Troop 50
Boy Scouts of America
Troop Policy
A. Membership:
1. A Scout must have completed the fifth grade or be 11 years of age or older, but not yet
have reached age 18.
2. A Scout must comply with the requirements for the Scout Rank to join the troop.
3. A Scout must be a troop member to wear the Scout uniform.
4. A Scout who is absent from all troop activities for one month may be requested to have
a Scoutmaster’s conference with one parent present.
5. A Scout who misses 4 continuous monthly campouts may be requested to have a
Scoutmaster’s conference with one parent present.
6. Upon completion of the Scoutmaster conference as stated above in this section, the
Scoutmaster will recommend action to the troop committee pertaining to said Scout.
B. Dues:
1. Troop dues are $25.00 per year, this price includes your annual registration and council
insurance.
2. All Scouts will be required to pay the annual dues at the Re-Charter Meeting, the first
meeting of the year in January.
C. Attendance:
1. The troop will schedule approximately 65 activities per year for attendance of the
complete troop. These activities will be as follows:
a. Weekly troop meetings on Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:30 pm except the last two Tuesdays
in December.
b. Monthly campouts, except in month of long-term camp.
c. Long-term camp during summer.
d. At least one fund-raising activity per year.
e. Quarterly Courts of Honor (Feb., May, Aug., and Nov.)
f. Special Eagle Courts as necessary.
2. Scouts are expected to participate in a majority of scheduled troop activities. In order
for a Scout to request a Troop Board of Review he must have participated in at least 50%
of scheduled Troop activities. If a Scout has not participated in at least 50% of the
scheduled Troop activities the Board of Review will be postponed until the Scout’s
participation meets the requirement.
3. The Scout uniform is required to be worn to all scheduled troop activities, unless special
exception is announced.
4. A Scout must attend and participate in at least one of the four prior Tuesday meetings
to be eligible to attend the monthly campout or other special troop activity.
5. A Scout who attends 80% of the scheduled activities for one charter year will receive
the Boy Scout Attendance Award.
6. Year pins will be presented.
D. Campouts:
1. There will be one campout each month. Once planned, the campout will be carried out
regardless of the weather, road conditions permitting.
2. A brief Sunday morning devotional service, which is non-sectarian will be held on each
campout. Scouts not participating in this service because they left early to attend church
will not be counted as absent.
3. A Scout who attends every troop campout for one year (12 consecutive months) will be
awarded the Troop Honor Camping Award (The Harry Beaudry Award).
4. Individual patrol hikes and campouts must be submitted for approval in advance to the
Scoutmaster and each of the boy’s parents.
5. The handling of volatile fuel on campouts is restricted to adults only.
6. The Outdoor Code is our troop code on campouts and hikes and is the responsibility of
every Scout to uphold.
7. The Scoutmaster may remove any member of the troop from campouts or other Scout
activities for unsatisfactory conduct.
8. Monthly campout departure and return times:
One night campouts: 8:00 am from church – 11:00 am from campsite.
Two night campouts: 5:30 pm from church – 11:00 am from campsite.
Parents furnishing transportation from campsites should arrive at the pickup point between
10:35 and 11:00. Departure will be at 11:00 to arrive at church by noon.
9. Arrival and departure times for long-term and special camps will be furnished with the
camp or activity announcement.
10. Swimming will be permitted during campouts under adult supervision only. The 8-point
Scout “Safe Swim Defense Plan” will be followed at all times. Tennis shoes or Crocs or
any similar footwear must be worn except at approved swimming beaches. Only Scouts
who have passed the BSA swimmer test (or whose sponsor/parent is present) will be
allowed to swim.
11. Canoes, boats, etc.: PFD’s will be worn during all activities with boats, canoes, etc.
This includes all activities in the water except approved swimming.
E. Advancements:
1. The minimum rate of advancement acceptable in Troop 50 is one rank per year for all
Scouts below the rank of Life.
2. The ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle require active service as a troop officer or
membership in the Leadership Patrol. This requires attendance at almost all troop
meetings and other meetings required by the program and active participation in the
improvement of troop programs. Leadership Patrol members not holding a specific troop
office will be assigned to work with a patrol as an instructor, trainer, or advisor. Junior
Assistant Scoutmasters will be assigned specific training duties.
F. Leadership:
1. The following officers are elected by the members of the troop and patrols at large:
a. Senior Patrol Leader
b. Scribe
c. Quartermaster
d. Patrol Leader
2. Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders are appointed by the
Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leaders with the Scoutmaster’s approval.
3. Troop elections shall be held twice a year, within one month following the spring and fall
camporees. No elected or appointed troop leader may serve successive terms in the
same office. However, Scouts may run again for leadership positions after the expiration
of one intervening election term.
4. Senior Patrol Leader: The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is the principal boy leader in the
troop. His duties and responsibilities in Troop 50 will be in the areas of planning and
execution of the troop programs. Planning duties include: Conducting the Patrol Leaders
Council, Planning Special Activities and Troop Training. The execution of these plans is
the SPL’s responsibility. He will conduct the program at regular troop meetings, campouts
and special activities. His staff includes his appointed assistant, the Scribe,
Quartermaster, and the Patrol Leaders. The SPL is responsible for the conduct and
deportment of the troop in all organized activities. This position is the most time
consuming and difficult position in the troop. The SPL must be prepared to attend all troop
activities and to spend time with his Scoutmaster in coordinating the troop programs.
Because of the many responsibilities of this position, it offers the Scout an outstanding
opportunity to grow in his leadership ability. SPL is a leadership position to which every
Scout in Troop 50 should aspire. The qualifications for SPL are:
a. 14 years of age or older
b. Star rank or higher
c. Satisfactory function as a Patrol Leader for a minimum of one term
d. Troop member for at least 6 months
e. Attendance at one long-term camp held at council level
f. Consistent attendance at troop meetings and monthly campouts
g. Active progress toward next rank, or additional merit badges
h. Must attend Troop 50’s Life Long Leadership Course
5. Qualifications for Assistant Senior Patrol Leader:
a. 14 years of age or older
b. Star rank or higher
c. Satisfactory function as a Patrol Leader for a minimum of one term
d. Troop member for at least 6 months
e. Attendance at one long-term camp held at council level
f. Consistent attendance at troop meetings and monthly campouts
g. Active progress toward next rank, or additional merit badges
h. Must attend Troop 50’s Life Long Leadership Course
6. Qualifications for Scribe, Quartermaster and Chaplain’s Aide:
a. 13 years of age or older
b. 1st Class rank or higher
c. Troop member for at least 6 months
d. Attendance at one long-term camp held at council level
e. Consistent attendance at troop meetings and monthly campouts
f. Active progress toward next rank, or additional merit badges
g. Must attend Troop 50’s Life Long Leadership Course
7. Qualifications for Patrol Leaders:
a. 12 years of age or older
b. 1st Class rank or higher
c. Troop member for at least three months
d. Attendance at one long-term camp held at council level
e. Consistent attendance at troop meetings and monthly campouts, patrol meetings and
extra patrol activities
f. Active progress toward next rank
g. Must attend Troop 50’s Life Long Leadership Course
8. Qualifications for Den Chief:
a. 12 years of age or older
b. 2nd Class rank or higher
c. Troop member for at least three months
d. Attendance at one long-term camp held at council level
e. Consistent attendance at troop meetings and monthly campouts
f. Active progress toward next rank
g. Must attend Troop 50’s Life Long Leadership Course
9. Leadership Patrol:
a. The Leadership Patrol is a Troop service patrol. Its purpose is to teach and facilitate
leadership and camping skills, especially at the patrol level. Members of the Leadership
Patrol will be assigned as mentors to patrol leaders.
b. Members are nominated by members of the existing Leadership Patrol and by Adult
Scouters. They are selected based on a demonstrated commitment to Troop 50’s
principles of leadership.
c. To serve on the Leadership Patrol, a Scout must meet the following requirements:
i. Be at least 14 years of age;
ii. Have been a member of Troop 50 for at least 6 months;
iii. Have a record of consistent attendance at troop functions;
iv. Agreed to continue leadership development training; and
v. Committed to putting additional training into practice by accepting either a troop
officer position or assignment to a patrol as an instructor, trainer or advisor.
d. The current SPL is automatically a “Pro Tem” member of the Leadership Patrol. Upon
termination of his office, a former SPL will automatically be nominated if they are
otherwise qualified.
e. Becoming an Eagle Scout and remaining active in the troop confers an automatic
nomination.
f. Nominated members are to be elected by the Leadership Patrol with the advice and
consent of the Scoutmaster.
g. The Leadership Patrol will camp as a patrol at all troop campouts. They will not have a
chuck box, but will eat with their mentor patrol. They are expected to ensure that all meals
are planned in consonance with good nutritional practices and prepared under sanitary
conditions, and that clean-up is both timely and sanitary. A “reward” camp-out will be
planned and executed on an annual basis for all members and alumni of the Leadership
Patrol.
G. Automatic Suspension of Elected Officers:
1. The Boy Scouts of America program places very high emphasis on the principle that the
troop is “Boy Run and Boy Led.” Therefore, one of the basic tenets of Boy Scouting is the
instilling and development of the principles of leadership and the responsibilities thereof.
Each Scout seeking an elected office is made fully aware of not only the requirements of
that office, but the responsibilities entailed in that office as well. One of the most important
of these responsibilities is the six-month commitment (the term of elected office) that each
Scout makes in running for and accepting the office to which he is elected. Accepting a
role of leadership in a “Boy Run and Boy Led” troop must by its very nature mean, first,
that an elected officer must be present to lead, and then second, being present, to carry
out the responsibilities of that elected office. The seeking and accepting of an elected
office is a “promise” by the Scout that he will carry out these two tasks and each Scout
should, before he seeks an elected office, be fully aware of what his personal schedule and
the troop’s schedule is for the next six months so that he can adequately assure his
electors that he will be able to carry out his “promise.”
2. After careful review, the Troop Committee has come to the conclusion that some
Scouts seeking and obtaining elected office may subsequently allow other interests to
interfere with the carrying out of this “promise.” It is certainly understood that the Scout
may, from time to time, run into conflicts with home, church, and school which prevent him
from being in attendance at a regularly scheduled troop function, but it is also believed that
there are other occasions of conflict that are avoidable and that the Scout simply makes a
choice to ignore his “promise.” While it is true that each significant elected leadership does
have an appointed assistant, who may fulfill the responsibilities of the office, the important
thing to remember is that these appointed assistants were not elected to that office and as
such made no such “promise” to the electors.
3. Therefore, the Troop Committee, in order to carry out its primary function of helping
each Scout to develop good qualities of leadership, citizenship and maturity, has adopted
the following policy respecting elected Scout officers of Troop 50.
4. Should an elected or appointed Scout officer miss two out of three consecutive
scheduled troop events, (i.e., troop meetings, PLC’s, campouts, Courts of Honor, Chili
Supper, etc.), without an excuse acceptable to the Scoutmaster, or Assistant Scoutmaster
in charge, the elected or appointed officer shall be automatically suspended from his office
and the appointed assistant for that position shall assume the duties of that office until the
suspension is lifted or a new election is held.
5. The suspension of the elected officer will be placed before a called meeting of the
Troop Committee at which meeting the suspended office has the right to be present and
assert his reasons why he should be excused for his absences and the suspension lifted.
A simple majority of those members of the Troop Committee attending the called meeting
shall determine to either lift the suspension and reinstate the elected officer or remove the
Scout from office.
6. Should the Scout be removed from office, the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster in
charge shall schedule an election at the next regularly scheduled Troop meeting for the
purpose of fulfilling the un-expired term of the vacated office.
7. It is to be emphasized by the Troop Committee that the purpose of this section of the
troop policy is not for punishment of any Scout, but to the contrary, its purpose is to help
make each Scout more aware of the high degree of trust that the Adult Leaders have
bestowed upon the elected Scout.
This revised troop policy has been voted on and approved by the Patrol Leaders Council,
the Troop Committee, and the Scoutmaster, and will remain in effect until superseded.
The effective date of this revised policy is 1 September 2009.
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