| Parents: Troop 46 is able to offer your sons a great experience in scouting thanks to the dedication and time of our adult volunteers. Over the past few years we have grown from a troop of 8 boys, to a troop of 38 boys! In order for our scouting program to be optimal for all of our scouts, we continue to need on-going parental support and leadership. To be eligible for a leadership position, you must be at least 21 years old and an American citizen. You must be willing to live by the Scout Oath and Law and serve as a role model for our young people. Basically, there are two groups of leadership in Boy Scouts. The Scoutmaster and Asst. Scoutmaster are responsible for the program outline, teaching skills and providing supervision and guidance for the junior leadership team. There must be two trained leaders or one trained leader and another adult present at all times during meetings and outings. Training consists of attending classes in Your Protection, Boy Scout Essentials, Scoutmaster Specific Training and Outdoor Leader Skills. Just to meet the minimum required training level, you must attend approximately eight hours of classroom and three days and nights of outdoor leadership and skills training. Many of our volunteer leaders have greatly surpassed the minimum training levels to constantly keep abreast of changes and to keep our program exciting for the boys. Time commitment for a Scoutmaster and Asst. Scoutmaster would be to attend meetings, prepare for meetings ahead of time, attend monthly leader meetings (troop and district), and provide leadership on camp outs and outings. The Troop Committee functions like the Board of Directors for the scout troop. They are responsible among other things for selecting troop leaders, developing community service projects, arranging transportation for outings, planning and assisting in fund-raising, providing for assistance or special needs of individual scouts, serving on Boards of Review, serving at Courts of Honor, maintaining records of troop finances, maintaining advancement records, and assisting in the charter renewal process. Troop Committee Training is approximately five hours of classroom time to provide each member a better understanding of BSA programs, policies, and position responsibilities. Being a Merit Badge Counselor is another way adults can participate in Troop 46. There are over one hundred different merit badges that scouts must earn. For each one earned, they must satisfy the counselor who has knowledge in that subject that they have met all the requirements. These adults must provide in writing how they have knowledge in each subject and be registered with the BSA. Time commitment will vary with the number of boys working on that particular badge. Even if you do not feel you can volunteer and meet the requirements of one of these positions, there is a place and a job for every parent in Troop 46. In our handbook, we require that every family participate in some way. Whether teaching a skill to the boys, helping to prepare food, providing transportation on outings, or supervision at meetings, WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please note your involvement commitment below and return it in your new scout packet to the Scoutmaster or one of the Assistant Scoutmasters. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ |