What it takes to join Troop 531
At Troop 531, we strive to keep scouting affordable to everyone. We
want to reach as many youth as possible in an effort to train them as
individuals, a team and future leaders. All you have to do to join is
simply come out to any of our meetings and talk to us. We will have
applications available to fill out at any time.
The cost of membership for a year is $16.90 ($15 for registration to BSA and $1.90 to Council for Insurance).
There is an optional (Recommended) subscription to Boy's Life
magazine your son can order. The cost for Boy's Life is an additional
$12.00 for the year.
The Cost for Weekly dues is $50.00 for the year.
We renew our membership every February. We do pro-rate the membership based on when you sign up.
Final cost is $66.90 a year or about $5.58 a month.
You may check our uniform closet before purchasing uniforms. Uniforms may be purchased at either Scout Shop in Sierra Madre, CA. You can click the link provided for directions to this location.
You can download a shopping list for a uniform under the Forms page
of our website. There are many other sources for looking for uniforms,
just ask us for suggestions.
Scouting reinforces the skills and values we want our sons to learn
while they're having fun.
Our goal at Troop 531 is to continually develop a program that will
challenge the youth of our community to make a difference in the
environment they live. Scouting goes far beyond camping, canoeing,
hiking, earning merit badges, rank advancement. Scouting is a way of
life, a set of values and standards we try to teach these young men.
If we are able to influence our youth with the right values, morals
and standards now, this will become their way of thinking which will
govern how they make decisions in the future. At some point in our
future, these same young men will be making decisions, judgments, laws,
and other life changing actions that will affect our lives. Those
decisions will be in our best interest if we have given them the proper
foundation to build their way of thinking and reasoning.
Below you will find some basic information on our unit. If at anytime you have questions, please feel free to ask any of us.
Meetings
Location - South El Monte Community Center
Time - Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
We do meet all year. Most units follow a school schedule. We believe
scouting is a full time way of life. In order to help support that
belief, we feel that the scout needs to have regular contact with other
scouts to help each other. This builds bonds and strengthens
friendships.
We are a fully youth run unit. This means your son will vote on an
election night as to who he would like to lead him from his peers in
his troop. The elected youth will plan, organize, and conduct the
meetings with the mentorship of an adult leader. Adults do not take
control of meetings.
Camping
When we camp, we ask that each scout brings their personal gear to
the meeting before a campout. This allows us to pack all gear and
equipment ahead of time. On the Friday night of camping, we meet at the Community Center and carpool to the campsite. On Sunday, we
return to the Community Center at approx 12 noon. These campouts are for the scouts. The scouts should assist
in storing what they take to the field.
Camping fees are always minimal. We DO NOT provide meals on Friday night. They need
to eat at home, or bring it with them as they head to the campsite. The
scouts do their own meal planning and cooking. All cooking is done
over campfire or appropriate cooking device.
Meals are planned two meetings before a campout. This is a group
effort. If your son has particular likes and dislikes, make sure he is
there to voice his vote. If your son is allergic to a food, make sure
it is on his health form and tell the leaders about his allergy. This
will definitely affect meal planning. We accommodate health issues. We
do not accommodate picky eaters who do not come to meeting
Summer Camp
Summer camp is a big part of your son’s scouting experience. Not
only will be advance in rank and merit badges, but he will also grow as
an individual and grow with other scouts as a unit.
A big part of the payment for summer camp has come from fundraisers.
I believe if a scout wants to participate in an activity, they need to
have invested in that activity. We sell popcorn and hold other
fundraisers to allow the scouts a chance to earn their way to summer
camp. Get your scout involved in these activities. Any money we raise
goes directly back into the program to enhance it more for your youth.
Service projects
We are here to make a difference in our community one project at a
time. We have participated in a wide range of service projects. If we
do not get the scouts active in our community, they will never see that
they can have a positive impact on a negative situation for someone.
We want them to see they can make a difference if they will just do
something.
Parents
Without commitment from the parents, we would not have a troop. By
commitment I mean being committed to bringing your son to each meeting.
If you miss a meeting, you will miss something important about
upcoming events. By commitment I mean being committed to being aware of
what is going on in terms of activities and events. By commitment I
mean being committed to getting your scout to work on advancements at
home.
While you do not have to commit to being a leader, you can commit to
being an active scout parent. We can teach your son how to make
decisions and be independent, but unless you are aware of what we
promote, you can not help enforce that at home. It all goes back to
scouting being a way of life, not just a meeting and a campout. We need
you to help us make this a full circle in your son’s life. We as
leaders have nothing to gain. You, as a parent, have a lot to gain.