Welcome to the Boy Scouts of America!

Without question the largest boy-run organization in the world. An organization that has changed very little since its introduction by Lord Baden Powell nearly a century ago. Although there are adult Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, the program is run by the Senior Patrol Leader with the adults playing the role of advisors. You will often hear the term "patrol method", which refers to how a Troop operates. Boys are assigned to patrols, a fully self sustaining group within the Troop. These patrols, under the guidance of the Senior Patrol Leader and with the advice of the adult leaders, seek to achieve Scouting’s goal of creating an environment where boys can learn leadership skills, responsibility, conservation, and spiritual growth.

This document is intended to serve as a reference point for the Scouts and Scouters of Harrisburg Baptist Church Boy Scout Troop 85. Historically, the Troop’s rules have been passed on in the oral tradition from boy to boy and leader to leader. As one might imagine this can easily lead to areas not specifically covered by any rule and rules unfairly applied in one situation and not another.

This handbook has been developed to make Troop 85’s program more consistent from year to year and Scout to Scout. Should a conflict between this document and BSA National guidelines arise the BSA National policies will be followed and this document will be amended to conform to those policies. In all matters the Troop Committee is the final authority at the Troop level.

Showing Scout spirit means many things. The most obvious aspect of this requirement is a Scout’s ability to explain how he applies the principles of the Scout Oath, Promise, Motto, and Slogan to his life in and out of Scouting. The other aspect of this is a little more easily measured.

Correctly wearing the uniform, attending meetings and campouts regularly, participating in fundraisers and helping with service projects are all ways a boy can demonstrate his Scout spirit. The Scout spirit requirement is usually part of the discussion held in a Scoutmaster Conference.

1.1 Attendance

1.2 Troop Meetings

1.3 Patrol Leader’s Council Meetings

1.4 Committee Meetings

1.5 District Roundtable

2.1 Rules

2.2 Cost

2.3 Equipment

3.1 Board of Review

3.2 Scoutmaster Conference

3.3 New Scout to First Class

3.4 Life to Eagle

3.5 Merit Badges

3.6 Service Projects

3.7 Court of Honor

3.8 Eagle Scout Court of Honor

4.1 General Rules

4.2 Class A

4.3 Class B

5.1 Uses

5.2 Account Balances

7.1 Assistant Scoutmasters (Leaders)

7.2 Requirements

                    8.1 Basic Disciplinary Procedure

                    8.2 Grievous Infractions

                    8.3 Appeals

                    9.1 Senior Patrol Leader

                    9.2 Patrol Leader

Many of the announcements of details for upcoming events are made at Troop Meetings and on the website at www.bsatroop85.org.

PLC meetings are intended to allow the Senior Patrol Leader to communicate with the Patrol Leaders and plan details for upcoming outings. Each Patrol Leader is expected to share the details from the PLC meeting with the Scouts in his patrol.

The Troop Committee consists of three members of Harrisburg Baptist Church. The committee is charged with the responsibility of seeing the Troop’s needs, direction, and goals are achieved.

The Troop Committee meets on a “need-to” basis and acts as a liaison between the Troop and the church (Chartering organization).

The District Roundtable meets on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The Roundtable is an open meeting for any member of the Scouting program in the Apilachi district.

The Roundtable is led by the district leadership, to inform troops of upcoming events, and to share other information.

Though the Troop encourages each Scout to have a good time on each day trip or weekend outing, there are several rules that must be observed by the Scouts:

(a) No boy may carry a pocketknife unless he has earned his Totin’ Chip. If a Scout is found improperly handling his knife, a corner of his Totin’ Chip will be removed. After four corners are removed, the Scout will not be allowed to carry his knife and  it will be confiscated for the duration of the outing and given to his parents when the Troop arrives home.  Totin’ rights will not be granted until the Scout has repeated the Totin’ Chip safety training.

(b) Sheath knives are not permitted to be carried by anyone (youth or adult) for any reason.

A sheath knife is one which has a fixed blade that cannot be folded back in the handle. Any Scout found in possession of a sheath knife will have his knife confiscated for the duration of the outing and given to his parents when the Troop arrives home.

(c) Walkmen, Discmen, GameBoys, and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited.

Outings are an opportunity for boys to get to know fellow Scouts and enjoy the beauty around them. These devices create an artificial barrier between the Scout and his surroundings. If a Scout is found in possession of one of these devices it will be confiscated for the duration of the outing and given to his parents when the Troop arrives home.

(d) The Buddy System is to be used at all times. No Scout is to leave the rest of the Troop for any reason unless he has obtained permission from a uniformed adult leader and has another Scout to accompany him. After lights out no scouts are to leave the camp for any reason.

(e) If a Scout or adult commits to attending a campout and subsequently is unable to attend, he remains liable for his share of the food bill. The designated shopper for each patrol is not to purchase his food until the Thursday night prior to the campout. This is to give each scout the opportunity to cancel without affecting the Patrol’s menu. If a boy does not notify his Patrol’s shopper by Wednesday night it will be assumed that he is going on the outing.

(f) No soft drinks or other junk food may be consumed before 10:30 a.m. on a weekend campout. The 10:30 a.m. rule also applies to the Troop’s week long Summer Trip/Summer Camp.

(g) While on an outing each Scout is acting as an ambassador of Troop 85 and Harrisburg Baptist Church and is expected to act as such. This includes behavior on the bus, in the campground, and when in a public setting.

(h) Eating and drinking are not permitted on the Troop bus at any time.

(i) All Scouts must ride on the Troop van unless the Troop is car-pooling to the activity. This rule does not apply to situations where a Scout must come to a campout late or leave early for sports or family activities.

Each Scout is required to pay one dollar per week to the Troop account. These fees are used for equipment needs or replacement.

From time to time the Troop imposes a nominal fee on Scouts and parents attending an outing. This is usually done when there is an exceptional expense involved or the trip is over one hundred miles round trip. In all cases the amount shall be sufficient to partially offset the cost of the outing.

Each Scout maintains a personal account through the Troop Scribe to help pay expenses.

There are a number of personal equipment items that each Scout should have. Some camping equipment can be expensive, so it is important to look for high quality products that will last for many years. Good camping equipment can be purchased from sporting goods stores, camping specific stores, mail order companies such as L.L. Bean or Cabelas, the Yocona Council Scout Shop, or the BSA National Supply Division catalog.

It is the goal of Troop 85 to help each new Scout advance as quickly as possible, yet insure each Scout has fulfilled the requirements for each rank before appearing at a Board of Review.

Boards of Review (BoR) are required for each rank advanced. BoR for all ranks except Eagle are held at the Troop level. They are held four times annually. A typical Board of Review usually consists of members of the Troop committee or other adults.

These reviews are not intended to re-test Scouts on the skills they have mastered. Rather they are a chance to gauge the Scout’s growth in the Scouting program. They also help a Scout grow accustomed to speaking with a group of people in an interview setting.

Boards of Review are complete uniform events. Merit badge sashes are encouraged, however please remember that this is not an Order of the Arrow event and OA sashes should therefore not be worn. Failure to appear in uniform, bring one’s Handbook or incomplete requirements are all cause for postponement of a Board of Review.

The Eagle Board of Review is separate from regularly schedule troop BoR. Upon completion of the Eagle Scout requirements, a formal BoR will be conducted at a designated time and place.

Scoutmaster Conferences are held by appointment before and after regular Troop meetings. These are sometimes referred to as personal growth conferences due to the goal-setting nature of these one-on-one conversations.

Scoutmaster conferences are to be the last requirement a Scout meets in order to allow some time to pass for the Scout to grow both physically and mentally. If the Scoutmaster is not available an Assistant Scoutmaster may perform the conference in an emergency. It should be noted that procrastination is not considered an emergency.

The first year is dedicated primarily to basic Boy Scout instruction and advancement. Weekly meetings include a specialized training session in relation to a Scout’s next rank, to help him achieve the rank of First Class in his first year of Scouting.

Most Scouts can attain the level of Second Class by attending the First-Year-Camper program during summer camp.

Once a Scout has reached the rank of First Class, the primary requirement for advancement is earning Merit Badges. A Scout may utilize meeting time to earn Merit Badges or fulfill other requirements for his rank advancement.

Merit badges are the heart of the Scouting advancement program. Once a Scout has earned First Class rank he is free to work on any of the more than 100 merit badges that interest him. Some merit badges are offered as part of an organized class but most of them are taught on an independent study basis. The Troop has an extensive library of merit badge pamphlets available for loan before regular Troop meetings. If a book is not available in the library current copies can be purchased at the Yocona Council Scout Shop. Many Scouts choose to donate the book to the Troop library once they have earned the badge.

When a Scout wishes to work on a merit badge he should begin by borrowing a copy of the merit badge book from the Troop library or purchasing one from the Yocona Council Scout Shop. After having read the book and familiarized himself with the requirements the Scout should ask a uniformed adult leader for the name and phone number of a counselor for the merit badge.

At this time the Scout should also get a blue merit badge application from the Advancement Chairman, fill it out and have the Scoutmaster sign it. There are usually several counselors in our area for any one merit badge. It is up to each Scout to initiate contact with a counselor and make as many appointments as necessary to meet the requirements.

When a Scout has successfully met all the requirements and secured the signature of his counselor he should turn the card in to the Advancement Chairman. Generally the badge will be available at the next regular Troop meeting. A merit badge card will be awarded to the Scout during the next Court of Honor.

To that end no Scout may earn more than 5 merit badges from any one counselor.

Service projects will be accepted only if they have been approved in advance. For the Eagle badge this approval must come from the District Advancement Committee. For all other ranks this approval comes from the Scoutmaster. Scouts may not use a project already being counted for some other purpose (confirmation, etc.). Scouts may count time spent helping a Life Scout with his Eagle Scout service project.

On the Monday following each Board of Review, the Troop holds a Court of Honor to recognize each Scout’s personal achievements. This event also includes a time of refreshments and fellowship. All members of the Troop 85 family are strongly encouraged to attend.

Whenever a young man earns his Eagle Award a special Eagle Scout Court of Honor is convened. The Eagle Scout Court of Honor will be convened at the time and place of the Scout’s choosing.

An Eagle Scout Court of Honor represents a significant milestone, and as such, all family and friends of the new Eagle are invited. Eagle Scouts of all ages are extended an open invitation whether they have an affiliation with the Troop or not.

When a boy puts on the Boy Scout uniform, he is representing an organization recognized for outstanding character. Troop 85 believes personal character is defined in the way a boy wears his uniform, and is a direct reflection on the character of the troop.

• Shirt tails must be tucked in at all times.

• Approved headgear must be worn properly.

• Patches should be properly secured. If Velcro is used, the patch must be attached along the entire edge, with no Velcro visible.

• Shoestrings must be properly tied.

• Belts should be securely fastened and cut to length. The belt tab should not extend more than two (2) inches from the buckle.

• The Class A uniform is required at all Troop meetings and during travel to and from scouting trips.

• The class A uniform consists of the official Scout shirt, pants, socks, and belt. Proper placement of badges of office and other insignia is required. Class A uniforms and accessories are available from the Yocona Council office or Reed’s Department store in Tupelo.

• The neckerchief is worn during the winter months only, except during special events, when required by the Scoutmaster. Head gear is not required, but must be approved when a boy is wearing the Scout uniform.

• When a boy joins the Troop, his Webelos patches from the Cub Scout pack should be removed. The only insignia carried forward are the Arrow of Light, religious award square knot (if earned), American Flag, Troop Numerals, and Yocona Council Patch.

• The Class A uniform is required at all Troop meetings and during travel to and from scouting trips.

A Class B uniform is any Scouting related clothing including summer camp t-shirts or BSA insignied shirts. The only restriction on Class B uniforms is that the pants must be single color, clean, and free of holes.

The wearing of Class B uniforms are at the discretion of the Scoutmaster, normally during campouts or outdoor-related activities when the Class A uniform would be impracticable.

Each scout holds a personal account, similar to a savings account, within the troop. The personal account keeps fundraising monies raised by the individual scout and can be used to pay his portion of expenses on troop outings and functions.

Personal account funds may used to pay for food, campout or trip costs, summer camp fees, merit badge materials, and uniforms.

Should a scout stop being involved in the scouting program, the funds in his account will be transferred to the troop general fund.  If a scout transfers to another troop, his balance can be transferred upon a letter of request by his new scoutmaster, pending assurance that the funds will be used only for scouting purposes.

5.2 Account Balance

Any Scout whose current balance is in arrears more than $50.00 will be required to pay all expenses for trips or activities in advance.  Any Scout whose has a balance in arrears in any amount is not eligible for promotions or to address a Board of Review.

The Troop schedules a variety of fund-raisers throughout the year to support our many activities. Scouts are expected to volunteer when asked. Supporting Troop fund-raising efforts is considered part of demonstrating Scout spirit. Examples of annual fund-raisers are Bluebird houses, Popcorn sales, and Flag planting.

A portion of each sale goes into the scout’s personal account to help pay his portion of expenses in Troop outings and functions. Other fundraisers raise money for the Troop account.

The key to running a successful Scouting program is dedicated volunteers and interested parents. Scouting allows parents to participate in their son’s lives in a way no other youth activity can ever dream of achieving. From helping out with fundraisers to volunteering to counsel a merit badge to attending meetings as an interested parent, the opportunity exists to be involved.

Troop 85 welcomes adult leaders to help coordinate effective meetings and training sessions. Each adult leader will be assigned a specific duty to perform with in the troop.

If at any time you have any questions please feel free to call one of the Troop’s leaders. Only together can we maintain the excellent program now in place in Troop 85.

The Boy Scouts of American have set the following requirements for individuals wishing to become a troop leader:

(a) Adult leaders must be at least 18 years of age.

(b) Adult leaders must submit to a criminal background check.

(c) Adult leaders must be registered with the Yocona Council.

The Troop has developed a very simple set of disciplinary rules. Scouts are expected to use the Scout Oath and Law as their personal code of conduct when involved in a Troop activity.

Fighting and hazing will absolutely not be tolerated.  Although horseplay is normal among young boys, the Troop takes a dim view of horseplay when physical contact between scouts takes place.

8.1 Basic Disciplinary Procedure

When a scout has become unruly through fighting, hazing, or horseplay, the following procedure is followed:

1. The Scout is immediately removed from the immediate activity area.

2. An informal interview process takes place between the leader and scouts involved for the purpose of gathering facts and information surrounding the incident.  The leader may also question witnesses of the incident.

3. Parents will be contacted as soon as possible.  If, in the leader's opinion, the incident presents a serious violation or safety concern, the parent of the scout may be asked to pick him up and take him home.

4. At the next regularly scheduled Troop meeting, the Scoutmaster will convene a formal Disciplinary Board of Review.  This board will consist of any of the following: Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop Committee member, Scouts, parents, or witnesses to the incident.

5. The Scout will be given the opportunity to respond to the facts of the issue and the findings of the Board.

6. After examining all the evidence, the Board will decide on a proper response and may impose a penalty or punishment as a result. 

8.2 Grievous Infractions

In cases where a scout has been threatened with intentional bodily harm, or actual harm takes place, it is the responsibility of the Scoutmaster to report the incident to the Council Executive.  In such cases, the Council Executive is required, by law, to report the incident to legal authorities.

8.3 Appeals Process

Any Scout who feels his penalty or punishment is extreme or unjustified may appeal the decision of the Disciplinary Board of Review.  To enter an appeal, the scout is required to make his appeal request known to the Scoutmaster.  The Scoutmaster, within one (1) week, will convene a Board of Appeal.  The Board of Appeal will require of a minimum of three (3) persons consisting of members of the Harrisburg Baptist Church Scouting Committee, the charter representative, and/or senior staff members of Harrisburg Baptist Church.

The Scout may include in his appeal, the testimony of other scouts, parents, or other witnesses on his behalf, by letter or person.  The decision of the Board of Appeal is the final authority of the troop hierarchy and can only be appealed to the District Executive.

Section IX: Leadership Positions

Twice yearly, the troop will elect leadership positions to serve for six months.  Elections are led by the Senior Patrol Leader for the following positions: Scribe, Historian, Chaplain, Musician, and Quartermaster.  With each position, the SPL will open the floor for nominations for each position by fellow scouts.  Those nominated my accept or reject the nomination.  When nominations are finished, the nominated scouts will exit the room and a vote will be taken.

For the purpose of maintaining quality leadership, the positions of Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leaders may be assigned at the discretion of the Scoutmaster.

9.1 Senior Patrol Leader

Any Scout who is nominated for the position of Senior Patrol Leader must fill the following requirements:

(adopted by Patrol Leader's Council - December 5, 2005)

• Rank of Star or above

• Currently serve or have served as a Patrol Leader

• Minimum two years scouting experience

• No outside activities (sports, clubs, etc.) that will interfere with ability to perform job as SPL

• At least 13 years old

• Must have earned at least four (4) Eagle required merit badges, with one of them being Communications

• Must have earned at least 13 total merit badges

• Must have 75% attendance rate in past six months

• Must be easily assessable by phone, email, etc.

• Must have a positive balance in personal account

The election for the position of Senior Patrol Leader will be conducted by the Scoutmaster or his designate and the vote taken by secret ballot.

9.2 Patrol Leader

Any Scout who is nominated for the position of Patrol Leader must fill the following requirements:

(adopted by Patrol Leader's Council - January 9, 2006)

• Must be Second Class or above

• Must have at least three Eagle merit badges

• Must have served as ASP or PL in the past

• Personal account must be up to date

• Minimum 50% attendance in past six months

• Minimum one year scouting experience

• 75% full uniform past six months

• 13 years of age or older

The election for the position of Patrol Leader will be conducted by the current Patrol Leader during a regular Patrol meeting.