Within the troop, your son will be assigned to a  Scout patrol consisting of 6 to 10 boys generally. His patrol will be his team for games and contests, his closest buddies in camp, and his teachers as he works on advancement.  His patrol will be led by experienced scouts known as Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader. They will work with the adult leadership to develop lesson plans and provide opportunities for the boys to advance through rank. It is up to each individual Scout, not the Patrol Leaders, to learn the material and master it for advancement.

Troop meetings are planned and conducted by boy leaders under the coaching and guidance of the Scoutmaster. This is part of the plan to help your boy grow; to make decisions and take an active part in making the troop program successful. A typical troop meeting includes work on outdoor skills, first aid, fitness, citizenship, or some other aspect of Scouting; a game or two; a brief patrol meeting for advancement progress or planning a future patrol event; and ceremonies highlighting Scouting ideals.

At troop meetings, and working on his own, your son will have a chance to earn many badges and awards. He will get his Boy Scout badge as soon as practical after joining the Troop. After that he will work on learning outdoor skills and any of more than 100 merit badges. As he learns these skills and earns these badges, he will progress from Tenderfoot through the Second and First Class ranks and into the more difficult requirements for the Star and Life Scout badges. Finally, he may earn the most challenging of all -- the Eagle Scout Award. Go for the Eagle is an excellent guide for Scouts and parents to understand the process in achieving Scouting's highest rank.

Every month our troop will conduct a special event. It may be an overnight campout, a visit to some location of special interest or significance, or a troop service project to stimulate his interest and self-reliance. Encourage participation in these events, but let him prepare for them on his own as much as possible. For instance, if he is going on a troop overnighter, let him collect and pack his own gear. He may make some mistakes or forget something. Let him do it -- that's part of the learning experience in Scouting. Summer camp, a week at a Scout camp, requires more planning. More information devoted to the topic of summer camps will be presented by the summer camp coordinator every year

Our troop is operated by an organization called the chartered organization. It arranges for our regular troop meeting place and approves the adult leaders who administer troop affairs. These adult leaders are the Troop Committee, Scoutmaster, and Assistant Scoutmasters. All are unpaid volunteers; many are parents of boys in the troop.

The Troop Committee is responsible for the administrative matters of the troop. Various members, under the coordination of the Troop Committee Chair, support the Scouting program by managing finances, providing equipment, ensuring that the Troop program includes adequate camping and outdoor programs, keeping advancement and medical records, and ensuring that quality adult leadership is recruited and trained.

The Scoutmaster is the adult leader responsible for the Troop program. His main job is to train and guide the boy leaders of the Troop, work with Assistant Scoutmasters to ensure that the Troop program is conducted with proper supervision and under safe conditions. He will be the key link between the Scout leaders of the Troop and the adult Troop Committee

At first glance, you may wonder, “How does everyone know what they are to do?” The answer is simple: BSA has developed a structured program and has developed manuals and videos to explain how to manage a Scout Troop. For every position in the Troop, both Scout and adult, there is training available to help the person understand how to effectively perform that job.

For the Scouts, there is Troop Leadership Training conducted to help Scouts understand the various leadership positions they may fulfill within the Troop. There is also Den Chief training available for first class and above who want to work with Cub Scouts. In addition, the Scoutmaster will conduct leadership-training sessions throughout the year, both in Troop meetings and on special campouts. The better trained the Scouts are, the better their program will be.

For the adults, there are “Fast-Start” courses available from the National BSA website https://myscouting.scouting.org, which highlight various adult leadership positions within the Troop. The District conducts Scoutmaster Fundamental training twice a year. The Council conducts Wood Badge, an in-depth training course for Scouters, once a year

Naturally, you will want your son to get the most out of Scouting. The best Troops have enthusiastic leaders, involved parents, and motivated Scouts.

You can help by becoming an involved parent. Don’t panic -- an involved parent doesn't have to live and breathe Scouting nor become a Scoutmaster him/herself. An involved parent is: (1) informed, (2) helpful, (3) concerned, and (4) encouraging.

Stay informed of the troop and patrol activities that are available to your son. He may not want to participate in all the activities that are offered, but encourage him to try some new experiences -- he will grow from them. Also, stay informed of your son’s advancements throughout Scouting encouraging him to continue advancing through the ranks to Eagle. Help him make time for Scouting. Offer suggestions and choices; after he does the choosing, support him in his decisions, and let him do the work.

Your son’s success in Scouting depends in part on the success of our troop. If the troop is strong, active, and vibrant, he will have a much better chance to make the most of his experience as a Scout. You can help keep the troop strong.

How you support the troop depends on your talents and available time. Perhaps you will be asked to serve on the troop committee, which functions as a sort of board of directors. If you have the desire to work directly with the Scouts, we encourage you to serve as an Assistant Scoutmaster. Or you might be called upon for only occasional tasks – helping with a fund raiser or service project, providing transportation for a campout or hike, maintaining troop equipment, or serving as a merit badge counselor in a hobby or career field you are familiar with.

Occasionally, you and your family will be invited to a special troop activity -- a parents’ night or Court of Honor at which Scouts are recognized for their advancement. Your participation in these activities and your offers of help when the troop has a need will show your son that you support him and want him to have the best experiences possible in Scouting. Whenever you have problems or suggestions with the administration or program of the Troop, bring these to the Troop Committee Chair or Scoutmaster as soon as you can. The adults are all volunteers that need your support.

There are several times when your direct participation in your son’s advancement in Scouting will be required. The first will occur almost immediately -- prior to becoming a Scout, your son will be required to review with you the drug and child abuse pamphlet in the front of The Official Boy Scout Handbook . Additionally, participation is needed at Courts of Honor and Eagle Ceremonies.

If your son is having problems with schoolwork, please don’t use Scouting as a punishment -- there are Scouts in the Troop that may be able to help your son with those hard school subjects. Bring such things to the Scoutmaster’s attention.

The cost of Scouting involves more than money -- it also includes time and materials. We have already illustrated how some time must be spent with your son to make his Scouting experience more meaningful. Camping supplies, materials for service projects, and awards are often needed and perhaps you can contribute when needed. Each Scout will share food and transportation costs for outings.

Scouting believes that a Scout should pay his own way, to the extent possible. So urge your son to earn enough money to cover his dues, pay for activities, and buy at least some of the equipment he will want. Money earning projects are undertaken by the troop to cover expenses as needed. Part of your son’s responsibilities as a Scout will be to do his share on these projects.

Troop financing, including annual dues, is covered under the by-laws approved by the Charter Organization. If, for any reason, you may have problems meeting the costs mentioned above, please talk to the Committee Chair or the Scoutmaster– we will not let the issue of money keep your son from enjoying all Scouts has to offer. This applies to summer camp as well -- each year there are grants for summer camp provided by the Boy Scout Council

It is not the purpose of the Scout uniform to hide the difference between boys or make them feel they are all the same. Scouts come from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. They have their own religious beliefs and family traditions. Scouting wants boys to take pride in these differences, rather than to hide them or to be ashamed of them. But there is one way in which all Scouts are alike. Whenever a Scout sees another person in a Scout uniform he knows he is like that person because both have committed themselves to the principles of the Scout Oath and Law. This is important in a time when there are many things which seem to divide people from each other. The Scout Oath and Law bind all Scouts of the world together in a common purpose. So boys wear the Scout uniform to identify themselves openly with some beliefs to which we are all committed.

There are two distinct uniforms Scouts and Scouters wear: the traditional “Class A” uniform is worn to all Troop meetings and on every troop trip. The less formal “Class B” uniform can be worn when authorized by Troop leadership. The “standard” Class A uniform for Scouts in our Troop is: (1) Boy Scout shirt (either short or long sleeve) with the Council shoulder patch, numerals (176), and shoulder loops; (2) the neckerchief with Troop 176 patch and neckerchief slide (Scout’s own choosing); The Troop Committee provides advancement rank patches, troop leadership position patches, and merit badge patches. The “Class B” uniform is a Scout-related T-shirt or sweatshirt with appropriate solid colored pants/shorts. The Troop176 T-shirt or polo shirt can be purchased from the Troop. It is never appropriate to wear shirts or other apparel with tobacco or alcohol advertising on them or studded belts.

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