How do I go about starting a Troop?

[Pack283]

I am the CC of a three year old Cub Scout Pack and I would very much like to get a troop started so our Webelos have somewhere local to continue Scouting in. Our district would like to see a BSA troop in our small town and our charter organization is interested in hosting it.

 

I think our current Pack committee can at least begin to support a troop until it is up and running. I guess my biggest problem is getting boys to start it and keeping my Webelos interested enough to continue on. I have three 1st year Webelos and I'd like to find a few more. In two years time, I'd like to have a troop for them to bridge over to.

 

How do I do this? Do I find a SM and ASM first, then charter, then recruit? Do I recruit boys first? I like the patrol method and I'd like my son (Wolf Cub) to be in a patrol when he advances. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[jmwalston]

Information can be found at the following link:

 

http://www.scouting.org/media/relationships/thenew-unitprocess.aspx

 

 

[Ohio_Scouter]

Contact your District Executive at Simon Kenton Council. Start with their website for contact information at:

 

http://www.skcbsa.org/

[Pack283]

Thanks. Our DE was just promoted to the Director of Marketing and our new DE has not been introduced yet. He's bound to need some breaking in. I am on the district committee and will be asking the same questions at our next committee meeting. Just wondered if anyone had any experience doing this. Is it irregular for a Pack committee to initiate a Boy Scout troop?

[infoscouter]

No, it is not unusual for a Cub Scout pack to see a need for a Boy Scout troop and instigate the creation of a troop.

 

You seem to have a charter org, so that's a good basis. Follow the procedure in the link - where you seem to be at step 3. Get the pastor to appoint a COR. Have a meeting with the COR and identify leadership prospects.

Follow each step. It's worked just this way for decades, and will work for you.

 

Be prepared for it to take some time. Training before you get started is very helpful.

[NJCubScouter]

When my son was in Cub Scouts, an outgoing Cubmaster of his pack (and other parents whose sons were in the same Webelos den as the Cubmaster's son) did exactly what you are considering. They followed all the steps to get a charter for a troop for the same CO, the Cubmaster was registered as Scoutmaster, other parents were registered for committee positions, the first boys (the Cubmaster's son's den) were signed up, they even got another troop to agree to "mentor" them, have joint outings, etc., until they were ready to fly on their own. I believe they got as far as crossing the boys over to the new troop... and unfortunately at that point it all fell apart. The new SM either got busy elsewhere, lost interest, or his son lost interest, or some combination, and never held a meeting or any other activity. For six months to a year he was still telling the other parents, any day now, any day now... and the day never came. Nobody else stepped up to get it going, the boys drifted off to other things (only one out of seven joined a different troop), and I assume they did not re-charter the next year.

 

So I guess the lesson is, good intentions count for little unless you (and the others interested in forming the troop) are ready to do what is necessary to get it going and keep it going, including overcoming the hurdles that may appear in your path along the way. It sounds like you are ready to do so. Good luck.

[Pack283]

Folks,

 

Thanks for all the advice. I guess I was under the impression that I needed the boys before I could charter the troop. It sounds like I should get the infrastructure setup first, then worry about (or let the troop leadership worry about it) recruitment. I have a couple of very motivated 30 something Eagle Scouts I'd really like to lead the troop. I think I have a meeting with them and our COR and see if we can get this rolling.

 

In the Pack, we rely on some of the parents to step, but that doesn't have to be the case in the troop as long as we have some good leadership. Unfortunately, I do not think I can count on the parents of our older boys doing what it takes to keep a new troop running. I just feel I'll have to get it up myself if I expect to have a troop for my son to join in 4 years.

[Ohio_Scouter]

Good luck, Pack283. Get the COR and those Eagles working on forming the troop. In four years it should be a great troop for your son to bridge into . Several members of this board also have plenty of ideas and experience for recruiting new scouts. Let us know how we can help.(This message has been edited by Ohio_Scouter)

[ScoutNut]

"I guess I was under the impression that I needed the boys before I could charter the troop."

 

You do. To sign the paperwork, pay the $, and actually get a Troop Charter, you need at least 5 registed boys.

 

You don't need the actual charter paperwork to put together the adults, get them trained and get everything all set and ready for the boys. If you look at "The New-Unit Organization Process", at the National Web site link provided by jmwalston in the first post after your initial one, you would see that there are 12 steps to organizing a new BSA unit. Recruit Youth Members is step 9 with Complete the Paperwork at step 10.

 

 

[NJCubScouter]

What ScoutNut says is what my impression was as well: You need five youth members to get a charter. (And as far as adults are concerned, at a bare minimum, I believe it is an SM, CC, 2 other committee members, and a CR who also can be one of the committee members.) But that brings up a question. I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that the boys have to actually be eligible to be Boy Scouts (either age 11, received Arrow of Light or completed fifth grade) before you can submit the charter with their names on it. (Which I'm guessing also needs to be accompanied by their membership applications.) But what if the boys are still 10 years old, still in fifth grade, and receiving their Arrow of Light simultaneous with crossing over? (This is frequently the case, at least where I come from.) That means you can't submit the paperwork until they cross over, and presumably the paperwork takes some time to be processed. Doesn't that leave a gap? Are you allowed to start meeting before the paperwork comes back? (Which may raise insurance issues.) Or do you have to wait? Or am I being too much of a lawyer about this?

[eghiglie]

I agree with all the information provided so far and wish you well, small troops seem to be better for the boys to learn life skills, this is my opinion.

 

I started a Troop in August of 2007 and we went through a lot of pain. We focused all our energy on getting camping trips planned that we adults never sat down to organize ourselves first.

 

After a bunch of pain and false accusations we are still a troop but 4 of the families left recently. The knife wounds are going to take a while to heal.

 

My advice is this:

 

1 - Get with the adults in an informal setting, with coffee and cake and state it that everyone needs to learn how to disagree with each other. This might take several weeks.

 

2 - Get a set of bylaws. Cub scouts are a much different group than Boy scouts. Everyone needs to learn that more responsibility falls to the boys.

 

3 - Make sure that if there are issues get with the people involved right away, don't have secret meetings, don't conspire against them and so forth. 90% of the time they have no clue that they did it wrong.

 

4 - Expect to be making sacrifices of time, talent and treasure for a while. Although our Church has been very generous to the Troop, I still find myself making donations to cover different things that the Troop needs.

 

5 Teach the boys how to teach.

 

Lastly, if anyone wants to bring sugary types of snacks like cookies, cake or candy to a meeting set down the law that it can be eaten after the meeting is over and the meeting room has been cleaned. Even 14 year olds get too hyper on sugar when the meeting starts.

 

Ed

(still) Scoutmaster - Troop 809

Just celebrated our 1st anniversary in August 2008

 

[Narraticong]

Lots of good information provided here! I'll try to add a little more. I am the Scoutmaster of a troop which started in June of 2007. We basically took a Webelos 2 Den of five boys and created a troop. Normally the boys would cross over in February, but we opted to stay with the pack until June. This enabled us to spend our "spare" time setting up the troop.

 

Chartering was the easy part. Lots of help from fellow Scouters and professionals. Remember, new units are like gold to DE's! The part that really took legwork was equipping the troop for activities. Yes, much came from my pocket at first. Look to places like Alps Mountaineering for generous deals on good tents. Various units around our District were very generous. Our young troop was quickly the receipient of much second hand camping gear, including a trailer. Scouts are always happy to help. And unfortunately, for every new troop, it seems one is downsizing or folding.

 

With no older boys, boy leadership was tough during the first year. I spent much time ascting as "Patrol Leader- XL". But bit by bit, they have come around to understanding what the leadership positions mean. This fall we are holding our first real Junior Leader Training.

 

We did not attend summer camp that first summer. By the time camp came around this year, we were well prepared. We had two older boys transfer in. One is a Life Scout just two merit badges away from Eagle. We also had six Webelos cross over from two different packs. Two of our boys served as Den Chiefs. We invited Webelos to "fun nights". We worked hard at recruiting.

 

At camp this summer, all of our young Scouts advanced generally two ranks. Most earned at least two merit badges. The troop earned Honor Troop Status (one of four troops out of 15 in camp). They earned a special commendation from the Camp Director.

 

This fall we have all 14 boys returning and two new boys who were recruited by last year's crossovers. That's a sure thing things are going well. Yes, the adults are dedicated and we work hard. We focus more and more on boy leadership.

 

But the best advice I can give you is to make it FUN! The boys have many options on how to spend their time. But all boys love adventure and the outdoors. If you can offer that, and make it fun, they will gladly join.

 

Just say "FOLLOW ME BOYS!".

[Eagletrek]

Ahhhhh Narraticong, you stole my thunder. My advise to the OP would have been and still is figure out the the details on the admin side and then settle down and watch "Follow Me Boys."