Troop 54 -- Troop Policies

Troop Policies

Policies of Troop 54, Greenwood Arkansas as adopted by vote of the Troop Committee

1)	Troop meetings are held every Monday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at the First Baptist Church, when there is school. Scouts are expected to attend troop meetings in class "A" uniforms (see below) and bring their Boy Scout Handbook, pencil or pen and paper.
2)	The troop will follow the Troop 54 rules of conduct, as adopted by the Patrol Leader's Council and Troop Committee. The Scout Oath and Law are the principles by which we will judge behavior.
3)	The troop recharters every December. A fee of $xx for each scout and $xx for each adult, as determined by the Boy Scouts of America, should be submitted to the troop by December 15th of each year. Dues of $13.00 are required for each scout to pay for the coming year. Failure to pay fees before the troop recharters will require that the scout or adult re-register with the Boy Scouts of America. A current registration is required for participation in all Boy Scout activities.
4)	Advancement for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class may be signed off by scouts who are First Class and above and the Scoutmasters. It is expected that any sign off will be completed in accordance with BSA advancement policy. Specifically, the Scout must demonstrate that he has acquired the skill or completed the task exactly as stated in the requirement.
5)	Scoutmaster's conferences, for the purpose of advancement, are given whenever a Scout has a "Troop 54 Request for Scoutmaster's Conference and Board of Review" form completed and signed by the Senior Patrol Leader and the Advancement Chairman. Scouts must present their Scout Handbooks to the Advancement Chairman for verification and updating of the troop records. Scoutmaster's Conferences can be conducted by the Scoutmaster or designated Assistant Scoutmasters. For the purpose of defining active participation for the ranks for Star, Life, Eagle and Eagle Palms the following minimum will be applied: "Actively participate in 70% of all troop sponsored activities each month for the three months immediately preceding the Scoutmaster's conference for the rank advancement desired".
6)	Boards of Review are scheduled for the Monday after each Scoutmaster's Conference. The Advancement Chairman is responsible for informing the Troop Committee about pending boards of review based upon completion of Scoutmaster's conferences.
7)	The Troop Committee will meet monthly on the third Thursday at 7:00 pm. This meeting is open to all parents, and regular attendance is highly encouraged.
8)	Courts of Honor are scheduled for Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. with a minimum of two per year. Eagle Courts of Honor are scheduled separately. Rank badges will be awarded at troop meetings following board of review. Rank cards will be awarded at the Court of Honor.
9)	Class "A' uniform should be worn at all troop meetings. This uniform includes official BSA shirt with properly positioned patches (see Scout handbook for positions of patches), official BSA green web belt and jeans, trousers, or shorts in blue, black, olive green or khaki. Jeans and trousers must be in good condition and shorts must reach at least halfway to the knee. A troop hat will be furnished by the Chartered Organization upon registration with Troop 54. A troop t-shirt needs to be purchases upon registration with Troop 54. Additional t-shirts may also be purchased. Class "A" uniform must be worn of any Board of Review. Class "A" uniform and merit badge sash must be worn at Courts of Honor. Class "A" uniform must be worn for the opening and closing of each troop meeting. If the troop t-shirt is worn under the class "A" shirt, the Scoutmaster may determine it proper to wear during the rest of the meeting. Wearing the class "A" uniform demonstrates Scout spirit. It is the policy of the troop to wear class "A" uniform whenever the troop is traveling to or from an activity. The Patrol Leader's Council will decide the specific Class "A" uniform policy to be used at summer camp, but it must comply with the requirements of the camp attended. Uniform inspections will be conducted at certain times during the year. The class "B" uniform is the same as above except that a Boy Scout or Troop t-shirt is worn in place of the official BSA shirt with patches. Class "B" uniforms are generally worn when the scouts are in camp or participating in activities other than troop meetings, courts of honor, or travel to and from trips.
10)	Troop elections will be held twice per year at six-month intervals. Elected positions are Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Chaplain's Aide, Quartermaster and Scribe. In the vote for Senior Patrol Leader, the boy with the most votes is elected and the first runner up it the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. The Senior Patrol Leader with approval of the Scoutmaster will appoint the positions of Historian, Librarian and Troop Guides.
11)	To be eligible for key positions, the Scout must meet the following requirements: a. Senior Patrol Leader - 14 years of age, First Class rank b. Assistant Senior Patrol Leader - 14 years of age, First Class rank
12)	Order of the Arrow elections will be coordinated with and conducted by the local Order of the Arrow lodge.
13)	The Patrol Leader's Council should meet monthly. The schedule will be flexible to accommodate troop and other conflicting activities. Attendance by the elected leaders and staff is mandatory. Failure to regularly attend will result in not receiving credit for the leadership position held.
14)	Following election, all members of the newly elected Patrol Leader's Council and appointed junior leaders are highly encouraged to attend troop Junior Leader Training.
15)	The troop will conduct a Troop Operations Workshop (TOW) in September each year. The TOW will plan activities for one year, with the exception of summer camp and high adventure activity.
16)	During summer camp, the troop will vote on where to attend summer camp the following year.
17)	Troop fund raising is done for the troop as a whole, not for the individual scout. The troop committee must approve fund raising projects.
18)	On campouts, the troop furnishes Patrol boxes containing cooking gear and propane. Each scout will accept responsibility for care of troop equipment and is expected to repair or replace damaged troop equipment.
19)	The National Scout Jamboree is held every four years (1997, 2001, 2005, etc). Go this time for there may not be a next time.
20)	Merit badge counselors must be registered. Merit badge counseling can be arranged with a minimum of two scouts and a registered counselor or one scout, his parent along with the registered counselor. An exception may be made for a parent to register to counsel a maximum of two non-Eagle required merit badges for their son.