Troop 168 New Parent Guide

New Parents,

Welcome to Troop 168!  The purpose of this document is to provide you with valuable information concerning the beginning of your son’s adventure with our Troop.  It is lengthy, but you should find the information useful and we ask that you please read through it.

The Scouting program has specific objectives, commonly referred to as the “Aims of Scouting.” They are character development, leadership development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. These aims are achieved using several methods. No one method is greater than the other and they all work together to achieve the aims. The methods are: 

Ideals, Patrols, Outdoor Programs, Advancement, Association with Adults, Personal Growth, Leadership Development, and The Uniform. A few of these will be covered in more detail later in this letter. 

These Aims and Methods of Scouting drive what we do as a Troop and how we interact with your boys. It is my desire that each of your son’s gets something from Scouts. Statistically, they won’t all earn Eagle, but all of them will learn something that will help them later in life. They may take a merit badge that leads them to a career or learn a skill that helps them save someone’s life. I look forward to getting to work with and see your scout grow. 

We also need your help. This troop runs on parent volunteers. As we have boys that age out or leave the troop, their parent’s usually leave too. This means we always need more help. As our troop grows with the addition of new scouts, we need more adults to help. The troop is always looking for parents and other adults to help fill roles within the unit. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to tie knots or pitch a tent. We can always use help on the Troop Committee. If you are interested in the outdoors and want to learn the skills and help teach your scouts, we will teach you. If your scouts can learn it, so can you! 

Annual Dues and Additional Costs

Annual dues for a Scout crossing over from a pack or transferring from another troop are $70.  This fee includes costs associated with joining or crossover to the Troop such as the Troop number patch, green shoulder loops, red Scout neckerchief and slide and other insignia.  It also includes costs associated with his first year with the Troop including a Troop T-shirt (earned with Scout rank), Troop Water Bottle (earned at Tenderfoot Rank) and various rank advancement and Patrol patches.  

If your son has never been in Scouts before, the joining fees are $245. Part of these fees will be prorated based on the month he joins. The fees include $175 to the Boy Scouts of America for registration fees ($25 of this is fixed, $150 will be prorated). $40 are for annual dues and will be prorated based on the month you join. The remaining $30 are for costs associated with your son’s first year in the troop including a T-Shirt, Water Bottle, and Neckerchief. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@troop168okc.org

Camping Fees: Monthly troop campouts typically cost $25. That is $17 for Patrol groceries, $2 for Friday night snacks, $2 for gas for those pulling the Troop trailers, and $4 to offset costs of some camp fees such as fees for State Park campgrounds, canoe trip expenses, Camporee, etc.

Gear and Equipment Needs

Please do not run out and buy a lot of gear you think your son might need.  Troop 168 supplies gear such as tents, stoves, pots, pans, dishes and lanterns.  All the boy will need is personal gear.  We have limited space in the trailer with as many boys as we have, so they need to pack only what they need. One of the first things you will need to get is a Scouts BSA Handbook. These are available at the Scout Shop (3031 NW 64th St, near 63rd and May). You will find a lot of good information on equipment needs as well as information to help your son master the scouting skills. It is also his official record for advancement. 

 He will need a sleeping bag.  Since we camp thru out the year regardless of weather, he eventually might need more than one bag.  A zero-degree bag won’t work in August and a 50 degree bag won’t work in January.  It is best to buy a bag in the 20-degree range and supplement it with one of the inexpensive fleece bags you can find at Academy or Wal-Mart.  The fleece bag may be all they need during the summer and the 20-degree bag might be all they need for the majority of the year.  When it is really cold, they can slide the fleece bag inside the sleeping bag and lower its rating by 10 degrees.  A mummy bag will be better than a rectangular bag because the hood can be cinched down in winter to retain vital body heat or folded under in warmer weather.

Do not buy a cot. We sometimes sleep three to a tent and the tents are not big enough for cots (we don’t have room to carry them anyway). The one exception for cots is summer camp where they will be there a full week in a big canvas wall tent. Some of the camps provide cots and some do not. We will let you know when we determine where camp will be each year. 

They will need a sleeping pad of some sort, NOT an air mattress. In cold weather, the cold air circulates underneath you in an air mattress and you will freeze.  A sleeping pad will provide something softer than the hard ground and will insulate you from the ground which will steal body heat from you even in the summer. Choose a solid closed cell foam type pad over an inflatable pad.  Boys tend to get holes in the inflatable pads and then they do no good.  The Therm-a-Rest brand Z-Rest Pad is the very best option for Scouts although it is at the high-end cost-wise at around $45.00. Walmart sells a roll up foam pad for less than $20. Do not buy the foam rubber style egg crate pads as they turn into sponges if a tent leaks.

Each boy needs their own personal water bottle(s).  Hydration bladders that fit inside backpacks are not allowed due to concerns over dehydration.  Boys tend to chew on the mouthpiece like a pacifier instead of drinking from them.  Also, if they are not properly cared for, there is no telling what biohazard will be growing inside the bladder. Dehydration is our biggest health problem in camp regardless of the time of year.  A translucent Nalgene bottle allows us to see how much water a boy is drinking, and it is virtually indestructible. When your scout earns Tenderfoot rank, he will be given a troop water bottle. 

 A headlamp is preferable over a flashlight.  A headlamp allows the boy to use the light and keep his hands free to do things like set tents up in the dark.  These lamps can cost from $20 to $40. Don’t splurge here, scouts loose things often and this is a easy one to misplace. Don’t forget extra batteries. 

Raingear is a must.  Wet boys can get hypothermia even in the summer.  Don’t spend a fortune buying something your son will quickly grow out of.  On the other hand, don’t buy some thin plastic emergency poncho that will rip while putting it on.  Rain jackets and pants are encouraged over a poncho. You are more likely to get wet with a poncho. Make sure that whatever you buy is waterproof and not just water resistant.

Boots or “trail shoes” are also a must.  Again, do not go out and spend $150 to $200 on some ultra-technical backpacking boots that they don’t need and will outgrow in 6 months.  Shop around and find something that is more substantial than regular athletic shoes.  If possible, waterproof boots are better than non-waterproof, but do not buy the fully rubberized boots as a boy’s feet will boil in them in the summer.  High-top are better than low-top for ankle support on uneven terrain.  You can often find shoes or boots at Academy for as low as $40.00.  They are a good option used by many of our Scouts and the boys will outgrow them before they wear them out.

It really is not necessary to carry a knife, but it is a point of pride for most Scouts.  Once they have earned their Totin’ Chit which gives them the right to carry a knife, they should only need a small pocketknife.  Fixed blade and assisted opening (switch blade) knives are not allowed.  It is rare that they will ever actually need to use their knife for a legitimate purpose.  They can and will have it confiscated for using it improperly. Knives are a tool and not a toy.  Again, go the inexpensive route and make sure it has a locking blade. Scouts must re-earn the right to carry a knife after Cub Scouts and may not bring them on a campout until after earning the Totin’ Chit.

Always chose as good of quality as you can at as low of a price as you can, especially with things they will outgrow like shoes or rain gear. If in doubt, you can always ask the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster for their opinion.  They’ve all spent small fortunes on gear and can help steer you in the right direction. Shop around for gear. There are several local places (Cabela’s, Bass Pro, Academy, REI CO-OP) that you can buy gear. REI will have high quality and very knowledgeable staff, but higher prices. Look online at places like Amazon and Walmart.com. Always read reviews for online stores. Just because it is a good price doesn’t mean it is worth that price.  

Always, always, always mark everything a boy owns including his underwear.  Believe it or not, boys lose things. Last but certainly not least, a Scout should always bring his Boy Scout Handbook, paper and pen to Troop meetings AND campouts.  Always!  Be prepared!!! 

Troop Organization

Scout troops are guided by adults and led by the youth (here is where we get Leadership Development). We fully support this at Troop 168. Your scouts will interact with several Adults and Youth in Scouts. Below you will get a little information about each. We have found that new scouts don’t always know how to talk to some of the adults, especially when approaching them to ask about requirements. That is something that we work on with all of them, but we wanted to let you know so that you can encourage your boys. 

Youth Led

This mean just what it says, Troop 168 is a boy-led Troop.  Every six months, the boys elect their own boy leaders such as the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) and Patrol Leaders (PL’s).  The SPL appoints his Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders (ASPL’s) and the Patrol Leaders appoint their Assistant Patrol Leaders (APL’s).  Twice a year, the boys plan their calendar and decide where they want to go and what type of program they want to participate in on those outings.  

While adults may make announcements at Troop meetings, the meetings are planned by the Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) and conducted by the SPL.  The SM and ASM’s are tasked with teaching the boys leadership skills and providing supervision for safety concerns.  Most of the skills training will be done by Scouts for Scouts.  What might look like mass chaos to you is really boys learning how to be leaders and function in a social group.  Please stay out of their way and please be quiet during meeting time.  Do not take care of things for your son, clean up behind him or try to schedule things in his place.  He is a Scout in a boy-led Troop, and these are his responsibilities.  We have a chain of command and enforce it. You will often hear the adults say “Ask your patrol leader” instead of answering a question. 

Boys are not used to being treated like mature and responsible people.  They have often had an adult take care of things for them.  If a boy has a problem or question, he takes it to his PL (or APL in the PL’s absence).  If the PL or APL cannot resolve the problem, they will take it to the SPL (or an ASPL in the SPL’s absence).  If the SPL or ASPL cannot resolve the problem, they will take it to the SM or an ASM.  If your son comes home and tells you that Mr. so and so wouldn’t help him, most likely Mr. so and so told them to follow the chain of command and take it to their PL first.

Patrols and the Patrol Method

The boys are grouped into patrols. Each has a name and patrol patch that they get to choose. New scouts are generally grouped together since they have some different activities and focus to learn the basic scout skills. A new patrol will be led by a Troop Guide (see below). The other patrols are made up of boys usually within 2 years of age of each other. The patrol is their troop family. They will camp together, cook together, and have to learn how to work together. Each patrol will have a Patrol Leader (PL) that will change every 6 months. The Patrols are responsible for their actions, successes and failures. 

Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters

The troop adults are led by the Scoutmaster. New scout patrols are assigned an Assistant Scoutmaster(s). The Scouts in Troop 168 address all adults by Mr. or Ms. regardless of whether the adult is a registered leader or parent, no exceptions.  Besides reflecting respect, it is also a practical issue since when you have a large Troop and someone says "Dad" it can cause confusion.  The ASM, along with the Troop Guide, will be working specifically with the new Scouts while Mr. Bourn the Scoutmaster (SM) and the other ASM’s will concentrate their efforts on the older Scouts.  The new Scouts will have plenty of interaction with the whole Troop.

Troop Guides

The new Scouts will be led by Troop Guides (TG’s) rather than Patrol Leaders (PL’s).  TG’s are older boys who have already served in other leadership positions  and have a proven track record of good Scout skills and interpersonal skills.  The TG’s will be the primary resource for working with the new Scouts to teach them what they need to know for Troop operations, skills and advancement.  As the new Scouts gain experience, the TG’s will step back and function more in a supervisory capacity.

Troop Committee

The troop committee run things behind the scenes. It consists of the Committee Chair, the Scoutmaster and others in key roles like Finance, Quartermaster (troop equipment), fundraising, secretary, etc. This is a great place to start if you want to get involved. 

Meetings

We meet every Monday evening at 7:00 PM sharp except for the Monday following an outing.  On those Mondays, we have a committee meeting. The Tuesday following an outing, we will have a Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) for the youth leadership to discuss the previous campout and work on plans for the coming month.  The only other exception to Troop meetings is when we have a school holiday or other conflict.  If there is ever any question, refer to the calendar in Scoutbook (see below).  

During the Troop meetings, the Patrols will have their Patrol meeting.  This is where they will work on any Patrol business such as planning their menu, duty roster and grocery shopping for their upcoming outing.  On occasion, a Patrol might hold an “outside” Patrol meeting for any number of reasons.  Outside means it is outside of the regular Troop meeting on a Monday night.

In addition to the Troop and Patrol meetings, we hold Troop Committee meetings at 7:00 PM on the Monday following an outing. All concerned or interested parents are welcome to attend.  Joining the Troop committee is perhaps the best way to contribute to the function of the Troop as a New Scout Parent.

Uniform

Troop 168 is a uniformed Troop.  A uniform consists of the official Boy Scout shirt with correct patch placement, belt, shorts or pants and socks.  A boy is always welcome to wear his neckerchief at any time, but it is only required for formal occasions such as a Court of Honor, a Scoutmaster Conference, or a Board of Review.  A boy can buy and wear the official BSA hat if they chose to, but it is not required wear in Troop 168.  When a boy joins the Troop, he is expected to wear as complete of a uniform as he owns.  He should be completely uniformed as soon as possible, probably no later than summer camp.  You are welcome to sort thru the box of “experienced” uniform parts in the corner of the Troop room if you would rather not buy a new piece.  Our only request is that you recycle the item(s) back into the box when it is outgrown.  One other important note on the uniform, we always wear the uniform while traveling so we are easily identifiable as Boy Scouts.  The boys can change to other appropriate clothing while on the campout. Usually it is best to have the Scout wear a Troop or Scout t-shirt under their uniform shirt so they can take off their uniform while setting up camp.

Advancement

Scouts BSA has found over time that a scout that joins in February and gets several campouts prior to summer camp is more likely to go to summer camp. Scouts that attend summer camp are more likely to stay involved in scouts and earn their First Class rank. Scouts that get First Class in their first year are more likely to stay in scouting for the long haul. 

Scouts BSA does advancement different from Cub Scouts in that scouts advance at their own pace. They do not move up as a group or a grade like in Cubs. This put more of the responsibility on the scout to manage their own journey. They are Scouts now and starting to learn responsibility, be organized, and associate with adults other than a parent. 

We do use a program know as First Class First Year (FCFY). This is designed to help new scouts earn their first three ranks (Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class). These initial ranks are the basis for scouts and teach many of the outdoor skills, physical fitness, and scout skills they will use for the rest of their time in scouts and for the rest of their lives. 

FCFY is an organized approach to work through the requirements. To keep from falling behind, it is important that boys attend as many troop meetings and campouts as possible. Items like the 5-mile hike are hard to make up if they don’t do this as a group with the other scouts. Is most cases, completing advancement outside of troop or patrol events is not permitted. 

Unlike Cub Scouts where “Do Your Best” and a parent sign off would complete a requirement, we expect the scouts to be proficient at the skill and be able to demonstrate it to adult leaders for sign off. However, we highly encourage parents to learn with their scout and help them to practice and Be Prepared. 

Scouts advance at their own pace. We will make an effort to get all new scouts completed with First Class in their first year, as mentioned above. Even though we use the FCFY program, scouts are expected to take ownership of their own advancement. They will need to seek sign off from a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster and keep their camping and service logs up to date in their Scoutbook. 

At the end of each rank, there is a Scoutmaster Conference and a Board of Review. The SM Conference is a chance for me to talk with the scout and find out how their scouting journey is going. We will talk about how their patrol is working out, are they planning to seek a leadership position, how thing are going at home, school, church, etc. It is a chance for me to check in with them. Scouts will then sit a Board of Review. This is a more formal “interview” of the scout with three adult members of the troop. The scouts will not be tested again on skills for that rank, but they will be asked some rank specific questions as well as some general questions about scouting and how their journey is progressing. This is enforcing one of the methods of scouting: Associating with Adults. Scouts are expected to approach the Scoutmaster and ask for a conference, then approach the Troop Advancement Chair for a Board of review. 

Camping

Troop 168 is a camping unit. We camp every month, usually on the third weekend. We will camp mainly at BSA property (because it is free) but will occasionally camp at a state park or on private land.  While camping, the scouts will use the patrol method and work as a unit to setup camp, cook meals, and do most activities. 

Scouts are not allowed to bring snacks or extra food. The only exception to this is for those with dietary restrictions, food allergies, or other medical reasons. There are a few reasons for this. 

First, the menu planning is a democratic process where everyone has a voice in voting on the menu.  Menu planning happens one to two weeks ahead of the campout during the Patrol meeting portion on the weekly Troop meeting.  If a Scout is not there, he has no vote and he eats what the rest of the Patrol voted on.  The menu is reviewed by adults to ensure that the Patrol has created a menu that will provide proper nutrition within the BSA guidelines found in the Scout Handbook and that the shopping list will meet the serving sizes needed to fill the boys up.  The boys are free to include some sweets like a dutch oven cobbler or even store-bought cookies as a dessert with a meal.  The sweets are not to be eaten as a substitute for the meal.

Second is an equipment and safety factor.  Patrol food is stored in containers outside the tents.  Snacks brought from home are usually packed (hidden) along with a Scout’s gear.  We do not allow food or drink other than water inside the tents.  Animals have a much greater sense of smell than humans and are attracted by new and different smells that might be food.  It is common to be awakened at night by raccoons or other critters investigating our cooking area, but unable to get to the food secured in containers.  A raccoon, skunk or other critter can chew or rip holes in tents when they smell food inside a tent.  Of greater concern are bears.  While most of Oklahoma is not bear country, some portions in the eastern part of the state are as is Arkansas.  Should the Troop travel to one of these areas as they have in the past, it is important to have tents with no food smells in or on them.  A bear’s sense of smell is up to 7 times greater than a bloodhound.  Bears have been known to travel 3 miles “upwind” in a straight line to reach a deer carcass.  Polar bears are known to travel in a straight line across ice more than 40 miles to reach prey they have detected.  You can read more interesting facts about the bear’s sense of smell at http://www.americanbear.org/senses.htm.  So, even the smallest piece of chocolate or a cookie or granola bar ground into the floor of a tent from a year ago can be enough for a bear to smell from a couple of miles away and come to investigate.

We have asked the Scouts before your son to not bring snacks and to never store food in the tents for safety’s sake and we are now asking that you not allow your son to bring any for his own safety and for the safety of the Scouts who come after him.  Please be assured; we have never had a Scout starve to death on a weekend campout. Also, we have found that when picky eaters are faced with eating what is served, they learn to like and enjoy a wide variety of new items. Somehow, it seems that it always tastes better on a campout.

Summer Camp

Our troop attends summer camp each year, usually in mid-June. We will alternate between a local camp (usually Kerr Scout Ranch near Tishomingo) and an out of state camp. The cost will vary each year based on the camp chosen and the travel fees. When we go out of state, the scouts will be assigned camps to research and report on to the troop. The Scouts will then vote on their top two choices. The Committee and other Adults will then see what dates are available and review the costs to make a final decision. 

Most camps have a program for new scouts. In these programs, they focus on completing requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class. This will greatly improve your scouts ability to complete First Class in their first year. We require all first year scouts to take this program. They will also have time at camp to earn merit badges. While the Adults will help guide them in their selections, they are free to pick classes and badges that they want to earn. 

Scouts cannot attend a long-term camp without completing BSA Medical Forms parts A, B, and C. This include a physical completed by a Doctor. The completed form is good for 1 year of the date of the physical. The troop usually arranges for a doctor to be at the church before a troop meeting to perform these physicals during our recharter in October. New scouts just crossing over will need to get these forms completed as soon as possible. 

Communications

Troop 168 uses Scoutbook (scoutbook.scouting.org) to track advancement, attendance, camping nights, service hours, etc. We also maintain our troop calendar there. Once your scout is registered with the troop, you can create an account on Scoutbook so that you can get emails (weekly updates, meeting reminders, etc.). You can also “subscribe” to the troop calendar and add it to your phone or other calendar applications. If you need any help with Scoutbook, just ask me or one of the Assistant Scoutmasters. 

The troop also uses Remind to send messages quicker than email. We will use it to notify parents of Campout Return times, meeting updates or cancellations, etc.