Basic Information for Those New to Troop 22 and Troop 5022

What is Scouting all about? 

The Scouting America motto is “Prepared. For Life.®”   Since its inception in 1910, more than 130 million young men and women have participated in Scouting America’s youth programs.  Boys and girls, in grades 6-12:

• Experience and appreciate the wonders of nature through outdoor adventures

• Nurture their sense of community through volunteer service opportunities

• Develop confidence and a sense of achievement through challenges designed to promote leadership and personal responsibility skills

The spirit of Scouting is best captured in the Scout Oath and Scout Law:

The Scout Oath:  On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

The Scout Law:  A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

Meet the Adult Leadership of Troops 22 and 5022

Troop 22 

Scoutmaster:  Doug Bloom (dbloom@gmail.com)

Assistant Scoutmasters: Israel Contreras, Michael Tavano, Robert Tocco, Matt Pajak

Committee Chairman: Fred Silva

Troop 5022:

Scoutmaster: Linita Metrikiate (linmetr@gmail.com)

Assistant Scoutmasters: Beth Jaffe-Davis, Michael Katz

Committee Chairman: Fred Silva

How Troops 22 and 5022 Are Organized

Troop 22 is the Boys troop.  Troop 5022 is the Girls troop.  The two troops are independent and have separate Scoutmasters, leadership, and committees.  However, we have found that very close coordination with each other enhances the experience for all Scouts, while also providing more total Scouting opportunities for all the youth.  Many of our activities, including the weekly meetings, take place simultaneously.

Each troop has a small group of advanced Scouts who’ve been elected to be the Senior Patrol.  The Senior Patrols provide the youth leadership for the troops, and are mainly responsible for the planning and execution of all weekly events.

Troop 22 Senior Patrol Leader:  Brendan B.

Troop 5022 Senior Patrol Leader: Eliza B.

Within each troop, all the Scouts are organized into patrols.  These patrols are groups of individual Scouts that work together to learn skills at meetings and to provide the basic functions on camping trips (cooking, cleaning, firewood gathering, etc…).  

Troop 22 currently has two patrols: The Firebirds and The Flying Squirrels

Troop 5022 currently has one patrol:  The Ghosts

How the Troops Communicate With Parents

The primary forms of communication are via email, Signup Genius, and the online Troop Calendar.  

Email  The Scoutmasters send out weekly emails to parents with important information about upcoming meetings, impending camping trips, and other troop news.  The emails contain reminders for any events requiring registration via Signup Genius.  To get on this list, parents need to supply the scoutmaster with their preferred email address (see section for scoutmaster emails: Meet the Adult Leadership of Troops 22 and 5022)

Signup Genius  Many events require troop expenditure, preparation of food, or advanced reservations.  For this reason, we use Signup Genius to provide the Scout leadership with headcounts for troop activities.  Both parents and Scouts should register for Signup Genius.  Parents can determine when their own children are responsible enough to handle registration for activities.  Register for Signup Genius at signupgenius.com.

Troop Calendar  The troops maintain a calendar, so Scouting activities can be coordinated with busy family schedules.  The calendar link is:  https://sites.google.com/view/troop-22-5022/troop-calendar.  The calendar link is also at the bottom of all troop communications.  In addition to the schedule and location of weekly meetings, the calendar contains information about the camping trips and/or service activities that will take place each month.  While the general calendar is established in the Fall, it is continually updated throughout the year.  We encourage you to check it at the beginning of each month.  Scoutmasters will also provide notice of any calendar changes.

How the Troops Communicate With Scouts

At the end of each weekly troop meeting, the Senior Patrol Leaders remind the Scouts of any upcoming events and the requirements any Scouts have for providing food or other items at those events.  Scoutmasters and Committee leaders may also, from time to time, send out emails to their troop.  It should be noted that under no circumstances do adult leaders send individual communications to Scouts.  There is always at least 1 other adult copied on all communications between leaders and Scouts.  However, most communication via email to the Scouts will come from the youth Scout leaders.

Fostering constructive and timely communication between Scouts is an important part of both the leadership and responsibility skills promoted by Scouting.  The Senior Patrol Leaders (youth in the highest leadership positions within the troop) will regularly send emails to the Scouts with important information about upcoming events.  These emails may contain information about things like packing lists for camping trips or meal planning for events.  If your Scout does not have an email address, please consider helping then to obtain one, so they can provide it to their patrol leaders.  Please encourage younger Scouts to consistently check their emails, as they may not be accustomed to doing so.  

The Scout Uniform & Handbook

The two most important pieces of Scouting “equipment” are the Scout uniform and the Scout Handbook.  

The Scout uniform creates a sense of belonging.  It is also the canvas upon which Scouts can proudly display the various ranks and awards they’ve earned along their Scouting journey.  The Scout uniform is worn to the first meeting of every month, while performing most service activities, special events, and for awards and recognition events.

The Scout Handbook is the reference guide for the personal responsibility, first aid, safety, navigation, knot-tying and outdoor skills that will be reviewed in the weekly meetings.  It is also the place where Scouts will record their advancements toward achieving the Scouting ranks of: Scout, Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, Life and Eagle.

Where to buy the uniform and Scout Handbook:      

The Scouts BSA online store: www.scoutshop.org

Scout Shop retail locations:

Northern New Jersey Scout Shop

25 Ramapo Valley Rd. Oakland NJ, 07436 

(201) 677-1000

Hours. Mon–Thur 9am–5pm. Fri 9am-3pm

Greater Hudson Valley Scout Shop

18 Westage Business Center Dr, Fishkill, NY 12524

(845) 762-3804

Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:00pm, Sat 10am-4pm

The shirt, shoulder loops, neckerchief, belt and slide all must come from an official Scout store.  

Pants, shorts, socks and hiking shoes can be purchased through the Scout stores or any other retailer.  For example, the official Scout pants are high quality but do need to be tailored once purchased.  Many choose to buy the pants elsewhere.  Olive green zip-away cargo pants can be found on places like Amazon or at clothing stores.

What goes where?

Below is a uniform guide, illustrating where the various shoulder loops, patches, and insignias go on the shirt.  Patches can be sewn on, attached with velcro, or adhered with a double-sided product called Badge Magic or Patch Magic.

Suggested Camping Equipment

Being prepared for a camping trip means having proper equipment.  Before each camping trip, the Senior Patrol Leaders of each troop will send out recommended packing lists to the troops. 

Scouts are expected to have their own equipment.  However, Troop 22 and Troop 5022 do have some limited supplies available to borrow.  Please reach out to your Scoutmaster if you anticipate any difficulty in obtaining any of the following:

Hiking Boots

Water Bottle

Mess Kit

Travel First Aid Kit

Orienteering Compass

Tent w/ Fly (either 3-season or 4-season)

Tent Footprint or Tarp (any waterproof groundcloth)

Stuff-sack sleeping bag (rated for 20-degrees)

Camping pillow

Blanket or sleeping-bag insert

Backpack or Duffle Bag

How Troops 22 and 5022 Operate

How Scouts BSA Differs from Cub Scouts

Many children graduate from Cub Scouts into Scouts BSA.  This is a typical progression.  However, Scouts BSA operates quite differently than Cub Scouts, by design.  Cub Scouting is a family-oriented program designed specifically to address the needs of younger boys and girls.  Scouts BSA is organized to foster youth development and training through a vigorous outdoor program and peer group leadership under the counsel of an adult Scoutmaster.  

While we welcome appropriate parental encouragement and involvement, Scouts BSA places emphasis on the responsibility and independence of the individual Scout.  Parents do not generally attend the Scouts BSA weekly meetings (see The Role of a Parent or Guardian).  And even young Scouts are tasked with personal responsibilities, as well as responsibilities to their troop.  It is a process, but one that pays great dividends for the growth of a young Scout.  The counsel of the adult leaders and the active guidance and encouragement from older Scouts builds individual confidence and a collective sense of community.

The Role of the Scoutmaster and the Committee

The Scoutmaster is the adult responsible for working directly with the Scouts to provide direction, coaching and support.  The Scoutmaster has 3 basic roles:

1. Provide the youth Scout leaders with the tools and skills needed to run the troop

2. Make sure Scouting America rules are followed, and meetings/activities are conducted safely and with proper supervision

3. Be a mentor and role model to all Scouts

The troops themselves are youth-led, under the guidance of the Scoutmaster.  As Scouts advance in rank and tenure, they take on more and more responsibilities.  These responsibilities include planning troop meetings and activities, conducting skills training with younger Scouts, and prepping and organizing camping trips.  The Scoutmaster facilitates their growth into young leaders.

In addition to the Scoutmasters, each troop has its own Committee.  The Committee is responsible for ensuring the quality of the adult leadership, serving as advisors to the Scoutmasters, supporting the leaders in carrying out the program, administering and overseeing finances, and ensuring the troops are properly equipped. 

Any concerns, suggestions, or recommendations are more than welcome.  And, they can always be raised with the Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, or Committee members.

What Does It Mean to Be Youth-Led

Youth-led means that young Scouts are given opportunities to develop leadership skills and group-responsibility behaviors.  Youth-led also means that sometimes things don’t go as perfectly as parents new to Scouting may expect.  That is ok.  It is part of the learning and development process that comes with giving Scouts the space and opportunity to mature and ultimately succeed.  

The youth-led principle is best embodied by the “patrol method.”  A Scout patrol is a small team of Scouts who learn skills together, share responsibilities, and take on leadership roles.  As a member of a patrol, youth are afforded opportunities that are hard to cultivate anywhere else.  A Scout patrol carries out a wide range of tasks that require pooling resources and working together.  The small size of a patrol gives every member an opportunity to participate, and to feel the reward that comes with the successful outcome of that effort.

For each troop, the Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) is made up of the Senior Patrol Leader, the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, the individual Patrol Leaders, Troop Guide, and Scribe.  The PLC meets monthly to plan upcoming meetings and activities, and then get their plans approved by the Scoutmaster.   At the weekly meetings, the Troop Guide and the Instructors work with individual patrols on skills development.

These are the various leadership positions available to Scouts:

The Responsibilities of a Scout

The primary responsibilities of a Scout are to engage, have fun, and be respectful of others. 

The secondary responsibilities are to participate and manage their own pace of advancement.  Active participation means coming to at least 50% of meetings, 50% of campouts (w/ an overnight stay) and 50% of service events.  It does not mean they are required to advance or develop skills within any specific timeframe.  Scouts set their own pace.  Advancement and climbing up the ranks are a choice and not a requirement.  Though, we find that the enjoyment of Scouting is often enhanced by the personal sense of achievement and accomplishment that comes with gaining ranks, and the subsequent formal recognition among peers.  

The Role of a Parent or Guardian

Scouts BSA  troop meetings are intended to be an activity for youth.  While the meetings are not a family activity, the encouragement of parents is vital to the development of Scouts.  Some skills and requirements to achieve Scouting ranks require practice at home, or can only be done outside of a meeting environment.  Making the time to take them to Scout meetings and events is already a great way to be involved.  But other important ways to assist Scouts in their journey are to: read the Scoutmaster emails and be aware of troop activities, ask your Scouts what they are working on, let them practice a new skill with you, go on a hike with them to identify objects in nature, encourage and praise them when they are working on a personal fitness goal, and congratulate them when they’ve mastered something new. 

Parents that wish to attend a troop meeting are welcome to do so.  However, we ask that they respect the troop meeting, management, and agenda.  Parents may also visit a campout, but parents can only stay overnight if they are a registered volunteer (see below) with an active Youth Protection Training certificate from Scouting USA.  Any concerns can always be raised with the Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, or Committee members.

Parents who wish to take a more active or official role in a troop are encouraged to become volunteers.  Reach out to a Scoutmaster to find out what kinds of assistance are needed and how to get involved.

Scout Meetings

Scout meetings are typically one and a half hours long, and occur 3 or 4 times per month.  Some months are busier than others based on time of year, holidays, and school.

What to wear:

For the first meeting of every month, Scouts wear their official uniform (“Class A”).  

For all other meetings Scouts wear a Troop T-shirt  or other Scouting Shirt (“Class B”),  which are supplied by Troop 22, Troop 5022 or obtained at a Scouting event.

A Typical Troop meeting:

• Troop Activity: dodgeball, capture the flag, relay races, etc.  

  • During this time, troop members who wish to have a skill checked by a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster can request to get that skill signed off.  Some skills, however, are better demonstrated during camping weekends.  **It is the responsibility of the Scout to approach the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster, when they are ready.**

• Pledge/Oath: each meeting officially starts with the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath, and Scout Law

• Troop Skills: as a troop or as a patrol, Scouts will work together to learn a particular skill (first aid, knot tying, personal safety, navigation, etc…).  

  • They may move from one skill “station” to another, if multiple skills will be reviewed at that meeting.

  • At any time during this part of the meeting, a Scout may decide they have learned the skill well enough to be signed off.  They can ask a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster to get the skill signed off.   They may also use this time to have skills they’ve practiced at home signed off.  Some skills, however, are better demonstrated during camping weekends.  **It is the responsibility of the Scout to approach the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster, when they are ready.**

• Patrol Planning: if a campout is upcoming, individual patrols will meet to plan meals for the camping weekend,

  • They will decide on who is cooking which parts of which meals, and assign the necessary food items to individual Scouts.  The plan will then be reviewed and approved by a member of the Senior Patrol or a Scoutmaster.

• Scout Circle: the meeting ends with Scouts gathered together to recap the day’s activities

  • The recap will also include announcements about any special Scout recognitions, notes about upcoming events or camping trips, and a lesson imparted by the Scoutmaster in a “Scoutmaster Minute” speech.

  • The meeting ends with a reciting of Taps.

Camping Trips

Camping trips are where the life skills and practical knowledge developed at the weekly meetings get put into practice.  They are an integral part of the Scouting experience.  These are fun experiences filled with great adventure, amusing mishaps, and rewarding triumphs. Not only do the Scouts get to learn about and immerse themselves in our natural environment, but they are also bonding with each other, learning to work together, guiding fellow Scouts, practicing conservation, building confidence to improvise when things don’t go according to plan, and proving their own capabilities to themselves.

A typical camping weekend:

*** In winter months, the Troops may sometimes stay in cabins instead of tents.

How meals work on camping trips:

The Scouts plan, cook, serve, and clean-up for all of their meals.  Each patrol decides on a meal plan during the prior weekly meeting.  And individual Scouts within each patrol are responsible for bringing the food they’ve been assigned on the plan. Scouts must bring their own mess kits, as well.  Cooking equipment is supplied by Troops 22 and 5022, including: oil, foil, salt, pepper, tools, pots, pans, etc….

It is the responsibility of the Patrol Leader to ensure that each member of the patrol knows what food they are accountable for.  The individual patrol members should coordinate with their parents to acquire any items they’ve been assigned.  Scouts quickly become used to this.  But, for new Scouts, parents may want to check in with their Scout prior to a camping weekend.  And, if needed, the Scout can contact their Patrol Leader to clarify anything that is required.

At meal times, Scouts use the skills they’ve learned during a weekly meeting or were taught at the campsite to cook and prepare meals as a patrol.  They also clean the pots, pans, mess kits, and utensils as a patrol.  It may seem like work, but these are some of the best examples of bonding, teamwork and camaraderie experienced on a camping trip.

Packing list for a typical camping trip:

____ Class B shirt

____ Scout Handbook 

____ Pen and pencil

____ Tent, fly, tarp, tent stakes

____ Sleeping bag

____ Liner or blankets (winter)

____ Sleeping pad 

____ Shoes suitable for hiking (no sneakers)

____ Flashlight 

____ Outerwear (coat, rainjacket, poncho, etc)

____ Personal first aid kit 

____ Hand/toe warmers (winter)

____ Compass

____ Thermal clothing (winter)

____ Layering (Hoodie, fleece, sweatshirt)

____ Hat and gloves (winter)

____ Pajamas/sweats for sleeping 

____ Change of clothing

____ Scout pocket knife with Totin' Chip 

____ Change of shoes

____ Camp chair 

____ Personal hygiene (toothbrush, toothpaste)

____ Personal cup/mess kit

____ Personal drinking water 

____ Extra gallon of water for cooking/washing

____ Healthy snack for day hikes

Rank Advancement

As Scout’s progress through the program they have the opportunity to earn ranks, which are recognitions of the skills they’ve acquired to that point.  These skills fall into a range of categories: outdoor ethics and nature, camping skills, outdoor tools & firebuilding, navigation, personal safety, first aid, emergency preparedness, aquatics, personal fitness, and citizenship.  Each rank builds upon the skills from the prior rank.

To earn a rank, a Scout completes the individual requirements for that level of Scouting.  The requirements and the guidance to learn them are all found in the Scout Handbook.  Additionally, the Scouter Rob Youtube channel provides another resource for learning, beyond the Scout Handbook.  The Scouts learn and practice the skills in the weekly meetings or at home.

When a Scout feels confident, they approach a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster to get tested and signed-off on that particular requirement.  When all requirements for a rank are met, the Scout is then eligible for a Board of Review.  At a Board of Review they discuss their experiences, challenges, accomplishments, and participation in the Troop program with a gathering of Committee members.  Upon completion of the Board of Review, they are officially granted the new rank and recognized for their achievement in front of their peers.  They are given a new patch, signifying their new rank, to proudly display on their uniform.

The Scout Ranks:

Parents are welcome to encourage and assist their kids with at-home skills practice.  And for the younger Scouts, they may remind them to get skills signed off (new Scouts can get caught up in the excitement and fun of a meeting and simply forget they had a skill they wanted to be signed off).  But, as Scouts progress on from the earliest ranks, the motivation and responsibility should be theirs.

Parents can also follow their Scout’s progress via the Scoutbook app, which the Troops keep up to date for advancement record-keeping.  The location in the Apple and Android app stores, as well as information on linking to your child’s Scoutbook account can be found on the Scoutng America website, here.

Merit Badges

Merit badges are a series of requirements designed for a Scout to learn about particular topics of interest.  There are over 130 merit badges in sports, crafts, science, nature, trades, business, and future careers.  The full list can be found here.  For those Scouts who wish to achieve some of the higher ranks, there are a set of 17 merit badges that have been selected as the minimum requirement for advancement to Eagle rank.  These are called Eagle-required badges.  The other merit badges are optional, and Scouts can pick the ones that interest them the most.  To achieve the Eagle rank, Scouts must complete at least 7 of the optional badges.

Scouts can earn merit badges at any time, but it is recommended that Scouts focus on achieving 2nd Class or 1st Class Rank before pursuing merit badges.  

The process of pursuing a merit badge:

1. To begin a merit badge, a Scout must first get approval from the Scoutmaster for that badge.  

2. The Scoutmaster will then issue a physical or digital  “blue card”, which opens the badge for the Scout.

3. The Scoutmaster will also provide the Scout the name and contact information of a registered counselor who is qualified to work with the Scout on the badge.

4. The Scout will contact the merit badge counselor (making sure to include at least 1 other adult in all communications) to ask if they can work together.

5. The counselor and Scout will then set a working arrangement (Zoom or in-person) and a schedule to complete the badge.

6. When all requirements have been completed, the counselor will physically or digitally sign the blue card, signifying completion of the badge.

7. If issued a physical blue card, the Scout should keep the signed card for their records.

For completing each badge, there are two helpful documents: a merit badge pamphlet, and a merit badge workbook.  The pamphlet is a publication put out by the Scouts BSA that contains all the relevant information to learn about and complete the individual merit badge requirements.  The workbook is a document where Scouts can enter their notes and thoughts about what they’ve learned about each requirement, to facilitate the discussion with the merit badge counselor.  The workbook is a tool to help Scouts stay organized but is not a graded document.

Merit badge pamphlets can be obtained by:

• Borrowing from the Troop Librarian

• Purchasing a digital copy from Scouting.org

• Purchasing a physical copy from a nearby Scout Shop 

Merit badge workbooks are available for free at: USScouts.org

Recognition & Courts of Honor

Advancing in ranks and earning merit badges takes commitment and dedication.  Doing so is worthy of celebration.  Two or three times a year, Troops 22 and 5022 hold official ceremonies where Scouts are recognized in front of their families and fellow Scouts.  These are called Courts of Honor, where new rank patches and merit badges are awarded to those Scouts who earned them.  The ceremonies underscore the significance of their achievements, and we invite all members of all our Scout families to attend.

Summer Programs and High Adventure

Troops 22 and 5022 regularly participate in both Scouts BSA Summer Camps (every July for one week), and special Scouts BSA High Adventure treks (every few years for one week in the Summer).  

Our primary summer camp is Camp Read, located in the Adirondacks.  Attendance is optional for Scouts, and does require registration fees. At camp, the youngest of our scouts learn basic skills that help them achieve initial ranks, while others have the opportunity to earn merit badges that contribute toward higher ranks.  The summer camp also provides all the typical excitement of summer camp (hiking, campfires, skits, whitewater rafting, fishing, archery, etc…) while providing an amazing opportunity to bond with fellow troop members and to engage with fellow scouts from other parts of New York and surrounding states. Adult leaders of Troops 22 and 5022 are present with the Scouts throughout the entire week.  Registration for our troops begins in late March or Early April, depending on the calendar.

Scouts BSA offers special programs at several remote wilderness locations, which it stewards.  These “high adventure” treks are designed to foster leadership, teamwork, and personal growth through activities like backpacking, canoeing, sailing, and more.  These programs are more challenging than a typical Scouts campaign weekend, and are reserved for Scouts 13 and over who have demonstrated capable skills.  In the past, Troops 22 and 5022 have participated at Philmont (New Mexico; hiking) and Northern Tier (Minnesota; canoeing).  Registration for these adventures is typically one year prior to the trek, and requires Scouts and leaders to train in advance, for strength, endurance and skills.  Leadership from Troops 22 and 5022 is present throughout the trek with the Scouts.  Due to the cost and training involved, our troops do not attend a High Adventure trek every su