Who's onlineThere are currently 0 users and 1 guest online.
Navigation |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)ScoutingQ: What kinds of things do you do in Scouting? Q: Why do Scouts have to be in uniform? Q: Does being in uniform mean that Scouting has a military tie? When and WhereHow much does it cost?Q: Does it cost anything to go on the monthly outings? Q: What is Summer Camp and how much does it cost? Q: What about the big trips? How much do they cost? Q: How can Scouts earn money to pay for Scouting expenses? EquipmentQ: What equipment does a new Scout need? Q: What does the Troop provide for outings? Q: What equipment don't we need? Rank and AdvancementQ: Are there ranks in Scouting and how are they awarded? Q: Who is in charge in the Scout Troop? Q: What are Merit Badges and how do I earn them? Other ResourcesQ: Where can I read more about Scouting? "The Boy Scouts of America provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness." Boy Scouts must be 11 years old or completed the 5th grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and be at least 10 years old, but not yet 18 years old. Q: What kinds of things do you do in Scouting? Scouts take part in a variety of outdoor and community service events. Within the past year, members of our Troop have: handed out flags at the front of the local July 4th parade; gone whitewater rafting; planted a tree to commemorate the passing of an adult leader; and gone canoeing for over 100 miles in the Canadian wilderness. Q: Why do Scouts have to be in uniform? First, although the uniform is important and strongly recommended, it is rarely required. Uniforms are one of the "methods" of Scouting. "The uniform makes the Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. "The uniform gives the Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished." (from: http://meritbadge.org ) We wear the "Class A" uniform (Scout shirt, pants, belt, socks) at meetings during the school year (Labor Day to Memorial Day) and the "Class B" uniform (Scout-related tee shirt) at meetings during the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day). We dress in the Class A uniform for traveling as a Troop and for special events (public service project, ceremonies, Courts of Honor, etc.) Q: Does being in uniform mean that Scouting has a military tie? No. Scouts don't march or drill or stand in straight lines. They elect their own leaders. They set their own agenda and plan their own outings. There is a hierarchical structure, but the leadership model is "servant leadership" and consensus rather than command and control. While we follow the rules and guidelines of the local council and the national organization, our local Troop is ultimately responsible to the local chartering organization (Bexley United Methodist Church) as embodied in our Troop Committee. Scouts do not promise to "preserve, protect and defend" nor to "obey the orders of their superior officers". We do teach that the Scout has 3 duties: duty to self and others; duty to god; and duty to country. The Eagle and Shield (the national symbol) on the Scout badge "represent freedom and the Scouts willingness to defend it." That's about as close to military as we get. Adults can help in many ways: supporting their Scouts in the program, serving on the Troop Committee which helps to provide resources and coordination for the program, or helping in meetings and on outings as a trained, uniformed adult. When and WhereOur Troop meets most Monday evenings at Bexley United Methodist Church in the Scout Room in the lower level. We meet at 7:30 PM year round. We do not meet on holidays or on evenings (during the school year) when there are not classes in Bexley Public Schools. Scouts do not need to be members of Bexley United Methodist Church to join the Troop. Scouts and parents complete a simple application. How much does it cost?There is a $50 annual membership fee. Q: Does it cost anything to go on the monthly outings? The cost of monthly outings varies based on the event. Our typical outing costs the Scout $18. Of that $18, $7 goes to pay for food, $8 pays for the rental of the campsite or cabin where we stay for the weekend and $3 goes to reimburse adults for gasoline. The Troop loses a few dollars on each outing, which we make up with fundraising and donations. Some of our outings have addition program costs which are included as a part of the outing. Q: What is Summer Camp and how much does it cost? Each year between the end of the school year and before the 4th of July, the Troop spends a week at a Boy Scout Summer camp. The boys live in tents and eat in a dining hall. During the day, the Scouts spend time working on Merit Badges, Scout skills and having fun outdoors. In the evening there are games and programs to engage and involve them. For first-year Scouts, there is a special program to give them a "quick start" in their Scouting adventure by working with them (and other Scouts spending their first year at Summer Camp) on basic skills and requirement. Prices and locations can vary, but for the 2010 year, the cost of Summer Camp is $210 if paid by the early registration date (4/27/10). The cost of Summer Camp is deliberately kept low by Simon Kenton Council ($210 is far less than the cost of having a youth at camp for a week) to encourage participation in this important program. All Scouts are encouraged to attend Summer Camp. Q: What about the big trips? How much do they cost? Most years, the Troop is involved in a "high adventure", a major trip with substantial planning and advanced training. These trips are planned at least a year in advance (we are planning now for next year's trip) and we we spread the cost out over several payments for make it easier for Scouts to participate. In 2010, we will have Scout attending the National Scout Jamboree. In 2011 we will be going to to Philmont Scout Ranch with a group of Scouts for a week of backpacking. Depending on the program costs, High Adventure programs cost up to $1,500. Spread over a year, that's $125 a month for the adventure of a lifetime. Participation in High Adventure is optional. Q: How can Scouts earn money to pay for Scouting expenses? We provide Scouts the opportunity to earn money for their "Scout Account" with our annual Popcorn Sale and by selling food and drinks at Bexley community activities like the July 4th Picnic, the Labor Day Block party and at the Harvest Festival. EquipmentQ: What equipment does a new Scout need? The Scout Handbook provides a very useful list of the gear that Scouts need for outings. Look for "camping gear checklist" in the index. A couple of suggestions: Water bottle: a wide mouth, one quart, hard plastic water bottle is the most useful for all of our outings. Most scouts pick the Nalgene brand.
Mess kit: A plastic bowl, a plastic cup, and plastic utensils are all that Scouts need. They will work much better for our outings than a metal mess kit. My idea of a perfect bowl looks like this and is made of Lexan. Sleeping bag: Every Scout needs a sleeping bag for every outing. Buy a bag that is made of synthetic material (not cotton, not down). Sleeping bags are rated by outside temperature that one can comfortably sleep at. A 20 degree bag should allow one to sleep outside at 20 degrees. Sleeping bag manufactures tend to exaggerate the ratings by 10 to 20 degrees. A 20 degree bag would be comfortable to about 40 degrees. A 20 degree bag would be good for most of our Troop camping. It's easy to make a sleeping bag OK for colder temperatures by spreading a coat or blanket over the bag, spreading some newspapers under the bag, or wearing a hat and socks to bed at night. Ground pad: Scouts tend to fall into one of two camps on what to put between the sleeping bag and the ground. Foam pads come in a variety of sizes and styles. Closed cell foam (doesn't absorb water) formed into an egg-carton or waffle pattern are popular, lightweight, and inexpensive. Lightweight air mattresses (about an inch thick) are also popular. Therm-a-rest is the most widely used brand. Tents: The Troop does not provide tents, but many of the Scouts have tents (and some have spare tents) so a tent is not something that you need to rush out and buy. You will likely want to buy a tent at some point. Like most camping equipment, last year's models and autumn sales are our best friends when shopping for tents. We encourage a "buddy" system for tents, so that scouts share tents and we transport less equipment. Q: What does the Troop provide for outings? The Troop has stoves, cooking gear and cleanup gear for the Scouts. Scouts cook and eat together as a group, taking turns with the various jobs. The Troop provides woods tools (saws, hatchets, etc.) and training on how to use them. In general, the Troop provides gear that is used for the whole Troop and Scouts provide their individual gear. Q: What equipment Scouts don't need? A metal mess kit. See "Mess Kit" above. Big, blow up air mattresses. See "Ground Pad" above. Rank and AdvancementQ: Are there ranks in Scouting and how are they awarded? After completing a handful of requirements, boys achieve the "Scout" rank and earn their first badge of rank. The Scout Handbook lists the requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class ranks. All require the Scout to demonstrate "Scout Skills" and to live the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Skills are usually taught to younger Scouts by older Scouts and then "signed off" by the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster. Rank advancements are actually awarded by a Board of Review made up of Troop Committee members that interview the candidate. Star and Life Scout ranks are earned by the Scout by service, taking on leadership positions within the Troop, living the Scout Oath and Law, and earning a specific number of merit badges. The highest rank in Scouting, Eagle Scout, is earned by service, leadership, living the Scout Oath and Law, and merit badges, along with creating and managing a significant project of value to the community. While adults provide guidance and encouragement, the Scout creates, secures approval and funding, manages, supervises and documents the project. Upon completion of the project and other requirements, the candidate is interviewed by an Eagle Board of Review at the District level. Q: Who is in charge in the Scout Troop? Our Scout Troop is "boy led." The Scouts elect leaders that plan and conduct meetings, direct activities and provide leadership on outings. Each year in December, we conduct a "planning outing" where our primary focus is for the Scouts to decide on the monthly outings that will be offered during the next year. Adults are always present whenever Scouts are meeting or on activities, but we are there for health and safety issues. Adults provide guidance and support for the youth leaders, helping them to do planning and to handle difficult situations. Adults also provide support and logistics: reserving the campsite, registering scouts for summer camp, providing drivers and vehicles to transport Scouts, etc. Q: What are Merit Badges and how do I earn them? Scouting offers over 120 different merit badges that can be earned to explore many areas of the environment, science, commerce, crafts, and history. Merit badges each have a specific set of requirements that usually require the scout to learn something and to do something. Scouts work on merit badges with merit badges counselors who are background-checked and approved adults. Merit badges can be worked on at summer camp or throughout the year. Some number of merit badges are required for each rank advancement above First Class Scout. A few of the key merit badges are specifically listed as "required" merit badges and are required for the advancement to the Eagle Scout rank. Other ResourcesQ: Where can I read more about Scouting? The official BSA website is a rich, deep source of information: http://scouting.org Our council is the part of BSA that we interact with most and provides us with lots of activities and services: http://skcbsa.org Our Troop has two websites: The "news" site is an online newsletter which we try and keep updated with that latest news about activities, events and opportnnities for the Troop. All of our outings, for example, are described there. Many other sites on the web provide information about different aspects of scouting. You can click "Links" at the top of each page to see our collection of useful Scouting links. |
