970-4007 holberg@ieee.org
Committee Chairman - Tom Bauman
(h) 842-2512 (cell) 423-8533 tommyb@io.com
Boy Scout Troop 127 is sponsored by VFW Post 6441 in Wimberley, Texas. We meet every Monday night at 7 p.m. except the Monday following Summer Camp and the Mondays between Christmas and New Years. During Daylight Savings Time, meetings last 1 1/2 hrs, and end at 8:30. When Daylight Savings Time is not in effect, meetings last 1 hr., and end at 8:00
Each year in January we recharter. At this time, we assess a $50 fee, which includes registration with National, a subscription to Boy’s Life, and dues for the calendar year. This includes most camping fees and rank patches. The Troop will provide each Scout with one Scout Handbook and red neckerchief with gold piping. There are additional fees for special activities and Summer Camp. These vary from year to year, and will be announced as required. A new Scout who has crossed over from Webelos has already paid his registration and dues in his Pack. For him, there is only a $1 transfer fee.
Every Scout needs a Uniform shirt. At the minimum, a uniform has the Council Strip, the Troop Numerals, and the Scout’s badge of rank. The World Crest, Honor Unit, Patrol patch and activity patch are optional, but encouraged. Every shirt comes with the American Flag. Look inside the cover of your Scout manual for correct positioning of patches. Scout shirts are available at the Scout Shop or online at www.scoutstuff.org (you cannot order online at this time, but you can peruse the catalog and call the 800 number to order). To find the Scout Office, located at 7540 Ed Bluestein Blvd. in Austin (phone 926-6363), head east from IH35 north on US 290 toward Houston. Exit to US 183 South. Stay to the right on the service road, and in the middle of the curve, just before the onramp to 183, look for the Scout Emblem on a yellow brick building with a red roof on the right. You can also ask Troop leadership. Many visits are made to the Scout Shop, and perhaps someone can pick up what your son needs.
Each Scout needs to have his own camping gear. There is a list of personal gear on page 224 of the Scout Handbook. Each time your son packs for an outing, he should check this list to be sure that nothing is forgotten. The choice of gear is strictly personal, based on cost, size of your son (leaving “growing room” by buying big, or buying cheap, expecting to replace as he grows, etc.) and personal gear preferences. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. This is a field in which “experts” have many differing opinions. At the minimum, each Scout needs a sleeping bag and rain gear. The troop has a few packs to loan, especially for smaller Scouts, so that you can postpone buying until he grows into a pack that will fit for a few years. A tent is a nice addition, but many of our Scouts have 2 man tents that can be shared if you do not want to purchase at this time. Have your son ask his patrol members. The troop does not own any tents. We do have complete patrol cooking gear. Your son should have his own plate and utensils. There are many places to buy camping items. The Coleman Store in San Marcos offers a discount to all Scouts. BSA sells camping gear at the Scout Shop and online. Academy, WalMart, and Target have inexpensive gear. REI and Whole Earth Provision in Austin have very nice high end gear.
The Boy Scout program is built around advancement. The requirements are found in the Handbook. This is where all records are kept for a Scout’s progress toward rank, so it is important not to lose it. After a rank is attained, the record is maintained in the Troop archive, and at the Council office. New Scouts should focus on working toward the rank of First Class. Work on Merit Badges is permitted, but not encouraged for new Scouts. When a Scout completes his requirements for the next rank, he asks for a Scoutmaster’s conference. If the Scoutmaster believes that the Scout is ready, he will call for a Board of Review. His work will be reviewed, and if he meets the standard, he will receive his rank advancement. He will be recognized for advancement at the end of that night’s meeting, and will receive his patch as soon as possible, at the next meeting if possible. Three times a year we hold a Court of Honor to formally recognize rank advancements in front of an audience.. Sometimes new Scouts will receive several recognitions for advancement for which they have already received their patches. Merit badges are awarded at this time, as well as any special awards.
To work on a merit badge, a Scout must first ask permission of the Scoutmaster. This includes all merit badges, including summer camp badges. The Troop has a list of counselors who regularly counsel badges, or the boy may ask if another adult (such as a teacher, coach, etc.) may be his counselor. If any parent has special skills and would like to help counsel merit badges, please volunteer. This is a great place to help. However, there are certain youth protection issues which apply. An adult should never be alone with a Scout. There should always be two Scouts together for working on merit badges. A parent cannot counsel his own son in any merit badge unless he is part of a group that is earning the badge together. After a counselor is chosen, the Scout should have the responsibility of calling the counselor and asking to study for the badge. The Scout takes a blue form signed by the Scoutmaster to the counselor. The counselor will tell the Scout if he should acquire the merit badge pamphlet, and any other materials that he may need. The troop maintains a library of pamphlets that any Scout may borrow. When the counselor is satisfied that the work is complete, he signs the blue form, and the Scout returns it to the Scoutmaster, who turns it in to our Advancement Chair. For a list of merit badges and their requirements, go to www.meritbadge.com.
We always wear a Class A uniform when we travel. Class A means the uniform shirt. Class B is a Scout t-shirt.
We travel as a group. The Troop leaves as a unit once everyone is packed and ready to go. No one leaves until all areas have been policed and cleaned up. If you as an adult are going camping, you are expected to provide ride capacity if at all possible so all interested boys can go as well. If there are not enough seat belt locations for adults driving, some boys may be not be able to attend, or some adult going camping would need to go on multiple trips to/from the campsite. We recognize that there are special circumstances when someone needs to come late or leave early. We are glad to accommodate, but please make sure that our travel coordinator knows your plans. Expected time of return to Scout Hut is typically 12:30 to 1pm. There is no general rush to return, unless weather conditions or other unique issues arise. Please plan on being on time to pick up your son. You will be called if our plans change. Please be where you can receive a phone call when you know your son is with the troop.
Parents act as a separate patrol. We camp together, plan our meals and eat together. Of course, you may prepare your own food if you like, but be sure to let the group know not to plan for you. You should not tent with your son, except in extraordinary circumstances.
Troop 127, like all Scout troops, is boy lead. It is a fine line for all of us. We expect any adult to intervene whenever there is a health or safety or morality issue. Sometimes a direct intervention is necessary. However, if possible, we should observe the chain of command. The Senior Patrol Leader or one of the Patrol Leaders should be asked to intervene if you see a problem. If you have any doubts about how to handle a situation, ask Mr. Brown or Mr. Bauman.
Most of the rules of the troop are set by the Patrol Leaders Council, and may change as the Council changes. Encourage your son to ask his patrol leader if he has questions. By the same token, ask the troop leadership if you have any questions. Sometimes we forget that new parents don’t know, or haven’t heard. We need to know what you need to know. If you would like to help with the troop, let us know what skills you would like to share. The troop can have as many Assistant Scoutmasters as it needs, and two deep leadership requires that there be two adult leaders present in any group. There is adult leader training held twice a year in our district. The troop would run best if every parent would take the opportunity to get trained, and understand the aims and goals of Scouting.