FAQs about Scout Troop 692

Several of our newer parents often have questions about the manners in which our Troop operates.  This page will hopefully answer several of those questions.  Our plan is to update this page as new questions arise, so if you are wondering about something, please ask!  Chances are that if you have a question about something, so do other people.

What is the mission of Scouts?

"To prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law"

What is the biggest difference between Cub Scouts and BSA Scouts?

The biggest difference between BSA Scouts and Cub Scouts is that the former is more of a Scout led organization, whereas the latter is more of a parent led organization.  While Cub Scouts tends to focus more on parent-led outings and Scouts developing social relationships with their peers,  BSA Scouts puts more emphasis on developing leadership skills and greater independence. While there is ample parental support where needed, the goal of BSA Scouts is to get the Scouts to run the meetings, develop the agendas, and to plan and prepare for their outings. As Scouts get older, their leadership responsibilities will increase as they will be the ones expected to help guide the younger Scouts. The group of Scouts that often leads the Troop is known as the PLC (or, Patrol Leaders Committee).  This is generally a group of older Scouts who have been selected to serve as leaders of their respective patrols (the troop is divided into 3-4 smaller groups known as "Patrols").  Once a month or more, these scouts get together with Assistant Scoutmasters to help set the agenda for the upcoming months in scouting.

What roles do parents play in BSA Scouts?

Our main role is to provide Scouts with the support they need in order to successfully operate the Troop.  While we are trying to foster more leadership and independence for the scouts, we do, however, have to remember that these are still young men and women between the ages of 11 and 17 who often times might need some guidance on logistics and planning. It is also our job as parents to make sure our kids are safe.  For that reason, any parents participating in Scout activities will be required to complete an online Youth Protection Training course.  It generally takes about a 1/2 an hour and the training certification is good for two years.  Please visit the following link to complete the training:  http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx

How can I get more involved?

There are a number of different ways in which we NEED parents to get involved with Scouts. Our troop adults are all volunteers and so we rely on any and all help. Here are just a few of the roles:

Scoutmaster - The Scoutmaster is the uniformed adult leader of the troop.  He or she interacts directly with the Scouts at meetings and provides the support that the Scout leadership needs in running meetings and planning events.  The Scoutmaster is often times "the face of the Troop" and the point person for communications with the community.  The Scoutmaster is required to go through a series of training courses.

Assistant Scoutmasters - Assistant Scoutmasters are uniformed adults who provide assistance to the Scoutmaster during meetings and events.  As we have a decent-sized troop, it takes more than one person to help sign off on merit badge and advancement requirements and to make sure everyone is safe.  They also assist the Scoutmaster in addressing any behavioral issues that may pop up at meetings and outings from time to time.

Troop Committee Members - This is the administrative arm of the Troop that is typically comprised of parents of Scouts.  Among other things, this is the arm that is responsible for overseeing the Troop's finances and keeping our Charter current.  Any and all parents are welcome to either serve on the committee or to just attend the meetings. The more input we have from parents, the better!  While there are a number of roles parents can serve on the Committee, the two most important roles are the Committee Chair and the Treasurer.  The Committee meets once a month at the Williston Police station conference room (meeting times and dates are announced ahead of time on the website).  For parents of newer Scouts, attending meetings is a great way to learn about how the Troop operates and what is going on with the Troop.

Merit Badge Counselors - A key component to Boy Scouts is earning Merit Badges.  Scouts can't advance without them!  Currently, there are 121 different Merit Badges that Scouts can earn.  If you as a parent have a particular skill set or interest that matches up with a specific Merit Badge, you would probably make a great counselor!

Adult trip coordinators - The PLC (Patrol Leader Council) will come up with trips for the troop to do but we need adults to help co-ordinate details for these trips. For example getting reservations, setting the price per person, updating the troop calendar for the event, transportation logistics, etc. . . We also need a minimum of two adults per gender (two men and two women) for any co-ed trips or outings.

Just helping out in general - On many occasions, we simply need a few helping hands at our meetings, Boards of Review, and events. If you can't serve in any of the roles above, just keep an eye out for opportunities to help out. Our fundraisers in particular (X-mas Tree pickup and 4th of July Hot Dog sale) are usually instances in which we need as much help as we can get! 

How does advancement work?

Scouts advance by completing a number of tasks and meeting a number of requirements that are laid out in their BSA Scout handbook that they get when they first join the Troop. The levels are Scout (new Scouts); Tenderfoot; Second Class; First Class; Star; Life; and Eagle.  A great opportunity for Scouts to meet advancement requirements is to attend summer camp. This is generally held at one of the Boy Scout camps in our area during the first week of August.  There, the Scouts have several opportunities to earn Merit Badges and to check off advancement requirements.  Once a Scout has completed all of his advancement requirements, it is up to him or her (and not his or her parents) to schedule a Scoutmaster Conference with the Scoutmaster.  This is a meeting with the Scoutmaster that generally takes less than a 1/2 an hour and is designed as a means of determining whether the Scout is ready to advance. If the Scoutmaster feels the Scout is ready to advance, the Scout (again, not the Scout's parents) must set up a Board of Review with the Advancement Chair or Troop Committee Chair.  The Board is composed of parents who are not uniformed leaders.  Serving on Boards of Review is another way parents can contribute to the Troop and it is a great way to learn more about the ranks and advancement.  The advancing Scout will appear before that group and answer several questions on why he or she feels he or she should advance. Once the Board renders its decision, the Scout is then officially advanced.  His or her accomplishment is then more formally recognized at a Court of Honor to which all family members of the advancing Scouts are invited.  

How can parents and scouts track and record advancement?

We rely on the https://scoutbook.scouting.org/ website.  The scouts will all get user ID's to login to the ScoutBook website and adult leaders and merit badge counselors use this website to record all progress.  The scouts should all use this website to update actions they believe they have completed (an adult leader will need to confirm them) and record camping days, community services etc.. Please note, however, that only approved leaders and merit badge counselors can issue final confirmation that a Scout has completed advancement and merit badge requirements.  Also, since we are trying to foster independence, parents should not be reporting the completion of merit badge or advancement requirements to leaders.  Scanning and e-mailing workbooks or documents that have been completed by a Scout from a parent's e-mail account is fine, however, only Scouts should be completing and reporting their accomplishments.

What is expected from Scouts at the Troop meetings?

Another big difference between Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts is that we meet as a Troop far more frequently.  During the school year, we hold meetings every Wednesday night from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Announcements will be made early in the week to confirm the exact locations and agendas of every meeting.  While we understand that conflicts will arise and that Scouts have other activities, it is our hope that every Scout will make it to as many meetings as possible. Team building is a key component to Scouting, so it is important that we have as many members of our team in attendance as possible. In addition to using the meetings as a time to plan and prepare for upcoming outings, we also use these times to work on Merit Badges and rank advancement.  At the meetings, we have three pretty simple expectations of the Scouts. They are as follows:

- Show up wearing your Class "A" uniform (this would the formal tan uniform with all of the badges on it)

- Show up on time (we would like to start our meetings promptly at 6:30pm every Wednesday unless another time is specified, which means scouts should be there 5 minutes before start)

- Be respectful and prepared to follow the instructions of both the adult leaders and the Patrol Leaders

What about parents? What should they be doing at the troop meetings?

Sometimes our meetings require more parental helpers than others.  In those instances, our Assistant Scoutmasters will reach out to parents beforehand to solicit parent volunteers. Also, if you are a newer parent who is interested in taking on more of an active role with the Troop, or if you want a better idea as to how the meetings run, you are certainly encouraged to stick around for a few meetings to see how they go. We also recognize that every scout is different and that a Scout may benefit from having his or her parent present during the meeting. As a parent, you are in the best position to determine whether your child is able to take direction from other adults or if he or she responds better to his or her own parent. Keep in mind though, one of the things we are trying to achieve in Scouting is to foster independence and have this be less of a parent-led activity. With that in mind, we are inclined to discourage parents from hovering for the sake of hovering. So in short, if we need extra help, we'll ask. If not, and if you are confident that your child can function as a productive member of the Troop without the presence of his or her parents, you can feel free to drop your Scout off and pick him or her up again at the end of the meetings.

How much does Scouting cost and how do I pay for trips?

Currently, annual dues are $67.00 per participant. As for activities, we take more of a pay as we go along approach.  We try to keep our costs for families somewhat lower by using the money from our fundraisers to cover supplies and administrative costs, but on average, a typical overnight camping trip will cost around $10.00 per Scout. Families will be reminded ahead of time about events and how much they will cost. Payment is done online by clicking on the "Family Accts" link in the Menu section of the website (located on the left hand side of your screen).  Using PayPal or a credit card, you can add money to your Scout's account via the Online Payments link located on the left side of the troop 692 webpage. Some parents add money ahead of time to their scout accounts.  If the figure to the right of your Scout's name shows a negative number in the Family Accts report, this is a good thing as it means he has that much money in credit.  If it is a positive number, that shows the balance that is still owed on that Scout's account. 

How to find out what trips are planned?

The easiest way is to check the troop website calendar ( https://willistontroop692.org ) to look ahead to see what trips are being planned. If something looks missing please ask the scout master or assistant scoutmasters. You must then indicate on the calendar entry if you will or will not be able to attend each event, doing this early really helps in planning.

How do the trips get selected for the scout year?

The PLC (Patrol Leader Council) will work with the scout master and assistant scoutmasters in the fall come up with a general plan for the scout year to try and have at least one trip per month, although we try to stay away from December and June for trips.

What is the PLC (Patrol Leader Council)?

"The PLC is the troop’s elected and duly appointed governing body. Resting on their shoulders is the planning, preparation, and presentation of the troop’s Scouting program."  This means we have the Senior Patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, and all patrol leaders meet on a regular basis to help set what we do for trips, community service, and weekly meeting prep.

When and where are the weekly scout meetings?

We typically have them at the Williston Armory from 6:30PM - 8PM unless we have a special reason to move the mtg to a locations such as Lake Iroquois, Nesbit Farm etc..  We will email reminders to the troop when mtgs are at different locations.

As a parent will I need to buy stuff for my scout?

Yes.  Initially you will need to buy an official class A Scout shirt along with a Green Mountain Council patch and 692 troop number patches and a merit badge sash. These can be purchased from the Green Mountain Council scout store in Waterbury VT (https://www.scoutingvermont.org/) or you may be able to purchase them online. The scout book, neckerchief,  and a class B scout shirt will be provided for all scouts (our fundraisers pay for these).  As your scout does more with the troop and goes on more trips and grows taller there will be more camping items to purchase  such as: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, mess kit, compass, backpack etc...  To see some items that we have the scouts bring on different trips see the scout packing list located on the troop website here ( https://www.willistontroup692.org )

Is the troop on social media?

Yes, we are currently on Facebook.  Please "like" and follow the "Williston Troop 692"  Facebook page.  There, we often post pictures of Scouting events.