FAQs

Troop 279 and Scouts, BSA places the greatest importance on creating the most secure environment possible for our youth members. To maintain such an environment, Scouts, BSA developed numerous procedural and leadership selection policies and provides parents and leaders with resources for the Scouting program. All parent leaders submit background checks, complete annual training, and obey guidelines to protect the safety of our youth. To learn more, please visit http://www.scouting.org/Training/youthprotection.aspx

Even though Scouting is a continuum from a pack up through a scout troop, there are major differences between a pack and a troop.

In a Cub Pack:

• Parent volunteers plan the pack program and run the meetings and activities
• Scouts work on advancement in step with others in the same grade or age
• Family members participate in pack meetings and go on outings

In a Scout Troop:

• The Scouts plan and run the troop meetings, campouts and outings
• Parent volunteers train the scouts to lead and manage their troop
• Other parent volunteers provide support in doing things that the scouts cannot do, such as drive to campouts, maintain bank accounts and purchase equipment
• Scouts advance at their own pace individually, not in step with other Scouts

It is very important to understand the differences between the two programs and the new role of a parent in a Scout troop. No longer responsible for the “heavy lifting,” parents fall into a more relaxed role where the primary responsibilities are maintaining safe conditions and providing support. There is a very good summary of adult responsibilities in the Scoutmaster Handbook and Troop Committee Guidebook, available from any Scout shop.

Your role toward your child also changes. You should encourage him or her to take full advantage of all Scouting has to offer, but when in a Scouting environment, you don’t participate along with your scout. A scout grows in character and leadership by being with his or her patrol and participating in its activities. You watch from a distance and observe. If your scout leaves the patrol during a troop meeting or on a campout to come and ask you questions, you should advise that the patrol leader should be asked instead. Your scout is learning to rely on himself and his peers and needs your support.

• Any boy or girl aged 11 to 17 is eligible and welcome to join
  • —OR— At least 10 years old and have earned the Arrow of Light Award
  • —OR— At least 10 years old, currently in the 5th grade and registers on or after March 1st
  • A child does not have to participate in Cub Scouts or WEBELOS to join a troop

Please see our Join Us page for more information to join Troop 279.

The Troop’s Registration Checklist contains the current dues to join Troop 279.

Dues include fees assessed from BSA for registration and insurance, fees from our local council, awards and recognition items and troop gear maintenance.

However, no boy or girl is ever turned away from Scouting due to an inability to pay. If finances are a concern, please feel free to contact, in confidence, the Troop 279 Scoutmaster at Scouts@Troop279.us.  Please see our Join Us page for more information to join Troop 279.

The Troop takes advantage of several fundraisers. In the past, this included pancake breakfasts, yard sales and car washes. The proceeds from these fundraisers allow the Troop to purchase awards, advancement supplies, maintain equipment and to purchase other needed supplies. Please see our Fundraising page for more information on how the Troop is financed.

In addition to the year dues, the Scouting program is “pay as you go.”  The typical monthly outing cost $40 ($20 for site rentals and $20 for food).  Going to summer camp, which is HIGHLY recommended may cost $350-$550 for the week.  Part of the Scouting program is to encourage your scout to pay his or her own way.  This is can be accomplished through several scout-benefit fundraisers, including selling popcorn and camp cards.  Please see our Fundraising page for more information on the opportunities for a scout to raise money. However, inability to contribute does not preclude a scout from participating. Please discuss, in confidence with the Scoutmaster, any financial concerns that you may have.

A Scout account is a fund held by the troop but belonging to the Scout, which can be used to pay for or offset the costs of attending summer camp. A Scout earns money for his Scout account by participating in fundraising activities.

Please see our Fundraising page for more information on the opportunities for a scout to raise money. However, inability to contribute does not preclude a scout from participating. Please discuss, in confidence with the Scoutmaster, any financial concerns that you may have.

There are several forms that are required including:

• BSA Youth Application(new Scouts only)
• Annual Health & Medical Record(Part A & B only)
• Family Talent Survey Form
• Photo Release form

Please see our Join Us (Registration Paperwork) page for more information.

The Scouting adventure, camping trips, high-adventure excursions, and having fun are important to everyone in Scouting—and so is your safety and well-being. Completing the Annual Health and Medical Record is the first step in making sure you have a great Scouting experience.

When submitting your Annual Health & Medical Record, Troop 279 HIGHLY recommends that parents retain a copy for their own records and in case the Troop requires additional copies for other needs that may arise.

“Part C” of the Annual Health & Medical Record is only required when the scout or parent will be camping for over 72 hours. Examples of events that would requires Part C would be summer camp, jamborees and week-long leadership training camps.

Part C requires a physical examination and a physician’s signature.  As such, please allow ample time prior to a 72+ hour campout  to complete the full Annual Health & Medical Record, including Part C.

Part C, just as with the rest of the Annual Health & Medical Record is valid for one year.

Scoutbook is a powerful online tool the Troop uses to track scouts’ progress, keep contact information, schedule events and communicate to the troop’s leaders, parents and scouts.

Scouts and parents have the ability to track progress toward rank and view the requirements to complete each rank, merit badges and other awards.

You will receive event reminders and other general emails from Scoutbook.

Please take a minute to log into Scoutbook and familiarize yourself with your and your scout’s account.

Your scout won’t need to purchase a lot of gear to begin his or her adventure in Scouting. The most important requirements are a sleep system (sleeping bag and ground pad), a water bottle, and a mess kit (or dishes, silverware and mug). It’s also helpful to have a duffel bag or backpack to carry everything in. (An old school backpack should work fine.) Troop 279 either provides all other equipment, such as tents and stoves, or can loan gear like compasses. For cabin campouts, your scout may only need a blanket and pillow, but for outdoor campouts your scout will need a sleeping bag rated for at least the expected low temperature. A closed-cell foam ground pad (e.g. a cheap, Walmart blue roll pad) will help block heat loss into the ground.

Of course, normal outdoor clothing appropriate for the weather is a must. Look on the Camping page for a Personal Packing List.

The Troop provides basic troop insignia and all rank and merit badge insignia as part of the annual dues payments. This includes the troop neckerchief, the 279 patch, the patrol patch, and the badge of office if the scout holds a position of responsibility (such as patrol leader). When a Scout advances in rank, he or she receives the new rank badge at a troop meeting, and is formally acknowledged again during the next troop court of honor (COH). Merit badge patches are generally presented at COH, although the “blue card” (merit badge record card) that indicates completion a merit badge, is given by his merit badge counselor when the scout completes the badge (and the official date the scout earned the badge is the date the counselor signed the card).

All nights of camping, miles hiked, advancement dates, hours of service in troop-sponsored projects, and miscellaneous events are recorded in Scoutbook. Merit badge applicant records (blue card), as well as rank advancement cards, and special award cards should also be kept by the Scout in a safe place. This documentation may be required to document the Scout’s advancement to Eagle Scout. The Scout should also record the service hours, camping nights and hikes in his or her Scout Handbook.

When a Scout is finished, or nearly finished, with the requirements for the next rank, a Scoutmaster conference is required. Along with a board of review, these are Scouting’s method of ensuring the Scout’s experience is a good one. In a Scoutmaster conference, the Scout meets with the Scoutmaster*, usually at a troop meeting or a campout. The Scoutmaster will go through and review to be sure that the Scout’s book is signed off properly and will review with the Scout many of the requirements he or she has gone through. The Scoutmaster will also talk about the requirement which speaks to living the Scout Oath and Law in the scout’s everyday life. If the Scoutmaster feels that the Scout is ready for this advancement, the Scoutmaster will sign the Scout’s handbook. If the Scoutmaster feels that there are any deficiencies, they will be clearly outlined with what needs to be done to correct them, and a follow-up conference date will be set.

After a successful Scoutmaster Conference, the next step is for the Scoutmaster to notify the advancement coordinator that the Scout is ready for a board of review (BOR), and the Scout should confirm the review date with the advancement coordinator.

The Scoutmaster Conference should be carefully prepared for, and the Scout is expected to be wearing a complete Class-A uniform, or as much of it as possible, with insignia displayed correctly.

*In some cases, Scoutmaster conferences will be conducted by an assistant Scoutmaster. Examples are if the Scoutmaster is absent, if there are a large number of advancement candidates, or if the Scout is the Scoutmaster‘s own child. We employ every measure to ensure that a Scout’s advancement is not delayed unnecessarily.

The Board of Review (BOR) is a conference with members of the troop committee who are not Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters or the scout’s parents. BORs are normally scheduled during a troop meeting, but can also be conducted at a campout or summer camp if there enough committee members available. A BOR typically follows a Scoutmaster Conference for rank advancement, but may also be requested by the troop committee for other reasons, such as to find out why a scout is not advancing.

Although the Scoutmaster normally notifies the advancement coordinator when the Scoutmaster conference is complete, the Scout needing a board of review should confirm the appointment at least one week before the requested board date. This is done by the Scout, not by the parent.

The board will spend a few minutes with the Scout discussing the activities completed to earn this advancement, as well as the Scout’s general feelings about the troop, the program, the scout’s goals, etc. This allows for the Scouts to be able to openly discuss issues with people they can trust, as well as to be sure that the troop has a quality Scouting program in place. The scout will not be re-tested on any requirements, but may be asked how he or she completed them. For example, for the cooking requirement, the scout could be asked what foods he or she prepared and how the scout did it.

As with the Scoutmaster Conference, the Scout is expected to be in his complete class-A uniform and have the scout handbook and a pen.

A court of honor (COH) is a ceremony held every few months to formally recognize Scouts for their achievements. It is a formal event (all in uniform) with families attending and usually includes a meal or refreshments and hospitality, plus an opportunity to discuss the troop program with parents. It is similar to the Cub Scout Blue & Gold banquet, only on a smaller scale, and is planned and run by the Scouts themselves, not the adults. (Adults usually assist with arrangements such as food and beverage, but often the Scouts handle much of that themselves as well.)

Consider the troop court of honor with the same importance as you would a Blue & Gold banquet, or a sports or band banquet or honors ceremony.

The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouts, BSA‘s National Scouting Honor Society. OA members exemplify scouthood, cheerfulness and service, and assist Scouting through camp
improvement projects, service to units, and assistance with council and district events. Scouts are elected to the OA by fellow youth members of their troop, and must have met certain requirements including achieving First Class rank and experiencing a minimum number of nights camping.

Parents can help in many ways and in many support positions (ex: committee member, quartermaster, treasurer, advancement chair, etc.). Most volunteer positions have a “shadow” who can assist you and help you learn the role.

If you are interested in working directly with the scouts, helping them learn to lead and run their troop, speak to the Scoutmaster about becoming an assistant Scoutmaster. Assistant Scoutmasters support the Scoutmaster in various ways including working with patrol leaders and appointed youth leaders in helping them learn their jobs (but not doing it for them!). Assistant Scoutmasters are required to attend position-specific and outdoor leader training offered by our council.

Parents can also help by remembering that we are a scout-led Troop, and letting their scouts fulfill their requirements on their own is an important part of the growing experience.

Please visit our Volunteering page for more information.

Yes! Every volunteer and leadership position is open to women. In fact, more than one-third of Scout volunteers are women.

There is a variety of training available specific to the position you hold and much of the basic training can be completed on-line. More in-depth training is provided throughout the year and monthly round-table meetings enable you and other leaders to share ideas.

You will not have to carry the responsibilities alone. Other leaders and parents will be involved and provide collaboration and support.

Check out the Events page or log into Scoutbook and view the events calendar.  You can also download a PDF-version of the Current Calendar of Events, formatted for printing.