Boy Scout Troop 187 “A Knot Above the Best”
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Boy Scout Troop 187 “A Knot Above The Best” 2018 Table of Contents 1. Welcome to BSA Troop 187 2. Introduction 3. New & Prospective Troop 187 Scouts & Parents 4. Role of the Parents 5. The Basics of Scouting 6. The Aims & Methods of Scouting 7. Troop 187 Fee Schedule 8. Troop 187 Meetings 9. Rank Advancement Requirements 10. Scoutmaster Conference 11. Boards of Review 12. Required Equipment 13. Summer Camp & Troop Outings a. Importance of Summer Camp b. Summer Camp Packing Checklist c. Summer Camp Camping Box d. High Adventure History / National Jamboree & National Outdoor Awards 14. Introduction to Merit Badges a. Merit Badges for Eagle Rank b. Merit Badge Subjects 15. Troop 187 Eagles a. Troop 187 Eagle Scout Stats 16. Adult Roles 17. Scout Roles a. Scout Troop Positions with Job Descriptions b. Scout Leadership Training and Stats 18. Troopmaster Email Policy 19. BSA Health and Safety Forms -- REQUIRED a. Medical Form Instructions b. Sample copy of BSA Parts A, B and C Heath & Safety Forms Welcome to BSA Troop 187 Welcome to BSA Troop 187. We're very glad your scout chose Troop 187. We are part of the Tohpendel District within the Washington Crossing Council in Bucks County. In order to help streamline the registration process, please read and follow the instructions below. If you have any questions completing forms, please do not hesitate to contact Michele Mehlbaum at [email protected]. 1) Please complete the attached Registration Form, a BSA Medical Form, and submit your payment for $50. (Checks made payable to Troop 187.) We must have all forms and payment BEFORE your scout participates in Troop 187 activities. 2) A copy of the most recent Medical Form along with instructions for completing the Medical Form can be found on our troop website: www.bsa187.org, under Links/Forms heading. Please note there is an older website no longer in use and to avoid choosing the incorrect one labeled as ‘old index’, please enter the URL directly into the web address line. There are 2 medical forms in use by BSA: a.) All Scouting Events (Parts A and B) which is required for troop registration and basic weekend scouting trips and b.) the Resident Summer Camp or scout events 72hrs or longer to be used for any provisional or troop summer resident camping trips (Parts A, B and C). ● Part A: Informed Consent, Release Agreement and Authorization o Hold harmless section and informed consent of risks, etc. and permission to participate o Permission to release medical condition information to BSA leaders /volunteers, i.e., allergies, need for medications, etc. o Permission to use photo/video/fil/electronic representations by BSA and our troop for use on website or group Facebook page (Boyscout Troop 187) o Authorization of Adults who CAN Take and Who CANNOT take your child to events: this is an important section as it specifies the particular people authorized to transport your child to and from an outing or meeting- if you enter a specific name, then that will limit who can drive your child. We kindly ask that you designate the following information: “ANY REGISTERED TROOP 187 AUTHORIZED LEADER/PARENT”, because we may have different drivers attending various outings or meetings. ● Part B: General Information/Health history – filled out and signed as noted per instructions online. Our troop asks that you fill out the forms online as they are PDF fill-in forms. After filling in the medical history, print 2 copies each of Parts A and B, sign and submit back to Troop. help each other during outings, in addition to having a great time. All activities are planned a year in advance by our Troop Trip Committee based on scout and parent feedback. Ask Senior Patrol what is coming up and how you can signup. All activities can be found in TroopMaster once you have access and we electronically RSVP so leaders can get accurate counts (this task of RSVPing should be done by your scout so they know how to access the system and followup on details on the trip) and parents can pay for trips using PayPal. Questions: Please feel free to ask any questions or talk about concerns. We are a Troop 187 family and your feedback helps us to grow stronger. Introduction Welcome to Boy Scouting and Troop 187 of the Tohpendel District of Washington Crossing Council. Here is from brief information about our Troop and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the ScoutMaster, Adult Leader or Troop Committee Member. Thursday Night Meetings: held at Living Hope Church in Dublin, PA (Rte 313 & Quarry Rd). The meetings start at 7:00 pm and typically end at 8:30 pm. Attendance is important in order to fully participate in Troop activities and to be active within a Patrol. Troop 187 Committee Meeting: held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Forrest Lodge VFW Post #245, 2118 Old Bethlehem Pike, Sellersville, PA which is about one mile northwest of N. Ridge Road (Rte 563). All parents are welcome to attend and participate and provide feedback about the Troop. Our Website: Troop 187 website is www.bsa187.org. Please feel free to review for overall troop information. Our Troop database: Troop 187 utilizes TroopMaster software which is accessible to all registered scouts, parents and leaders. General information can be reviewed, with the exception of troop-defined restricted data (e.g. medical data, etc.) . Once registered within Troop, you will receive a username and auto-generated password to log into system. Each Scout must have their own email address to be able to access the system. We highly advise that parents work with new scouts to understand the emailing process and identify a personal email address for troop contact and access to our weekly emails, trip information and newsletters. Parents are recommended to also have their own as emails are sometimes directed to parents only. Login to TroopMaster is https://tmweb.troopmaster.com/Login/PickSite. Please contact the TroopMaster Registrar, Michele Mehlbaum, to receive your username and password for login at [email protected] or 484-574-0828. Troop 187 Facebook page: To showcase our trips, Troop 187 has a dedicated Facebook page. Search for ‘Boy Scout Troop 187 Dublin PA’ to find the page and request to be added. Our Facebook administrator will add you to the page. Troop Dues: $50 for new scouts. Please see our Budget Coordinator for payment and details. Troop Trips: Our troop plans overnight and day trips for our scouts based on feedback from the scouts. We want our scouts to learn, exhibit leadership skills, do new tasks, and 3) In addition to the information already requested on the Registration Form, we also request the following information for our Troop Database. You may add it onto the current form, or provide an attachment. ● Scout nickname or preferred name (ex: Matthew may prefer to be called Matt) ● Scout email – all scouts are asked to have their own email address ● Scout phone number (if scout has a cell phone) ● Scout T-shirt size (adult sizes) ● Additional parent or guardian name ● Additional parent or guardian phone numbers and email address ● Additional person for emergency contact (someone other than parent/guardian noted above) 4) Additional information regarding uniform requirements: When registered, your scout will receive a Troop 187 hat, 187 shoulder numerals, epaulettes, neckerchief, handbook, and a Troop 187 Class B T-shirt. He will also receive a Patrol Patch when patrols are formed. Your scout will need to purchase the following at the Washington Crossing Council Store located in Doylestown (1 Scout Way, Doylestown, PA). Directions and store hours can be found on the council website: www.washingtoncrossingbsa.org ● Class A shirt (buy larger than what he currently wears so he has growing room) ● A neckerchief slide ● A belt (buy a larger size) ● Council shoulder patch ● Green sash (for merit badges) ● Switchback pants (buy a little larger and keep a generous hem on pants) You may purchase additional Class B T-shirts for $7 (we recommend having 3-4 on hand, especially for summer camp). We also have Troop 187 sweatshirts for sale for $10 each. To purchase additional t-shirts or sweatshirts, contact Kristen McAloon at [email protected]. You may also want to purchase a t-shirt or sweatshirt for yourself or other family members. Thank you! We're looking forward to a great scouting experience with your family! PS: We get asked about hiking backpacks a lot! Please don't invest in one yet. We'll let you know when it's time for your scout to purchase additional equipment and offer recommendations. Importance of Summer Camp Summer camp is an extremely important part of Scouting. Early rank requirements and many merit badges will be completed at summer camp. More importantly though, it is an opportunity for a Scout to bond with his patrol and the troop, and to develop independence. For first year Scouts summer camp can be a little intimidating. Many have not been away from home for a week. Some have never been away from their parents. For these scouts, summer camp is often harder on the parents than the scout. Some Scouts may feel some anxiety before going to camp the first time, but once there will be so busy they forget their fears and “domestic nostalgia” is set aside for summer camp adventures and fun. First-year scouts get a jump on requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class at summer camp, in addition to being involved in programs such as the Dan Beard program.