COMMITTEE
1.
The Troop Committee is comprised of
adult leaders and is responsible for the overall direction and
management of the Troop. The
Committee
must have a minimum of
six members,
one of who serves as the chairman, to comply with
Boy Scouts of
America ("BSA")
regulations. The
Committee will be reorganized
as needed
whenever
Committee
members vacate
Committee positions. Current recognized
Committee
positions (but are not limited to) are as follows:
-
Chairman
-
Secretary
-
Ways and Means
-
Outdoors
-
Treasurer
-
Recycling
-
Advancement
-
Website
-
By-Laws
In addition, all adult leaders
currently registered with the Troop shall have voting rights on Committee
matters. Although not
Committee
positions, the
Scoutmaster
and Senior Patrol Leader are given an opportunity to address the
Committee on
current and future
Troop activities
and other Troop matters.
2.
Committee
sub-members shall consist of parents or guardians of boys in the
Troop
and chartered organization members who are interested in the youth program
but who are not currently
registered with the Troop. Although not members of
the
Committee, sub-Committee
members may be called upon to address the
Committee on
special activities.
3.
Responsibilities of the
Committee
positions include:
·
Selection of quality leaders
·
Development of community service projects
·
Arrangements for transportation for outing
(s)
·
Planning and assistance in fund-raising
·
Providing for special needs and assistance for individual
scoutScouts
·
Serve on boards of review and courts of honor.
·
Maintaining records of
Troop
finances and advancement
·
Assistance in the charter renewal process
·
Securing tour permits for any activities as required
4.
It is desirable to have a majority of
Committee
members present to conduct a meeting:,
however, a
Committee meeting
can be conducted with a minimum of
six (6)
members.
5.
A
Treasurer’s
report shall be given at each
Committee
meeting. Such report shall consist at a minimum of
balance of the
Troop treasury, expenses incurred and paid since the
previous meeting and the balance in the
Troop's
account at
Greater Pittsburgh Council.
6.
All
Committee matters
must have a majority vote of those
Committee
members in attendance to pass.
7.
Only those adults who are
Committee
members with the
Troop are
entitled to vote on
Committee
matters. The
Committee Chair
has no vote on
Committee
matters.
8.
A copy of the
Troop BY-LAWS
will be available to parents of all
Scouts
in the
Troop. Each
Scout and parent will receive a copy of the by-laws;
new
Scouts will
receive a copy at crossover in March or transfer into the
Troop.
9.
The
Committee selects
the
Scoutmaster for approval by the Charter Organization.
10.
The
Scoutmaster is
responsible for selection of the
Assistant
Scoutmaster(s).
11.
Committee
meetings are open to all parents/guardians
within the
Troop as spectators. Those wishing to be on
the Committee are
encouraged to volunteer for a sub-Committee
position
and learn the workings of the
Troop
and
Committee.
TROOP
1.
The time and
place of
Committee and Troop
meetings will be determined and announced by the
Committee.
2.
All awards or rank and merit badges will be presented at Court of
Honor ceremonies, unless the
Scout
requires
an earlier advancement due to circumstances such
as rank required for training attendance,
etc. In these instances, the rank advancement will be presented at a
Troop
meeting. The
Troop will
attempt to have
four (4)
Court of Honors each year.
3.
No
Scout shall
receive awards of rank or merit badges or participate in
Troop outings
if
his dues
or registration fees
are four (4) months or more in arrears.
4. The Troop shall be financially responsible for awards of rank,
service stars, merit badges, etc. when earned by the Scout.
5.
New members of the
Troop shall
pay the initial registration fee, Boys Life and insurance
fees, unless waived by the Committee. Annual
re-registration will be paid by the
Troop. Based upon the finances of the
Troop and
approved
by the
Committee, annual registration, Boys life and
insurance may be paid by the
Troop
-
All Troop functions are required to
have a minimum of two (2) registered adults in attendance.
Additional registered adults may be required as needed to keep with
the BSA ratio regulations.
7.
Permission slips required for
Scouts
attending any
Troop outings
will be turned into the Outdoors
Committee
Chair or their designee for the outing
8.
Clean up after
Troop meetings will be assigned to patrols on a rotating
basis.
9.
Leaders will notify the
Scoutmaster
of any discipline problems within the
Troop.
The disciplinary policy is described in the parents and
Scouts
section of these by-laws.
10.
Patrols
shall be organized as determined by the Scoutmaster, using the
following guidelines:
·
Patrols
shall be permanent whenever possible.
·
Each patrol
shall have a prorata representation of older Scouts.
·
Leadership
positions in patrols shall be held for at least six (6) months.
·
Vacancies in
patrols shall be filled promptly.
·
Patrols shall
hold annual elections of leaders.
·
Scouts shall
remain in the patrol they have assigned to for at least a year.
PATROLS
1.
Patrol size is to be determined by the
Committee
with
input from the Scoutmaster and Senior Patrol
Leader ("SPL").
2. It is the responsibility of
each
Scout to notify their patrol leader if the
Scout is unable to attend
Troop meetings or other
activities. It is the responsibility of
each
patrol leader to notify the SPL
of such
absences, and
it is
the SPL’s responsibility to notify the responsible adult
leadership for the activity
of such absences.
3. No prospective
Scout
should attend more than four (4)
Troop
meetings without becoming registered
with the Troop.
4. The
SPL
shall verify merit badges and rank advancements earned by the
Scouts
with
the Advancement Chair two (2) weeks before a Court of Honor
ceremony.
5. All attendance and dues or other monies
shall be taken and collected within
each
patrol by the Patrol Leader or Assistant Patrol Leader and
submitted to the
Treasurer in the envelope
provided.
6. The buddy system will be observed
during all
Troop outings.
7. Individual patrol tours or outings
require
Committee approval. Going
outside of the local community requires a tour permit. A minimum of two
(2) registered leaders (more if required by the BSA ratio) must attend
such outings.
8. Recycling is a required
Scout activity
and demonstrates Scout spirit.
Troop 414 performs required
recycling for Economy Boro. This activity is performed as a rotating
patrol activity.
Each Scout
is required
to participate
in
recycling
when scheduled,
or
to
obtain another
Scout
to attend recycling in his place.
9. Patrol leaders are responsible for the
communication chain within their patrol. This will include at a minimum,
telephone communications to any patrol members who misses
a patrol or
Troop meeting.
FINANCES
1.
The Committee will determine each
year the amount of dues and whether or not the Troop will pay for
dues. Dues and registration will be paid
by the
Troop
as finances
permit,
as determined by the Committee..
In those years when Scouts and leaders are responsible for paying dues
and registration,
such amounts
shall be paid to the Treasurer by the first Troop meeting in October.
2. Monies
collected during fund-raisers are the responsibility of the
Scouts’ parents. Such
monies are to be turned in promptly to the
applicable
patrol leader or
the Troop
Treasurer.
3 .Failure to remit fundraiser monies to the
Troop
by the specified deadline shall result in one oral request by the
Treasurer. The
Scout will not be permitted to attend any
Troop functions other than
Troop meetings until the
fundraising
monies have been
remitted to
the
Troop.
4. Failure to respond to
any
oral request
for fundraising monies
within fifteen (15) days shall result in a
written
request by certified letter. Such certified letter shall state that
failure to remit
such monies
or make a satisfactory schedule of payments shall result in legal
action by the
Troop to
collect it.
5. A recipient of a certified letter
requesting funds due the
Troop shall
have a fifteen (15) day period from the date of
the letter
to respond to the same.
6. Failure to respond to
such a
request shall result in legal action to collect
the funds due
the Troop.
7. Scouts
who commit to events with fees are responsible to
pay
those fees, unless
the adult
leadership associated with the activity can
cancel the
Scout’s participation early
enough to
avoid a financial burden to
the
Troop.
8. If the
Committee
determines that the
Troop
finances are sufficiently sound, the
Committee
may, at its discretion, authorize the use of
Troop
funds to pay for the cost of attending summer camp for adult leaders.
Eligible adult leaders are those who will be in attendance at summer
camp for at least three days and who have been active leaders in at
least 75% of
Troop activities during the
preceding June to May time period. In cases where there are multiple
adult leaders from the same household, the 75% requirement for one
leader will be satisfied through the combined participation of all
leaders from that household. More than one leader from the same
household may qualify for
Troop
sponsorship of the cost of summer camp if they individually satisfy
the requirements stated above.
9. The
Troop Treasurer shall maintain appropriate records of the Troop's
funds, revenues and expenses. The Treasurer shall reconcile the
Troop's financial accounts monthly and shall make monthly reports to
the Committee. Funds for special purposes, such as Philmont, SeaBase,
and the trailer fund, shall be maintained in the Troop's checking
account or savings account, as determined by the Committee. Every
September the Treasurer shall update the signature card(s) for the
Troop's accounts.
PARENTS AND SCOUTS
1. Scouts
are permitted to wear the Boy
Scout
uniform upon registration
with the Troop.
2. The required
Troop
414
Field Uniform (formally known as Class A) shall
consist of an official BSA khaki shirt (long or short sleeved),
appropriate insignias,
bolo tie,
socks and the red
Troop
414
hat.
Scouts are urged, but not required, to obtain
regulation BSA long or short pants, BSA socks and BSA belt. Clean
blue jeans in good condition may also be worn. A
Scout may also substitute
generic olive drab pants for the official BSA pants. Blue jeans are
considered as part of the
Field
Uniform when they are
appropriate. Torn or baggy jeans that are worn off the hips are not
considered appropriate. Order of the Arrow insignia may also be worn
as appropriate and is encouraged. Leaders may wear Wood Badge
insignia as appropriate.
3. Field (Class A) uniforms are to be worn at all troop meetings and other
scout functions unless otherwise specified.
4. The required
Troop 414
Activity
Uniforms
(formally known as Class B) shall consist of a
clean official BSA tee shirt or the
Troop
414 red T shirt, BSA theme shirts,
such as from Heritage Reservation, or a tee shirt from an approved
Troop
activity,
such as Spring
Trips
or Ohio River Sweep,
clean blue jeans,
and the red Troop 414 hat.
5. Activity
Uniforms may
be worn to meetings following weekend activities where
Field
Uniforms
were worn.
Scouts not
attending weekend activities are still required to wear
Field
Uniforms.
6. Parents are responsible for the purchase of uniforms.
7. Shoes (not sandals) of any kind may be worn to
Troop
meetings. Boots are recommended for all hikes and other outdoor
activities, camporees, and summer camp. At summer camp, tennis shoes
may be worn only when going to and from waterfront activities, and
within home camp perimeters. Open toed sandals, shower thongs,
Flip flops, etc. are to be worn in the shower or
waterfront areas only.
8. Problems or complaints
regarding Troop matters may
be submitted to the
Scoutmaster,
assistant
Scoutmasters, or any
Committee member, as
parents deem necessary.
9.
Scouts
are expected to exhibit appropriate behavior at all times (obey the
Scout Law).
Troop policy
at any
activity will
not tolerate hitting, pushing, flicking of hats, etc. or degrading
comments regarding another
Scout. Hitting of a
Scout
will result in immediate expulsion from the
Troop activity and require a meeting of the
Scout and his
parents with members of the
Committee
that are deemed appropriate by the
Committee
Chair and the
Scoutmaster
prior to consideration of the
Scout
being readmitted to
Troop
activities. The second offense for hitting will invoke immediate
expulsion from the
Troop.
Hitting will not be tolerated. For offenses other than hitting, the
first offense will result in discussion of the inappropriate behavior
with at least two leaders (one being the
Scoutmaster
if available) with the
Scout
immediately following the offense or as soon as practical. The second
offense will result in the
Scout leaving
the meeting or
Troop
activity for the duration of the activity and require a meeting
between the
Scout and
appropriate members of the
Committee as chosen by the
Committee
Chair and
Scoutmaster.
The third offense will result in expulsion from the
Troop.
10. Registration / Training fees for
Scout
Training (Junior Leader Outdoor Training, University of
Scouting,
etc.) that will enhance leadership in the development of the
Scout, will
paid by the
Troop
up to the
cost of $15 per session. Junior Leader Training (JLT) or Twin Arrow
is the exception to this rule. JLT (Twin Arrow) will be funded at the
rate of $50 for the weeks
of training. Based on a
Scout’s
individual needs,
special requests for financial aid can be honored based on a
Committee
motion and vote for approval.
11. Recycling is a required
Scout
activity of
Scout spirit.
Scout
participation is required by his presence at recycling
when scheduled
or obtaining another
Scout
to attend recycling in his place.
12. All
Scouts
attending meetings will be required to stay in the meeting area unless
authorized by leadership to go elsewhere in the building.
13. Each
Scout should maintain a notebook for
scouting
related material (notes, projects, merit badges etc.).
14.
In order to progress in ranks through the
Boy
Scouts of
America, each
Scout is
required to fulfill a leadership position in the
Troop. In this leadership position, each
Scout is expected to fulfill the duties and
responsibilities of the position as required for advancement.
LEADERSHIP
1. The
Scoutmaster and
Assistant
Scoutmasters are required
to attend training as their time permits (Scoutmaster
Fundamentals, University of
Scouting,
etc.). The cost of training will be reimbursed by the
Troop.
2. Other adults helping with the
Troop are encouraged to attend training,
including Fast Start training and Basic leadership training.
3. All adults registered with the Troop are
required to be trained in youth protection.
4. A minimum of two-deep registered
adult leadership is
required for all
Troop
activities.