Minimum number of scouts for a troop ?

[WestCoastScouter]

I've heard something about a new requirement of 10 scouts minimum in a troop? or is it still 5 scouts ? Or 5 min with a recommendation for 10 ?

[Tampa Turtle]

New? Where did you see that? On a BSA website?

[qwazse]

Thus sayeth the current paperwork...

 

A CHARTERED ORGANIZATION

The Chartered Organization selects one of its members to register as chartered organization representative who may also serve as chair or as unit committee member if needed. All units must have a unit leader

and a minimum of five paid youth.

 

If you "heard" something, please refer to the recent thread on false memories and oral histories. Give us a reference, please. That's how real scout skills are to be taught!

[Thelopais]

From: Starting and Sustaining high-performing Quality Units

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/membership/pdf/522-025_WB.pdf

 

"While organizing and running the recruitment effort is the membership committee’s responsibility, the NUC (New Unit Commissioner) will support the idea that at least 10 youth and five adults are recruited for membership in the unit."

 

Qwazse is correct - it isn't a requirement, but is a recommended number. We had fewer than 10 when we started, yet 10 was the goal. I don't know that I would have wanted to start with more than that, just because of the learning curve the Adults had/have to go through. But then again we didn't have a dedicated New Unit Commissioner.

[Stosh]

WestCoastScouter: Yeah, and let that be a lesson to you! After 104 posts, you are obviously an old veteran at this and asking questions the forum is not allowed. Only on Jeopardy are your answers supposed to be in the form of a question. And Tampa, you know better than to answer a question with a question.

 

Stosh

[qwazse]

WestCoastScouter: Yeah, and let that be a lesson to you! After 104 posts, you are obviously an old veteran at this and asking questions the forum is not allowed. Only on Jeopardy are your answers supposed to be in the form of a question. And Tampa, you know better than to answer a question with a question.

 

Stosh

True. This thread would have been so much more active if WCC would have said something like, "I'm retiring a unit if they don't boost their membership to 10 paid youth by the end of the year."

[qwazse]

Note: that minimum is 5 paid youth. So, pay attention to multiple registrations. This is likely not the case with the troop your trying to help, but if there is a boy who is multiple registered with a venturing crew, you should make sure his primary membership is with the troop. (That is, of course assuming that the crew's membership has ample numbers of paid youth.)

[Stosh]

Note: that minimum is 5 paid youth. So, pay attention to multiple registrations. This is likely not the case with the troop your trying to help, but if there is a boy who is multiple registered with a venturing crew, you should make sure his primary membership is with the troop. (That is, of course assuming that the crew's membership has ample numbers of paid youth.)

I have this problem right now. I have one boy, maybe 2 next week in my newly forming troop. The DE suggested I dual register with older boys from nearby troops to assist in getting the troop off the ground. They would have to be primary registered in my troop to make it work. I can have 2 registered boys and 15 dual registered from other troops and none of them will help qualify the numbers for my troop.

 

Stosh

[frankpalazzi]

Note: that minimum is 5 paid youth. So, pay attention to multiple registrations. This is likely not the case with the troop your trying to help, but if there is a boy who is multiple registered with a venturing crew, you should make sure his primary membership is with the troop. (That is, of course assuming that the crew's membership has ample numbers of paid youth.)

I wasn't aware that Youth Registration in 2 troops (in the same council, no less) was allowed! What other reasons would there be for it other than the above? A "numbers game" for the DE?

[qwazse]

Note: that minimum is 5 paid youth. So, pay attention to multiple registrations. This is likely not the case with the troop your trying to help, but if there is a boy who is multiple registered with a venturing crew, you should make sure his primary membership is with the troop. (That is, of course assuming that the crew's membership has ample numbers of paid youth.)

Registrars can make all kinds of funny things happen, if they are so inclined ... for boys who alternate custody between parents, for example.

 

The "on the ground" reason to do so in this scenario may be to have a boy or two the nascent troop to hold positions of responsibility to guide/assist a couple of very young boys, meanwhile those boys can also keep meeting with their buddies from their original troop and work on their advancement with their original SM or Eagle mentor. Yes, there are boys who would jump at the chance of twice as many meetings a week and twice as many camping nights a year!

 

I think that's how my troop got its start a few years before I joined as a scout.

 

For this to happen in this day and age of bean-counting, the original troop has to be willing to take a JTE hit, or the DE has to be willing to take "on paper" membership losses as just that and make sure the original troop is given whatever privileges would come had the boys not transferred primary membership. But that's just adults meddling in the intuitive egalitarianism of mature scouts.

[Huzzar]

Note: that minimum is 5 paid youth. So, pay attention to multiple registrations. This is likely not the case with the troop your trying to help, but if there is a boy who is multiple registered with a venturing crew, you should make sure his primary membership is with the troop. (That is, of course assuming that the crew's membership has ample numbers of paid youth.)

>>Yes, there are boys who would jump at the chance of twice as many meetings a week and twice as many camping nights a year!

[christineka]

Note: that minimum is 5 paid youth. So, pay attention to multiple registrations. This is likely not the case with the troop your trying to help, but if there is a boy who is multiple registered with a venturing crew, you should make sure his primary membership is with the troop. (That is, of course assuming that the crew's membership has ample numbers of paid youth.)

There's a boy in my pack in two troops. I know why initially, but why they continue, I don't know.