When your son bridges to a Boy Scout Troop , most new parents are chock full of questions! We hope that this will help you and your son understand how a Boy Scout Troop is run and, specifically, how Troop 451 is run . This is a great Troop with great adult leadership and a bunch of energetic and fun boys!

Meetings

Boys need to attend weekly meetings as often as possible. We meet every Monday exceps for some Holidays. You can read and print the monthly Troop calendar from the web site. The calendar will contain information about what will be worked on at the meeting.
During Troop meetings, the boys normally work on skills needed to advance in rank, get to know the other boys and work on merit badges that have been chosen by the Patrol Leaders Council. Boys should always wear their Class A uniform, bring their handbook and a pencil. Boys should be paid up in their dues. The dues are paid on a monthly basis. The boys will give their dues to the Boy Scout who is the patrol Scribe.
You may drop off your son or stay. There is a room where committee members gather. You are welcome to come in and meet everyone, sit and listen to what’s happening and get involved if you desire! Most of you have already volunteered to help and we thank you for that.
At the end of the meeting (around 8:30), the boys “circle up” and I suggest you be there to hear the announcements. You will get emails from the troop, but this is the best source of “what’s happening” with the troop, upcoming events, etc..

Camping

Monthly campouts are on the schedule. See the equipment list or ask a leader if you have questions. The boys plan their own menus and need to pay a week in advance. It is always $15.00 for boys and for adults (Yes, you are invited and welcome to campout, but will stay/eat separately from the boys).
The boys' money has to be broken out in cash as 1- $10.00 bill and 1-$5.00 bill or 3-$5.00 bills. This is to assist in bookkeeping and to facilitate purchasing of the food.
The boys will alternate the “grubmaster” position. The grubmaster for the patrol is responsible for purchasing the food (usually the Thursday evening prior to the campout).
The times given for departure are usually pretty close, but the return back can vary GREATLY. Please be flexible! The boys are in charge and sometimes things take longer than expected. One parent will be designated to call the others when the boys are leaving to let you know when and where to meet to pick up your son.

Rank Advancements

One focus of the Troop is advancement. The Troop schedules meeting activities that support advancement and has a leadership position focused on getting the boys to theFirst Class rank. You can help your son advance by:

• Reviewing the requirements in the book with them
• Set aside time each week at home to do something for Scouts, so it is not overwhelming
• Make sure he attends all meetings, campouts, fundraisers, service projects, etc.

You cannot sign off anything in your Scout’s book like you could in Cub Scouts. This must be done by an older Scout with a higher rank if it is a skill, or by one of the leaders or the Advancement Chair.

Once all of the requirements for a rank are met, he should ask the Advancement Chair to schedule a Scoutmaster Conference. If he passes this, he then asks the Advancement Chair to schedule a Board of Review.

The Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Review occur at different times and will occur at the normal Troop meetings or on the night of the Patrol Leader's Council meeting.
The rank is signed off when he passes the Board of Review and the patch will be presented at the meeting, usually at “circle up”. Once the boy is confirmed by the Board of Review, he has earned and is considered to be that rank. The rank will be recognized in a more formal setting at the next Court of Honor.
Boy Scout Troop 451 Lewisville, TX

Merit Badges

Merit badges are a fun part of Scouting and many are required for upper level rank advancement. The Troop generally works on merit badges throughout the year, but your son may choose a badge- to work on that he has a special interest in. The boy must have a buddy to start a badge, but that buddy does not have to be a Scout. If your boy has a particular interest, have your son talk to the Advancement Chair to get started. He will tell him who the adult counselor is that can help him, and if anyone else is currently working on it. If not, he can find another boy that might also be interested so that they can sign up together. They may then work together or independently.
Some specific and more difficult badges are required for Eagle. They are noted in the handbook. Boys should work on these whenever the opportunity arises. Additional opportunities for merit badges are available throughout the year, including summer camp and merit badge “colleges”.

Service Hours

Your son will need service hours as a part of his rank advancement. A significant aim in Scouting is to teach boys about service in the community. These opportunities come up in the form of Scouting for Food, Eagle Scout project assistance, reading to the elderly, working at CCA, etc..
Your son may also do service outside of the troop for any church or non profit group. Please have this pre-approved and then bring a letter in to the Advancement Chair from the group stating the nature of the service and the time spent.

Summer Camp

This is a great and exciting time for the boys. Your son should definitely plan to attend summer camp. He should attend 2 out of the 3 spring campouts before he goes so that both the boy and the leaders feel comfortable that he can handle a week away from home.
A parent's meeting to discuss summer camp is scheduled every year. Please attend as the information provided will answer all of your questions. Make sure you review the recommended list of items carefully as you may need to purchase a few additional things.
We recommend that your son try to take Swimming at camp as it helps fulfill many of the 2nd and 1st Class requirements at the same time. This is just a suggestion but seems to work out well for most Scouts. There are lots of badges to choose from!
Be sure to read the packet carefully as many badges are not offered to first year campers.

Web Site / E-Mail

The Troop maintains a web site with relevant information for Scouts and their families. The address is http://www.troop451.org. A monthly calendar is available and is updated regularly as well as Troop documents and the Troop Handbook.
Most communications outside of meetings takes place via email. All emails are sent by blind carbon-copying the recipients, preventing your email address from being displayed or used by others. All emails from the Troop will be Scouting-related.
Photos of Scouting events are posted in a photo gallery on the web site and include photos from campouts and Scouting events. In order to protect the privacy of individuals and adhere to the Safe Scouting guidelines, boys are only referenced by their first name and last initial if names are used at all.