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Troop 24 - The High Adventure TroopPARENT'S ROLE IN SCOUTING |
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Troop 24 - The High Adventure TroopPARENT'S ROLE IN SCOUTING |
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As a parent our responsibility does not end as we drive our Scout to the weekly meeting, dropping him off, to be picked up in an hour or so later. If this were all there was to parental responsibility, Troop 24 would not or could not function. Parental help and participation are vitally important in the following areas: |
These meetings are held once a month, at the community club, on the third Wednsday of the month at 7:30 p.m. The committee aids the troop in program planning and administration. At this meeting - planning of future events is done, problems are discussed, and various other decisions are made. As a parent, your participation and input is sought after and welcomed at these meetings.
Each month Troop 24 schedules an overnight or longer outing, for which transportation is usually needed. Adult leadership on an outing is a necessity. For overnight campouts fathers are always needed and welcomed to accompany the troop. Try going on an outing - You'll probably have a good time, and learn something new as well. Most active dads serve as Assistant Scoutmasters.
Most of the backpacking outings will have a group size limit of 12 persons. Usually this means nine boys and three dads. As the troop gets larger, two or more groups will be necessary to accommodate every scout who wants to go. That means more adults will be required than have been needed in the past when the troop was smaller.
All adult leaders and Merit Badge Counselors must register with the council office using the "Be a Volunteer Leader" form and also file the Washington State Patrol "Criminal History Form". The intent of these forms is to provide some form of background check into who will be working with your boys.
Work parties are called during the year when needed. One of the biggest work parties of the year is for our annual fund raiser where the troop prepares and operates a concession booth at a local car show. Other work parties will be called as needed to maintain, repair or build equipment used by the troop.
All mothers are automatically members of Mother's Club, 1t is a support group that meets when necessary, and helps the troop in various ways.
It is your (sometimes exasperating) job to motivate your Scout to do some necessary homework. Sometimes your boy may need help, especially in completing the requirements for merit badges. Your continued interest, encouragement and help will reap many dividends as your boy progresses in his Scouting life.
Your scout will need at a minimum, a uniform consisting of an official scout shirt. For camp or other formal events, adding official uniform shorts, belt, and socks, while not required, makes a tremendous difference in a scout's appearance. The troop provides the neckerchief. The choice of cap or hat is optional and is not required. Wearing a full uniform gives the Scout a sense of belonging and sets him apart as a member of a great national organization.
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Your Scout will also require some personal camping equipment so that he can participate in the troop's outdoor program. This includes a backpack, sleeping bag, hiking boots, pocketknife and heavy duty rain poncho. This equipment definitely need not be the best or most expensive on the market but on the other hand, the cheapest item is often not the best bargain either. Remember your boy will soon outgrow many items. You may want to check with the scoutmaster or other adult leaders for recommendations before making a major purchase. See also the section in this manual for "Outfitting a New Scout". |
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The core of the scouting program is the advancement trail that leads from Tenderfoot to Eagle. The program provides a long lasting sense of accomplishment to the Scout as he passes a series of tests resulting in rank advancement to ever higher levels. Proficiency in certain skills such as cooking, camping, or First Aid are recognized in the early rank advancements. Later ranks involve a more varied challenge in that a wide variety of merit badges must be earned. Merit badges offer a more difficult challenge than the requirements for the early ranks, but they provide the scout the opportunity of exploring many diverse subjects that could provide the basis for a new hobby or a life long career. |
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Behind every boy who reaches Eagle, is a Mother or Father who have given a lot of help and encouragement along the way. Even though it is sometimes exasperating, the parents' main job is to motivate their scout to do some necessary homework, to follow up on those parts of a merit badge or scouting skill that are not covered at the meetings, or sometimes just getting their butt in gear. Your continued interest, encouragement, and help will reap many dividends as your boy progresses in his scouting life. |
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In order to attain the rank of Eagle the scout must earn a minimum of twenty-one merit badges. In order to earn a merit badge the boy must satisfy a merit badge counselor that he has met the requirements of the badge. While the District provides some counselors, most of them must come from within the resources of the troop itself. All parents are asked to fill out the troop resource sheet and indicate those merit badges that they could be counselors for by virtue of their experiences, hobbies, profession, education, or other related activities. Being a counselor usually takes little time and is very rewarding. Your contribution in this area is very important to insure a quality scouting program for Troop 24. |
Becoming a "Merit Badge Counselor" is relatively easy. There are only three forms to fill out. If you are already registered as an adult leader, you only have to fill out the "Merit Badge Counselor" form, listing those badges that you would like to be listed for along with a reason that you are qualified to teach that badge; i.e., is it your hobby or part of your job; or maybe you have special training or experience in the skill needed. If you are not registered as an adult leader you also have to file the "Be a Volunteer Leader" and the Washington State Patrol "Criminal History" Forms with the Council Office.
While a counselor may register for as many as seven different merit badges, the Council requires that a counselor may "sign " only three merit badges for a single scout. For this reason, we like to have more than one counselor registered for the "popular" merit badges.
