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www.troop2el.org
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TROOP 2 East Lansing, Michigan Ojibwas District Chief Okemos Council Troop 2 is a chartered organization of Peoples Church - Interdenominational 200 W. Grand River, East Lansing, MI. TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome to Troop 2! What Does a Scout Do in Troop 2? Costs Organization Advancement revised January 2006 Welcome to Troop 2! By becoming a parent of a Boy Scout, you are setting your son out on the grand adventure of Scouting. This is a tremendously important and rewarding endeavor that you will be able to share with him. What Does a Scout Do in Troop 2? Weekly Troop/Patrol Meetings Every Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Meetings are held at Peoples Church - Interdenominational. Scouts work on rank advancement and merit badge activities. Each Tuesday meeting includes scout-led Patrol break-out sessions. Weekly meetings are not held during summer break. Monthly Campouts Troop 2 loves to camp. September through May, each month features a weekend campout or other activity. Service Projects In addition to weekly meetings and monthly camp activities, Troop 2 scouts develop a sense of citizenship and strengthen their community by participating in special Service Projects throughout the year. Courts of Honor Troop 2 conducts a Court of Honor once each quarter to recognize Scout advancements and awards. The Court of Honor is a public ceremony, and is a chance for the Scouts to be recognized for their achievements. Families and all other interested individuals are encouraged to attend. Summer Activities Each summer, scouts can attend a week-long camp at Northwoods Summer Camp in the northern Lower Peninsula. Older scouts (usually age 14-up) may embark on a High Adventure Expedition with Venture Crew 22. Recent expeditions included a backpacking trip across Isle Royale (2001), an Algonquin Canoe Expedition (2002), Smokey Mountains Backpacking (2003), Porcupine Mountains Backbacking (2004) and Adirondacks Hiking (2005). Weekly meetings are not held during summer break. Fundraising Additional funds are raised by the boys through various fundraising activities. The Troop plans to do two to three major fundraising projects a year. Fund-raisers are designed so that once the Troop budget is met, additional funds raised by your son will be put into his individual account to defray scouting costs. Venture Crew 22 Boy Scout Troop 2 is affiliated with Venture Crew 22. Venturing is for young men and young women ages 14 to 20. It includes challenging high-adventure activities, sports, and hobbies for teenagers. Troop 2 and Venture Crew 22 collaborate on service projects and participate jointly in several activities throughout the year. A note about adult supervision Two registered adult leaders, or one adult leader and a Scout parent, both of whom must be at least 21 years of age, are present at all troop meetings, trips or outings. This is a BSA requirement. Costs How much does Boy Scouting cost? The annual registration fee is a nominal fee paid each fall to offically enroll the Scout in the local Troop and the national Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization. Other costs through the course of scouting include fees for special activities and uniform purchases. Annual Registration Fee - $50 The annual membership fee for each Scout in Troop 2 is applied by the troop toward:
Boys' Life is a monthly magazine popular with Scouts, and filled with ideas for activities and outings. Subscriptions are optional and are processed with the annual registration. Fees for Outings / Activities - varies Campouts and other activities may have fees associated with them. Here are some approximate costs of special events in a typical year.
Uniform and Handbook - $30 to $40 Each scout is required to have the Boy Scout Handbook, and these Boy Scout "Class A" uniform items:
Optional - "Class B" Uniform - $10.00 Recommended (but optional) for less formal troop activities is a "class B" uniform -- a dark green t-shirt with the Troop 2 emblem, available for purchase only from Troop 2. Scholarships are available Troop 2 and the Chief Okemos Council may have scholarships available to assist Scouts in meeting the costs of participation in some activities. Requests for scholarship consideration are treated confidentially. Organization Troop 2 is a participating member of the Ojibwa District of the Chief Okemos Council, Boy Scouts of America. The Troop's organization consists of the Troop, a Chartered Organization, a Troop Committee, and the Troop's Parents. The Troop The Troop is a group made up of several Boy Scout patrols. Each Patrol usually consists of a Patrol Leader and four to eight Scouts. The boys in a patrol elect their Patrol Leader who in turn appoints the Assistant Patrol Leader. The Patrol Leaders, with the Senior Patrol Leader as their head, form the Patrol Leaders' Council, which plans the activities and runs the Troop meetings. Chartered Organization (Sponsor) Every BSA Troop belongs to an organization. The Chartered Organization for Troop 2 is the Peoples Church Interdenominational of East Lansing. The Chartered Organization shares our objectives for the boys and insures that there is adequate, trained leadership. A Chartered Organization Representative acts a liaison between Troop 2 and Peoples Church. Troop Committee The Troop Committee functions as an administration and support organization for the Troop. The Troop Committee takes care of non-program issues surrounding the Troop. For example: newsletters, Troop funds, fund raising activities, membership drives and Troop coordination, activity permits and coordination, advancement records, procurement and maintenance of Troop equipment. The Committee meets monthly. Meetings are open and attendance by all parents is encouraged. Troop Parents The role of parents within Troop 2 is to be supportive of the Troop's efforts and to provide the atmosphere Scouts need to learn and excel. Parents should try to: 1. Read their Scout's handbook and understand the purpose and methods of Scouting. 2. Actively follow their Scout's progress and offer encouragement and a push when needed. 3. Show support to both the individual Scout and the Troop by attending all Troop Courts of Honor. 4. Assist in Troop fund-raisers and other such activities. 5. Be aware of the Troop Events Calendar. 6. Consider serving as Merit Badge Counselor in areas in which they have specialized knowledge and skills. Advancement The Boy Scout advancement program provides a ladder of skills that a Scout climbs at his own pace. As he acquires these skills he moves up through a series of ranks, for which he is awarded badges. Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. The higher he climbs the more challenging his tasks -- and the more rewarding. Details for advancement are contained in the Boy Scout Handbook, which every Scout should obtain as soon as possible after joining the Troop. Take a look at Chapter 1. This short chapter has an advancement summary through First Class. Merit Badges The goal of the merit badge program is to expand a Scout's areas of interest and to encourage the Scout to meet and work with adults in a chosen subject. Merit badges are earned by a Scout working with a registered merit badge counselor. All parents of scouts are encouraged to become Merit Badge Counselors. Please fill in a Troop Resource Survey form and return it to a Troop Leader. Boards of Review When a Scout has completed all the requirements for a rank, he appears before a board of review composed of members of the Troop committee. The purpose of the review is not an examination. Rather it is to determine the Scout's attitude and acceptance of Scouting's ideals; to ensure that the requirements have been met for advancement, to discuss the Scout's experiences in the Troop and the Troop's program, and to encourage him to keep working towards advancement. A Board of Review may also be held to counsel a boy about his lack of progress toward advancement. |
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