day. Each
Scout requesting advancement must pass a Board of Review, as sanctioned and
guided by the Boy Scout Handbook. Each
Scout must present himself for the Board of Review in the appropriate, full
Class A Scout uniform. Troop 759 Boards
of Review will comprise three Troop Adult Leaders who are not the Scoutmaster
or Assistant Scoutmasters and not related by family to the Scout. Each Board of Review must be prefaced by a
successful Scoutmaster Conference with the Scout and established by the
Advancement Chair as to place/date/time with the three Adult Leaders.
--Scout Spirit: Scouts must consistently
demonstrate Scout Spirit to earn rank advancement. Scouts who “live” the Scout Law are deemed to consistently
demonstrate Scout Spirit. Only the Scoutmaster
or an Assistant Scoutmaster can attest to the Scout meeting the Scout Spirit
requirement.
--Merit badge
achievement:
Troop 759 strives to have a Troop Merit Badge Counselor available to its Scouts
for each merit badge. In the event
Troop Counselors are not available; the Merit Badge Counselor will secure counseling
through the BSA National Pike District.
--Uniforms: There are two Scout uniforms as follows: Fall/Winter/Spring
(October 1st to April 30th): Class ‘A’: Scout shirt, scout pants with Scout
belt, neckerchief and slide, and Scout hat; Summer (May 1st to
September 30th): Class ‘B’: Troop 759 T-shirt and scout pants or shorts (Scout
socks must be worn with scout shorts) with Scout belt. Scouts are required to
be in the full seasonal uniform for all Scout activities unless the Scoutmaster
or his designee authorizes a variance.
Scouts must wear their uniforms in an appropriate manner at all
times.
V. Troop Administration.
Troop 759 places the
highest priority on the effective and efficient administration of the Troop to
ensure a safe, rewarding, and fun environment for all Troop activities and
participants.
In this pursuit, the
Troop places special emphasis on:
--The timely and
complete dissemination of Troop information through the Troop Information
Manager. The Troop Information Manager utilizes
comprehensive Phone Tree and Email capability and the Troop Website
(http://troop759.dns2go.com) to meet this priority. Adults who hold the above-identified Troop 759 Adult Leader
positions usually provide the information for dissemination to the Troop
Information Manager.
--As established by the Troop calendar, and as determined and supported by the Troop Activities Coordinator, the assignment of an Adult Leader or parent, other than the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster(s), to act as a “Point of Contact” (POC), who will assume responsibility for the complete and timely coordination of that activity.
--Keeping family
out-of-pocket Scout costs to a minimum. As noted
above, the Troop Committee sets the annual fees for Scouts joining and
re-chartering to the Troop. These fees
have traditionally been nominal, but families also need to consider Scout and
Adult Leader activity costs and uniform and any equipment/clothing outfitting
costs, e.g. hiking boots, a backpack, etc.
In order to mitigate financial impacts, the Troop sponsors and conducts
a variety of fund raising activities.
Scouts and Adult Leaders are encouraged, but not required, to
participate in these fund raising activities.
As an incentive, and as sanctioned as Troop policy by the Troop
Committee, Scouts and Adult Leaders are eligible to earn dollar credits to
offset Scouting expenses of their choice by participating in Troop
fund-raisers.
Lasted updated 4/19/04 by Carol Bateman