New Parent
Orientation

Our full Troop Vision covers

• Troop Organization

• Finances

• Fundraising

• High Adventure

• Outdoor Program

• Equipment and Gear

This is intended to be a guiding document for troop leadership. We believe having these kinds of thoughts written down makes it easier to maintain consistent leadership and accomplish long term goals and stability. We encourage all parents to review it. More importantly, we want everyone to know that we are open to recommendations and updates. If you have recommendations for improving the troop’s direction, please reach out to us.

The troop generally meets every Monday from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Weekly meetings will typically be canceled for major holidays or Madison County School vacations, but not always. 

• The PLC decides about two months in advance whether to hold or cancel a meeting for a given holiday. The decision is based on goals for completing merit badges and preparing for outings.

• As a general rule, we will cancel meetings during school breaks or holidays that are popular for family gatherings (ie, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc).

• We expect Scouting is a part of your family’s life, not the focus. You should feel no guilt for missing a meeting because you have family plans for a holiday when we hold a meeting.

We try to have our outings published to our calendar about a year in advance. Please understand that the dates may need to change occasionally, with the primary causes of schedule changes being leader availability and camp/activity availability. We will announce changes at least a month in advance, and aim for at least three months in advance. (when we make changes more than six months in advance, we often do so quietly).

We are currently undergoing an experiment with our trip planning coordination. We are publishing our trip plans to https://www.richmondscouts118.org/resources/trip-planning. These plans include designating a leader in command, publishing maps, and completing checklists to ensure we have adequately prepared for likely contingencies. 

We have also published our Activity Planning Best Practices on that page. This is another guiding document that covers how we approach safety and trip preparation. There are two other documents published there that we add to this packet as attachments:

• Pre Activity Safety Review - This document was developed by the Patrol Leaders Council and provides core expectations of behavior and preparedness for every outing. 

• Lost Scout Protocol - This document is carried on all outings and provides guidance for how to respond to the unlikely event that we lose accountability for one or more scouts. Any adult who wishes to participate in outings is expected to look this over. 

When we talk about Rank Advancement, we mean progression through the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. Merit badges are a part of advancing in the higher ranks. Rank advancement and merit badges are primarily the responsibility of your Scout. 

Now let’s be realistic: very few Eagle Scouts made it to Eagle without an adult in their life nagging them to finish. Notice that we said “an adult.” It doesn’t always have to be you. Obtaining Eagle is a journey of the scout shared with family, patrol, troop, and adult leaders. 

The advancement process in scouting has four steps

1. The scout learns

2. The scout is tested

3. The scout is reviewed

4. The scout is recognized

When it comes to the review step, scouting uses two reviews: the Scoutmaster Conference, and the Board of Review. Before completing any rank, the scout will sit with the Scoutmaster for a discussion about what they have learned and a final review that they have completed all the requirements they claim to have completed. More importantly, they will discuss the scouts experience and growth, and how they have demonstrated living the Scout Oath and Law. Scouts can request a scoutmaster conference by contacting their scoutmaster. They should ask at least a week in advance.

The Board of Review consists of 3-5 adults (parents and/or committee members) who engage in a discussion with the youth. They will not test specific skills. Again, they are trying to verify that the scout did learn and grow through their experience. They will discuss goals and progress. Scouts may request a Board of Review by contacting the Committee Chair or Advancement Coordinator. There is usually one week each month coordinated specifically to have enough leaders for boards of review.

In addition, the committee may request a Board of Review with a scout, even if they aren’t up for a rank completion. Ideally, we would have a Board of Review with each scout twice each year. These are not intended to be punitive. If anything, they help us to keep in touch with the interests and goals of your scout so that we are better able to support their goals.

The first few ranks (Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class) are full of skills and knowledge introduction. The scoutmaster has the authority to designate who is allowed to sign off on rank advancement skills through First Class. In this Troop, any Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, or Troop Guide is permitted to sign off rank requirements. This permission is often extended to any scout having earned First Class. The standard process you should follow for completing requirements is

1. The Scout studies and learns the skill/knowledge in the requirement

2. The Scout reviews their knowledge with their parent. They mark it in the book by a check mark

3. The Scout reviews their knowledge with a Patrol Leader (or other appropriate, older scout). The Patrol Leader will initial and date the requirement.

4. The Parent marks the completion of the requirement in Scoutbook. If the parent is unfamiliar with or uncomfortable with Scoutbook, the Scoutmaster can complete the electronic record during the Scoutmaster Conference.

There are many skills that we will cover in the course of our activities. We will record these in Scoutbook within a few weeks of the activity. We ask for your patience. Getting into Scoutbook and updating those requirements can’t always be our top priority when we get back from an outing. If you think we’ve missed something, please ask. Sometimes we get behind and need a reminder. 

After completing first class, only the scoutmasters have authority to sign off on requirements. The requirements are very similar across Star, Life, and Eagle, requiring living the Scout Law, completing merit badges, serving in leadership positions, and recording service hours. Most of those are very objectively measured. It is good practice to keep record of these completions in the physical book, and the scoutmasters will also record it electronically in Scoutbook.

The correct answer to this question is “as quickly as they want to.” In practice, it looks a little different. 

Research shows that scouts who make it to First Class within their first year are far more likely to make it to Eagle. We suspect that really just means that kids who make it to First Class in the first year are attending more meetings and outings and haven’t chosen other activities. Making steady progress is more important than speed.

However, from our experience, we also see that kids who do not make it to First Class in 18 months are not being engaged in a way that keeps their interest. As a rule of thumb, we recommend getting scouts to be First Class by their 13th birthday (or within 18 months of joining). If they can accomplish this, they’re likely regular participants, being engaged, and having fun. And at 13, they are ready to dip their toes into leadership positions. 

If you have concerns about your scout's advancement, talk to us. 

Before you read this section, take a breath. First, understand that you don’t need to worry about merit badges for a new scout just yet. Focus on advancing to First Class first. They’ll pick up a few merit badges along the way. The best time to come back and think about merit badges is when your scout completes Second Class. 

There are usually four ways that scouts will earn merit badges with us:

• Troop meetings: We will complete merit badge requirements during troop meetings. The current PLC has a merit badge theme every month and plans the meetings to complete the requirements they feel can be reasonably completed in meetings. We do not guarantee that a scout will complete a merit badge in the course of the month. Requirements will be marked in Scoutbook and the scout and their family can determine how best to complete the merit badge (or if they even want to).

• Summer camp: There is always an abundance of merit badge opportunities to complete at camp. Scouts are encouraged to select a mixture of merit badges that move them toward Eagle and other classes that are just fun. Participation in a merit badge class at camp does not guarantee completion, but we will update Scoutbook with completed requirements.

• Merit badge fairs: These are occasionally sponsored within the county or council and offer opportunities to complete merit badges with specialists in fields that are harder to come by. We will announce these as they become available.

• Personal pursuit: A scout may always look for a merit badge counselor to work on a badge on their own time. The scout should get the approval (mostly verification that they have a qualified counselor) of the scoutmaster prior to starting a merit badge. When working with a merit badge counselor, youth protection rules need to be adhered to. Generally, requirements toward rank should not also be counted toward a merit badge, unless explicitly permitted in the merit badge requirements. 

When completing merit badges, just keep in mind that the standard is different than in rank advancement. In rank requirements, we often want to see familiarity. With merit badges, we want to see proficiency in the field. 

You should also keep in mind that many merit badges take time to complete. It’s certainly possible to pick one merit badge and complete it before moving on to another. However, you might progress better if you select a few merit badges and make a plan to work them over a longer period of time. There’s no one right way to do it.

If a scout has a cell phone, we want them to carry it with them on outings. 

We have found that certain advantages of technology make it preferable that scouts carry their cell phones. More importantly, we believe that scouts should be taught to recognize their technology as another tool that can assist them in an emergency. As such, it is important that they keep that tool in good working order, fully charged, and available to assist in an emergency. 

We will work with the scouts to utilize technology appropriately, including keeping the phone tucked away unless they need it. Battery management will be an important topic, and will include minimizing use for games and/or videos.

Ultimately, we recognize that whether a scout has or carries a cell phone is a decision to be made by each family. If your scout tries to tell you that “the scout troop says I need a cell phone,” understand that this is not our position. 

Another note on cell phones and Youth Protection: we do not publish youth phone numbers in any of our documents. If an adult leader has a need to contact a youth, the preferred method is via phone call to the parent or text message that includes the scout and their parent. We request that you follow the same protocol if you need to talk to another scout. 

Experience has taught us that there are times where quickly finding a scout’s location can greatly simplify our response in an emergency. With this in mind, you may want to consider enabling some form of tracking on your child’s device. If you choose to do this, keep in mind the following:

• The most freely available tracking tools, such as Google, require that the device have an internet connection (either cell signal or wifi). These types of connections will not always be available in some of the areas where we camp. 

• If you use an external device, you should look at GPS transmitters. Many devices, like Airtags, rely on bluetooth and wifi/cell service. They may suffer the same limitations of a cell phone. Only a GPS transmitter is guaranteed to work in remote areas.

• Nearly all cell phones manufactured today have GPS transmitters embedded. These can still communicate with satellites even without cell service. However, accessing GPS data from the device requires an additional service on top of your cell plan.

We have found that Life 360 offers good services for tracking. There is a free-tier plan you can subscribe to that offers location tracking of the devices in your “circle.” In the event of an emergency, add a troop leader to your circle to help us locate your scout more quickly. (You should not add us by default. Following Youth Protection principles, we should not be able to track your child's location unless there is an emergency)

This is not an endorsement, nor is it an expectation. Just another tool for you to consider.

If you have privacy concerns about using a tracking service, talk to a leader about disabling location services until the app is needed in an emergency.

As an extension of encouraging good use of technology, scouts with smart phones may consider downloading the Gaia GPS app onto their phones. They can download the trail maps for our activities to their phones before the trip, allowing them to consult their location with the use of GPS in case they are unsure of where they are or which direction to turn. While we hope they aren't every separate from the group, having a back up plan is part of Being Prepared.

In addition to having a backup plan in case they are separated from the group, scouts who create their own account may also record their own tracks, creating a log of their adventures. 

If you would prefer your child not create their own account, they may log in with the following credentials to still be able to use the app (however we will periodically delete any tracks that have been recorded and saved to the account).
Username: troop118richmond+scout@gmail.com
Password: Troop118

10 + 1 Essentials

Every scout is expected to have these available and on their person during any outdoor activity. Any scout who is missing one or more of these items is required to stay within full view of an adult at all times. 

1.     Water (At least two full quarts)

2.     First Aid Kit

3.     Map and Compass

4.     Pocket Knife

5.     Rain Gear

6.     Extra Clothing

7.     Flashlight / headlamp

8.     Trail food

9.     Fire starter

10.  Sun protection

11.  Whistle

• Sleeping bag: Your scout will need at least one sleeping bag, and we recommend two. One should be rated to 45 degrees for summer use (April - September) and one rated to 20 degrees for winter use (October - April; a 30 degree bag is also acceptable). We recommend prioritizing the summer bag. The troop has extra sleeping bags we take on winter outings for those who need them. You may also supplement winter trips with extra blankets from home.

• Sleeping pad: This is an essential element of keeping your scout warm during all outings. The sleeping pad needs to extend at least from the shoulders to the knees.  

• Mess Kit: We recommend a plate, bowl, cup, and utensil set at minimum. There are thousands of options out there that all come with advantages and disadvantages. Don’t forget, however, that sour cream containers, used pie plates, etc make great eating utensils, too. We recommend avoiding collapsible silicone dishes, as they are expensive and prone to developing holes after about eighteen months.

Most of our activities can be accommodated with a duffel bag and a day pack. Occasionally, a trip may require more specialized gear, such as an expedition backpack or a dry bag. The essentials you definitely need are:

• A large duffel or tote: This is what your scout will stuff full of a sleeping bag, clothes, mess gear, and anything else that isn’t carried in their day pack.

• A comfortable day pack: This needs to hold the ten essentials with a little room to spare and be comfortable to wear. Day packs with a hip belt will be more comfortable to carry, but are not required.

These are not essential, but may be nice to have, especially as your scout gets older

• Expedition backpack: Many of our scouts will use this instead of a duffel. It is designed for overnight backpacking excursions and can hold supplies for 3-5 days, when carefully packed. This is a convenience item, and does not become essential unless your scout participates in a multi-day backpacking trip (these are usually limited for older scouts)

• Dry bag: These bags are intended for water activities such as canoeing and sailing. Properly sealed, they will keep their contents dry. This is another convenience item and is not essential unless participating in a multi-day water trip. Otherwise, garbage bags are a good alternative, but must be tightly packed. If you do not have a dry bag on a water trip, we recommend you turn electronics over to a leader (we usually carry a spare smaller bag to hold such items).

• Large, locking tote: we strongly recommend these for scout camp. It needs to be large enough to hold clothing and supplies for a week at camp. A lockable tote is preferred to discourage theft (we’ve never had a problem, but we don’t want it to ever be a problem). We recommend talking to other parents before purchasing one of these. They will have good recommendations and suggestions.

We update and publish our packing lists to https://www.richmondscouts118.org/troop-packing-lists. 

Please note that our packing lists do not distinguish between the needs of boys and girls. While all of our packing lists include feminine hygiene supplies, the boys are not expected to carry them (although there is no harm if they do; these supplies can have other applications, including first aid and fire starting). 

You can also look at https://www.richmondscouts118.org/troop-packing-lists/item-details to learn more about the items we have on the packing lists.

Eleven and twelve year old scouts tend to be kind of hard on gear. We recommend you avoid spending a lot of money on them just yet. Look for used gear on online sites, Facebook marketplace, etc. As long as it appears to be in good condition, we can make it work for your scout. 

If or when you are ready to purchase higher quality gear, we recommend local outfitters such as J&H Outdoors. These smaller shops might run a little more expensive, but their staff tends to be more knowledgeable and provide very good advice on getting the equipment that best meets your needs. REI will be your next best option for getting expert advice. You might also try Cabela’s, Dunham’s, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, but these locations stores are the least likely to have experts that can help you select gear and have it fitted.

Some items you don’t want to skimp on

• Socks: you don’t have to spend a lot, but try to stick with wool and synthetic fibers. Cotton socks will lead to more blisters and chronically cold feet. 

• Boots: Again, don’t spend exorbitant amounts of money, but pick a boot that is sturdy and has a solid tread. If using a used boot, make sure it has a good amount of tread left, and consider replacing the insole.

• Underwear: Not something we often think about with camping, but much like socks, you might find non-cotton fabrics more comfortable. Consider trying compression shorts or bicycle shorts in the warmer months. These will help to reduce chafing and make hot, humid days much more bearable.

Some things to avoid until about age 13 and have demonstrated the ability to care for their gear

• Inflatable sleeping pads: These are prone to puncture with mistreatment. Seek out a foam pad instead. 

• Ultralight sleeping bags: These are specialty gear that are great for minimizing weight, but often come with thinner, less resilient materials. It is assumed the owner will take good care of them. Don’t assume your young scout (or their tent mate) will be so disciplined.

• Expedition packs: Most 11 year olds aren’t big enough for an adult size pack, but child size packs will be too small very soon. Don’t invest much money in an expedition pack until they are big enough that it fits properly on the smallest adjustment (this could be as early as 12 for girls, more likely around 13 for boys).

Ultralight packs: Ultralight backpacks often omit parts of the frame to reduce the weight being carried. However, unless you can keep your total weight below 20% of your body weight, the absence of the frame will create more discomfort than the additional weight of a traditional pack. Whereas we carry group gear and act as a unit, we cannot guarantee that any one person will be able to keep their total pack weight low enough for an ultralight pack to be comfortable. 

You will hear it said over and over that scouting is a youth led organization. This is absolutely true. The scouts will plan meetings, activities, and set the broad goals for the troop to accomplish. 

At the same time, this is a family-oriented organization. Scouting doesn’t just benefit youth through the experience, but it strengthens families that build common experiences, and can even strengthen adult leadership skills. This is our way of saying that we want you to be involved in any way you feel comfortable. Let’s review most of the ways you can be involved

Volunteer for a Leadership Position

Leadership positions in the troop fit into two categories. One is called direct contact and includes the scoutmasters and their assistants (usually one per patrol). The other is indirect contact and consists of the committee. Our goal for a fully formed committee includes seven positions (see page 3 of the Troop Vision). Whatever your skill set is, we have something you can do to help make the troop more successful and hope you’ll be involved. 

Our experience is that leaders experience burn out after 2-3 years as either a scoutmaster or committee chair. Please consider training for one of those roles so that our volunteers can get some rest. We are a team, and the more people we have involved and rotating responsibilities, the better the long term viability of the troop will be.

Boards of Review

Parents (meaning unregistered adults) are welcome to participate in Boards of Review (for children other than their own).

Merit Badge Counselors

We are always looking for people with skills to teach merit badges. Please look up the merit badges (https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/) and complete the attached Merit Badge Counselor Application. To serve as a merit badge counselor you will also need to complete Youth Protection Training, but you are not required to complete the adult leader application or background check. 

Our full financial structure is described in the Troop Vision, and we strongly recommend that you read those policies there. We will review them annually at a parents meeting at the start of each program year (in August/September). Our activities do come with costs attached, and we do fundraising to try to reduce those costs as much as we can. 

We have three primary methods of fundraising

• Popcorn - much of the profit from this sale gets put into our Troop Operating Budget to cover known overhead costs.

• Wreaths and Greens - the bulk of these profits is contributed toward our Outdoor Fund

• Roadside cleanup - these funds also contribute heavily to our Outdoor Fund

We may conduct other fundraisers throughout the year when opportunities present. We are experimenting with working at Keeneland Spring Meet this year. The more fundraising we are able to do effectively, the more we can keep individual costs down.

Everyone who participates in any outings will need to submit parts A and B of the Annual Health and Medical History. As you fill out this form, please keep in mind the following:

• Youth must sign the form on part A. 

• We can get by without the insurance information for weekend outings, but we must have a photocopy of the front and back of the card in order to attend scout camp (part B1).

• Part B2 gives you space to indicate if we may administer over the counter medications. Please mark either yes or no and sign. 

• Part B2 requests an immunization history. We will need a copy of the immunization record attached in order to attend scout camp. 

• Part C is not required for weekend activities, but is required for Summer Camp and Summer HEAT Treks. We recommend you have this completed during your scout’s annual physical. 

If your scout has allergies, requires medication, or requires any special medical awareness, please talk to us so that we can develop a plan to properly manage your scout’s medical needs.