BSA Troop 211

Troop Policy

Troop meetings are held every Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the New Baltimore Civic Club.
Scouts are expected to attend troop meetings in field duty (class "A") uniforms (see below) and bring their Boy Scout Handbook, pencil or pen and paper.
The troop will follow the Troop 211 rules of conduct, as adopted by the Patrol Leader's Council and Troop Committee. The Scout Oath and Law are the principles by which we will judge behavior.
The troop re-charters every February. Yearly fees are as follows:
1. $10.00 Registration fee to National BSA
2. $11.00 Boys Life (Required for Quality Unit Award)
3. $1.00 Insurance fee to Occoneechee Council
4. $45.00 Yearly Dues to BSA Troop 211
All fees need to be submitted in full on or before February 1 of the re-charter year. Failure to pay fees before this date will require that the scout or adult re-register with the Boy Scouts of America. A current registration is required for participation in all Boy Scout activities. Anyone needing assistance with ANY of these fees, please contact the scoutmaster by January 1 of the re-charter year. We will do everything in our power to prevent any boy being denied access to Boy Scouts.
Advancement for Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class may be signed off by the Scoutmaster or any Assistant Scoutmaster. It is expected that any sign off will be completed in accordance with BSA advancement policy. Specifically, the Scout must demonstrate that he has acquired the skill or completed the task exactly as stated in the requirement.
Scoutmaster's conferences, for the purpose of advancement, are given whenever a Scout has completed all of the rank requirements for the given rank. The scout MUST ask the Scoutmaster for a Scoutmaster conference. Scoutmaster's Conferences will be conducted by the Scoutmaster.
Scouts must present their Scout Handbooks to the Advancement Chairman for verification and updating of the troop records.
For the purpose of defining active participation for the ranks for Star, Life, Eagle and Eagle Palms the following minimum will be applied: "Actively participate in 70% of all troop sponsored activities each month for the three months immediately preceding the Scoutmaster's conference for the rank advancement desired".
Boards of Reviews are scheduled on an as needed basis as determined by the Advancement Chairman and the Scoutmaster. The Advancement Chairman is responsible for informing the Troop Committee about pending boards of review based upon completion of Scoutmaster's conferences.
The Troop Committee meets monthly on the third Monday of the month. The committee meets at Green Street Tavern in New Baltimore. This meeting is open to all parents, and regular attendance is highly encouraged. Time will be allotted for parents' questions and comments.
Courts of Honor are scheduled quarterly on either a Wednesday night (Winter and Spring) or Saturday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. with a minimum of four per year. Eagle Courts of Honor are scheduled separately. Rank badges will be awarded at troop meetings following board of review. Rank cards will be awarded at the Court of Honor.
The Field Duty (Class "A") uniform should be worn at all troop meetings. This uniform includes official BSA shirt with properly positioned patches (see Scout handbook for positions of patches), official BSA green web belt, socks and trousers, or shorts in olive green. A neckerchief will be furnished by the Chartered Organization upon registration with Troop 211. A troop t-shirt needs to be purchased upon registration with Troop 211. Additional t-shirts may also be purchased.
Field Duty (Class "A") uniform must be worn at any Board of Review.
Field Duty (Class "A") uniform and merit badge sash must be worn at Courts of Honor.
Field Duty (Class "A") uniform must be worn for the opening and closing of each troop meeting. If the troop t-shirt is worn under the field duty shirt, the Scoutmaster may determine it proper to wear during the rest of the meeting. Wearing the field duty uniform demonstrates Scout spirit.
It is the policy of the troop to wear class "A" uniform whenever the troop is traveling to or from an activity. The Patrol Leader's Council will decide the specific field duty uniform policy to be used at summer camp, but it must comply with the requirements of the camp attended. Uniform inspections will be conducted at certain times during the year.
The Activity Uniform (class "B") is the same as above except that a Boy Scout or Troop t-shirt is worn in place of the official BSA shirt with patches. Activity Uniforms are generally worn when the scouts are in camp or participating in activities other than troop meetings, courts of honor, or travel to and from trips.
Troop elections will be held twice per year at six-month intervals, typically in January and in June after summer camp. Elected positions are Senior Patrol Leader and patrol leaders. In the vote for Senior Patrol Leader, the boy with the most votes is elected and the first runner up is the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. Additional positions will be determined as referenced in the Patrol Method section on the web site.
Order of the Arrow elections will be coordinated with and conducted by the local Order of the Arrow chapter.
The Patrol Leader's Council will meet twice monthly. The schedule will be flexible to accommodate troop and other conflicting activities. Attendance by the elected leaders and staff is mandatory.
Following election, all members of the newly elected Patrol Leader's Council and appointed junior leaders are highly encouraged to attend troop Youth Leadership Training.
During summer camp, the troop will vote on where to attend summer camp the following year.
Troop fund raising is done for the troop as a whole, not for the individual scout. The troop committee must approve fund raising projects.
On campouts, the troop furnishes Patrol boxes containing cooking gear and propane. Each scout will accept responsibility for care of troop equipment and is expected to repair or replace damaged troop equipment.
The National Scout Jamboree is held every four years. Go this time for there may not be a next time.
Merit badge counselors must be registered with Great Lakes Field Service Council. Merit badge counseling can be arranged with a minimum of two scouts and a registered counselor or one scout, his parent along with the registered counselor. An exception may be made for a parent to register to counsel a maximum of two non-Eagle required merit badges for their son. ALL merit badge councilors (MBC) must follow Troop 211's Merit Badge Policies .