BSA Troop 423 - About Us

Troop organization
Troop 423 is associated with the Mawat District within the Occoneechee Council, as part of the Boy Scouts of America. The District is the geographic area in which a troop is located. The Council is composed of multiple districts. Troop 423 is chartered by McMannen United Methodist Church, which provides us with our meeting place.

The troop is governed by a troop committee, is a group of adults, generally parents/guardians of the Scouts, who provide support and guidance to the troop. Troop committee positions include:

Troop Committee Chair - Head of the troop committee.
Charter Organization Representative - Liaison between the troop and Chartering Organization.
Secretary - Record keeper and takes/maintains committee meeting notes.
Treasurer - Takes care of all incoming/outgoing money for the troop, maintains financial records and provides monthly financial status to the troop committee.
Advancement Chair - Administers the troop advancement program, maintains records and prepares advancement reports for the council.
Fund-raiser Chair - Organizes fund raising projects to meet the troop needs.
Scoutmaster - Oversees the operations of the troop.
Assistant Scoutmasters – Assist the scoutmaster by performing duties assigned by the Scoutmaster.

A Boy Scout Troop is a "Boy Run Troop"; the Scouts initiate the event planning and take care of Troop operations via the Patrol Leader's Council (PLC). The adult leaders of Troop 423 are advisors to the Patrol Leader's Council. The senior adult leader is the Scoutmaster. Assistant scoutmasters and committee members help the scoutmaster provide a safe environment for scouts to grow and learn. Troop 423 is divided into several small groups called patrols. A patrol is a group of 6-10 boys who camp together and participate in troop activities together. If the number of boys in a patrol changes due to growth or attrition, the Scoutmaster may form a new patrol or combine existing patrols as needed. A Scout may make a request to change patrols to the Senior Patrol Leader and the Scoutmaster, who will then decide if the change is justified. The Senior Patrol Leader is elected once a year and the patrol leaders are elected twice a year. There are other positions of responsibility appointed by the scoutmaster and senior patrol leader.

Costs
Annual dues of $60 per scout are collected in January. These dues are used for general troop expenses, such as rank and merit badges, helping defray the cost of registration at campgrounds and fuel for transportation. Please make every effort to ensure that these dues are paid in a timely manner. Scouts that transfer from a pack or another troop will need to pay a $1 transfer fee plus prorated dues until next fall. Campouts and other troop activities may require additional fees. Details will be provided for each activity. Troop 423 sponsors fund raising activities each year. Part of the money earned will go toward overall troop finances, and part of the money will be put into an account for each of the Scouts who participate in the fund-raiser. Money earned by each Scout can be applied to summer camp fees, or it can be used for approved equipment purchases. Contact the Treasurer if you need to know how much you have in your account. Any Scout that leaves the troop with an outstanding balance will forfeit the balance to the general troop account. Financial assistance may be available to troop members that may not be able afford fees. Please contact the Scoutmaster for details. All requests for assistance will remain confidential.

Troop Meetings
Troop 423 meets every Monday evening at McMannen United Methodist Church. As a general rule, there are no Troop meetings on Monday nights when there is no public school. See the calendar for changes or additions, but the following is typical: The regular Troop Meeting is 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Service patrol needs to be at the meeting at 6:15 to set up the room. Scoutmaster Conferences and Board of Reviews will be held by appointment as soon as possible. A member of the Troop Committee or Scoutmaster will attend this meeting. All Scouts are expected to attend every troop meeting. Many of our Scouts are involved in school activities and sports, which may make attendance a problem. This is understood by the troop, and our events are planned around other activities whenever possible. Please contact the Scoutmaster if you have a schedule conflict that will cause you to miss several meetings on a row. Scouts who miss a Troop meeting are expected to contact their patrol leader to get information presented at the Troop meeting.

Troop Uniform
The Boy Scouts of America is a uniformed organization. Wearing the Boy Scout uniform shows a sense of belonging and pride in the Scouting movement. All members of Troop 423 are strongly encouraged to wear the approved uniform and insignia to all troop meetings and activities. Adult leaders should set an example and are expected to wear the proper adult uniform. Troop 423 will supply rank badges, merit badges, patrol insignia, and other patches earned by a troop member. Any duplicate badges/patches (lost or duplicates for additional uniforms) will be paid for by the Scout. BSA Troop 423 has approved the following two uniforms:

Class "A" Uniform - to be worn to all Troop Meetings, Courts of Honor, Boards of Review, and as determined by the Scoutmaster. The Class "A" Uniform consists of the following:

Official BSA Khaki long or short sleeved shirt (with appropriate positioned patches. See the inside cover of the BSA Handbook for details.)
BSA olive pants or shorts with belt.
Official BSA scout socks should be worn with the BSA shorts
Any official BSA scouting hat is optional
Merit badge sash is recommended for Courts of Honor and other special events after six merit badges are earned (up to six merit badges can be worn on the right sleeve of the long-sleeve uniform shirt)
Order of the Arrow (OA) sashes are for OA functions only

Class "B" Uniform - to be worn while on campouts and for other designated troop activities.

Shirt without offinsive writing or logos
Pants or shorts of the scout’s choosing in good condition

Campouts/Activities
Troop 423 generally does one Troop campout per month. Dates and places for each campout are announced in advance. A permission slip will be handed out to all scouts in advance of each campout or activity. This permission slip must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian. The permission slip must be turned in (along with any fees) before the campout. "Two Deep Leadership" shall be maintained at all Troop activities and campouts. This means that at a minimum, at least one registered Adult Leader and one parent of a participating scout are present at all times.

Behavior
All boys are expected to behave in a manner consistent with the Scout Law, Scout Motto, Scout Slogan, and Outdoor Code.

Rank Advancement
By completing requirements outlined in The Boy Scout Handbook the Scout advances in rank. The ranks are Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle. Rank advancement to the higher ranks require a Scout to be active in his Troop and Patrol and to serve in a leadership role for a specified period of time. An active Scout is one who attends a majority of troop meetings, campouts, community service projects, etc. A Scout will fail a scoutmaster conference for his rank advancement if his activity and leadership in the Troop is not demonstrated. Each Scout wears a patch on his left uniform pocket showing the rank that he has obtained. A guide for patch and insignia placement is on the inside cover of the Boy Scout Handbook. After completing each rank advancement requirement as outlined in The Boy Scout Handbook, the Scout should ask an adult leader or fellow scout who has already completed the requirement to sign off on the requirement in his Scout Handbook. The scout will be asked questions and may be asked to demonstrate the tasks/abilities for the requirement. If the Adult Leader does not believe that the appropriate level of competence has been demonstrated, he/she may decline to sign off on the requirement. The Scout should then review the appropriate material and try again. After completing all requirements for a rank advancement, the Scout must ask for a scoutmaster conference which will be held as soon as possible thereafter. If the Scoutmaster does not feel that the scout has completed the requirements for the rank advancement, he may refuse to grant the Scout a Scoutmaster Conference. The Scout can then appeal the Scoutmaster's decision to the Troop Committee. After completing a Scoutmaster Conference, the Scout must request a Board of Review from the advancement chair. The board will be held as soon as possible thereafter. The Board of Review is not a test, it serves three purposes:

Ensures that the Scout has completed all requirements for the Rank advancement
Checks to see what kind of experience the Scout is having is his Patrol and Troop
Encourages the Scout to advance to the next level

Merit Badges
Merit Badges fall into two categories: those that are required for the rank of Eagle Scout and those that are not. Scouts can earn merit badges at any time. Over 120 Merit Badges are available with topics ranging from American Business to Woodworking. Some merit badges are fairly easy to obtain, and some are extremely difficult. All Merit Badges are educational and teach skills that can be used later in the Scout's life. The eagle-required merit badges and a list of all the available merit badges are listed in the Boy Scout Handbook. The current merit badge requirements are listed in the most resent edition of “Merit Badge Requirements”, the individual merit badge pamphlets and on the web page; meritbadge.com. The troop has copies of many of the merit badge pamphlet available, or you may purchase one from the council scout store. Occasionally, a merit badge may be worked on as a Troop activity, but a majority of the responsibility of choosing and completing the requirements for a merit badge is up to the individual Scout. Some merit badges may be completed at Summer Camp. In order to earn a merit badge, the scout must need to obtain a merit badge card (blue card) and get it signed by the scoutmaster who will then approve the counselor. This MUST be done BEFORE starting to work on the merit badge! He will then need to get a current copy of the merit badge requirements from the sources above. He must then contact and arrange meetings with the assigned merit badge counselor. The merit badge counselor is a person with in-depth knowledge of the subject. The counselor will help teach the subject and ensure that the Scout has completed the requirements for the badge. As each requirement is completed, the appropriate box in the merit badge card must be initialed. When all requirements are completed, the merit badge counselor will sign the card. After successfully completing all of the merit badge requirements, submit the completed initialed and signed merit badge card to the Advancement Chair. The advancement chair will register the completion with the council and arrange for the badge to be presented to the scout. As outlined by BSA regulations, any Scout meeting with a merit badge counselor must not do so alone - at least one other Scout, a parent, or another adult leader must be present at all times. Merit badge counselors will need to fill out a registration form and information sheet once each year. No fee is required for merit badge counselors.

Court of Honor
At least three times each year, the troop will hold a special meeting called the Court of Honor. At this ceremony, boys will be recognized for the advancements and achievements they have earned. They will receive the rank advancement card and merit badges that they have earned. All Scouts are expected to attend in full uniform. Family members are strongly encouraged to attend. Some Courts of honors may include a pot-luck dinner or snacks and every family is expected to bring a dish. We suggest that your son participate in the making of this dish in some way. Your son’s patrol leader will inform your son of the type of dish your family is supposed to bring. So far the only COH we do this for is the December COH which we combine with a Christmas party for scouts and their families.

Service Projects
In keeping with the Scout Oath, Troop 423 will participate in several community service projects each year. Each scout should keep a log of time spent on these projects in his scout handbook (community service hours are required for some rank advancements).

Summer Camp
Each year (usually the last week of June or second week of July) Troop 423 will attend a BSA long-term summer camp. This camp is one week in duration and will provide a large variety of outdoor activities such as camping, boating, shooting, swimming, crafts, and more.

High Adventure
Troop 423 may plan high adventure activities, where there are restrictions set on participation for general safety. Requirements for trip eligibility will be announced beforehand.

Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting's national honor society. The OA recognizes youths (and adult leaders) who exemplify the Scout Oath and Scout Law in their daily lives. OA members must have earned the rank of First Class, and must have taken part in a minimum of 15 days and nights camping in a two year period, including a 6-day/5-night camping experience at a local or national BSA facility. Eligible Scouts are elected to the OA by a yearly troop election, subject to the approval of the Scoutmaster.

Need More Information?
Please feel free to contact us through our CONTACT form. We try to answer all replies in 24 hours or less by email or, if you desire and give us a phone number, we'll be happy to call at your convenience.