Troop 208 - Policies

Last Updated: Sunday, August 14, 2005

The Troop leadership has, and will continue to make every effort to plan Scouting experiences which are both fun and safe. However, accidents are inevitable and we will deal with these as they arise. All Scouts must have a Class 1 and 2 Scout medical form (or Class 3 if involved in high adventure activities) and a Troop 208 Permission Slip completed and signed before they are allowed to participate on any camping trip.

Medical forms and Permission Slips may be obtained from our web site under Forms. Also, if your son is taking medicine or has a medical problem or allergy, please indicate this on his medical form. If prescription drugs are taken on a regular basis, please let the adult leaders know so the drugs can be administered properly during outings. If your son has special medical needs, please talk to Ken Van Pelt

Scouts are never left alone without adult supervision. If a Scout is not picked up after meetings or activities in an appropriate time, the Scout will be taken to an adult leader's house. If you expecting to pickup your son, are running real late, and no one is at the expected meeting place, call the Scoutmaster (Jeff Bond, 961-2110) to find out where your son may be. A minimum of 2 adult leaders is required to attend every outing. Also, for every 8 scouts in attendance, there must be one adult. If there are not enough adults scheduled to attend an outing to meet these guidelines, the outing will be canceled.

The major safety issues facing the Troop are for water-related activities. Although many troops choose to avoid the problem by staying away from lakes and rivers, Troop 208 takes the opposite approach and w have had many water-related trips. We encourage every Scout to earn his swimming Merit Badge fir first year at summer camp and Lifesaving Merit Badge the following year if possible. Scouts are only allowed in canoes after meeting swimming proficiency tests and only if wearing safety vests. (If safety vests are removed, the scout will not be allowed to participate on the following water activity). This policy also applies to all adults, (no exceptions). Going on rivers can be fun, but at the same time, running water presents more challenges. Scouts must be coordinated and strong enough to handle a canoe. For this reason, young Scouts will not be allowed to participate on river activities. Based on experience, the troop has found that 14 year-olds are just about at the right age to begin safely handling canoeing as a sport on rivers. It is somewhat difficult saying no to boys who desperately want to participate on all activities, but this is necessary to avoid injury. We have a large group of Scouts with greatly different interests and abilities, and our goal is to meet every one's needs, but safely.

Boards of Review are required for Scouts wanting to advance in rank (Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, or first Class Scout, Star, Life or Eagle).

The Board of Review Request form must be completed and submitted one week prior to the date submitted on the form. Boards of Review will not be conducted later than one week prior to the Court of Honor. All Court of Honor dates are marked on our Troop Calendar at www.bsatroop208.org

Scouts should present themselves in their Class A uniform for a Board of Review. For Scout, Tenderfoot and Second Class rank advancements, this only includes your Scout shirt and neckerchief and slide. For all other ranks (First Class, Star, Life and Eagle), this includes Scout shirt, neckerchief and slide, Scout pants or Scout shorts, Scout belt, and Scout socks. You must have your Scout Handbook at the Board of Review.

A Scout will come prepared to each Board of Review. Adults associated with Troop 208 will be interested in knowing what you have learned from the merit badges you have completed, the requirements of the rank you are advancing to, how you have served others and how you are acting as a leader in your patrol or the troop.

Fill in the form completely and return it to the Advancement Coordinator, Mrs. Cindy Smith. If Mrs. Smith is not available, then hand the form to Mr. Jeff Bond or Mr. Paul Young. This form is also on the kitchen bulletin board at Christ the King.

• Click here to access the form
  

We ask all parents to attend both Troop and Eagle Scout Courts of Honor each year. In addition to recognizing the Scouts who have earned awards, even if a member of your family does not receive one, we try to give information to parents about upcoming events. Attendance is a good ay to evaluate the health of the Troop, as a large number of Scouts should be advancing each year. Courts of Honor also allow you to become acquainted with other parents and the troop leadership. Families of one or more patrols will be asked to bring refreshments.

The troop has the following rules:

1. Straight-blade knives, knives with blades over 3 in. long, fireworks, and all weapons are not permitted at any Troop activity. If they are brought by a Scout, he will be suspended from the troop.
2. The troop's leaders do not tolerate fighting, abusive harassment or dangerously unsafe behavior (playing with knives, axes or fires).
3. On campouts, a Scout should tell his Patrol Leader or an adult leader when he is leaving the campsite (always with a buddy) and where he is going.If a serious problem arises, the Scout will be given a formal warning and after consultation with adult leaders, a Scout may be asked to miss a campout or other activity. This is unpleasant for both the Scout and the adult leaders, but with 40+ Scouts attending activities, the Scouts must not abuse adult leadership's trust or patience.

If your son has signed up to attend a camping trip and decides not to attend, please have your son call his patrol leader. The troop has lists of Scouts planning to attend camping trips and we try to wait for the Scout to show up.

Patrols purchase their own food. Money is always collected on the Monday prior to the event (usually $10). Please send dollars, not a check, because the Scouts in charge of shopping cannot cash a check. Money for food cannot be refunded after the food has been purchased (usually the Wednesday or Thursday prior to the trip). If a Scout cancels after food is purchased, regardless of the reason, money cannot be refunded.

Members of each patrol take turns buying food, and parental supervision and advice at the grocery store is needed when it's your son's turn to shop. Although adult leaders try to check menus and food lists, please help your Scouts be thrifty and not forget syrup, butter, etc., if it is needed. Patrol funds are not to be used to buy candy.

The Scoutmaster collects a large number of items left on campouts and at meetings. Items are always brought to the following meting. If you are missing something, call the Scoutmaster. Please put your son's last name on items for identification (especially neckerchief, shirts, and pants).

The Troop has a uniform exchange program. If a Scout has outgrown any part of his uniform, please bring it to any meeting and give it to the Scoutmaster. It will be added to the uniform collection. Contact Janna Scott for a list of shirt and pants sizes that are available.

Parental involvement is strongly encouraged. Please sign up to be an adult leader, merit badge counselor, or a committee member. The long term growth and stability of the troop is related to involvement by parents. For more information on these leadership roles, contact Jeff Bond, 961-2110.

We encourage fathers to camp with us, both to lend a helping hand and to acquaint all families with a firsthand glimpse of how the adult leadership runs the troop. Adults eat as a group and we can supply a tent if one is needed.