Troop 586 Bylaws
Boy Scouts
of
Troop 586
Policies and Procedures
This document was completely revised, reviewed by the Adult Committee, and accepted by the Charter Organization Representative of Troop 586 on February 21, 2008
Table of Contents
a) Responsibility for Advancement
d) Junior Assistant Scoutmasters
f) Smoking, Tobacco, Alcohol, and Illegal Drug Use
g) Fireworks/Flammable Materials
Go on hikes, campouts, and conservation work projects
Earn merit badges
Learn skills he may not have the opportunity to learn otherwise.
Become a leader (not only in scouting).
Achieve advancement with recognition by his peers.
Further his understanding of himself.
Achieve an understanding of what it means to be a member of a patrol (team).
Learn self-control and to take responsibility for his actions.
Learn to appreciate and respect the environment.
Have the opportunity to visit other parts of the state and possibly other parts of the country.
Discover ways to get things accomplished more effectively.
Participate actively in service to others.
Have the opportunity to obtain the highest rank in scouting, Eagle Scout, a solid asset to his future.
ii) Boy Scout Troop 586 offers
Good camping equipment, ie; tents, trailer, patrol equipment etc.
Trained leaders; BSA and Woodbadge Advanced Leadership trained.
Fundraisers to help defray costs of scouting.
High Adventure Opportunities
Service to Others.
Monthly Campouts.
Junior Leader Training.
Parent Involvement Opportunities
Advancement and Merit Badge Support
First Aid/CPR Training.
Boy Scout Troop 586 is chartered by
Troop 586 has been re-chartered since 1986. It was originally formed in the early 60’s and disbanded in the mid 70’s.
The troop attends an annual summer camp. The troop encourages scouts to attend the Philmont Scout Ranch in
Actively involved parents/guardians are an important part of making Troop 586 a successful organization. Parents/guardians are expected to:
Actively support the programs and events of the troop
Make a special attempt to attend every Court of Honor and other scout functions
Encourage your scout’s attendance at each function.
To the extent possible, ensure your scout brings the proper equipment for each function and be properly dressed.
Participate in the Troop Adult Committee.
Provide transportation for members of the troop when requested.
Provide a uniform for their scout when feasible.
Help with the troop’s fund raising projects.
Develop an understanding of scouting, including rank advancement, merit badge work and leadership positions.
Scouts are expected to regularly attend troop meetings, campouts and other troops activities.
Our charter month is December. This means we must have all registrations and charter information to the committee chair by the first meeting in December. For registration fees, see Appendix A.
Each scout that participates in a fund raiser may receive a portion of the funds in a separate account for record keeping (Boy Account).
The money that a scout earns on the various fund raising projects is owned by the troop.
A record is kept by the treasurer.
This money may be used for scout activities and for scout equipment.
Receipts must be turned in for equipment before reimbursement is made. Cash may be given to the scout to be used for a scouting outing such as summer camp or a special event.
In the event the scout leaves Troop 586 or does not re-charter, these monies revert back to the troop for it’s use. If a scout transfers to another troop the monies will be transferred to the new troop after notification of registration in that troop from the Scoutmaster.
All merit badge counselors must be registered, however, there is no additional fee to be a merit badge counselor.
ii) Adult Officer Requirements
Adult officers are appointed by the Charter Organization Representative upon the recommendation of the Adult Committee. For an adult to be considered as an Assistant Scoutmaster, Scoutmaster, or officer of the Adult Committee, they should:
Serve as a registered committee member for at least 12 months. During this 12 month period, the adult should:
Be active on the committee and with the troop.
Go through “Scoutmasters Fundamentals” or “Applecore Training” as it is sometimes called, or “Adult Committee Training” as appropriate for the position.
They should also complete “Child Protection Training”. Even if this adult has had training in the past, they must complete training again, unless the training was completed within the last two years.
After this 12 month period; the Chairman, Scoutmaster, and Assistant Scoutmasters will make an evaluation of the adult’s participation, relationship with the Scouts and leadership ability, to determine whether they should be an Assistant Scoutmaster, Scoutmaster, or officer on the Adult Committee.
Training is offered continuously by attending the District Roundtables and other training events offered on the district, council and national levels
iv) Adult Leadership Positions
Scoutmaster
Assistant Scoutmaster
Charter Organization Representative
Committee Chairperson
Secretary
Treasurer
Outdoor Activities Coordinator
Advancement Coordinator
Training Coordinator
Membership Coordinator
Equipment Coordinator
Chaplain
Health and Safety Coordinator
Adult committee meetings will be considered valid so long as at least half of the adult officers are present. The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters are not considered officers of the adult committee.
Adult committee meetings will be held in the scout room of
Any changes to the by-laws must be proposed in writing to all adult committee members at least 30 days before they may be voted on.
ii) Making an exception to the By-Laws
Scouts and their families may borrow troop equipment for personal use if there isn’t any interference with the troop activities.
The borrower is responsible during possession and must make restitution if any equipment is damaged in any way.
The troop quartermaster and Scoutmaster are responsible for checking equipment in and out, for making damage claims, getting equipment repaired, and collecting restitution.
Weekly meetings are generally held each Monday evening, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., in the church, on the lower level, Room 1
The Patrol Leaders Council meets at 6:30 p.m. each Monday evening before the troop meeting, and also on the 3rd Thursday of the month, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
If there is a need to cancel a meeting due to inclement weather, patrol leaders will contact the scouts.
Parents should be sure their scout is as prompt as possible to avoid coming in to meeting after it has started and parents should be ready to pick up their scouts after the meeting to prevent the leaders from having to stay over and causing distress in their scout.
All scouts are to report at 6:00 p.m. to prepare to leave for a campout on Friday.
Departure time is usually 6:30 p.m., but the scouts need to help load the trailer and get instructions from patrol leaders and scoutmasters.
Return time to the church is almost always 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
All scouts are expected to help put away and load equipment.
Parents should pick up their scout after a campout no later than 12 noon to allow the leaders to get home to their families also.
Times may be adjusted for specific campouts as needed.
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel is held on the first night of camp after camp is set up. Cracker Barrel items are snack type items and only enough for one night. Each participant should bring enough to share with one or two others. Nothing should need refrigeration.
Meal Planning
Done by two Scouts who need the requirement for advancement or if no one needs the requirement, by two volunteers, assisted by an adult who is well versed in the food pyramid and how to plan meals for camping.
Food Purchasing
Is done by one or two Scouts who need the requirement for advancement. If no one needs this requirements, food will be purchased by a volunteer. Those shopping for campouts shall be given an amount from the treasurer that they must stay within.
All scouts must help put away all troop equipment after a campout. Scouts should not leave the area until dismissed by his patrol leader, who gets permission to dismiss from the Senior Patrol Leader.
Scouts are expected to take equipment home after campouts for cleaning and drying. This equipment is expected to be returned within 2 troop meetings.
Boy Scout Troop 586 regularly participates in two high adventure scouting programs; Philmont Scout Ranch in
To attend the Philmont Scout Ranch the scout must be 14 years old on January 1 of the year he wants to attend. $50.00 deposit is due by September of the fall before the summer the scout wants to attend.
To attend the Tinnerman Canoe Base the scout must be 13 years old by January 1 of the year he wants to attend. $50.00 deposit is due by August of the fall before the summer the scout wants to attend.
e) Fund Raising
h) Calendar
The activity calendar shall be planned by the Patrol Leaders Council each August and presented to the Adult Committee at their August meeting for approval or discussion. The PLC is to be assisted by the Outdoor/Activities Chairperson.
Scouts that need medication on a regular campout shall be responsible for taking the medication on their own. The leaders on the campout may remind the scout to take any needed medications.
a) Responsibility for Advancement
The responsibility of advancement lies with the Scout. The adult leaders will help guide him towards the goals he has set for himself during his Scoutmaster Conference.
i) Merit Badge Opportunities
Opportunities for earning a variety of merit badges will be ongoing throughout the year.
ii) Applying for Merit Badges
Whenever a scout wants to work on a merit badge he must do the following:
Let an adult leader know of the request and which badge he wants to work on
The leader will advise the Advancement Committee who will put the scout in touch with a counselor and provide the proper merit badge booklet.
The Scoutmaster will complete a “blue card” for the Merit Badge and give to the Scout, who gives it to the Merit Badge Counselor. This gives the counselor permission to work with the Scout on that Merit Badge.
All merit badge work must be done with the approval of the merit badge counselor.
When completed, the scout needs to let an adult leader know of completion, by returning the “blue card”. The Scoutmaster will give the “blue card” to the Advancement Coordinator.
Once a Scout is assigned a merit badge counselor, he is to work with the counselor. There is to be no changing of merit badge counselors unless there is a problem. The problem needs brought before the Adult Committee before the Scout changes counselors.
iii) Counseling by Parents
The only merit badge a parent may counsel (sign off) their scout on is “Home Repairs” and “Safety”. All other merit badges must have an adult other than the scout’s parents as a counselor, unless the parent is registered with the scout office as a counselor and is willing to counsel other scouts or preferably a group of scou
A scout must pass the requirements for his “totin chip” before he is allowed to use a knife, saw, or hatchet on any scout outing. The “totin chip” is a course to teach a scout the proper methods in which to use and care for a knife, saw, or hatchet.
A scout is expected to work at the skills and advance in rank.
The Board of Review Committee will review each scout’s advancement semi-annually.
Up to the rank of Life Scout, no scout should go through more than two (2) Board of Reviews without advancing.
After Life Scout rank, no scout should go through more than four (4), preferably three(3), Board of Reviews with out advancing to Eagle.
If a scout is not willing to work towards advancement he will be encouraged, along with his parents/guardians, to reconsider his commitment to scouting and Troop 586.
Parents are not to sign off on any requirements towards rank advancement.
Advancement to the ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle, as well as eligibility for election to the Order of the Arrow all include a component requiring active participation in the troop and patrol for a given period of time. For a scout to be considered active, they must participate in at least 60% of the scheduled activities in each of the following 3 areas:
Regularly Scheduled Troop Meetings
Regularly Scheduled Troop Campouts
In order to qualify for being present at a troopOther Scheduled Activities
These include such things as Parades, Fund Raisers, Scout Sunday, and Troop sponsored Community Service Activities
Excused Absences are granted when there are conflicting “Required Activities”. Excused absences are not considered when calculating the 60% of scheduled activities.
There are times School or other “Required” activities conflict with Scouting Participation. The more common “Required” activities are participation in a School Sport, Band, Orchestra or Grade / Letter dependant activity. Non-qualifying activities include: School Dances, Parties and other extra curricular electives which are not grade or letter dependent.
Required Activities are “Excused” from the Scouting Schedule. This means the Scouting event is excused from the total possible events, within the category, for that Scout. For example, A Scout who plays in the Band must march with the band in a Parade. The Scout can’t march with the Troop since the Band activity is required for Grade or Letter. The total possible Scouting events for that Scout are reduced by 1 for this excused event. If the Scout does not march with the either Band or Troop, the activity is not excused. This enables Scouts to participate in “Required” activities without negatively affecting their ability to advance.The responsibility for keeping track of participation lies with the scout. The scout should keep a record of all meetings, campouts, and other activities they have attended, missed, and been excused from. This record may be requested at the Board of Review for advancement to any rank of Star or higher.
The troop will furnish the first patch for leadership positions, patrols, rank advancement, and merit badges.
The scout must serve the full term of leadership or surrender the patch.
Additional patches for additional shirts must be purchased by the scout.
Refer to the Scout Handbook for placement of patches.
It is the goal of Boy Scout Troop 586 to abide by the National Boy Scout Association’s policy that every troop should be a “boy run” troop. To this extent, programs and activities are planned annually by the troop. Each scout is encouraged to actively participate in all of Troop 586 functions
Weekly programs and activities are planned by the Patrol Leaders’ Council.
The adult leaders’ responsibilities are to counsel and set an example of leadership.
The adult committee responsibilities are to enable the troop to carry out the programs and activities.
The Senior Patrol Leader is selected by the SM and ASM’s, based on his performance in the unit and how well he performed in past leadership positions.
ii) Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders
Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders are selected by the SM and ASM’s based on performance in the unit, how well they have performed in previous leadership positions, and the need for senior leaders in the unit.
d) Junior Assistant Scoutmasters
A Scout in Troop 586 may become a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, after he attains the age of 16 and becomes an Eagle Scout. If the Scout does not attain the rank of Eagle, he must wait until he becomes age 18 to become an Assistant Scoutmaster.
All scouts are expected to live according to the Scout Law, Oath, and Motto, and Outdoor code.i) Scout Law: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reveren
A scout is expected to conduct himself properly at all functions. Swearing or horseplay that can cause damage to another person or property, or threats of physical harm to another person, scout or adult, will not be tolerated and could be cause for dismissal from the troop. There must be respect for the facilities the troop is in and for each other at all times. All adults are to be addressed as “Mr. Smith” or “Mrs. Smith” as a matter of respect and authority
The Boy Scouts of America is a uniform organization. Whenever the troop goes on an outing, the scouts must wear their scout uniform. This is for coming and going.
Wearing of uniforms on winter campouts will be decided upon by the leaders prior to the function.
The Scout shirt is to be worn only with scout shorts or pants, dark shorts or pants, jean shorts or jeans. Nothing else is acceptable.
Every scout should have an official scout uniform and wear it to all functions and meetings.
There is a tremendous difference in the way a boy behaves if he is wearing a uniform, and it makes the scout meetings and functions more meaningful to see the scout in uniform.
All adults have uniforms and wear them to all scout functions.
The approved dress for formal events will be: Scout shirt with proper patches, scout pants or shorts with belt (scout socks are necessary with the shorts) and dark shoes or boots or brown colored shoes or boots.
These events include but are not limited to:
Scout Sunday
Courts of Honor
Parades
Summer camp dinners
Troop 586 expects Scouts and Leaders to live up to the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
A copy of the “Parent/Scout” agreement will be kept in a notebook that will also record any discipline problems the leaders have with the scout.
A written record of the offense, the date, corrective measures used, and date(s) discussion was held with the scout. If undesirable behavior continues, the scout and two leaders will sit down and discuss how to correct the behavior and the time that will be necessary or allowed to correct the behavior. The leaders and scout will sign the contract and a copy will be sent to the parents/guardians. Discussion with parents will be at the leaders’ discretion
If undesirable behavior continues, a letter will be sent to the parents giving the parents and the scout. The letter will need to be signed and returned to the leaders in seven (7) days. (See sample in appendix)
f) Smoking, Tobacco, Alcohol, and Illegal Drug Use
If a scout is caught using any type of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs on any scout function, the scout will be warned once. The second time will be cause for dismissal from the troop
Adults are not to use tobacco products, alcohol or illegal drugs in front of the scouts. If an adult cannot abstain from using the product he must use extreme caution to avoid being seen by the scouts at all times. It is preferred that the adults abstain from using such products at all scout functions.
g) Fireworks/Flammable Materials
If a scout is caught with fireworks or misuses flammable materials on any scout function, the materials will be taken away and not returned. The scout will receive one warning not to use again. The second time the scout will be asked to leave the troop.
h) Radios and other electronic devices
Electronic entertainment devices are not allowed on any scout outings. Cell phones and other communication devices may only be used in an emergency, or as requested by the Scoutmaster or other adult leaders. If an electronic device is being used for entertainment or non-emergency use, it may be confiscated by the Scoutmaster for the duration of the event.
Appropriate, closed toe shoes must be worn at all times on any scout outing.
$12.00 Registration (Includes insurance)
$12.00 Boys Life Subscription
“Boys’s Life” is the official Boy Scout magazine. An annual subscription is provided with the registration fee. Each scout and parent is encouraged to read “Boys’ Life” as a learning tool for scouting
$12.00 Troop fees (For patches, scout manual and miscellaneous camping fees)
Adult Registration: $12.00
The troop does not pay the registration fee for any adults registered with the troop
Basic Campout Fee (Scouts): $13.00
The basic campout fee covers most local weekend campouts that do not have any special fees associated with them. Some campouts will have additional fees to cover special activities.
Basic Campout Fee (Adults): $11.00
The basic adult campout fee only covers food for most normal campouts. Adults will generally have the option to attend only a portion of the campout and will only need to pay for those meals they are attending. Other special activities may be optional for adults and will only be paid by those who wish to participate (i.e. rock climbing). The troop will pay the camping fees for the Scoutmaster.
Summer Camp Fees:
The troop will pay the cost of summer camp for 3 adults. The adults will be selected by the Scoutmaster and/or Assistant Scoutmasters along with the Adult Committee with preference being given to:
Registered adults who can stay the entire week of summer camp
Scoutmaster
Assistant Scoutmasters
Adult committee officers
Active adult committee members
Registered adults
If more than 3 adults will be attending summer camp, the adult committee will determine how the costs will be split.
Philmont Scholarship:
In the desire to see that as many scouts as possible may attend Philmont Scout Ranch, the troop will pay a scholarship of $100.00 to any scout who has been registered and active with the troop for the 12 months prior to their trip. Eligibility for the scholarship will be determined by the Adult Committee.
Appendix - Scout Discipline Forms
SAMPLE LETTER TO SCOUT AND PARENTS
CONCERNING DISCIPLINE MEASURES
Boy Scout Troop 586
December 14, 1998
(Scout’s name & address)
Dear Mr. & Mrs. John Doe,
The leadership of Boy Scout Troop 586 feels that Tom Doe’s behavior is not in line with the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Please find enclosed a copy of the “Scout Discipline Agreement” signed by Tom on (date) which you were sent a copy.
At this time we feel it is necessary to contact you about his behavior. Please refer to the copy of his “Discipline/Behavior Record” which we have included.
Please complete the bottom half of this letter and return to me by (date).
(Or leadership can request a conference with the parents and scout)
Sincerely,
(Adult Committee Chairperson’s Name)
Adult Committee Chairperson, Troop 586
□ I will handle the situation with my child. Please notify me if the situation continues.
Signature: ________________________________ Date: ________________
SCOUT DISCIPLINE CONTRACT
SCOUT’S NAME__________________________________________________
RANK __________________________________________________________
ADDRESS_______________________________________________________
PHONE NUMBER ________________________________________________
PARENT/S / GUARDIAN/S NAME___________________________________
(Describe below the nature of the offense, date/s discussed, action/s taken, and
description of this contract; ie, how is scout to correct the action and how long does he have to show improvement. Two leaders and scout must sign this contract.)
Scout’s signature _________________________________________________
Leader’s signatures _______________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Copies to: File, Scout, Parents/Guardians, and Adult Committee Chairperson
____________________________________________________________________________________
BOY SCOUT TROOP 586
PARENT/SCOUT
AGREEMENT
I/We (parents/guardians) and our scout(s) have read, understand and agree to abide
by the troop by-laws and policies.
Signed_______________________________________(parents/guardians)
Signed_______________________________________ (scout)
Date_________________________________________