Troop 208 meets on Monday nights 7:00 - 8:30 PM at:
Christ the King Lutheran Church
600 Walnut Street
Cary NC 27511
The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated to provide a program for community organizations that offers effective character, citizenship, and personal fitness training for youth.
Specifically, the BSA endeavors to develop American citizens who are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit; have a high degree of self-reliance as evidenced in such qualities as initiative, courage, and resourcefulness; have personal values based on religious concepts; have the desire and skills to help others; understand the principles of the American social, economic, and governmental systems; are knowledgeable about and take pride in their American heritage and understand our nation's role in the world; have a keen respect for the basic rights of all people; and are prepared to participate in and give leadership to American society.
The Beginning of Scouting:
Scouting,
as known to millions of youth and adults, evolved during the early 1900s
through the efforts of several men dedicated to bettering youth. These
pioneers of the program conceived outdoor activities that developed
skills in young boys and gave them a sense of enjoyment, fellowship,
and a code of conduct for everyday living.
In this country and abroad at the turn of the century, it was thought
that children needed certain kinds of education that the schools couldn't
or didn't provide. This led to the formation of a variety of youth groups,
many with the word "Scout" in their names. For example, Ernest
Thompson Seton, an American naturalist, artist, writer, and lecturer,
originated a group called the Woodcraft Indians and in 1902 wrote a
guidebook for boys in his organization called the Birch Bark Roll. Meanwhile
in Britain, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, after returning to his country
a hero following military service in Africa, found boys reading the
manual he had written for his regiment on stalking and survival in the
wild. Gathering ideas from Seton, America's Daniel Carter Beard, and
other Scoutcraft experts, Lord Baden-Powell rewrote his manual as a
nonmilitary skill book, which he titled Scouting for Boys. The book
rapidly gained a wide readership in England and soon became popular
in the United States. In 1907, when Lord Baden-Powell held the first
campout for Scouts on Brownsea Island off the coast of England, troops
were spontaneously springing up in America.
William D. Boyce, a Chicago publisher, incorporated the Boy Scouts of
America in 1910 after meeting with Lord Baden-Powell. (Boyce was inspired
to meet with the British founder by an unknown Scout who led him out
of a dense London fog and refused to take a tip for doing a Good Turn.)
Immediately after its incorporation, the BSA was assisted by officers
of the YMCA in organizing a task force to help community organizations
start and maintain a high-quality Scouting program. Those efforts climaxed
in the organization of the nation's first Scout camp at Lake George,
New York, directed by Ernest Thompson Seton. Beard, who had established
another youth group, the Sons of Daniel Boone (which he later merged
with the BSA), provided assistance. Also on hand for this historic event
was James E. West, a lawyer and an advocate of children's rights, who
later would become the first professional Chief Scout Executive of the
Boy Scouts of America. Seton became the first volunteer national Chief
Scout, and Beard, the first national Scout commissioner.
The Scouting program has three specific objectives, commonly referred to as the "Aims of Scouting." They are to:
Ideals: The ideals of Boy Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. The Boy Scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve. The goals are high, and as he reaches for them, he has some control over what and who he becomes.
Patrols: Troop leadership is divided into two distinct segments scouts and adults. Most leadership functions are delegated to the scouts themselves. Troop 208 employs the patrol leadership method. The troop is divided into a number of smaller segments called patrols. Each patrol has a leader and an assistant who are responsible for its overall function. Overseeing the patrols is the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) and his assistant.
The patrol method gives Boy Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in small groups where members can easily relate to each other. These small groups determine troop activities through elected representatives.
The primary difference between Cub Scouts or most other youth organizations and Boy Scouts is that the boys and not the adults run the show. Sometimes it may appear chaotic, but the method does work and has proven to provide the most benefit to the scouts themselves.
Outdoor Programs: Boy Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. It is in the outdoor setting that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with one another. In the outdoors the skills and activities practiced at troop meetings come alive with purpose. Being close to nature helps Boy Scouts gain an appreciation for the beauty of the world around us. The outdoors is the laboratory in which Boy Scouts learn ecology and practice conservation of nature's resources.
Advancement: Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.
Associations with Adults: Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders can be positive role models for the members of the troop. In many cases a Scoutmaster who is willing to listen to boys, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives.Personal Growth: As Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Boy Scouting. Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. Probably no device is as successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program also is a large part of the personal growth method. Frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting's aims.
Leadership Development: The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership role of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.
Uniform: The uniform makes the Boy Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.Unless otherwise notified, scouts are expected to wear their uniforms at all scouting activities. Additionally, scouts should present themselves in their full Field Class Uniform for Boards of Review.
For a full description of how the scout uniform should be worn, please consult the table of contents of this introductory manual.
Membership
Boy Scouting is a year-round program for boys age 11 - 17. Boys who are 10 may join if they have received the Arrow of Light Award or have finished the fifth grade. Boy Scouting is a program of fun outdoor activities, peer group leadership opportunities, and a personal exploration of career, hobby and special interests, all designed to achieve the BSA's objectives of strengthening character, personal fitness and good citizenship.
Troop Organization:
The
troop is organized into the following groups of people:
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Troop Committee - composed of parents and other adults who set troop policy, handle troop administration, and support the troop program.
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Adult Staff - Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster(s).
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Board of Review - composed of Troop Committee members, interested parents and invited guests (these guests could be leaders of business, industry, educational, vocational, religious, etc. adults in the community.)
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Patrol Leadership Council - Senior Patrol Leader, Asst. Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leaders.
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Patrols - Groups of 5 - 9 scouts.
Parents are welcome to attend the Troop Comittee Meetings.