807_Guidelines

San Francisco Bay Area Council

Troop 807

Hayward, CA

Troop Guidelines

June 24, 1997

1. Rank Advancement Guidelines

a. Scout Spirit

b. Tenderfoot through First Class Rank:

c. Star Scout

d. Life Scout

e. Eagle Rank

3. Troop 807 Personal Conduct Contract

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Rank Advancement Guidelines

The following guidelines have been developed to give additional direction to Scouts as they progress toward Eagle. These are supplemental to the advancement requirements outlined in the Boy Scout Handbook.

Scout Spirit

All rank requirements from Second Class to Eagle stipulate to "Show Scout Spirit". What does this mean? Show Spirit is the living of all aspects of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. A Scout must live up to these ideals while participating in troop activities. The Scoutmaster evaluates at all times a Scout's performance while at troop meetings, troop activities, and even outside of Scouting. When the Scout became a member of this troop he promised to live by the Oath and the Law. The Scoutmaster and the troop expects nothing less.

Tenderfoot through First Class Rank:

The goal of the troop is to have Scouts achieve First Class Rank within 12 - 18 months of joining. Every effort will be made to give the boys the opportunity to sign off all requirements but obviously the boy must attend these opportunities when they arise, especially those which are difficult to orchestrate (such as orienteering). We encourage the boys to use the older Scouts to work with them and sign off their rank requirements. This not only will help the New Scout get to know the more experienced Scouts, but will also give the older Scouts needed leadership opportunities. Assistant Scoutmasters may occasionally sign books with permission from the Scoutmaster. It is rarely, if ever, acceptable to sign off your own son for anything, including rank advancements.

Merit badge work should be minimized during this period to allow focus on achieving First Class in a timely fashion. The exceptions are Summer Camp and Council sanctioned classes such as the Swimming/Lifesaving or the Bay Model Classes, as these are unique opportunities worth taking advantage of.

Service projects can be Troop organized, including Eagle project assistance. A service project can only be used to satisfy one requirement; for example, the mammal study service hour (if done at camp) cannot also be used for Second Class service credit.

Star Scout

The emphasis is changing toward leadership and merit badge* fulfillment. The Scout is growing in his leadership skills and is expected to contribute substantially to the Troop. To satisfy the Scout spirit aspect, 50% meeting AND outing attendance is required for a minimum of 4 months. This gives the Scoutmaster a chance to evaluate the leadership, maturity, skill level and scouting spirit of the boy.

The 6 hour service project may be done with the Troop but the Scout should be involved in both the planning and implementation to some degree. The project must be pre-approved by the Scoutmaster. A written report of the project stating the plan, the benefactor, and the project outcome will be required (see Service Project Guidelines for further details).

Life Scout

While continuing to work on merit badge fulfillment, greater leadership qualities are being developed and practiced. Satisfactory completion of leadership position tenure will be evaluated on the criteria described in the Junior Leader Guide and includes attendance, performance of duties, Scout spirit, etc. The Scout leads by example and as such, all position duties must be scrupulously fulfilled (i.e.. uniform, phone calls, leading patrol meetings, troop meetings, PLC attendance, etc.) The Scout has gained substantial leadership skills and is expected to contribute to the troop. To satisfy the Scout spirit aspect, 50% meeting AND outing attendance is required for a minimum of 6 months. This gives the Scoutmaster a chance to evaluate the leadership, maturity, skill level and scouting spirit of the boy.

The 6 hour service project may be done with the Troop, but the Scout should show major involvement in both the planning and implementation. The project must be preapproved by the Scoutmaster. A written report of the project stating the plan, the benefactor, and the project outcome will be required (see Service Project Guidelines for further details).

Eagle Rank

This is the highest honor a Scout can achieve and as such demands commitment to Scouting from the boy. While there is no minimum age at which a Scout can attain Eagle rank, a Scout will have to be truly exceptional to reach Eagle before their 15th birthday, and 16 or 17 will be the more likely age at which all of the requirements have been met, especially the leadership and Scout spirit aspects of the rank. The Scout must continually demonstrate his leadership skills and is expected to contribute substantially to the troop. To satisfy the Scout spirit aspect, 75% Meeting AND outing attendance is required for a minimum of 12 months. During this time, the Scoutmaster will watch carefully to be sure the boy is in fact ready for the Eagle award. Remember, an Eagle Scout should be able to lead the Troop in all aspects of their development, and thus must be an example to all, including the Life Scouts. We expect a commitment from the Scout to continue with the Troop for a period of time after Eagle Rank has been reached; we don't want boys to simply disappear after they reach their goal as this is hardly the spirit behind the award.

The Eagle project has very specific requirements and must be approved by both the Scoutmaster and the Troop Committee. It must also be reviewed and approved by the San Francisco Bay Area Council Eagle Scout Award Counselor. Ask your Scoutmaster for contact information for the counselor. It must entail 100 hours of work and of course all aspects of planning, procurement of supplies, and project coordination must be done solely by the Scout.

*Merit Badge Note:

To begin working on a merit badge discuss your desire with the Scoutmaster. Once selected your Scoutmaster will sign and give to you a "Blue Card" (Application for Merit Badge). The Scout can also ask the Scoutmaster for suggestions for Merit Badge counselors. The scout is expected to make all arrangement with the merit badge counselor themselves. This is part of the character building that is fundamental to Scouting. It is highly suggested to make contact with the merit badge counselor before beginning work on the merit badge. The counselor will have specific requirements that should be discussed before proceeding. The merit badge pamphlet required may be borrowed from the troop library or purchased from the Scout Store. Any borrowed pamphlets must be returned to the library when the merit badge has been earned.

Part of the learning process involved in the Merit Badge program are the communication and organizational skills utilized in setting up the appointments with the Merit Badge counselors. We would like at least 4 of the required 21 Merit Badges to be earned from a counselor outside of the Troop parents, summer camp or organized class setting.

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Service Projects

Guidelines for selecting and conducting service projects.

Service project hours are required for Second Class, Star and Life ranks. These service project hours are progressively used to prepare the scout for the service project that is required for the Eagle Rank.

Rules:

All service projects must be approved by the Scoutmaster prior to starting. Upon completion service hours should be documented by writing a brief summary of your project. Include the scouts name, the service you provided, the agency you worked with, the time spent on the project, and how this service helped the community.

Second Class

The requirement for Second Class states that a minimum of 1 hour must be spent on an approved service project. The scout can perform this individually or with their patrol or troop. The scout will most likely be a follower in a larger effort of service. This is the scouts introduction into performing a good turn for a larger community. This service should be something other than something the scout does anyway, i.e. cleaning his bedroom, washing the family dishes, etc. It can be service performed for church or school or other community service organization. It can also be participating in an Eagle Scout service project.

Star and Life

Star and Life rank requires the scout to perform a minimum of 6 hours of service. The scout can perform this individually or with their patrol or troop. The scout can be a follower in a larger effort of service. The Star scout should be encouraged to set increasingly larger goals for service. This would start to involve larger communities such as your neighborhood, city or other agencies that perform community service. The scout should feel the project is worthwhile, and they must be interested in it. It must be within their abilities, yet still challenge them. A Star and Life scout is a scout that has earned the right of leadership. A Star and Life project would start to exercise the scouts knowledge and skills of leadership and to get personally involved. The significance of the service should be clear to them and the public. The results should be clear. It can also be participating in an Eagle Scout service project.

In preparation for their Eagle project, the service projects for Star and Life must have a definite beginning and ending with specific steps in between. An ill-defined project would seem meaningless and would not give the satisfaction of a completed service. A Life project should progressively require the scout to act in a leadership role, planning the project resources and execution.

Suggested Agencies for discovering service project ideas:

Hayward Unified School District

New Haven Unified School District

Castro Valley Unified School District

City of Hayward

Hayward Fire Dept.

Alameda County

Hayward Police Dept.

Salvation Army

St. Vincent DePaul

Goodwill

American Red Cross

Special Olympics

United Way

Humane Society

Your church or synagogue

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Troop 807 Personal Conduct Contract

We want Troop 807 to provide a quality scouting program to all of its members. We need proper behavior during meetings and outings. To accomplish this goal, we are setting the following rules and guidelines for personal conduct and standards to be maintained by the scouts within the Troop.

1. Scout meetings are for Scouting. Many of the events and activities revolve around learning outdoor skills and other Scoutcraft. The meetings are not simply a social event - if you aren't interested in scout activities, please choose another time and place to get together with your friends. Detractors such as Magic Cards, Game Boys, radios, etc. are not allowed at the meetings.

2. Treat all with Respect. All leaders, adults, and scouts are to be listened to and treated with respect. This means obeying whomever is in charge and no name calling or harsh words offending another. Violence towards others will not be tolerated.

3. Treat property with Respect. All church and other property that is used for Troop meetings and events should be treated with respect at all times. Damage to property will not be tolerated. The scouts involved are financially responsible for any damage. We are guests where ever we are, and should behave as such.

4. Off Limits Areas. During troop meetings at the church, there are several areas of the compound that are forbidden. The meetings and your presence will be limited to inside the gym area of the building and the parking lot. It is forbidden to be in the Sanctuary (except during Courts of Honor) or upstairs in the Pastor's living quarters. Use of the kitchen area requires you to obtain permission in advance from the Pastor.

5. No Swearing. We expect to hear no foul or insulting language at Troop activities.

6. Be Prompt. Meetings start at 7:30 pm and will end at 8:45 pm on Mondays. Everyone will help clean up after closing so that we are done on time. Please be on time. (Parents, this means picking up your son on time as well.)

7. Uniforms. Uniforms will be worn at all times. There are 3 type of uniforms: 1. Dress - Brown shirt (with appropriate patches [rank, council, Troop numerals, American Flag, office of responsibility, patrol], name tag, and red shoulder loops), scout pants, sash, belt and scout socks worn at Court of Honor and all ceremonies. 2. Formal - Brown shirt (tucked in), scout pants or shorts, scout belt, and scout socks to be worn at troop meetings or while traveling to and from outings. 3. Casual - Troop 807 (or other scouting) T-shirt and scout pants or shorts to be worn at camp and during most outings. Hats are optional; only scout hats may be worn.

The Scout's behavior regarding these rules will be the deciding factor to determine if the Scout has shown Scout Spirit for rank advancement. If there is a behavior problem, the following corrective measures will be taken:

1st Offense - "The Talk"

2nd Offense - "The Lecture"

3rd Offense - Parents called to pick up scout. Scout may not be allowed to attend next outing if infractions are severe and often.

Scout and Parent should read and sign below and return a copy to the Scoutmaster.

Scout: I have read the Troop 807 Personal Conduct Contract and agree to follow these rules

Date: _______________ ______________________________________________

Parent: I have read the Troop 807 Personal Conduct Contract and agree to support the discipline issues and will pick up my son early if necessary

Date: _______________ _______________________________________________

06/24/97

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