| TROOP 287 TROOP MEETINGS Troop 287 meets weekly at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church located at the Southwest Corner of Oakland Drive and Romence Road. Please use the lower, west door as an entrance. Meetings currently are held every Monday, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Changes to the meeting schedule will be announced as early as possible to allow for proper planning. Troop meetings have seven basic elements: Pre-opening, Opening Ceremony, Skills Instruction, Patrol Meeting, Inter-patrol Activity, Closing, and After the Meeting. Scouts are welcomed and encouraged to arrive between 6:30 and 6:45 PM. Prior to the official start of the weekly meeting, the Scoutmaster and various Assistant Scoutmasters (or other adult leaders) are available for advancement work and consultation on merit badges. The Pre-opening Activity is an opportunity for a Scout to receive individual instruction on specific skills that relate to the theme or topic of that evening’s meeting. Skills Instruction is divided into instructional groups based upon a Scout’s age, rank, and tenure in the troop. Troop 287 defines the skills levels as New Scout (less than one year tenure), Experienced Scouts (all Scouts under the age of thirteen and more than one year’s Scouting experience) and Older Scout (those Scouts who are First Class or above in rank and at least thirteen years old). Each Patrol is assigned weekly as Service, Program or Game Patrol for the meeting. These assignments are found in the Troop Schedule. (see below) s- service patrol - patrol leader is expected to have his patrol arrive at the meeting at 6:30 pm and set up tables and chairs and any other tasks assigned by the SPL prior to the meeting. p-program patrol - patrol leader is expected to prepare an opening and closing ceremony and conduct the skills portion of the meeting. g-game patrol - patrol leader is expected to prepare inter-patrol activity/game closely related to the theme for the meeting. Scouts should bring their Boy Scout Handbook, paper and pencil to each meeting and outing. CALENDAR/SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Events are posted and announced at troop meetings, and listed on the troop calendar and in the monthly Troop Newsletter, “Trailhead.". The newsletter is e-mailed to scouts and their families (a copy is posted at CHUM and extra copies are available from the Troop Secretary). Also, events can be found on the troop web page (www.oocities.org/troop287). The outings announcement will cover the activities planned for the outing, the location, estimated transportation and food costs, equipment arrangements, clothing needs, and sign-up procedures. It is important that parents as well as Scouts read all troop communications and keep them handy for regular reference. |
| CANCELLATION OF MEETINGS/EVENTS The Scoutmaster will determine if conditions warrant the cancellation of a troop meeting or Event and then notify the SPL, who in turn will call the Patrol Leaders. Patrol Leaders will then notify their patrol members that the event has been cancelled or rescheduled. Generally, if school is cancelled due to weather the meeting will also be cancelled. ADULT LEADERSHIP Two registered adult leaders, or one adult leader and a Scout parent, both of who must be at least 21 years of age, are required for all Troop 287 meetings, trips or outings. We must have a ratio of better than 1 adult to every 10 Scouts. The Scoutmaster has responsibility for overseeing all Scouting activities. One of the most important challenges as Scoutmaster is to train boy leaders to run the troop by providing direction, coaching, and support. The Scoutmaster is responsible for training boy leaders and also is the advisor to the Patrol Leaders' Council. Assistant Scoutmasters, Junior Assistant Scoutmasters and interested parents assist the Scoutmaster in his responsibility. PARENTS Parents of Scouts in Troop 287 have a long-standing tradition of willing helpfulness when needed. Ours is a large, highly active troop and all efforts in behalf of our sons are done by volunteer helpers -- us! Therefore, we ask that parents plan to do their part to help the troop function. The Troop Committee Chairperson or Scoutmaster will be the people to contact to offer your services. The role of parents within Troop 287 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. Parents should attend an informal Boy Scout Fast Start by the Troop Committee. 2. Actively follow their Scout's progress (or lack thereof) 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. All parents of Troop 287 Scouts are encouraged to become Merit Badge Counselors. Please complete in a Troop Resource Survey and return to a Merit Badge Counselor Coordinator. 5. Assist, as requested, in all troop fund-raisers and other such activities. All such assistance lowers the cost of the program we offer to the Scouts and, therefore, lowers each family's cash outlay for their Scout(s). 6. Be aware of the troop program and annual calendar. |