Minimum number of adults in a troop?

[Eagledad]

Happy Holidays All

 

I had a question asked of me today and I don't have the resources nearby to find the answer to give a reference. What is the minimum number of registered adults required for a Troop, and how old do they have to be? I was trying to remember back to my Membership Chairman days for new troops and I want to say three adults. A Scoutmaster who had to be 21 or over. A CC who had to be 18 or older and a COR who could be 18 as well. But I can't find the answer.

 

Thanks.

 

Barry

[Bob White]

Hi Barry,

A troop requires

 

A scoutmaster

A Committee Chair

2 Committee Members

A Charter Organization Representative

 

All twenty-one years of age or older. 18-year to 20-year olds can only be Assistant Scoutmasters.

 

1+1+2+1=4 Welcome to new math. That's because the COR (and only the COR)is allowed to hold two positions.

 

So a troop needs 5 specific adult positions filled minimum, using 4 to 5 adults.

 

In addition it needs 5 registered youth

 

Bob White

[Eagledad]

Thanks Bob. Why two committee members, BOR?

 

Is there one reference I can give with all the answers?

 

Barry

[Bob White]

That is the the minimum committee size for any scout unit so it must be for reasons other than the BOR.

 

As to a reference, district professional or your council registrar can give you that information.

 

Bob White

[Eagledad]

Thanks again.

 

Barry

[Bob White]

Glad to help.

BW

[Region 7 Voyageur]

Bob,

 

Is the Charter Organization Representative a voting member of the Committee?

 

Dave

[Bob White]

Kind of a double edged sword. You assume that a committee votes. The Committee training says that the Committee chair distributes asignments and the committee members report back at the committee meetings.

 

The COR is the head of the scouting dept. for the Chartered Organizations. Since the COR Selects and approves ALL other leaders there is little need for them to vote even if committees voted.

 

The COR is a communications link between the CO and the Unit. They are responsible for the delivery of the scouting program, seeing that leaders are trained, and the program and its rules are followed. The COR works in a triad with the Unit Committee Chairs and Scoutmaster, Cubmaster and or Advisor of the CO to see that every scout has the opportunity to have a successful scouting experience.

 

Is the COR a member of the Committee? only if he or she is dual registered as such.

 

It may not be the answer to your question but it is an accurate sumarry of the COR's relationship to the committee and unit.

 

Hope this helps,

Bob White(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[dsteele]

I'd love to add to this thread, but Bob White has all the bases absolutely and correctly covered.

 

Nice job, Bob.

 

DS

[acco40]

Bob,

 

Not disputing your posts at all but where did you find the minimum number of youth (5) requirement? Is it derived from positions or just a stated number? I've seen the adult limit in many resources but I don't believe I have ever come across (or just remembered) a minimum number for youth. What happens if the troop has seven boys and three transfer or drop out? Does the troop immediately need to disband? I would not think so.

[Bob White]

This is information you learn when you are a unit organizer. In order to begin or maintain a charter any scout unit must have a minimum of 5 youth. If the number were to drop below that during a charter year you could expect activity from the local professional staff and the commissioner service to help you increase membership by the time your charter renewal is due.

 

The local council can make exceptions at the time of the charter, but national will want assurance that it is a viable unit, and that membership is being worked on and expected to increase.

 

Isn't that right Dave?

 

Bob White

[NJCubScouter]

Bob, you say that a CR is allowed to hold two positions, which I was aware of, but just to clarify, my understanding is that while the CR may also be either the CC or an MC, the CR may NOT be the SM, right?

 

(Nor for that matter may the CR be an SA (right?), but once we are talking about assistants we are beyond the minimum number of required leaders anyway, which is what the thread was about.)

 

And although it wasn't asked, an interesting trivia tidbit is that if the same "minimum number" question were asked about a Cub pack, you would have to add between 1 and 3 to the minimum number. There must be one den leader for each of the three "levels" of den (Tiger, Cub Scout (Wolf/Bear) and Webelos,) so if there is at least one boy at one of these levels there must also be a den leader for that level. And I don't believe that a den leader may "double" with ANY other position, including a different kind of den leader. Not on the charter, anyway.

 

One other thing I have never been completely clear on in this general area. If an IH decides to personally represent the organization without a separate CR, does he/she have to register as CR? Or can he/she simply be the liaison as IH? I guess another way of saying this is, do you actually need someone designated as CR on the charter, or can the IH fulfill that role as part of his/her leadership of the CO, without the additional title on the charter? (Now that I read what I wrote, I am guessing that IH does have to register as CR, because the "liaison" role is considered a "leadership" position and the BSA probably wants a registered adult (which the IH position is not) in that position. But if someone could clarify that...)

[Bob White]

Very close. I believe you are correct as to the limitations of the COR in a duale position. A pack would have to add as many as 4 positions to cover each age group (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos), and you are correct that a cub leader can not hold two positions within the same unit at the same time.

 

The IH is not a position or member of Scouting. That is our designation for the executive officer of the Charter Organization. The IH can register with the BSA and would be held to the same restrictions as anyone else in that registered office.

 

A Charter Organization (CO) must have a registered Charter Organization Representative in order to be a CO with the BSA.

 

Bob White

 

 

[Bob White]

Very close. I believe you are correct as to the limitations of the COR in a duale position. A pack would have to add as many as 4 positions to cover each age group (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos), and you are correct that a cub leader can not hold two positions within the same unit at the same time.

 

The IH is not a position or member of Scouting. That is our designation for the executive officer of the Charter Organization. The IH can register with the BSA and would be held to the same restrictions as anyone else in that registered office.

 

A Charter Organization (CO) must have a registered Charter Organization Representative in order to be a CO with the BSA.

 

Bob White

 

 

[dsteele]

I'll answer Bob White's question in this post and get to NJ's in another post.

 

Bob, you are correct in the minimum number of boys to charter a troop is the minimum.

 

From page 9 of the Registrar Procedures Manual:

 

"There must be at least 5 paid boys in a pack, troop, or team, and five paid members in a crew or ship. It is possible to register a unit with fewer, if special circumstances exist. The Scout executive may give permission to allow a unit to register with as few as two paid youth members. No unit can register with fewer than two paid members."

 

As to the question of what happens if membership in a troop drops to less than 5 during the year, Bob White is also correct. The unit will need to recruit prior to rechartering and I'm sure there will be people willing to help.

 

DS