Joining Troop 1518 is simple! Just complete the requirements as listed in The Boy Scout Handbook:
|
|
"Meet age requirements. Be a boy who has completed the fifth grade or is 11 years old, or has earned the Arrow of Light award but is under 18 years old." |
|
|
"Complete a Boy Scout application and health history signed by your parent or guardian." Applications are available from the Troop Committee Chairperson or Membership Coordinator. The application’s last page (on reverse of form) is the health history. Troop dues are $24 per year and Council dues are $10, making the total annual registration fee for a new scout $34. A subscription to Boys Life magazine is optional, but recommended, and costs an additional $12 ($46 total when added to dues). Give the completed application to the Troop Committee Chairperson or Membership Coordinator, checks payable to "Troop 1518." |
|
|
"Find a scout troop near your home." You’ve found it at Troop 1518! |
|
|
"Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance." |
|
|
"Demonstrate the Scout Sign, Salute, and Handshake." See the Boy Scout Handbook or Webelos Handbook. |
|
|
"Demonstrate tying the square knot (a joining knot)." See the Boy Scout Handbook or Webelos Handbook. |
|
|
"Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan, and the outdoor code." See the Boy Scout Handbook or Webelos Handbook. |
|
|
"Describe the Scout Badge." See the Boy Scout Handbook or Webelos Handbook. |
|
|
"Complete the pamphlet exercises." With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide that is contained in the front of the Boy Scout Handbook. |
|
|
"Participate in a Scoutmaster conference." Attend one of our meetings and meet with our Scoutmaster. |
When you’ve completed these requirements, you’ll be awarded our Troop Neckerchief and tee-shirt! You are now also qualified to wear the "Scout" badge on your uniform.
SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR WEBELOS SCOUTS
Crossing Over From A Cub Scout Pack? If you’re a Webelos Scout in a local pack and a plan on joining our troop, we would be more than happy to attend your pack’s crossover ceremony. The Cub Scout Pack leader responsible for the ceremony should contact our Scoutmaster as early as possible to let us know when your ceremony will take place. We’ll send a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster along with some scouts from the troop to participate and present you with our troop neckerchief. The Pack is responsible for providing red shoulder tabs and a neckerchief slide.
Webelos Integration Into The Troop. As soon as you’ve crossed over or earned your Arrow of Light Award, you may begin attending our troop meetings. When you’ve completed the requirements listed above, we’ll conduct an informal ceremony at a troop meeting officially recognizing you as a Scout in Troop 1518. At that time you’ll also be giv your Troop 1518 tee-shirt (free). After we’ve gathered our new Webelos, we’ll assign you to a Patrol.
New Leaders Are a Must. With new scouts, we expect to gain new leaders as well. Parent volunteers are a must in order to support the new scouts. At least two parents of new scouts will need to become assistant scoutmasters to help with the new patrol. Double that if there are enough new scouts for more than one patrol. There are additional volunteer opportunities on the troop committee. We always need drivers and frequently need parents to serve on Boards of Review as well.
AFTER CROSS-OVER AND THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR
The first months of a scout’s career are important as they make the transition from Webelos to Boy Scouts. All "new guys" are put in patrols with other "new guys," under the supervision of two or more Assistant Scoutmasters (ASMs). One of the first things they should do is pick a patrol name so they are not called "new guys" very long. We like standard names like "rattlesnakes" and "owls." The scout shop at Bethesda stocks patrol patches for standard names. The new scout patrol will be assigned a Troop Guide, an older scout whose job is working with the new scout patrol leader to help him run the patrol.
The remaining part of the joining year (March - June) and the first full year for new scouts should be focused on learning the basics of scouting and advancing from Tenderfoot, to Second Class, to First Class scout. The goal is to have all new scouts to First Class rank by the end of the first full year. To help them focus on basics, separate campouts are normally held for the new scouts during the joining year and sometimes early in the first full year.
Soon after joining, the new scouts should sign up for summer camp at Goshen Scout Reservation. Our troop always takes a large contingent. Summer camp is a great experience and gives new scouts plenty of advancement opportunities.
EQUIPMENT
The troop provides a lot of camping equipment for your son’s use. To use it he has to sign it out of the scout locker and make sure it’s clean and dry when he turns it back in. Troop equipment includes tents, stoves, lanterns, and patrol cooking pot sets.
The scout is expected to have his own personal camping gear. Here are the major essential items you need to buy right away:
|
|
Sleeping bag. Sleeping bags are rated to show the lowest temperature at which they will protect you. A 20-degree bag should theoretically keep you warm down to 20 degrees, but not below. Our scouts camp in weather ranging from 95 degrees at summer camp to 6 degrees on a winter campout (that was the lowest temperature this troop has been out in recently). No one bag is perfect for that full temperature spectrum. It is recommended that you buy a bag that will keep your son warm in the colder temperature ranges. A 20-degree mummy (close fitting) bag will do. If it looks as if it will be colder than that we recommend that the scout sleep in a heavy sweat suit and puts blankets inside the bag, or use two sleeping bags, one inside the other. During summer camp the scout can sleep on top of the bag on really hot nights and use a sheet or light blanket for cover on cooler nights. A waterproof stuff sack is also highly recommended to keep the sleeping bag in. Sleeping bags are carried on the outside of most packs and must be protected from the rain. |
|
|
Sleeping mattress. These are not just for comfort. They create a critical layer between the body and the cold, hard ground. A mattress is essential in winter. They come in three types: open cell, closed cell and self-inflating. Open cell pads are not recommended because they soak up water if it rains. The others are OK, with the self-inflating being the most comfortable. |
|
|
Backpack. Our troop prides itself on our ability to get up in the mountains and backpacks allow us to do that. You should buy an external (vice internal) frame pack that has a padded waist or hip belt. It should be on the smallish size, in the 3000-3500 cubic inch range. Plan to spend $60-80 dollars. |
|
|
Eating bowl, drinking cup and spoon. The cup and bowl can be sturdy plastic stuff found around the house. |
This gear does not have to be expensive. Look at the shopping "clubs" like Sam’s or Costco. They almost always have good deals on sleeping bags and mattresses. If your scout is in this for the long haul, it is recommended that you get on a mail order camping store’s (like Campmor) mailing list. They offer bargains.