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IDEALS.....

SCOUT OATH

On my honor I will do my best

To do my duty to God and my country and

to obey the Scout Law;

To help other people at all times;

To keep myself physically strong, mentally

awake, and morally straight.

SCOUT LAW

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

SCOUT MOTTO

Be Prepared

SCOUT SLOGAN

Do a Good Turn Daily

Troop events are scheduled all twelve months.

Other events may be scheduled for weekends-- hikes, field trips, camping, etc. Also planned are certain service projects-- Scouting for Food, help at parish activities. High school service hours can be earned at many of the volunteering events.

The expenses of camping and other events are typically incurred at the Patrol level and shared among the members or by the individual Scout based on participation. Adults attending weekend campout normally do not have to pay for food and camp registration. The adults’ wear and tear on their vehicles, and gas is sufficient for payment.

The National Council develops the BSA program, setting quality standards in training, leadership, uniforms, registration, literature, and advancement. It also publishes Boy's Life and Scouting magazines, maintains national high-adventure camping bases, and organizes a national Scout jamboree every four years. Locally, the National Capital Area Council (NCAC) provides programming, facilities and leadership for a year-round outdoor schedule, including Goshen Camps, and administers registration of units and personnel. Seneca District trains adult volunteers; sponsors district program events; and assists in forming new Troops and maintaining quality existing Troops. A District Unit Commissioner serves as liaison with the Troop committee. As the chartered organization, St. Rose of Lima Parish provides the Scouts with meeting spaces and facilities, financial support, and guidance under its Youth Ministries program. As noted before, Mother Seton Parish is a co-supporter of our Troop.

The Troop Committee is the administrative arm of the Troop, providing support for the Scoutmaster and Troop program.

Troop 829 supports the Scouting goal of providing at least ten days and nights of camping a year for each Scout.

The National Capital Area Council administers one of the largest and best Scout camps in the nation--Goshen. Surrounding Lake Goshen in southern Virginia, Goshen is comprised of six separate camps: two--PMI and Ross--are for Webelos; one--Lenhoksen--is a high-adventure base; and the remaining three are Boy Scout camps. Camp Olmsted offers mess hall eating facilities, has heater-stack dining, and patrol cooking. All except Lenhoksen provide platform tent camping. More recently the troop has attended other local camps such as Heritage and Rodney scout camps.

Be sure to check the Troop calendar so you don't miss the fun!

UNIFORMS.....

The Scout uniform...? A basic uniform is one class-A and one class-B.

A class-A uniform is worn at official occasions, including church, public functions, Scout ceremonies, Boards of Review, Courts of Honor. It consists of a cap, shirt, neckerchief & slide, pants, belt, and sox (all BSA) and dark street shoes. The neckerchief slide may be used to express the Scouts individuality. If the official Scout slide is worn, it should represent the boys correct rank; if he creates his own slide (leather craft, Indian beadwork, etc.) it should reflect Scouting ideals.

The class-B uniform, at its minimum, is any BSA tee shirt or sweatshirt worn with street clothes. Class-B's are appropriate for recreational and work events.

An excellent description of patch placement on the uniform can be found at the Troop 7 (Florida) web site.

ADVANCEMENT.....

The Troop provides all normal awards, patches, pins, etc. which the boys earn during the course of their Boy Scout years. This includes their badges of rank, merit badges, year pins, Quality Unit patches, and various participation patches or ribbons for Troop sponsored activities.

During a PLC meeting any Scouts advancing in rank will appear before a Board of Review. Scouts are recognized for their achievements and advancements at a Court of Honor usually held quarterly. When a Court of Honor is held, the Scouts are presented their badges of rank, merit badges, and any other awards earned. Unlike the regular Troop meetings, Courts of Honor are open for the whole family to attend.

The Troop does not provide patches for achievements by individual Scouts, e.g. hiking an historic trail with his family. However, such a patch may be awarded at a Court of Honor if desired. Arrangements should be made with the Scoutmaster prior to the meeting.

Boy Scout Troops are structured under the Patrol method--groups of 5 to 8 boys. Patrols are run by boys elected to leadership positions by the members of the Patrol. Each Patrol is headed by a Patrol Leader (PL) and an Assistant Patrol Leader (APL). Collectively, the Patrols form the Troop, the heads of which are other boys--the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL)--elected by all members of the Troop. The Troop and Patrols are run by the boys themselves with guidance from the Scoutmaster (SM) and Assistant Scoutmasters (ASM).

There is no fee to join the Troop. A $30.00 payment for dues is collected twice a year, January and July, whether the boy attends or not. These funds help defray expenses of the Troop program and prepay each boy's registration fees for the next year. The Troop Committee believes the Scouts should help in this payment. Parents may help by finding special jobs around the house so boys can earn extra money. New scouts joining the troop will pay a prorated payment to cover registration for the rest of the pay period and to cover the dues up to the next collection.

Parents who find this payment schedule to be difficult on their budgets should talk to the scoutmaster or troop adult treasurer to discuss a more manageable payment amount or schedule. It is never the troop’s intention to exclude any boy from scouting activities because of financial hardships.

Annual registration for National Council is $7.00, plus $.70? for insurance. Highly recommended is Boys Life--the official Scout magazine for boys--at $7.60 per year.

The costs of a complete class-A and class-B uniform for both warm and cold weather, plus assorted equipment and gear, can add up. Despite a boy's desire to 'have it all' we suggest beginning with the basics and adding to it as needed over time. A basic uniform can be acquired for approximately $60.

Various fund-raisers are held to support the Scout program. Troop 829 favors Scout participation events, such as car washes, over door-to-door type selling. The Troop sells coffee and donuts after mass during the summer at St. Rose and participates in donut sales at Mother Seton at other times of the year.

Scouts earn a share of the funds they raise. A portion of the total proceeds is designated to each Scout based on their participation. The funds in these "Scout accounts" is used for the boy's cost of Troop camping events or uniforms.

ORGANIZATION......

Boy Scouts of America National Council National Capital Area Council Seneca District St. Rose of Lima Parish Troop Committee Scoutmaster Asst. Scoutmasters Senior Patrol Leader Asst Patrol Leaders Patrol Leaders Asst Senior Patrol Leader Boy Scouts

Shading denotes youth positions
Bold border lines denote Patrol Leader Council (PLC)

THIS GUIDE.....

was prepared in order to acquaint new Boy Scout families with the operations of Troop 829 and to provide future leaders a foundation from which to administer the unit.

To the former: WELCOME! We look forward to meeting you and your son and getting to know each of you. We hope this guide answers some of your questions. Be sure to obtain a Troop roster and Troop calendar to help you know who's where and what's when. Feel free to contact your Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters or committee members should you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions.

To the latter: THANK YOU! Your efforts make all the difference. Items mentioned in this guide have been successful for the Troop in its early years. However, Scouting life is dynamic. Feel free to modify and update this guide as deemed fitting to ensure the success of the Troop for the benefit of our Boy Scouts.