Troop Information

Troop 22 Mission Statement

Troop 22 believes in partnering with families to help lead young boys into manhood by teaching them to honor God in all they do, view others as more important than oneself, to sacrificially serve others at all times, and to become real men: men who reject passivity, esteem others, accept responsibility, and lead courageously.

Chartered Organization

Troop 22 is chartered by Unionville Presbyterian Church, located in Unionville. The Troop uses the facilities of Unionville Elementary School to conduct the Scouting program. We are deeply grateful to both the Unionville Presbyterian Church and Unionville Elementary School for their support and efforts that allow Troop 22 to operate.

General Information

This troop abides by a "SAFE HAVEN" policy. A safe haven is a place where everyone should feel physically and emotionally secure. We do this in several ways:

We set the example for ourselves and others by behaving as Scouts should. We live by the Scout Oath and Law each moment of each day, to the best of our abilities.

We refuse to tolerate any kind of inappropriate put-down, name-calling or physical aggression.

We expect the Scouts to live up to the standards of the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and Outdoor Code

When a new Scout enters into Troop 22 there are always a number of questions as to what needs to be accomplished and when. The first step is to fill out the Boy Scout Application form and give to the Recruiter or the Committee Chair with the annual dues. Please contact the Recruiter for the amount due and for any questions you may have regarding the application.

Troop Structure

Patrols

Troop 22 is a "Youth Led Troop" utilizing the Patrol Method for most activities. The Patrol is the basic unit of the Troop and consists of 5 to 10 Scouts of various ages, experience and rank. If enough new boys join, the troop will start a new scout patrol, which is made up of newly-bridged Webelos Scouts. This patrol focuses on basic skills with the target of attaining 1st Class rank within 18 months. In general, an older Scout, as a troop guide, another existing scout, as an initial patrol leader, and an Assistant Scout Master are assigned to the new scout patrol to assist with their skills development as necessary. The formation of a new scout patrol is dependent on the number of bridging Scouts and is subject to approval by the TroopLeadership Council.

Patrol Leaders & The Troop Leadership Council (TLC)

All patrols elect Patrol Leaders (PLs) and the Troop as a whole elects a Senior Patrol Leader (SPL). These positions serve as the Scout leadership backbone of the Troop. Additional positions are appointed, such as Troop Guide, Scribe, Quartermaster, Chaplain's Aide, etc. depending on the need. All positions are selected for a six-month period and there are no specific term limits. The SPL and PLs make up the core of the Troop Leadership Council which is the decision-making body of the Troop. This team determines Troop meeting agendas, submits the Troop calendar to the Committee for approval on a yearly basis, determines Troop rules, etc.

Scout Masters

The Troop maintains one Scout Master selected by the Committee and numerous Assistant Scout Masters. Their main purpose is to provide adult guidance, teach leadership skills to the TLC, and facilitate the growth of the patrols in all facets of Troop activities.

Committee

The Troop Committee is made up of adult volunteers and is primarily focused on the support of Troop activities as defined by the Scouts and overseen and mentored by the Scout Masters. This Committee is the logistics and financial arm of the Troop, consisting of a Chair, Chartered Organization Representative, Treasurer, Quartermaster, Communications Coordinator, Activity Coordinator, Advancement Chair, Life to Eagle coordinator, etc.depending on the need and determined by a general consensus of the volunteers.

Scout Participation

When a boy joins Troop 22, he will be a member of a Patrol. He is expected to participate in as many Troop events as possible and to attend his scheduled Patrol meetings and activities. Records are kept of his attendance. It is Troop policy that attendance is considered an integral part of Scout Spirit. Poor attendance will adversely effect rank advancement. The Troop program is run by the Scouts for the benefit of all who wish to participate. Participation makes it work. Scouts should be attending a minimum of 50% of meetings and events (or make special arrangements with the Scout Master) to show scout spirit for advancement.

Adult/Parent Participation

Each parent of a new Scout is enrolled as an adult volunteer. A quality program such as Troop 22 requires adult participation. This can consist of sitting on Boards of Review, filling in any number of adult troop positions, teaching or leading a scouting activity.

There are considerable differences between Cub Scouts and Boy Scout camping protocols. In order to minimize disruption to the “patrol method” and other scouting fundamentals used during camp outs the Troop Committee has instituted the following guidelines.

• Adults must take the “Youth Protection Training” course before attending any troop camp out. This course is offered free online at Youth Protection Policy The certificate is good for one (1) year.
• Adults should complete the “Scoutmaster Fundamentals” course or be accompanied by an adult thus trained before entering a youth campsite. This course is offered periodically through the District and at Summer and Winter Camps.
• Adults are encouraged to take advantage of the many free online training courses available at http://www.bsacac.org/training/adult_basic. Please notify the Troop Trainer after completion of any course.

Parents should keep in mind that they are visitors and they should not interrupt the Troop’s tasks such as cooking, fire building, and other duty roster responsibilities. As each Patrol member show respect for other Patrol members and campsites, parents are expected to do likewise. For example, you may not enter a Patrol campsite without specific permission from that Patrol.

In the Troop

Volunteerism and participation is required from at least one adult per scout family in order to keep Troop 22 running quality programs. The types of help can include everything from sitting on Boards of Review, Committee Member, Assistant Scout Masters, to driving to camp outs, or assisting from home on items like camping reservations and fundraising. See the "Contact the Leaders" page. There are considerable differences between Cub Scouts and Boy Scout camping protocols. In order to minimize disruption to the "patrol method" and other scouting fundamentals used during camp-outs the Troop Committee has instituted the following guidelines:

• All registered leaders and active parents must have Pennsylvania Clearances. Contact the Troop Trainer for more information.
• Adults must take the "Youth Protection Training" course before attending any troop camp-out. This course is offered free online at Boy Scouts of America website https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/ . The certificate needs to be renewed annually.
• Adults are encouraged to take advantage of the many free online training courses available at Boy Scouts of America website.

All parents encouraged to attend trips or activities, and all new ideas for Troop meetings or program events are welcome! We also encourage all parents to consider becoming officially registered as an Adult Scout, as well as becoming a Troop Leader or Committee Member. We are required to have registered and trained Adult Leaders on every Scout trip. Basic leader training is offered throughout the year and is also available on the Web. Maintaining a healthy roster of trained adults is core to the Scout Program. Keep in mind that most leaders are only active while their sons are Scouts, which means that turnover of leadership is a constant for the Troop. The very best way to ensure that your Scout will have a positive and productive Scouting experience is by volunteering to be an Adult Leader!

New Parents are invited to join the committee. Experience is not necessary. You may just want to sit in and hear what the committee discusses. See the calendar for dates.

At Home

Once your Scout bridges to a Scout Troop, they are no longer Cub Scouts. This is often the biggest hurdle for Scouting families. The Scouts need to be given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions. Otherwise, they will never learn the basic skills necessary for all Scouts. We encourage parents to become familiar with the Boy Scout Handbook and the requirements for each rank. Parents can be most helpful by encouraging their Scouts to bring the book to all Troop meetings and camping trips, in fact, we consider it part of the Class A uniform and to maintain clear and organized records of their advancements, both rank and merit badge.

Events

Court of Honor

Roughly, three times per year, Troop 22 holds a Court of Honor in which ranks and other awards are presented to the Scouts who earned them. Parents should make it a point to attend each Court of Honor. All rank advancement, merit badges, and Board of Review must be completed two weeks prior to the Court of Honor.

Service

Troop 22 participates in several service opportunities annually: Kennett Square Memorial Day Parade, Point to Point, BVA Red Clay Clean-up, Unionville Cemetery Clean-up, Canned Food Drive, and Route 82 Road Clean-up. At the Unionville Presbyterian Church we clean the windows annually, participate in Thanksgiving Eve Church Service and Scout Sunday, which is the first Sunday in February.

Uniforms

Scouts should wear their uniforms to every Troop 22 event, unless otherwise instructed. The full Class A uniform (including neckerchief and slide) is required for all formal, District, and Council events such as Courts of Honor and flag ceremonies preformed for outside groups. The standard troop meeting uniform is Class A uniform without the neckerchief and slide. The Class B is the preferred uniform when traveling as a Troop. All non-Troop specific items can be purchased from the Chester County Council Scout Store (610-696-2900). Walmart also sells a brush cotton army green shorts for $9.99.

This troop has a sharing program for used scout clothing. Scouts and/or parents can donate clothing that is too small so that others in the troop may use them.