Cave Spring United Methodist Church
Troop 221 – Roanoke VA
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Troop 221 – Roanoke VA
The original, unformatted version of this document can be found here
Why, you may ask, are we called the High Adventure Troop? Read on, and you’ll see that our activities and our dedication to getting outdoors in our fantastic valley and surrounding areas allow us to wear this title with pride. We are a boy-led Troop, stressing the involvement of the boys in all stages of planning and executing the annual program. Only through doing, can learning truly take place.
The leaders of the Troop- adults and boys- are dedicated to providing each Scout with a safe and supportive environment where he can learn the skills and values necessary to become a positive force in the community. We will help a Scout advance to whatever rank he wishes to achieve.
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean, and reverent.
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law
To help other people at all times
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
Cub Scout Packs usually have ceremonies in the spring for directing their 2nd year Webelos to a Boy Scout troop. During your last year of Cub Scouts, you should visit several Scout troops and find one that meets your needs. Look carefully at the size of the troop, talk with the adult leadership and gauge the involvement of the boy leaders. Evaluate the activities that are planned for the year, and determine if they are the kind in which you would like to take part. There are as many different troops as there are Scouts, so make sure you find a fit!
Upon joining Troop 221, a Scout is assigned to a New Scout Patrol and introduced to a Troop Guide, an older Scout who will help you learn the way our Troop works. He will be your ‘big buddy’ for the first few months, helping you to adjust to the ‘Boy Scout Way’ of doing things.
You and your parents or adult guardians will have to fill out a Boy Scouts of America application and Troop information forms- medical information and areas of interest.
If you have earned your Webelos badge and Arrow of Light award- congratulations, you qualify for the Scout rank upon entering our Troop! All you need is a Scoutmaster Conference (described later) and you’ll be on your way to your next rank!
If you’ve already started on your Scouting adventure- welcome to ours! Again, please make sure that our program meets your needs and ask as many questions as you need to; we’re here to get you where you want to be!
Scouts, parents, unit leaders from their prior Troop, or unit leaders from the new Troop are able to use Scoutbook to transfer memberships to Troop “0221B” in the Blue Ridge Mountains Council, Great Valley District and preserve all Scoutbook records. Please speak with a Troop leader to discuss the process. However, you should request a printout of all records and keep them with you and recorded in your paper book “just in case” for items such as advancements, merit badges, dates of camping in tents, miles hiked, canoed or biked, service hours, and any Troop-specific awards you have earned. Upon joining Troop 221, you will be assigned to a Patrol. Welcome!
Troop 221 will provide a transcript for any Scout who must leave for another Troop.
Scout dues are $155 per year which includes the $105 BSA fee and $50 in troop operations fees. Dues are generally payable in mid November but the BSA is changing to annual-based dues that renew 1 year after your first payment. Please ask an adult leader for the process to apply and pay for a new Scout. Any dues paid to another Pack or Troop cover the Scout until their annual renewal date. Our troop has an annual fall popcorn selling program designed to allow the Scout to earn their year of adventure by selling enough to pay dues, summer camp, special outings, and even high adventure camps. Summer camp payments are around $450 for the week and are due by the end of March to receive discounted pricing.
If your Scout would like to subscribe to the entertaining and educational Scout Life magazine, please subscribe individually here: https://scoutlife.org/section/
Adult dues are $85 and follow the same schedule as above. All adults who are new to the troop can speak to an adult troop member for the steps to become a registered adult. All adults on overnight trips must be a registered adult.
Each activity throughout the year may have a fee associated with it. These fees cover the cost of food, admission fees and transportation. They can range from $5.00 to over $100.00. You are asked to make a decision on your commitment to the trip prior to the cut-off date (usually two weeks prior) and you may be charged for any purchased supplies if you have not cancelled (by calling the designated trip leader) prior to their purchase. Scouts are encouraged to earn their own portion of any trip fees. If you sign up, be sure you’re going!
Every Scout will need to purchase the Boy Scout Handbook, if they do not already have one. The Boy Scout Handbook is the official guide to Boy Scouting. The Boy Scout Handbook can be purchased at the Outdoor Trails Scout Shop in Daleville. The Boy Scout Handbook will serve as a guide through all the Scout’s years of Scouting and will serve as the record for the Scout’s advancement. Unlike the handbooks used at the different levels of Cub Scouting, a Scout will need to hold onto his Boy Scout Handbook for all his years in Scouting.
It would be beneficial to purchase one with the sturdy book covers sold at the Scout Shop. Please make sure the scout book has the Scouts name on it. The Scout candidate’s first requirement is to complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide. This must be done with a parent. The Boy Scouts of America takes youth safety very seriously.
The Scout candidate’s next goal will be to meet all the requirements for the Scout Rank in the Boy Scout Handbook in order to earn the Scout badge. After completing these requirements, the Scout candidate will request a Scoutmaster conference with the Scoutmaster. The purpose of this talk is to make sure every Scout candidate knows what it means to be a Scout. When this requirement is completed, the Scout candidate is officially a Boy Scout.
The wearing of a uniform demonstrates a willingness to belong to a group and a respect for the group’s rules and regulations. In Troop 221, we wear the BSA uniform with pride. When traveling to and from activities and when touring, we always wear our uniforms.
Many of the Scouts and parents in the troop have extra (outgrown) Scout uniform parts. The troop also has a selection of items in the troop locker. If you have items you want to donate to the troop locker feel free to bring them to an adult or the scoutmaster. If you need items for your Scout, there’s no harm in asking if something is available. If we don’t have it, the Outdoor Trails Scout Shop in Daleville has experts on what you need.
Full Class A Uniform (Shirt, olive Long Pants or Shorts with socks, neckerchief) is required for Flag Color Guard Duty.
Full Class A Uniform is preferred for Court of Honor Attendees.
Full Class A Uniform is preferred for Board of Reviews and or Scoutmaster Conferences.
Class A shirt is required for meetings during the school year. We usually dress in class B for meetings when school is not in session.
Class A shirt is required for all travel to and from scout events. When we go camping we wear our Class A shirt while in the car.
The Troop Committee is responsible for the logistics of the Troop and ensuring that it is in compliance with BSA regulations. The Committee and its Chairperson work closely with the Scoutmaster to ensure that the Troop has the equipment, funds, and resources necessary to execute its program. The Committee is responsible for reviewing the applications of all adult members, and is the liaison to the Troop’s Charter Organization, Cave Spring United Methodist Church.
The Scoutmaster is responsible for working directly with the youth leaders of the Troop and ensuring the successful execution of the Troop’s program. The Scoutmaster organizes the efforts of the youth, providing leadership and guidance during planning stages and seeing to the individual developmental needs of the Scouts.
Assistant Scoutmasters take on specific roles within the Troop, volunteering to work as Merit Badge counselors, guides to youth Officers, coordinators for Troop activities and outings, or to work on weekly meetings. There are a myriad of jobs that keep a Troop going, and the efforts of the Assistant Scoutmasters are key to a successful Troop.
The Senior Patrol Leader, or SPL, is the youth leader of the Troop, elected by the Scouts as their leader. He serves a term of one year, and is a Scout with Star rank or above. In order to hold this position, a Scout MUST have completed Junior Leader Training, and Foxfire (described later) is HIGHLY recommended.
In Troop 221, the SPL has the ultimate responsibility for setting the tone of the program, making sure that the program is designed to meet the needs of the Scouts, and then to properly delegate responsibility to ensure that the program is successfully executed. Sounds like a big job, right? It is! That is why the Scoutmaster works closely as a guide to the SPL. A Scout who aspires to Eagle rank is encouraged to hold this position or that of Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.
The Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders serve as ‘seconds in command’ to the SPL. There can be as many as three ASPLs; they are assigned to oversee various aspects of the Troop’s functions to ensure a successful execution of the program. They serve a term of one year, are Scouts of Star rank or above, and are appointed by the SPL and the Scoutmaster. Junior Leader Training or Foxfire is required to hold this position.
The Troop Leadership Corps is an elite group of Scouts who have been recognized for their ability to educate and lead other Scouts. Scouts who are over the age of 14, have attained the rank of Life and are actively working on their Eagle rank are eligible to be nominated to the Leadership Corps. Members are approved by the SPL and the Scoutmaster, and serve until they reach 18 years of age. They are assigned as mentors to other youth officers or groups of Scouts, and may serve on specific projects as assigned by the Scoutmaster.
The Patrol is the heart and soul of the Troop, and its leadership is critical to a successful Troop. The PLs and APLs are Scouts holding a rank of First Class and higher, are elected by the Patrol, and serve for a term of one year. Junior Leader Training or Foxfire is required for these positions.
The PLs are responsible for seeing to the needs of the individual Scouts, making sure that they are advancing through the ranks, receiving the education they need to advance, and providing exciting and interesting activities. A good PL will stay in constant contact with the Patrol members, and represent their needs to the SPL and the rest of the Troop at the monthly Patrol Leaders’ Council (PLC).
The PLC is where program decisions are made, where the youth leadership plans activities and learning experiences, and where the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters provide guidance and advice. The PLC meets the last Monday of the month, and all Officers must attend.
The SPL works closely with the PLs to ensure that the individual Scouts are receiving the maximum benefit from the Troop’s program. The SPL evaluates the performance of the PL and provides coaching and counseling when necessary. An ineffective PL can be dismissed and replaced only after consultation between the SPL and the Scoutmaster.
Each month, Troop 221 plans at least one backpacking/camping trip and one day-hiking trip. There is ample opportunity for the Scouts to take part in a trip that meets their skill level and their interests. The Troop has backpacked along the Appalachian Trail, canoed for two days on the James River, and biked along the New River Trail. If it’s out there, you can bet the Troop has plans to do it!
Each year, Troop 221 attends the first week of summer camp at the Blue Ridge Council’s Camp Powhatan in Pulaski County. This is the nation’s largest locally-owned camp, and offers many experiences depending on the skills and interests of the Scouts:
There are minimum age and skill requirements for all camps except Powhatan and Ottari, and all camps require fees. Information on the camps is provided in January, with fees and medical forms turned in before May 1st. Medical forms must be current (within one year) for a Scout to attend summer camp.