Green Notebook

PARENT-SCOUT HANDBOOK OF
TROOP OPERATING PROCEDURES

Recruiting Information and New Arrival Guide

How do we in scouts get the young boys involved? Well there are many ways to include these young men into the future of scouting. One of the many problems that has been noted is that too many kids just don't know how to get involved. Well now the times have changed and there are a number of different ways to find a troop close too your home.

Where to go if you live in the Ballentine area:

Scouting in the Irmo area is based on several troops. One of these local troops is actualy outside of Irmo in the small town of Ballentine. Troop 813 meets at the Ballentine Recreation Center on Thursday nights.

For more information send requests to:

Troop813
181 East Selwood Lane
Columbia, SC 29209

or email the scoutmasters at Troop813@bigfoot.com

Now if you live outside of the Ballentine Area, but live around Columbia, SC you can contact:

Indian Waters Council
715 Betsy Drive
Columbia, SC 29202-0144

Phone: (803)750-9868

If you do not live near Columbia, SC:

Lastly one can use the Local Council Locator to find a council close to your home. Just put in the city and state where you live and click on submit. This will display the local council in your area. From there contact the council office and ask for the District Executive for what ever school district you live in. You might need to tell them where you actually live and what not so that people at the scouting office can further direct you to the appropriate people. Hope this helps!

Enter a city and state to find the closest BSA council office.

New Arrival Guide

What to do when you arrive at the meeting

Scout's First Meeting

Meet with either the Scoutmaster(SM) or the Assistant Scoutmaster(ASM) for new scouts.
Ensure Requirement #1 (Eligibility): in 6th grade, age 11, or 10 1/2 and has earned the Arrow of Light.
Submit and application and pay fees (registration and most troops have an initial troop fee). Make sure you fill out a class 1 and 2 physical form (front and back) and this is turned in.
You should purchase a Scout Handbook prior to the meeting. This makes the learning process go a lot faster for the scout.
Have the SM or ASM go over these requirements:
- Requirement #3 (Pledge): Recite the pledge of allegiance. May be signed off if the scout knows it.
- Requirement #4 (Symbols): Demonstrate the Scout sign, salute, and handclasp.
- Requirement #5 (Square Knot): Be able to tie the joining knot.
- Requirement #6 (Ideals): Communicate what the Scout Oath and Law are. The scout does not have to have these memorized, he just agrees to live by them.
- Requirement #7 (Scout Badge)Describe the Scout Badge (First Class Badge of Rank).
Read with your son the abuse pamphlet in the beginning of the scout handbook. When you have done this then you will initial in the scouts handbook the day this is done. In most troops this will be the only time you sign off a requirement for your son.
If time allows the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster will go through a scoutmaster's conference with your son. Basically this is a time for the SM or ASM to get to know your child a little better. He might ask questions regarding goals, home life, church activities. The SM/ASM will try to see what your sons interests in life are and how to incorporate this interests into scouting.

When all of these objects are completed then your son will be able to obtain the Joining Rank. This will be the first rank he obtains on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout. Going through the joining rank may take several weeks to do. It should not take more than 3 weeks though. Something is going wrong if your son has not earned the Joining rank by the end of the second meeting.

Second Meeting

If for some reason your son did not complete all of the requirements for the Joining Rank then this is the time for him to do so. The SM or ASM will complete his handbook and fill out all of the other necessary paperwork in order for your son to recieve his rank.

Other things you need to remember:

Once your son has completed everything the SM will place your scout into a patrol. This should be the time for your son to really start building team work and companionship.
The scoutmaster will present the scout with his Joining Rank so that he can sew it on his shirt.
Lastly the scoutmaster will present the scout to the troop as a whole as a new member of that troop.

IMPORTANT
Under no circumstances can any boy who has not completed the Joining Requirements (Scout Rank) nor had it signed off in his scout book be allowed to:

Vote in any Troop election.
Be assigned to a patrol.
Have any other requirement signed off in his book.
Attend any campout (besides the allowed one "Trial" campout).
Attend Summer Camp.
Have his application submitted to the council office.

These are important things that a scout must do in order to prove that he wants to be in scouting. These are the initial steps into your son learning more about the outdoors, how to interact with young men his age and how to lead this young men into the unknown with confidence and maturity. Scouting will teach these values as long as you are willing to let the SM and ASM lead your boys.