Need help with Patrol "owned" items.

[CalicoPenn]

I mentioned that I would get to Scout Accounts - I didn't do that - so - there is a caveat to everything I wrote - if the funds used to purchase the teepees come from the Scouts "Scout Accounts" and is from fund raising shares and not from money they personally deposited in their scout accounts to save money for summer camp or whatever, then the teepees belong to the unit and problem solved that way.  Scouts cannot personally gain from funds raised for scouting so they can't purchase a tangible item like a teepee that has value beyond their scouting lives.  (Technically, they can't use fundraised funds to pay for summer camps but if a Troop wanted to provide "camperships" with the funds they raise, they can do that.

[fred johnson]

I disagree with some of the prevailing wisdom here.

 

A patrol is the basic unit of Boy Scouting - a group of boys participating in the program together.  I see no reason why they shouldn't be permitted to purchase their own gear.  They are, in theory, a group of friends deciding what they wish to spend their own money on.  They wish to spend it on gear which they will use to participate in the Scouting program.  I can't possibly see how the troop can arbitrarily decide that the troop now owns that gear - any more than the troop could claim that they somehow own my own personal tent, hiking boots, water bottle, or other equipment.  The fact that the boys happened to use their gear while camping with the troop does not somehow magically make the troop own that gear.  The fact that the troop allowed them to store their personal gear in the troop's storage isn't relevant to me.  If the troop wanted to require them to donate the gear to the troop as a condition of storing it with the troop's gear, then that should have been discussed before the troop granted permission to store their gear. 

 

Your rational is exactly how I view things.  

 

Now that we know the troop supplies the tents for the scouts otherwise, I view it even more this way.  The issue was probably created when the scouts want a different type of tent.  The troop should have probably paid for it then and supplied it.  Otherwise, it's the same as my son buys a better back pack for himself.  It's still his backpack when he leaves the troop.

 

Perhaps, the troop should reimburse the scouts for the expense retroactively.  

[fred johnson]

... make it simple: equipment is either owned by the troop or owned by an individual boy. If it's owned by a boy then he takes it home with him, if it's owned by the troop it stays at the troop. Patrols are a perfect organizing structure for boys to have fun, but they have a short shelf life and cannot and will not exist outside the troop.

 

This is effectively what our troop does.  My son and his friend effectively share the same tent for years now.  My son brings it home, but the other scout brings other items.  It's their tent for their use.  When they age out, my son will keep the tent and the other kid keeps his stuff.   But effectively, they acquired the tent together and use it all the time in scouts.

 

The only effective policy I could imagine is having is Troop only stores troop gear.  "Personal gear is brought home.  Gear left or stored with the troop will be treated as troop gear."

 

Personally, I can't imagine the teepee as always stored by the troop.  It had to be going home to be dried out.  I'm betting that was fairly regular.  Probably did not return within a few days.

[DuctTape]

I see all experiences as opportunities for the boys. I believe that is our mission. Since their is no safety issue to resolve, this is an issue for the boys in the (now disbanded) patrol to figure out. If they would like guidance, or a sounding board the Scouters can provide that.

 

As fas as a policy moving forward, I would not recommend making policy just to avoid potential conflicts as it really takes away an opportunity for the scouts to learn and grow. This is all part of the game of scouting, let them play the game without unnecessary interference.