OUR DISTRICT & COUNCIL:

We belong to the General Nash (GN) District, which includes Boy Scout troops, cub packs and venturing crews in the North Penn and Souderton school districts. Districts in Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties form the Cradle of Liberty (COL) Council, which is one of the largest in the nation. The Cradle of Liberty Council is home to Unami Lodge One, the first lodge in the Order of the Arrow, and Musser and Resica Falls Scout Reservations. It operates from offices in Philadelphia and Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The council promotes and carries out the scouting programs in these counties, operates three BSA camps, trains leaders, and is our contact to national offices of Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

Visit the Cradle of Liberty Council website.

Visit the General Nash District website.

Visit the Unami Lodge One website.

Visit the Order of the Arrow website.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP:

BSA stresses youth leadership. There are a variety of positions in the troop that require a scout to develop and demonstrate responsibility, maturity, and leadership. The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is an active scout, Star Rank or above, who leads the troop during activities, assisted by his youth staff and supervised by adult leadership. SPL elections are held every 6 months where the SPL must receive a majority of the votes cast.

Youth Leadership Positions:

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader

Scribe

Quartermaster

Historian

and so on.

These positions are appointed to a 6 month term by the elected SPL. To hold a youth staff position, a scout must complete Junior Leader Training. This training is offered by the troop during the year. The Troop Committee members guide the youth staff, holding their corresponding positions within the troop, in their duties.

TROOP OPERATION:

The Troop Committee establishes the policies and procedures with input from the Patrol Leaders' Council (youth leaders) and adult leadership. The adult and youth leadership carry out these policies and procedures and ensure that all boys follow them. Matters regarding troop programing are primarily the responsibility of the Scoutmaster. Administrative activities (advancement, finances, etc.) are the responsibility of the Troop Committee Chair. The planning and execution of the troop program, running meetings, campouts, and activities are the responsibility of the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) and his staff, with guidance from the Scoutmaster and adult leaders.

The troop also follows the youth protection policies of BSA and our charter organization. Adults interacting with scouts are required to submit a BSA Adult Application and take BSA Youth Protection training as well as review and accept the 2-part youth protection policies of Zwingli UCC.

PATROLS:

The troop is organized into several patrols of 5-8 boys each. Each patrol elects a Patrol Leader who is responsible for the boys in his patrol. He in turn appoints scouts in his patrol to positions of responsibility: assistant patrol leader, patrol scribe, quartermaster, and so on. New scouts typically are assigned to a 'new scout' patrol, guided by an experienced scout and supervised by an Assistant Scoutmaster. New scouts will remain in this patrol for about a year as they familiarize themselves with troop operations and learn basic scout skills as they earn their first ranks.

TROOP MEETINGS:

Meetings are held on Mondays from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Souderton Scout Cabin on Wile Avenue, adjacent to the Souderton Community Park.

Troop activity signups, patrol meetings, trip planning, training, announcements, presentation of awards, and more occur during troop meetings. For each meeting, a scout should arrive in uniform and with his scout book. If a scout misses a meeting, it is his responsibility to contact another scout in his patrol, his Patrol Leader, or the SPL to learn what he missed.

The troop meets weekly, year round. If school is not in session due to a holiday or school vacation day, meetings are usually held. Exceptions are that no meetings are held during the week between Christmas and New Year's, Memorial Day and Labor Day. Also, if school is cancelled or dismisses early due to bad weather, meetings are usually cancelled, as well.