BSA Troop 96 Grosse Pointe - Great Lakes Council

	Great Lakes Council Sunrise District
Visit our chartering organization Grosse Pointe Memorial Church

Troop 96 Parent Guide

Parent Guide

TROOP 96
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Great Lakes Council
Sunrise District

Troop 96 is a chartered organization of
Grosse Pointe Memorial Church
16 Lakeshore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan 48236.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to Troop 96!
What Does a Scout Do in Troop 96?
Costs
Organization
Advancement

revised September, 2012

Welcome to Troop 96!
As one of Michigan's most active troops, we are commited to helping young men grow and experience all the scouting has to offer.

We provide our scouts with a full schedule of activites through out the year. Our adult leaders are well trained and understand how to work with scouts to bring out the best in each of them.

What Does a Scout Do in Troop 96?
Weekly Troop/Patrol Meetings
Every Monday, 7:15 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.
Grosse Pointe Memorial Church
16 Lakeshore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms (map)
We meet on every Monday evening, on Mondays on which the Grosse Pointe schools have classes. Our meetings are held at the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church. Generally, our sign-up night for the start of the Scouting year is the first Monday following Labor Day. The last official meeting of the year is the June Court-of-Honor.

Monthly Campouts
In general, we have a weekend campout each month, except the summer months. During the summer, we attend a week-long summer camp hosted by D-A Scout Ranch near Metamora. This is usually during the last week of July or the first week of August. All Scouts are eligible for this camp. Also during the summer, we have a high adventure campout that is usually limited to Scouts who are 13 or 14 years old, and generally who have attained the rank of First Class.
Service Projects
In addition to weekly meetings and monthly camp activities, Troop 96 scouts develop a sense of citizenship and strengthen their community by participating in special Service Projects throughout the year.

Courts of Honor
Troop 96 conducts a Court of Honor semi-annually to recognize Scout advancements and awards. The Court of Honor is a public ceremony, and is a chance for the Scouts to be recognized for their achievements. Families and all other interested individuals are encouraged to attend.

Fundraising
Additional funds for Troop 96 are raised by the scouts through an annual Holiday Greens Sale. The boys are expected to sell items such as wreaths, garland and centerpieces to meet specified quotas. Most boys have no trouble meeting this quota, especially since it is much lower for first year scouts. Any scout having difficulty selling greens may seek assistance from the Troop's Fundraising Chair.

A note about adult supervision
Two registered adult leaders, or one adult leader and a Scout parent, both of whom must be at least 21 years of age, are present at all troop meetings, trips or outings. This is a BSA requirement.

Costs
How much does Boy Scouting cost? The annual registration fee is a nominal fee paid each fall to offically enroll the Scout in the local Troop and the national Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization. Other costs through the course of scouting include fees for special activities and uniform purchases.

Annual Dues- $45
The annual membership fee for each Scout in Troop 96 breaks down like this:

$35 goes to the National BSA, and covers merit badges, materials and equipment, leader training, Boys' Life magazine and other operating expenses.
$10 goes to a stipend to defray fuel costs for drivers pulling the camping trailer on outings.

Fees for Outings / Activities
Campouts and other activities may have fees associated with them. These fees are paid by the Troop out of funds raised by the Greens Sales.
Uniform and Handbook - $40 to $50
Each scout is required to have the Boy Scout Handbook, and these Boy Scout "Class A" uniform items:

Tan scout shirt with insignia and patches
Neckerchief slide (can be purchased or made by Scout).

Troop 96 provides each new scout with a required Troop 96 neckerchief. Other uniform items such as hats, belts and scout pants are available at scout shops and are considered optional by Troop 96.

Camperships are available
Troop 96 and the Detroit Area Council may have camperships available to assist Scouts in meeting the costs of participation in some activities. Those seeking a campership should discuss it confidentially with the Committee Chair.

Organization
Troop 96 is a part of the Sunrise District of the Great Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America. The Troop's organization consists of the Troop, a Chartered Organization, a Troop Committee, and the Troop's Parents.

The Troop
The Troop is a group made up of several Boy Scout patrols. Each Patrol usually consists of a Patrol Leader and four to eight Scouts. The boys in a patrol elect their Patrol Leader who in turn appoints the Assistant Patrol Leader.
The troop as a whole elects one of the scouts to be the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL). He is the leader of the troop.
It is important to note that Boy Scouting is a leadership program, therefore the scouts make most of the decisions. They decide thing like troop meeting content, scout positions of responsibility, and campout dates and locations. The older scouts assist and train the newer scouts, and help them learn the important skills needed to advance in their scout careers. The role of the adult leaders is to provide safety, guidance, supervision, and transportation.

Chartered Organization (Sponsor)
We are grateful for Grosse Pointe Memorial Church's generous sponsorship of the troop, even though our scouts belong to many different churches. Every BSA Troop is charted by an organization. The Chartered Organization shares our objectives for the boys and ensures that there is adequate, trained leadership. A Chartered Organization Representative acts a liaison between Troop 96 and Grosse Pointe Memorial Church.

Troop Committee
The Troop Committee functions as an administration and support organization for the Troop. The Troop Committee takes care of non-program issues surrounding the Troop. For example: Troop funds, fund raising activities, membership drives and Troop coordination, activity permits and coordination, advancement records, procurement and maintenance of Troop equipment.

The Committee meets monthly. Meetings are open and attendance by all parents is encouraged.

Troop Parents
The role of parents within Troop 96 is to be supportive of the Troop's efforts and to provide the atmosphere Scouts need to learn and excel. Parents should try to:

1. Read their Scout's handbook and understand the purpose and methods of Scouting.
2. Actively follow their Scout's progress and offer encouragement and a push when needed.
3. Show support to both the individual Scout and the Troop by attending all Troop Courts of Honor.
4. Assist in Troop fund-raisers and other such activities.
5. Be aware of the Troop Events Calendar.
6. Consider serving as an Asst. Scoutmaster, Committee Member, or Merit Badge Counselor. All volunteers are welcome.

Advancement
The Boy Scout advancement program provides a ladder of skills that a Scout climbs at his own pace. As he acquires these skills he moves up through a series of ranks, for which he is awarded badges. Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. The higher he climbs the more challenging his tasks -- and the more rewarding. In fact, most colleges recognize the Eagle Scout award as a premier leadership award, and give preference to applicants who have achieved it.

Details for advancement are contained in the Boy Scout Handbook, which every Scout should obtain as soon as possible after joining the Troop. Take a look at Chapter 1. This short chapter has an advancement summary through First Class.

Merit Badges
The goal of the merit badge program is to expand a Scout's areas of interest and to encourage the Scout to meet and work with adults in a chosen subject. Merit badges are earned by a Scout working with a registered merit badge counselor.

All parents of scouts are invited to become Merit Badge Counselors. Interested parents should fill in a Troop Resource Survey form and return it to a Troop Leader.

Boards of Review
When a Scout has completed all the requirements for a rank, he appears before a board of review composed of members of the Troop committee. The purpose of the review is not an examination. Rather it is to determine the Scout's attitude and acceptance of Scouting's ideals; to ensure that the requirements have been met for advancement, to discuss the Scout's experiences in the Troop and the Troop's program, and to encourage him to keep working towards advancement. A Board of Review may also be held to counsel a boy about his lack of progress toward advancement.

admin login Thanks to Tim Musson of Troop 2 East Lansing for the design!	Grosse Pointe's Troop 96 is one of the most active Boy Scout Troops in Michigan.
	www.troop96gp.org